Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

DMI, you`re right. I`m just now reading a novel involving the law, and was reminded (since I tend to forget, periodically) that whether someone is innocent or not really has no bearing on a case. It`s whether the jury "believes" the defendant is guilty or innocent.

hmm.....okay, I`ll concede here, and if there`s an opportunity in the fad then it makes business sense to take advantage of it.:-) Excellent argument!

People who want green and will buy green, or organic, or natural etc... Those who don`t and I know people who don`t just want a product they like at a decent price and for them as long as they can get it fast and inexpensively, as well as shopping conveniently who cares.  Nothing will convince them otherwise.  On my end, I am adding natural etc... to my mall once it is set up in the next three weeks, and who wants natural etc... great and who doesn`t they will still have a lot to choose from.

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Check out my blog at www.GreenCPA.blogspot.com

I know first hand of how business owners feel about "going green" in their "waste" department.  I started a curbside recycling business in 2008, knowing full well I`d have to work for free to obtain that "great reputation" I take pride in now.  They don`t mind having a company other than the "Garbage Company" picking up their Cardboard....until.....there is a fee involved.  I have been picking up cardboard for free for 6 months from large companies and saving some of them anywhere from $300.00 and up per month on their traditional tip fees with the waste company.  When the market crashed and I needed to implement a fee that would either match what they would pay to the garbage company or save them money and support a local ran business; they went through the roof!  They thought why should they pay me to pick up something I would then turn and sell.  Did they forget I have expenses also?  I`m not picking up their cardboard and selling it 30sec. later the same way I got it.  It goes through a process much more detailed than dumping it from a dumpster into a truck and then into the land.  Some of those companies have chosen to go back to their "trashy" method of putting all those recyclable items back into the land instead of saving money with a hard working and responsible local business. They are actually offended that I want them to pay me something.  They do not earn any "Green Star" from me, that`s for sure!  

 Craig I believe there is a fine line between Green and Eco-Friendly. My waterless car wash is Eco-Friendly because it saves water and stops putting chemicals in the ground unlike traditional car washing. The bottle is also reusable. I would say that it is not  "green" because there are chemicals in it. I just don`t get how so many big companies are promoting their products as green yet they are so far from green, they are more like purple.
Just a thought.

cynchrys...your reply is really nice..and the poject  being worked is also very nice.
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john
Home Jobs

From a conservative perspective, the difference between "green" and everything else is forced compliance. People have been conservation minded for centuries. "Eco-friendly" simply means conservation, but it sounds more modern.

The "green" movement is a precursor to forced compliance with whatever scientific or pseudo-scientific fad the money-hungry organizations want to come up with. "Green" is code for "you`d better do it or you`re going to destroy the planet."

I interview a lot of companies about "Going Green". Since there is no universal explanation or rule book for how to go green they typically use leading comparable products as a benchmark. Usually they will say "Where can we make substantial improvements in the eco-friendliness of a product".

Common methods include:
-Recycled material
-Source of raw ingredients
-Resources required for manufacturing
-End of product life disposal or reuse

The most important part is that they will not typically select a method for going green based on public perception but rather select an approach that is less harmful to the environment. For example, rather than saying "We use recycled plastic therefore we are green", they will perform research that shows for a specific product and application that recycled plastic is better than new plastic.

Regarding "going green" - there are as many different ways to go green as their are businesses in the world.  Green means different things to different people.  But, if you want to read some solid information about green resources for businsses - there is some very good information here - http://www.businessmoneytoday.com/Information/Green_Business.html

By saying your product is green and standing behind it - I think it will most diffently help in selling your product.

Good Luck!

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