Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Am I green, or are we just exploiting an angle to sell more tacos?

Not that we`re against selling more tacos, but like with our food bank tacos, we feel we should be cautious about leveraging something "cool" that we do or impact with our product that is "good" for people but that might also sell more tacos.

Here is my point, a couple of weeks ago I`m showing/talking about our invention to a guy I respect and his babe pipes up about how she stocks boxes or something at Whole Foods and how they just cut off box tops and recycle them (and what a great thing that is); I`d wrestled with this before "your product sucks because I can`t use it" but I had an epiphany about grocery stores and retail in general (cardboard is the most recycled product in the world).

I pointed out to her that if they used Tiger Tacos even part of the time, and re-used-or sold customers the pre-used boxes-that it would make an even greater impact to the environment and business; she has to think about that one.

My point is that grocery stores alone recycle something like 6 million tons of cardboard boxes; they all have compactors running break-even on their waste, and we have a product that could impact this if they are willing to consider a new way of un-packing for retail ... teaching a new way isn`t my idea of a good time (we`re already doing that with everyone else).

Rambling ... just seems that being "green" and "selling green" are not the same thing when it comes to integrity (or whatever).

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Chris Miller, a simple taco maker:
The Tiger Taco home in the U.S.A.
Tiger Tacos in Australia
Tiger Tacos in the United Kingdom

And this is the heart of the issue, I think. We (everyone—business, consumers, institutions) are so programmed against change. We are so convinced that  the familiar is always better than the unfamiliar that we resist change even when faced with hard proof that things will improve with the unfamiliar change.

And the kind of change we really need when it comes to sustainability is a systemic, inside-out kind of change: we need to create a whole new paradigm for economy, manufacturing and systems generally. It can be done but it takes commitment and buy-in from major players (who are starting to get the picture—i.e. Wal-Mart), to small guys (who have the ability to change and be more flexible faster because of their scale), to consumers (who vote with their dollars).

It`s a group effort, and if you get enough members of the group creating change, eventually the groundswell grows and those members of the group who are fighting change begin to buy-in themselves. Just look at the civil rights movement: it took systemic change, personal change and institutional change at multiple levels of society to really grab hold and stick (and even now we can see the challenges that continue, even as the system has re-formed itself).

—J.


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Roughstock Studios | Notes From the Rodeo | Newsletter
Strategic communications without the selling of souls.

Ok you want some tips?

1. Since 1987, we have shown our clients how much they are going to save in money, time & effort using us or our product/s. That means we do their homework for them.
2. The last thing we mention is that we are “Green”, or “Natural”, or small business, or minority, or woman owned, or work out of the house. We are all of these things. Each client is on a need to know bases.
3.  To a lot of our clients which are; private Industry, city, state, & federal, won’t admit it but look at “Green” as trendy, & “Natural”, as weak. They are bombarded by regulators, environmentalist & the public, with every move they make. So most think that going “Green”, is going to be more paperwork for them or despise it because of regulations.  Make it easy for them to do.  
4. Most of our clients want to do the right thing, others are turned off & still others only care how much money they are going to save or make. We try to make their job easier. By giving them the data they can use to save or make money & products that are “industrial” strength. We give them the tools; training/”babysitting” & follow through. We can help them stay out of the headlines or get into the headlines.
5. Don’t take on more clients than you can handle.
6. Make sure your registered for every category you qualify for small business, or minority, or woman owned, & yes “Green”.  We are currently doing that.
7. Make sure your website is up to date. We are currently going through this painstaking process. Yes, I know we waited too long.  We hope to be done by September.
8. Learn from your & others` mistakes. Look at these as oppurtinities.

 DeAna Vitela / AquaBio Environmental Technologies, Inc.

Right now there are an ever increasing amounts of alternative pool and spa sanitizers that get away from the traditional ones (also known for causing cancer) but the cost is considerably higher then "old school" chemicals.

We are trying to convert customers over to "green" by taking a lower profit margin on "green" sanitizers to share the increased cost. I justify this to myself in the fact that if my staff and I have to deal with harmful traditional chemicals less, we too shall be healthier in the long run. Selling point is to reduce the toxic environment that family and children, and in some cases pets, are exposed to.

I am sure that some will say not to reduce profit margin just to sell one product over another, but protecting my staff and myself are surely worth the few dollars I give away.

Very sound advice. I needed that - thanks! :-)

RE: Government not doing anything about the whole Green thing..

a) they will do more, they do some now, some cities require "NO-VOC" paints be used on all contracts they issue for remodeling and new construction, that is huge. 

b) they will be slow, and don`t really care, Green, is just another topic for the politicians to be infavor or out of favor on...BUT their are many politicians who are embracing the the whole Green Movement just to get votes,  they could care less about the environment or how their motorcade of Suburbans effects their carbon footprint, but they do care about votes, and they are noticing that passing green legislation gets them votes.

c) what is green legistlation? currently it is garbage, full of kick backs and loop holes (all the normal stuff), and gobbly gook (technical term) with "green" somewhere in the first paragraph. 

Just like everything else in this "wonderful" country, we need to vote with our dollars not our ballots.  ballots mean absolutlely nothing anymore, the politicians make their decisions based on the big companies and lobbyists once they are elected or they won`t be re-elected...that is how the game is played.

Trust me, I know how congress works.  I make my living shipping cargo on passenger planes.  Some crack head in Washington is pushing airline cargo security so far he wants ZERO cargo on passenger flights.  The general public probably think it`s great to take cargo off passenger flights.  They don`t realize that the computer sitting on their desk came over on a passenger flight, and so did the pants they are wearing.  If all air cargo had to be shipped on the triopoly of three cargo only airlines this economy would suffer drastically, not to mention ticket prices to fly anywhere, even on Southwest who ships TONS of cargo on their planes.   Who do you think is lining this congressman`s pockets?  UPS/FEDEX/DHL...etc.... That is how the game works folks...it`s all about the money....

so back to the green thing, don`t hold your breath for any meaningful legislation, but if you have a couple scuba tanks, you might see it in time to come up and breath some clean air someday.  I am not saying I would vote for Gore if he ran, but I do like his Green Spirit and the fact that he is an Apple Computer fan.

GO GREENTREPRENEURS !!!!

 

Hi,

Sometimes an offbeat approach works (to separate your product from others). There was an English movie from the the early 1960`s called "The Boy With Green Hair". It was a social parable about accepting people who are different. Make some kind of humorous reference to your `green` hair product not making people`s hair green. Or not.

Good luck.

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richill

I am a non-apologetic environmentalist, aviation/transportation professional, and entrepreneur. 

And yes, I think all of those things are reconcilable.  I think that they HAVE to be, or we - the human race - are doomed. 

The answer lies not in changing people`s lifestyles (not gonna happen unless forced), but in changing the products and services USED to MEET people`s lifestyle expectations.

Look at compact flourescent lightbulbs, for example.  I`ve heard that if each household in the US changed just ONE incandescent bulb to compact flourescent, the US would save enought energy to power all the homes in Delaware and Rhode Island combined.  And because of that, they save money that can be spent on something else to increase your standard of living.

That`s just ONE benefit example.  You want more?  Think about how much cheaper health care might be if we didn`t have so many people in the emergency room for health problems that we would see less of if the world used fewer toxic products in manufacturing, cleaning, etc. 

Green can only be good!

Namaste,

Andrew Hartley

http://www.environmentastic.com

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http://blog.aviationofbusiness.com
http://www.thirdfloorcards.com
http://www.teachers-forum.com
http://www.environmentastic.com
http://www.vmdirect.com/crescendomedia

I agree with you Andrew. Glad you joined the forum and website.

So how is Columbus? I am originally from Jamestown, OH (45 miles south, by the outlet mall).

I am a Realtor in Florida and has recently received my EcoBroker certification designation, meaning I`d had specialized training in environmental and energy efficient issues. The reason I did this is to be able to impact more people when buying and/or selling homes regarding ways they can help the environment, provide better air quality, increasing their own comfort and having less maintenance on their home, not to mention the amount of money they can save. Usually if the environment is not a motivator, the saving money on utility bills is. Of course they will always be those people who care less, but for the most part, this has turned out to be a very positive thing and people are very receptive to it.

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Sherry Laursen
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate
Tampa, FL 33647
www.floridamoves.com
sherry.laursen@floridamoves.com
www.ecobroker.com
(813) 368-5893 Direct
(813) 977-3500 Office

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