Ecopreneurship on BizBooks

By Bizbox

Scott Cooney, author of Build a Green Small Business, joined us yesterday as a part of our BizBooks author discussion series to field questions from ourselves and from readers. We think it went splendidly: do check it out here.

A couple highlights:
Redlands, Calif.: I am a international business major. What is a good start for a small green business?

Scott Cooney: Sustainability consulting is really hot right now, and with an international focus, you can really tie into multinational corporations, especially medium sized ones, that are looking for help as they try to deal with some countries that are greener than others, and some that are shifting regulations. Take a look at that chapter in the book, and realize that if you get in good with a couple of companies and help them through some tough international laws and different types of customers, you will become indispensable and make oodles of money! Ecotourism, also a terrific option. Sustainable travel agencies as well as on-the-ground ecotourism operators are really a booming field in a shrinking industry.

BizBooks: Is there a particularly good way to sell yourself as a green brand?

Scott Cooney: This is a terrific question. This is particularly dangerous ground for a company. They really have to really walk the walk. Green consumers are too smart for greenwashing. Exxon has been trying forever to promote themselves as good for the environment. BP, Shell, General Motors. They're all on the bandwagon now, but who believes them? It won't translate into sales until people believe it. Apple, a truly hip brand, is being very careful not to brand themselves as green right now, because they're not. They're one of the worst offenders in terms of waste and in terms of the toxic components in their consumer goods. If they were to call themselves green, many people would believe it right away, but then slowly the truth would come out and they would face serious repurcussions.

So to brand yourself and your business as green, I would recommend that business entrepreneurs spend some time in my opening chapters of my book, which introduces the green consumer, the 5 golden rules of choosing a green business to start, and how to effectively market your business in this rapidly growing market. I talk a lot about the dangers and pitfalls, and about savvy customers and how to truly communicate with them.

Santa Barbara, Calif.: With the economy in the position it's in, I'm hesitant to start any small business-- let alone a green one. Do you have advice for people with big dreams but small pockets?

Scott Cooney: The book is riddled with ideas of green businesses that can be started on a shoestring. I give an idea in each chapter about how much it might cost to start each one, and I was surprised interviewing many ecopreneurs at just how little it cost them to start their business. Green costs more in some ways, but it also generates a lot of savings in some ways by cutting waste, buying things second-hand when possible, etc. Traditional businesses are going to have to continue to contend with increasing costs of fuel and energy. Your streamlined and eco-friendly business will be ahead of the curve, meaning better opportunities for profitable years.

BizBooks: Is green just a fad, or is it going to be hip for a while to come?

Scott Cooney: It's great that the popularity of environmentalism and sustainability has grown, but I think it's just a matter that the time has come. We're simply running out of resources (fresh water, arable land, energy, etc.), and people are waking up to the chemical influence in their lives, largely thanks to the "ah-ha" moment many of us get when we learn about organic food.

Consumers are starting to read labels and watch out for bad ingredients. They're starting to be concerned about the chemicals in the food they're feeding their children and themselves. They're starting to realize that the planet truly is in trouble. And they're starting to realize that maintaining the status quo of oil being the primary driver of a global economy is a really dangerous scenario. It may hit home for some just because of gas prices. For others, it's their kids, regarding choices like infant formula or bad food leading to diabetes, or increasing incidences of autism which may be linked to increased levels of mercury in our air and food supply, especially fish. For others, it's simply a matter that they've gotten over the antiquated view of the American Dream of the white picket fence and the yard, and realized that a walkable community where you know your friends and neighbors and have access to nightlife, restaurants, work opportunities, public transit, parks, bike lanes, etc., is a pretty spectacular lifestyle.

But whatever it is, I don't see those people ever going back to the exurbs, going back to junk food, going back to spending 2 hours a day in a car... There's just more important things in life, and this sustainable lifestyle that everyone is talking about is really hitting home with people.

Comments (1)

October 9, 2008 11:59 PM