Are Green Businesses Still Golden? |  |
- Are Green Businesses Still Golden?
- More Horsepower: A Compass And A GPS
- What To Do When You Have Nothing to Blog About
- Social Media Still Fuels Small Business
| Are Green Businesses Still Golden? Posted: 20 Mar 2012 11:30 AM PDT I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get the feeling that the excitement surrounding the green business movement is starting to lose its luster.
Before I share some of the reasons why, read The State of Green Business from Kelly Spors, as it will help set the table for this post. While Kelly's report paints a mostly positive picture about green business, I've been noticing a few hiccups as of late, including;
According to an article in The New York Times, taxpayers may end up being on the hook for almost a half a billion dollars. Solar panel manufacturers and sellers probably didn't see too much of an uptick in business in the days and weeks following the Solyndra news.
Some say that Volt sales are slow because of the $40,000 price tag. Some say that it's a combination of price and plug-in. The bottom line; US consumers aren't flocking to showrooms to buy electric automobiles.
Toyota made a commitment to test the product, because it was in line with their zero-waste mission, but nothing came out of it; they didn't buy Rapioli. It can be quite a challenge to convince a huge company to buy a cutting-edge green product.
The first green franchises that appeared were of the solar variety. The franchisors that set these new concepts into motion were based on the west coast of the United States, and most of the people that invested in solar franchises set their businesses up in places like California, Nevada and Arizona. One of the main reasons for these locations being first on the grid was the fact that there were, (and still are) financial incentives from the government for homeowners that had solar panels installed. That’s since changed, and for the better, as you’ll see on this Database of State Incentives For Renewables And Efficiency. While it’s great to see more states offering subsidies to homeowners that convert their homes to solar energy, the up-front cost is still out of reach for most people. (Approximately $30,000) We’ll have to wait and see if the interest in solar energy remains strong, but more importantly, we’ll need to find out if wallets will actually start opening for solar panel installs. I Believe I'll admit it; I get energized about the possibilities surrounding all things green. I like seeing an occasional wind turbine spinning silently along my local freeways. Once in a while, I see a house that has an array of solar panels set up, and it's a good feeling to know that a few residents have taken it upon themselves to move towards energy independence. It's also a good feeling to learn that a number of small businesses have started to focus on sustainable practices. But, will more small businesses move in the green direction? And, can they? I'd like to think so, but I'm not so sure. A lot of small businesses have had to downsize their workforces, and scale back on things like inventory, and operating hours. As the US economy continues to rebound, will small business owners be thinking about how to go green? Or will they be thinking about how to make up for lost time, and focus on increasing profits? What do you think? Golden Concept Photo via Shutterstock From Small Business Trends |
| More Horsepower: A Compass And A GPS Posted: 20 Mar 2012 08:30 AM PDT "To the person who does not know where he wants to go there is no favorable wind." ~ Seneca
The horsepower of today’s business world is clearly trending from a mere four and six horses to an incredible eight horses. Quite simply, it takes more power to drive today’s super business highway. I live in the #8 metro area Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, with close to 5.8 million residents. As soon as I get on Interstate 95 going north or south, I have to pay very, very close attention to my driving and everyone on the road. The business world, to me, requires the same level of attention and intensity. The pace of change these days for technology and social marketing is about six to 12 months. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube are still leading the race, but here comes Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, Livestream, Cloud, Social Commerce, E-Commerce, Webinar TV and so many more platforms and ways to use and tap into current communication trends. While overwhelming, these new tools are also exciting, very effective, and provide us exceptional ways to reach into the market. In order to accomplish more and keep up with today’s pace we need more horsepower, a business compass and GPS to keep us growing and on track. Why a compass and a GPS? We all need to know where we are and the most direct route to where we want to go. A compass helps determine direction, while GPS determines where you are located and directs you to where you are going, your determined destination. While we wouldn’t use these tools to determine our business direction, our vision, mission and goals work in the same way to lead us on the right path to success. Ask yourself . . . Do you have a plan? A business plan, no matter how rudimentary or detailed, helps you think objectively about your business and outlines your route. For ideas on how to write a business plan, visit the U.S. Small Business Administration. How is your business running? Having the necessary procedures and processes in place to reinforce your business plan will ultimately take you to the next level. How will your business grow? Marketing, sales, branding and networking are essential elements and activities for your continued success. Are you really working these? Who is your customer? Choosing a niche, knowing your target audience and marketing to THEM is key to business survival. Don’t feel overwhelmed by new technologies. Simply embrace those that work best for you and at least be in the know about those that you may not need to utilize now but may need to revisit later. It is always best to keep up with the latest and greatest tools and best practices. Get some help if you are stuck or just don’t know. Hire a consultant, specialist, take some classes, tap into your support system. Get referrals from them about great professionals who have helped them. Is it time to upgrade to eight horses? What direction is your business compass showing you are going? Are you following your GPS to destination success?
From Small Business Trends |
| What To Do When You Have Nothing to Blog About Posted: 20 Mar 2012 06:00 AM PDT It's going to happen. It'll happen because it's March and you've run through all your "good topics" already. It'll happen because you're busy and mentally fried. Or sometimes it'll happen because it's simply too sunny and beautiful outside to be working. Whatever the case, at some point you are going to look at your blog and decide that you have absolutely nothing left to write about it. And then you're going to close your laptop and step away. Don't do that!
If you close out of your blog, you may not open it again. Instead, pick from one of these six post-savers. They're the standby content to go to when you have absolutely nothing else to write about. Not…that I've ever been there. Never. 1. Write About How You Started Behind every business is a great story. If you created your own business there was a problem in the industry you were trying to solve. There was something unique that drove you and that still drives you. Let people in on your secret and how you accomplished it. If you work for someone else, how did you get there? Or what behind-the-scenes-story does that company have that your customers may be surprised to know? What would make them feel something about your brand? Write it down and share it. Who know, it may even help you put more of you on your Web site and convert a potential customer. Think about it – you could land a new deal tomorrow simply because you didn't have anything to write about today. Pretty awesome, eh? 2. Pimp Out A Product/Service Page, Share It If you're not feeling your blog today, look elsewhere. To your product or services pages perhaps? Is there a page on your site that you feel could use a little more attention? Maybe it means adding some additional information to better explain the product/service, or including video to make it more engaging, or editing a page to add humor and a bit of yourself. Once you've created this standout page, share it. Blog about it. Tweet it. Facebook it. Let people know that it exists. Doing so will give more attention to the product/service you decided to focus on (which could mean more sales), but it will also help drive people deeper into your Web site where conversions happen. 3. Interview Someone You Admire If you don't have anything unique to say today, find someone who does. Who were you chatting with on Twitter yesterday when they said something that stopped you in your tracks? Or maybe it wasn't online, maybe it was a customer who came into your store and shared their experience trying to find you. Or something else that made you take notice? Call them up and do a quick five question interview with them. Five questions is the perfect amount to pull out an interesting tidbit, without monopolizing someone's time or make them feel like they need to prepare beforehand. Keep it fast, friendly and informational. 4. Transcribe Videos Why not give yourself an SEO boost and transcribe some of the videos you have on your Web site? Whether the video is an interview, a product demo, a How To, or a clip of you speaking at your local chamber of commerce, proving that transcription can not only help you rank in local search, it's also another resource for your customers. You may want to refer back to my SmallBizTrends post on how to add transcripts to your YouTube videos for additional help and ideas. 5. Write About Your Best/Worst Experience We all have them and we all remember them. We have that great customer service story that made us a loyal fan for life of our cable company or our gym. We also have that story that absolutely horrified us and made us reevaluate the way we do business and the way we expect to be treated in business. Share them both. These kinds of posts are universal and they'll help your customers relate to you on a more human level. 6. Share A Product You Love As a small business owner, you're constantly trying out different products, apps and services to help you do your job better and more efficiently. Maybe it's a time tracker app, an invoicing program, or the way you stay in touch with employees on the go. Do a review and let your audience know all about you. By opening up about the technology you use to run your business, you give people a more transparent view into how things operate. You may also help solve their business problems. And who wouldn't appreciate that? Finding new, interesting things to blog about on a regular basis is tough. But instead of admitting defeat, why not turn to some old standbys to help get you through that dry spell? From Small Business Trends |
| Social Media Still Fuels Small Business Posted: 20 Mar 2012 02:30 AM PDT Social media is still vital to small businesses. Even companies we might not at first think of as candidates for social media marketing can use social networking tools in surprising ways. Here is a look at why social media is good for small ventures and at how to use it effectively in yours. Social Media StartupCan social media help you grow faster? A research report suggests tech-savvy companies including those making good use of social media can grow much faster and add more jobs than their less tech-oriented competitors. WSJ Reasons to get started today. If you’ve waited to get involved in social media for any or all of the following reasons, it’s time to alter your strategy. Here are myths that should be dispelled about social media and your business. Entrepreneur Tips & Tools25 tips for social media use. 25 experts in the field share their thoughts on using social media effectively for your small business. What are the most important ways to improve your strategy? Fans Bridge Having too much of a good thing. Social media truly is a powerful tool for growing your business in many ways, but with great power comes great responsibility. Be careful not to abuse it. Resonance New cloud-based app boosts social presence. Check out the release on Beam Social, a new cloud-based social media tool aimed at helping small businesses broaden their marketing presence for a fee. MarketWatch Pinterest BasicsPinterest tips for small business. Pinterest is a new social media platform your small business should really get to know. If you haven’t yet figured out how to use this new social media tool to your advantage, look no further. Here are some tips to help. Small Business Bonfire Is Pinterest for you (Infographic)? Of course, before trying to figure out how to do it well, it might be wise for small businesses to decide whether Pinterest is even worthwhile. Not all businesses will benefit, so here are some considerations. Forbes Rules of EngagementMarketing through conversation. Using social media for your small business isn’t enough, especially if all you do is put out a marketing message out to your community without ever really listening to what they have to say to you. Here are some ideas to take things to the next level. Ideabloke Ambient social networking. Ambient social networking is a new trend in social media your small business should be looking into. The new move links social and mobile trends in new ways that should be on your business’s radar today. E-Marketing Associates Training TipsBoot camps will get you in shape. If you feel you need that extra something to be ready for the social media challenge, a social media boot camp might be one option. Here is one such event for small businesses offered by IBM. ITJungle From Small Business Trends |
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