Is Business Sustainability Moving Fast Enough?

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• Is Business Sustainability Moving Fast Enough?
• How to Stand Out: Applying for a Startup Position
• Review: Dragon Naturally Speaking
• Expand Your Market With Small Business Tips

Is Business Sustainability Moving Fast Enough? Posted: 15 Mar 2012 11:30 AM PDT Last week, I wrote about how small businesses have been slower overall than their larger counterparts to adopt green business practices for a variety of reasons. But there's a larger, more worrisome concern:  Many environmentalists and sustainable business advocates worry the overall charge toward eco-friendly business practices isn't moving fast enough. Even though many companies — big and small — have committed to reducing their energy use, recycling more, building sustainable supply chains and other very admirable goals, some experts say their strides aren't ambitious enough to stem the major environmental problems, such as climate change, pollution and natural resource depletion, that they're trying to solve. (Not to mention that some corporations are missing the sustainability goals they are setting for themselves.) Meantime, signs of climate change are springing up everywhere, with this winter being among the warmest on record in several U.S. cities. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise worldwide. Climate scientists say we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions at least 50% to stop the earth's warming by 2050, but many companies set targets far less aggressive than that. Green to Gold co-author Andrew Winston looked at this issue in a recent blog post, and suggested some ways to improve business sustainability leadership so that it better serves its mission of saving the planet. Here are some of his recommendations: Focus on science. More companies should align their goals with those backed by science. If greenhouse gas emissions need to fall 80% to stop climate change, then more companies should set goals to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by that much or even strive for "zero impact." (Think Sony.) Push innovation to new levels. Companies need to aggressively scale up innovation and make sustainable design and use a core goal. This will help them look for ways to get customers to use less of their products, similar to Patagonia's CommonThreads initiative. Meet the challenge with resources. It’s important to devote enough time and money to big goals so you can realistically meet them. Too many companies set lofty goals but then don't budget nearly enough to actually make them happen. Don't cave to investor pressure. Sustainability goals often don’t jibe with with the short-term profit expectations of investors. But companies can take steps to relieve this pressure on themselves. Some companies like Unilever and Google have changed this expectation by not providing earnings guidance to investors or becoming B-corps. "In short, I'm imagining a very different kind of company," Winston wrote. "The overwhelming challenges we face demand profound shifts." Greenhouse Gas Concept Photo via Shutterstock From Small Business Trends Is Business Sustainability Moving Fast Enough?

How to Stand Out: Applying for a Startup Position Posted: 15 Mar 2012 08:30 AM PDT While some job seekers are simply satisfied with a lackluster cubicle as an ideal workplace, more and more candidates are seeking employment from successful startups. But every entrepreneur, no matter what the scale of their business is, can testify that they’re constantly looking for a specific kind of applicant. In order to find yourself employed by a successful startup, you’ll need to bring more to the table than just your resume. You have to prove your creativity and innovation, sometimes before you’ve even booked an interview. Stay away from boring templates and “To Whom It May Concern” cover letters.  Who says a resume is even necessary at all? We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation only nonprofit organization comprised of the country's most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question to find out what impresses them most about today’s job applicants and their resumes: What types of things should job seekers include in their resumes if they’re trying to get hired by a successful startup? Here’s what YEC community members had to say: 1. Be Committed in the Application Process “Be sure to tell the company that you are totally committed to do whatever it takes to make the company successful. You want them to know that they are the company that you want to work for and you are willing to go the extra mile and will not worry about petty things. Go beyond the resume and get an in person meeting or, better yet, a personal introduction.” ~ Louis Lautman, Young Entrepreneur Society 2. Constructive Feedback for the Startup “Startups love feedback, especially when it’s actionable and more interesting than your generic “you need SEO” idea. Successful startups need thinkers and movers, so in addition to providing great feedback, share how you can help improve the business and how you have already carved out a pretty neat role for yourself in the company.” ~ Danny Wong, Blank Label Group, Inc. 3. Innovation Differentiation “Bring something different to the table. Not only in your resume, but in pitching yourself. In addition, bring ideas with you. Approach the company having done your research and make recommendations based on where you see opportunity. Then relate it to your experience and how you would contribute.” ~ Matt Cheuvront, Proof Branding 4. Forget Your Resume! “Do something that makes you stand out. If you haven’t done anything especially impressive to make your resume pop, impress with your initiative. Get to know the product extremely well and make recommendations. Build something, send snail mail. The more enthusiasm and commitment you show, the more likely they are to decide you’re worth bringing in. Resumes and cover letters are not enough.” ~ Emerson Spartz, Spartz Media 5. Prove Your Proactivity “You can be incredibly intelligent and experienced, but unless you are proactive and able to think on your feet independently, it doesn’t matter in the context of a startup. You need to “tell” that you are proactive by highlighting experiences where you have created something new or worked alone, and you should “show” that you are by quickly and energetically following up with your interviewer.” ~ Caroline Ghosn, The Levo League 6. Embody the Corporate Values “Culture is really important at successful startups. Most of these firms publish their corporate values publicly, so make sure that you review the lists and incorporate the concepts into your resume. It will not only help you determine if you’re a fit for the firm, but will also help the firm to really envision you among their employees too.” ~ Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc. 7. Share Your Story “Show them that you either have a history of innovation or perhaps make an innovative suggestion for the company when you reach out to them. Startups want to bring on people that can help take them to the next level.” ~ Justin Beegel, Infographic World, Inc. 8. Are You In It for the Long Haul? “Demonstrate that you want to grow with the company. Nothing makes me happier than knowing someone respects the startup model and wants to be part of the company’s core. Use the cover letter to show your interest in the company and why you think you’re a good long term asset. Saying you’re willing to do things that aren’t “your job” doesn’t hurt either.” ~ Therese Kuster, TargetClick Marketing Solutions 9. In-House Referrals Always Help “Stand out by providing a reference from one of your existing employees. Companies love hiring based on recommendations of existing staff, so network your way into a job to stand out. As an alternative, demonstrate your value and initiative by tackling a small project on behalf of the prospective employer and showing it off on your cover letter.” ~ Matt Mickiewicz, 99designs 10. Remember Your Hobbies and Humanity! “Big, funded startups can get skilled individuals for any role but they are building their businesses for the long haul. Most will care more about culture and making sure there is a fit. Always include at least one line about your interests. Whether reading or camping, coaching youth or running marathons, these insights will tell the company more about you and will make you stand out.” ~ Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches 11. Fearlessness of Failure “A resume is merely a conversation starter that gets your foot in the door. Be ready to talk about experiences that show you are not afraid to fail and showcase how you’ve taken risks in the past. There is nothing wrong with showcasing a failed attempt at entrepreneurship because it shows that you can operate with an entrepreneur’s mind within a more mature startup organization.” ~ Matt Wilson, Under30CEO.com 12. Can You Do the Hustle? “Show them how you “pounded the pavement” to get the job done. At successful startups, a seemingly easy task is often littered with obstacles that employees need to overcome. Demonstrate that you’ve gone above and beyond, such as driving hours to see a client in person or staying tethered to your laptop on a weekend to be responsive to customer inquiries. Hustle goes a long way.” ~ Bhavin Parikh, Magoosh, Inc. Resume Photo via Shutterstock From Small Business Trends How to Stand Out: Applying for a Startup Position

Review: Dragon Naturally Speaking Posted: 15 Mar 2012 05:30 AM PDT Speaking your emails, texts, and documents into existence is a wonderful idea. It saves you time and effort, allows you to walk and talk your way to productivity. This review of Dragon NaturallySpeaking is for the small business owner who wants to increase office productivity. I received an evaluation copy to conduct this review. I’m starting this paragraph using Dragon naturally speaking. I decided to test how accurate it would be working within the WordPress post creation area. I have not touched the keyboard so far in this paragraph. I have to say, “Wow!” I’m pretty impressed. Dragon NaturallySpeaking can also be used for creating e-mails, dictating Microsoft Word documents, building spreadsheets, and probably even for tweeting. The paragraph above was “written” entirely by Dragon. It knew to capitalize Microsoft Word, WordPress, and  I “wrote” the above paragraph exactly as you see it. Okay, if you’re tired of typing, you should buy this program. I’m stunned, frankly, that it captured everything I said with such accuracy. It took a little bit of training, but that took all of five minutes when I first installed it and set it up. What I Like: It works in WordPress. Help files pop-up when you do something that the program doesn’t quite understand. It guides you through how to train it further or where to look for help. It works in email programs, even web-based Gmail. It did basic calculations in Microsoft Excel. I was able to add, subtract, and sum a column. With a little more training, I think I could build a more complicated spreadsheet. You can combine both text editing and speech commands to complete any of your writing. You can also navigate or give General Computer commands, too. It works on a grid system and you can “navigate” to specific areas of a screen and then say “click” when you want a mouse click (or double click). What I Would Like to See: A bit more explanation or functionality around deleting and editing. To be fair, the program has to understand the command “backspace” is a command and not a word. It took me some fiddling around to get the “Delete previous <n> words” to work properly. But given the tutorial and help prompts, it didn’t take long. There are many industry-specific applications or modules from Nuance (the parent company of Dragon NaturallySpeaking) including healthcare, and a variety of office solutions such as office phone tree/customer support prompts for your telephone system. They also have a variety of scanning applications and tools that are not dictation programs. As my confidence increased, and I understood the simple commands needed to move around the screen, I was able to really take advantage of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. For a small business owner, willing to invest just a little bit of time, it would be possible to use this program to get a lot of work done. I “wrote” 75 percent of this blog post by using the program. It did take me twice as long as normal, but that’s because I was playing around and experimenting with this useful, fun program. There is also a Dragon for Mac version and a variety of mobile apps, too. Oh, and I tested it in Twitter, and of course, it worked like a charm. Learn more about Dragon NaturallySpeaking. From Small Business Trends Review: Dragon Naturally Speaking

Expand Your Market With Small Business Tips Posted: 15 Mar 2012 02:30 AM PDT Do you want better revenue and a bigger market? Of course! Who doesn’t? No matter what the economic climate, small businesses can always take advantage of growth opportunities with the right approach. Here are some suggestions to get you started. Break New Ground Market your expertise. Sharing business expertise with clients is one of the ways you can find new customers and expand your existing business, but consider the requirements of adding these services to your resume. What steps will you need to take before sharing your knowledge? Expert Business Advice Turn blog readers into customers. Obviously, your business blog should a source of customers. If it isn’t, consider improvements you might make to build trust in your business through your blog content. Then start developing customers online. John Paul’s Blog Use Existing Resources Dominate your market. Blogger Michael Martine shares some advice from his bag of “sneaky” tricks you should consider drawing from when looking to dominate your market. No more Mr. Nice Business Blogger! These might be just the tips you’re looking for. Remarkablogger Promote in-store sales. Whether you’re competing against Amazon or your own online sales, retailers with brick and mortar space they want to keep profitable must focus on ways to differentiate their in-store experience. BusinessSigns.org Become More Social Use social media the right way. Maybe we should have called this link “How to use social media the wrong way”, since that’s exactly what we’re talking about here. But from this negative example, a more positive model can arise. Channelship Improve your networking. This review of a new book on the subject professes to show you a more holistic view. Are you getting everything out of your networking efforts that you would like to? If not, this book may help. Small Business Trends Improve Your Exposure Focus on packaging. Learn a lesson from soda giants Coke and Pepsi. Take every opportunity to make an impression on your customers, even if its the packaging of your product or service or the design layout of your blog. Bloomberg Businessweek Brand it better. No, great branding doesn’t have to be the province of the big guys. You can focus on great branding in your business too. Even if you’re only a one man or one woman show. Entrepreneur Increase Performance Boost credibility. Here’s a whole mess of ways to do it! If you’re wondering about the benefits of credibility, think how much larger your audience can be. Will those people trust you and listen to you? Annemarie Cross Amp your sales. Improving your company’s sales may have to do with a lot more than simply finding ways to sell more to more customers. Here is a look at how re-imagining your sales efforts will boost your revenue. Partners in Excellence From Small Business Trends Expand Your Market With Small Business Tips

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