Is green business doing enough?

Here's an interesting interview with Joel Makower that explores the new report on “The State of Green Business 2008” is just out from GreenBiz.com.

here's some of the questions they ask Joel.

Click the link to read the whole article . . .

http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi?sfArticleId=2462

Bill Baue: The report seems to reach two seemingly contradictory conclusions: pessimistic optimism or, more precisely, optimistic realism. On the one hand, you say that green business has passed the tipping point on many indicators you consider, shifting from a movement to a market. On the other hand, the positive changes seem woefully inadequate to the crises that we face, like climate change and water scarcity. Say more about this tension between the positive growth of green business and the daunting task at hand.

Francesca Rheannon: The stock markets have been incredibly roiled lately. There are fears of a recession, perhaps even of a depression. Could this throw a monkey wrench into the kind of positive developments you're talking about?

BB: You say that "while carbon intensity represents improvement of sorts, it also obscures the fact that overall carbon emissions need to decrease significantly, not grow more slowly, in order to avoid what a consensus of scientists predict will be the worst impacts of climate change. According to many scientists, greenhouse gas emissions need to decrease 80% by 2050. At current rates, the US will never get there." That is a really dire prediction. Can you talk about the problem that carbon intensity creates for creating environmental solutions?

BB: Describe the impetus behind creating the Green Index and what impact you intend on green business practices.

BB: Explain the rating system that you created: “swimming”, “treading water” and “sinking”. How did you come up with that rating system and what are the implications in terms of where we are right now and where we're heading?

BB: The report also includes what you consider the ten biggest stories from 2007. What are a few of the big stories to take away from 2007?

FR: There's the issue of green washing and green marketing. On your blog and podcast you covered the report, The Six Sins of Greenwashing, by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing. Could you discuss the tension between greenwashing and bona fide green marketing?

BB: Recently, Bob Langert of MacDonald’s posited a list of the “Six Sins of Greenmuting” — when companies choose not to communicate their green initiatives for fear of being accused of greenwashing. What are your thoughts about that?

BB: You mentioned Clorox earlier, and they just bought out Burt’s Bees. Can you talk about what Clorox is doing in greening their business?

Going It Alone

An article I think you'd like:

Going It Alone

In a recent poll by Small Business Guru, 66 percent of small business owners said they were not involved in any sort of peer group. It’s all too easy for small business owners to feel isolated.

http://biznik.com/learn/articles/business-networking/going-it-alone

16 Key Irresistible Offer Making Questions

1. What’s the product or service or special promotion you’re offering (in plain english)? If it’s a service - how many sessions and how long will each one run? If it’s a product - how many, how big etc?

2. How much does it cost?

3. Who is the target market (if any) you’re trying to reach?

4. What are the major problems this product or service solves? What happens that makes them start to think about buying what you sell?

5. What is the major result/benefit/outcome that this product or service gives?

6. What is most important to your target market when buying the type of thing you sell? In terms of the product/service - but also the process they have to go through to buy it. What do they want and what don’t they want (again - not just in buying from you but in terms of buying from your industry - buying the kind of thing that you sell)?

7. What do you do to give your clients what they want (see answers to the above question)? What are your standards, policies, procedures and processes you use to maintain a level of excellence in what you do? We often assume far too much here. Tell me all the details, all the lengths you go to.

8. Is there any evidence you can show to prove all of this?

9. What are the common frustrations, annoyances and hassles people have when buying the kind of thing that they sell? What are the horror stories people have about dealing with your industry?

10. What are the 5 biggest risks that people perceive about doing business with people like you? Are they afraid they’ll look stupid? people will laugh at them? that it won’t work? That you’re a cult? This is the time to get real and honestly assess what fears (realistic or based on myths) might stop someone from taking the step to do business with you.

11. What are the values that you seek to embody as a business? Prove to me that you’re in this for more than the money. Where do you go above and beyond to live your green, ethical, spiritual or community based values? Why should I feel good about myself for doing business with you? Be specific. Do you manufacture or sell sustainable products or services? Do you give preference to suppliers that create positive social and environmental benefits (e.g. local companies, certified organic ingredients, fair trade partnerships, ethical manufacturing, renewable energy), demonstrate a commitment to responsible business practices (e.g. pay employees a living wage, donate a percentage of profits to local charities, minimize environmental impact)? Are you concerned with employee safety, work/life balance and development (e.g. Living wage, benefit programs, telecommuting)? Do you affirm a mission that includes sustainability? Do you wish to educate the public about the economic, social and/or environmental impact their choices have?

12. What is it that you think most people don’t see or appreciate about your business that you wish they did? What are the tiny details they don’t get to see? What’s the extra effort you’ve put in that seems to go unnoticed?

13. What do they need to know (see or hear) in order to feel confident that they making a good decision when buying what you sell? If your best friend in Australia was buying what you sold - and couldn’t get it from you - what would you tell them to look for to protect them from an unpleasant buying experience? What questions would you have them ask? What are the telltale signs of an excellent or a very bad business in your industry? What criteria should they use to determine whether what they’re about to buy is of good value?

14. What else is it that makes it so irresistible? Why is it more than worth the money? What makes it better than the competition to your clients? What’s so different about it? How do you give them what they want but not what they don’t want? I want you to convince me, make your case, show me the evidence, tell me a story etc. Help me understand why I would want to pay you my hard earned money for this.

15. What are the three best testimonials you can send me for this offer?

16. What are the three best one paragraph long stories or case-studies you could provide for this offer?