Green Options » Olga Orda http://greenoptions.com/author/ecowriter/ Post archive of Olga Orda Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:10:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en http://greenoptions.com/author/ecowriter/ http://greenoptions.com/wp-content/avatars/1269.jpg Green Options » Olga Orda Greenomics’ Erich Schwartz on Sustainable Tourism http://ecowriter.greenoptions.com/2009/09/23/greenomics-erich-schwartz-on-sustainable-tourism/ http://ecowriter.greenoptions.com/2009/09/23/greenomics-erich-schwartz-on-sustainable-tourism/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:10:45 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecowriter.greenoptions.com/2009/09/23/greenomics-erich-schwartz-on-sustainable-tourism/ g.gif

An FD Element dispatch.

We recently spoke with Erich Schwartz, Founder and President of Greenomics on the rise of Sustainable Tourism. His “Sustainable Practices in Business Tourism” workshop on September 21st in Vancouver, BC attracted hotel owners and operators, restaurant owners and operators, senior, industry association executives and destination marketing organizations.

Vancouver is one of the world’s most sought after tourist destinations and will host millions of citizens and athletes from around the globe during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in February.

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation estimated that, in 1999, tourism accounted for 11.7 percent of the global GDP, or US $3.5 trillion. Of this, seven percent was generated though nature-based tourism activities. While sustainable tourism is on the rise from 1999, it still has a long way to go.

In August 2009, Carissa Bluestone in Worldchanging.org sums up the ‘cultural psychosis’ of sustainable tourism and more importantly, vacation time, when she says that, “Americans love environmentally unsound vacations — power-boating beerfests, three-day Cancun bacchanalias, check-your-mind-at-the-door packaged tours and cruises.”More...

Eric, Why sustainable tourism? What is its significance in British Columbia, Canada and North America?
Sustainable tourism speaks to the very need to do business differently. [It] consciously understands the footprint our industry leaves on society and the environment. It also speaks to how we can work together in the industry and with our suppliers to jointly find more creative ways to make a positive impact on our collective goals.

In terms of significance, its is vitally important for our industry to have a societal values shift in the direction of conservation and preservation of our quality of life and for future generations. The consequence if we do move forward as an industry…is that we those companies will remain healthy and economically stable business entities.  Those that don’t will struggle along until the next economic crisis and may not survive the next one. Business that are making changes benefit from a cost perspective and the creation of a strong, loyal workplace culture. In doing so, they will weather any storm and ultimately thrive.

What are some of the opportunities for businesses inside and outside the tourism industry to be involved in the sustainable tourism field?
This goes back to the many other industries the tourism industry relies on to serve the travelling public.  Our operations [in British Columbia] rely on energy providers, such as hydro, gas, cleaning products, paper products, carpet, paint, landscape, horticulture, farmers, food distributors, etc.

Who do you think is paving the way for sustainable tourism in North America? What is so exciting and unique about what they are doing?
Our values are changing not only because of the climate change concerns but also, our desire to become more socially responsible. Since this is a joint effort, there are two answers to this question. First, for the BC Partnership for Sustainable Tourism, we do not know of any other organization like us in North America. The closest tie would be EcoTourism.org, which is a useful resource and support for us. It has a global focus and we have a very concentrated focus on the province of BC.  As well, the Icarus Foundation has a broader focus on Canada. Second, Greenomics drives the business case for sustainability, which is, quite simply, that we we need to save our businesses. This means we need to preserve the environment and be socially responsible to remain competitive.

Drilling down underneath that increasing societal support for sustainability, I believe innovative tourism business leaders are also paving the way for sustainable tourism in North America.  Because many of our BC tourism businesses operate in the natural environment, they have a comprehensive understanding of the need to ensure that this province’s incredible beauty exists for future generations to enjoy.

Similarly, local and provincial governments are starting to understand that the future of the economy and our communities will depend upon more sustainable businesses practices. This includes mitigating and adapting to climate change. [These government bodies] are beginning to pave the way for sustainable tourism in North America through policy, regulation, instigating stakeholder dialogue, funding organizations such as BCPST and so forth.

Thank you, Erich.

An FD Element dispatch. The leaders in sustainability and advocacy communications and advertising.

]]> http://ecowriter.greenoptions.com/2009/09/23/greenomics-erich-schwartz-on-sustainable-tourism/feed/ Interview with Carmen Spagnola of m http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/10/interview-with-carmen-spagnola-of-m-smart-designs/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/10/interview-with-carmen-spagnola-of-m-smart-designs/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:57:53 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/10/interview-with-carmen-spagnola-of-m-smart-designs/

A Green Printer interview with Carmen Spagnola, entrepreneur and owner of m.

1. What made you want to start m?
I started m because I was a frustrated consumer.  I decided that  if I want to have access to smarter, more beautifully designed, more  responsible products and amenities for my home and family, I was going
to have to create more demand.  Markets are a bit of a chicken-and-egg  relationship.  Many retailers will tell you that they only provide  what their customers want.  That is only part of my modus operandi.
I want to showcase the possibility of a better performing future, so  much of what I sell and promote is currently considered ahead of the market.  But how will the market know what it wants if we don’t inspire it to want more?

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/10/interview-with-carmen-spagnola-of-m-smart-designs/feed/ Substance 151: Modular design systems and visual vocabularies http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/30/substance-151-modular-design-systems-and-visual-vocabularies/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/30/substance-151-modular-design-systems-and-visual-vocabularies/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:57:08 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/30/substance-151-modular-design-systems-and-visual-vocabularies/

By contributing guest author Ida Cheinman, Principal and Creative Director of Substance 151, a strategic design agency for Green Printer’s “Design Goes Green” series.

We live in a time when “sustainability” is topping the buzzword charts and a wave of greenwashing is flooding the mainstream. We live in a time of intense competition, gloomy economic forecasts and rapidly disappearing marketing budgets, but also in a time when more and more companies and organizations strive to uphold higher environmental and social values, making the shift to the triple bottom line economic model. Sustainability and social responsibility are the forces that drive many of today’s business decisions; they also change the way organizations re-think their branding and marketing strategies. As marketers and business leaders, we are faced with the challenge of finding differentiation by creating empowering and memorable brand experiences for our audiences in the increasingly crowded sustainable marketplace.

So, What are the rules?

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/30/substance-151-modular-design-systems-and-visual-vocabularies/feed/ The Brainchild Group: Problem solving + timing in marketing http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/15/the-brainchild-group-on-problem-solving-and-timing-in-green-marketing/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/15/the-brainchild-group-on-problem-solving-and-timing-in-green-marketing/#comments Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:57:34 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/15/the-brainchild-group-on-problem-solving-and-timing-in-green-marketing/

A special guest post by Aaron Schoenberger for Green Printer’s ‘Design Goes Green’ series.

A common misconception, one that I’ve seen a thousand times, is the idea that simply printing on recycled mediums, with soy ink, will make one’s marketing materials green. In essence, it’s not only the printing that makes a company green, but also the research and time spent identifying target markets, concocting copy that’s both precise and somewhat vague at the same time, limiting the want to send promotional material to everyone on the planet, and a host of other factors that, if not done properly, will result in a slap on the wrist from good ole’ Mother Earth.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/15/the-brainchild-group-on-problem-solving-and-timing-in-green-marketing/feed/ Earth Day marketing without the one-time PR ’stunts’ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/09/earth-day-marketing-without-the-one-time-pr-stunts/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/09/earth-day-marketing-without-the-one-time-pr-stunts/#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:22:00 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/09/earth-day-marketing-without-the-one-time-pr-stunts/

Earth Day takes place this April 22nd.

As a green leader or entrepreneur, the day begs the question, what will you be doing?

In a mad public relations world that anchors on events as a tangible “touch point” in lieu of diving into the messier (and harder to track or control) world of ‘awareness’, Earth Day is one of many symbols (i.e. polar bears) we use when speaking to some of the starker and concrete practices of the planet’s ecological anxieties.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/09/earth-day-marketing-without-the-one-time-pr-stunts/feed/ Green branding and identity means ‘organizing information’ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/01/green-branding-and-identity-means-organizing-information/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/01/green-branding-and-identity-means-organizing-information/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:52:21 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/01/green-branding-and-identity-means-organizing-information/

Green Printer speaks with Sigrid Albert, Principal and Art Director of StepUp Communications, a company that focuses on creative services for internal communications.

A post by contributing writer Melissa Chungfat.

Some of your clients integrate sustainability in their business. What advice would you give to green start-up businesses in terms of identity and design?

Having a clear vision and direction for your company is the first step. From there, you can create your visual identity. Green businesses already have clear values to communicate, which makes it easier to design for them. Their visual identity should reflect what the business does and the best thing is for them to follow through with their promise. Be clear about what your strengths are and the direction your business is going, and designers can help with that process.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/01/green-branding-and-identity-means-organizing-information/feed/ Clearly Green Design on history’s great brands and “swag funding” http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/19/clearly-green-design-on-historys-great-brands-and-swag-funding/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/19/clearly-green-design-on-historys-great-brands-and-swag-funding/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:37:56 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/19/clearly-green-design-on-historys-great-brands-and-swag-funding/ A Green Printer ‘Design Goes Green’ dispatch.

A contributing post by Deb Ozarko, Director of Creative Services for Clearly Green Design, an Ottawa, Canada based visual communications firm.

There is no escaping the dark news about today’s current economic situation. Regardless, there are ways for us to all survive - and thrive - simply by asking ourselves one question: Want or Need?

In a planet faced with the tragic fallout from the over consumptive patterns of typical North American society, an economic crisis may just what we need to show us the true cost of our spending habits.  It would not hurt us a bit to do less spending on frivolous - and often environmentally damaging items, and pay more attention to consumer or donor messaging so we can begin to develop an overall higher eco-consciousness.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/19/clearly-green-design-on-historys-great-brands-and-swag-funding/feed/ Junxion Strategy: Green marketing grows up http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/18/junxion-strategy-green-marketing-grows-up/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/18/junxion-strategy-green-marketing-grows-up/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:44:13 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/18/junxion-strategy-green-marketing-grows-up/

By Contributing Writer Melissa Chungfat | Part of Green Printer’s ‘Design Goes Green’ dispatch.

Thanks to blogs, websites, Facebook, and the ever-growing list of social media tools, people have the ability and power to educate themselves about anything they please. It is harder for companies to get away with lies about their products and misleading messages. People can easily look up “greenwashing” or “what is an organic product?” in a search engine and in a matter of seconds, they have a list of resources that cuts through the PR.

So how can companies who are taking sincere environmental initiatives market themselves credibly?

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/18/junxion-strategy-green-marketing-grows-up/feed/ A.T. Kearney: Companies that ‘leaned’ toward green in 2008 performed better financially http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/11/at-kearney-companies-that-leaned-toward-green-in-2008-performed-better-financially/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/11/at-kearney-companies-that-leaned-toward-green-in-2008-performed-better-financially/#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:53:51 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/11/at-kearney-companies-that-leaned-toward-green-in-2008-performed-better-financially/

By Contributing Writer Melissa Chungfat.

Design Goes Green - The first of a series of articles by Green Printer on the cross-section between the environment, business and the creative communications industry.

Every day we hear about companies going under and pub meals having more value than bank stocks. At at time when profits are low across the nation, some company executives think that now is not the time to implement environmental initiatives. So why did companies committed to sustainability in 2008 perform better that those that didn’t?

Management consulting firm A.T. Kearney did a study comparing the performances of  99 companies with strong commitments to sustainability against industry averages from May to November 2008. Companies that leaned towards green outperformed industry averages by 15% over the six months in 16 of the 18 industries.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/11/at-kearney-companies-that-leaned-toward-green-in-2008-performed-better-financially/feed/ Core Industries on the death of PR stunts and the “Age of Consequence” http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/10/core-industries-on-the-death-of-pr-stunts-and-the-age-of-consequence/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/10/core-industries-on-the-death-of-pr-stunts-and-the-age-of-consequence/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:32:36 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/10/core-industries-on-the-death-of-pr-stunts-and-the-age-of-consequence/

Talking with Corey Szopinski, Principal and Founder of Core Industries.

Your firm has worked on some pretty cool projects like Live Earth and Pepsi, 1% for the Planet and the Volkswagen Carbon Neutral Project. Tell us what your clients come to your company for and what makes Core Industries different from other interactive strategy, design and development firms.

We’re the next evolution of a boutique interactive marketing firm. We are one of the few very high end development shops that has a clear mission of focusing on the triple bottom line: people, planet and profit. Clients come to us because they know that we get invested in their projects, their company, and their people, because we care about what we’re doing… we not out to make a quick buck. In fact, our overall mission is to help foster the emerging green economy. Our way of doing that is by using graphic design, computer science and marketing strategy to help our clients be more “sustainable”. And for us sustainability has a dual meaning: it means being responsible for our environment, but it also means making sure the business is sustainable. In other words, we help our clients thrive, not just survive.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/10/core-industries-on-the-death-of-pr-stunts-and-the-age-of-consequence/feed/ The Green Economy Connection With ‘Indie-Craftpreneur’ Jill Bliss http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/02/18/the-green-economy-connection-with-indie-craftpreneur-jill-bliss/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/02/18/the-green-economy-connection-with-indie-craftpreneur-jill-bliss/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:11:53 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/02/18/the-green-economy-connection-with-indie-craftpreneur-jill-bliss/ 1. Jill, you are an artist, designer and crafter. Tell us about what you do and what you create.

First and foremost I create detailed native nature drawings. With these, I create an eponymous line of paper goods and fabric accessories. I’ve been an “indie-craftpreneur” since 2001, selling my goods on my retail website and in boutiques worldwide. I also create murals, take on custom art commissions, and the occasional graphic design project for like-minded businesses.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/02/18/the-green-economy-connection-with-indie-craftpreneur-jill-bliss/feed/ Studio 7 Designs on authenticity and cool, green branding trends http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/01/29/studio-7-designs-on-authenticity-and-cool-green-branding-trends/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/01/29/studio-7-designs-on-authenticity-and-cool-green-branding-trends/#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:07:53 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/01/29/studio-7-designs-on-authenticity-and-cool-green-branding-trends/

Interview with Studio 7 Designs‘ Aran Down.

You are an award-winning, environmentally friendly design firm. Tell us what your clients come to your company for and what makes Studio 7 Designs different from other ‘green’ design firms.

We started out about five years ago by providing non-profit groups with free consultation and web design. Originally, we focused on helping out local companies ─ it was our way of giving back to the community. After about two years of helping about 50 non-profit organizations, including many universities and UN chapters, we were getting offers for corporate branding through our contacts. At that time, Studio 7 Designs was run by me and some part-time designers, so it was a natural evolution to move towards being a full-time design and development company. Our roots are based in real ethics. Our site doesn’t have a green theme; we wanted to try to capture the beauty of the natural world and use artistic creativity to show who we are as a whole.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/01/29/studio-7-designs-on-authenticity-and-cool-green-branding-trends/feed/ A “de-hyped” guide to social media marketing for 2009 http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/01/03/a-de-hyped-guide-to-social-media-marketing-for-2009/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/01/03/a-de-hyped-guide-to-social-media-marketing-for-2009/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:48:17 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/01/03/a-de-hyped-guide-to-social-media-marketing-for-2009/ The verdict is in from the top social media honchos: social media isn’t just a fringe benefit to add as a complementary side dish to your regular, marketing plan - it is your main marketing plan for 2009.

Case in point. Etsy.com, branded by the New York Times as a cross between Amazon.com, eBay and “your grandmother’s basement” has over 100,000 sellers worldwide and had online buyers spend $4.3 million purchasing 300,000 items in November 2007.

What is interesting is that Etsy, an online marketplace for quality, handmade goods, has intentionally avoided big glossy ads in magazines in favour of seller-created street teams and video content to pull off the best, tried-and-true marketing strategy of all: word of mouth (WOM).

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/01/03/a-de-hyped-guide-to-social-media-marketing-for-2009/feed/ Obama: Investing in entrepreneurs a neccessary “down payment” http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/18/obama-investing-in-entrepreneurs-a-neccessary-down-payment/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/18/obama-investing-in-entrepreneurs-a-neccessary-down-payment/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:21:18 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/18/obama-investing-in-entrepreneurs-a-neccessary-down-payment/

Is your Resolution to Kickstart the Next Clean Revolution?

A post by contributing writer Melissa Chungfat.

I talked to one of my friend’s yesterday and she told me that the staff Christmas party wasn’t nearly as joyful as in previous years. Half of the people who came to the party were let go. There have been record layoffs since the economy has gone south, and it’s hard to talk to someone whose family hasn’t been impacted in some way.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/18/obama-investing-in-entrepreneurs-a-neccessary-down-payment/feed/ Words that ‘Work’: What To Write When Marketing Green http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/10/words-that-work-what-to-write-when-marketing-green/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/10/words-that-work-what-to-write-when-marketing-green/#comments Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:08:34 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/10/words-that-work-what-to-write-when-marketing-green/

A post by contributing writer Melissa Chungfat.

Every single word counts when it comes to marketing. How you package your brand with words and images has a strong influence on how people perceive your company.

But before I dive into which words can work for your product or service, always keep in mind that your company’s credibility is the first priority. Otherwise, it will affect how receptive people are to your words and any attempts to ‘pull the wool’, so to speak, over a target market’s eyes can backfire.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/10/words-that-work-what-to-write-when-marketing-green/feed/ Company Gift Giving Made Easy: Give carbon-neutrality this Christmas http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/04/company-gift-giving-made-easy-give-carbon-neutrality-this-christmas/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/04/company-gift-giving-made-easy-give-carbon-neutrality-this-christmas/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:55:15 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/04/company-gift-giving-made-easy-give-carbon-neutrality-this-christmas/ A post by contributing writer Melissa Chungfat.

The eco-holiday tips are beginning to pour in everywhere. Al Gore was on Oprah last week discussing the impacts of global warming and giving advice on how people can help the environment and save some cash this holiday. And, Obama is certainly doing his part with his plans to green the White House.

If you are an early bird ecopreneurist who wants to distinguish your business this holiday season or are at odds on what to give your customers, staff or business partners, one thing you can do is get a CarbonFree® Product Certification from the non-profit, Carbonfund.org. With CF, with the click of a mouse, you can give the gift of carbon neutrality. 

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/12/04/company-gift-giving-made-easy-give-carbon-neutrality-this-christmas/feed/ Ecopreneurs to play a key role in Friedman’s “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/27/ecopreneurs-to-play-a-key-role-in-friedmans-hot-flat-and-crowded/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/27/ecopreneurs-to-play-a-key-role-in-friedmans-hot-flat-and-crowded/#comments Thu, 27 Nov 2008 20:34:10 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/27/ecopreneurs-to-play-a-key-role-in-friedmans-hot-flat-and-crowded/

A post by contributing guest writer Melissa Chungfat.

I’ve been seeing a lot of Thomas Friedman on the tube talking about his book Hot, Flat, and Crowded. The three-time Pulitzer Prize winner is getting a lot of buzz stressing the necessity of a green global industry. Ecopreneurs are key in developing innovative solutions to deal with the tremendous global environmental problems.

The book title refers to the convergence of global warming, the rise of the middle class, and the exponential population growth. These factors drive the following five trends over their tipping point:

  • Energy and resource
  • Petro dictatorship
  • Biodiversity loss
  • Climate change
  • Energy poverty

In our culture of convenience, so many people want to help the environment – if they can keep all of their luxuries; they want to green their habits – if it’s convenient enough; they want to buy green products – if it’s easy enough to find. But this attitude won’t fly anymore with the problems we are facing.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/27/ecopreneurs-to-play-a-key-role-in-friedmans-hot-flat-and-crowded/feed/ Three, fresh ways to green your supply chain - better and faster http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/10/29/three-fresh-ways-to-green-your-supply-chain-better-and-faster/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/10/29/three-fresh-ways-to-green-your-supply-chain-better-and-faster/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:54:03 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/10/29/three-fresh-ways-to-green-your-supply-chain-better-and-faster/ We saw Wal-Mart, a company with worldwide-wide revenues only second to Exxon-Mobile, signal last week in Beijing that it is moving away from “intermittent transactions with many suppliers toward longer-term arrangements with a smaller group of manufacturers“. Then, this week in the news, IBM starts on a roll to eliminate the ‘burden’ of paper — including paper costs, compliance risks and environmental challenges — from their customers’ supply chains with a handful of recently launched software and services.

What is going on here? Both companies are adopting tactics used by sustainability minded entrepreneurs as part of the time tested sustainability supply chain model: measure, purchase local where possible, maintain long-term relationships and integrate accountability at all ‘nodes’ of the chain.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/10/29/three-fresh-ways-to-green-your-supply-chain-better-and-faster/feed/ Four Reasons: Green still the way to go despite a nose-diving economy http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/10/09/four-reasons-green-still-the-way-to-go-despite-a-nose-diving-economy/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/10/09/four-reasons-green-still-the-way-to-go-despite-a-nose-diving-economy/#comments Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:39:26 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/10/09/four-reasons-green-still-the-way-to-go-despite-a-nose-diving-economy/

Photo credits: Wired.com.

Entrepreuneur.com recently wrote an excellent guide for small business owners on proactive moves they can take to survive - and better yet, thrive - in the nose-diving economy.

“You Can Weather the Economic Storm (Product price sensitivity and financial creativity can help you thrive in any economy)” is especially relevant for green entrepreneurs as many of the principles underlying Dennis Romero’s advice aligns with what sustainable business leaders already know: go for local resilience, understand the value of community-based goodwill and when in doubt, simply, simplify, simplify to the bare essentials (do the latest farm-fresh food recipes or eco-cleaning supplies mantras sound familiar, anyone?).

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/10/09/four-reasons-green-still-the-way-to-go-despite-a-nose-diving-economy/feed/ Let’s kill the business card and have an iPhone pow-wow http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/09/23/lets-kill-the-business-card-and-have-an-iphone-pow-wow/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/09/23/lets-kill-the-business-card-and-have-an-iphone-pow-wow/#comments Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:03:38 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/09/23/lets-kill-the-business-card-and-have-an-iphone-pow-wow/

Let’s kill the business card, the paper one that is.

Why do we need it anyways? It does that hideous bent corner thing when you take out of your wallet (excuse us “Mr. That’s-why-I-get-my-cards-lamented”, you are an exception), the VP of Financial Genius gets tossed next to the Hatha yoga instructor and besides, that font you chose, with painstaking care, is ugly anyways.

Like Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief of NextWeb.org, I feel impelled to stop the “ruthless hitmen” and their budding online appetites to belittle and ultimately, kill the paper business card and switch to rmbrME’s bzCard or some other gadget.

Little surprise, most visitors, many with entrepreneurial backgrounds, on the original TechCrunch post by Jason Kincaid weren’t too fond of the whole “death warrant” idea.

“You guys need to get out of the [Silicon] [V]alley more. The business card, and your other page view bloating proclamation about voicemail, is not going away any time soon. You do realize that most business people only use their phone for voice calls and e-mail? Most business people don’t even belong to a “social network.”"

- Alex Valentine

“Most successful people I know simply don’t own a computer, sure as hell not a cell phone. There is no substitute for a business card in the real world.”

- Anderson

“They’re clumsy? What is that supposed to mean? They’re pieces of paper.They’re easy to lose? When did pants stop sporting pockets? Useless? Do the words fall off if the card is shaken or something? And seriously? Trying to throw in the “it’s the green thing to do” line? Come on. That line is wearing thin.”

- David H.

Now, from a sustainability in business perspective, the bzCard (or other eCard, vCard, etc.) can save paper, save trees and contribute to cuts in greenhouse emissions, right?

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