Reduce paper waste and save trees with creative green holiday promotions. This article showcases the creative green holiday promotion of Von Glitschka, a small business owner, and offers tips for more sustainable holiday marketing.
The first time I slept on a memory foam mattress, I was in heaven. When it was time to buy a new bed, I was thrilled to find out about a new green company called Essentia, who makes the only natural memory foam mattresses on the market. Most memory foam mattresses are made of petroleum products, which are not only harmful to the environment, they’re unnatural and unhealthy. I want my bed to be a place of sanctuary and rest,…
AIGA Chicago is organizing an event called Incite / Insight 2008: Responsible Design 101, November 20 in Chicago that addresses the significance of green design. AIGA, the professional association for design, is the oldest and largest professional membership organization for graphic & communications design. The organization has been at the forefront of promoting the shift to sustainable design practices through their Center for Sustainable Design. Green business owners are realizing that green marketing and design is a business asset that’s…
Growing a successful brand is much like growing a garden. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. When it comes to branding a green business, it’s becoming harder and harder to stand out in a sea of companies claiming to have green products and ethical practices. While it’s wonderful that green is going mainstream, it makes good, original branding even more important for green businesses. How do you set your business apart and attract…
It seems like the price of everything is going up lately, and so is the cost of doing business. One of the best pieces of business advice I’ve heard so far is to keep your overhead costs as low as possible. This can be tricky for a green business, since we often spend a little bit more on sustainable and organic materials and office supplies. But with a little green thinking it’s possible to lower your costs while making eco-conscious…
So you’re starting a green business. Congratulations! Now that you have a dream, a business name, and a plan, how do you go from the initial idea to making that first sale? If you’ve done your homework, you probably have a marketing plan for your business (it’s wise to make it part of your business plan). One of the most important pieces of your marketing plan should be your company web site. Your web site will be the first impression…
As going green becomes more and more popular, it seems that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. Consumers want more sustainable options for all their needs, and companies are beginning to listen. Or are they? Maybe I’m just a little paranoid, but I don’t tend to trust the megalithic corporations that have so much power and wealth today. So while I see many ad campaigns touting green promises and hear of many large corporations changing their ways, as much as…
I admit it, I am addicted to the internet. However, this addiction isn’t all bad – my hard earned internet savvy has paid off time and time again in the form of referrals and new clients. Without even having to overtly advertise, I have gotten many inquiries about my services and quite a few good clients from my online activities. I’ve also made a lot of friends in my field and networked with other designers that I can bounce ideas…
Building your green business, or greening an existing one, is a journey. And like any journey in life, you may have to blaze your own trail. Sustainable business models are a rather new phenomenon – there aren’t exactly a slew of entrepreneurs out there concerned with a triple bottom line. So although there are many places you could turn to find a checklist for greening your business, you probably won’t find one that’s an exact fit for your company. The…
