1. Back up your claims.

Double-check your efforts when starting a green marketing strategy. Our advice is: don’t position yourself as a green business if you’re not walking the talk. Today’s consumers are savvy and inquisitive, and a false claim will seriously damage your brand – what people say about you. A company’s reputation is one of the most valuable assets an organization possesses. Bad publicity spreads quickly (it’s the most viral form of buzz there is), taking years to overcome.

2. Don’t position yourself as the green saviour.

Consumers are looking behind the label, and demand integrity from the companies where they make purchases. You should communicate your environmental and sustainability efforts – but don’t overdo it. Add a modest, sincere tone to your message and that will take you a long way. Consumers relate better with people than with organizations. Give your business a personal, honest image and you will generate positive word-of-mouth.

3. Engage the whole team and communicate your efforts internally.

This is one of the most important green marketing tips. You need internal support to be able to reflect your business green initiatives (consistent communications and continuity are musts for any successful marketing program). It is particularly important to engage your frontline employees: sales teams, the technical support department, and receptionists, in particular! Imagine how it would reflect on your company if your marketing department is promoting your environmental initiatives while the sales team is seen dumping dozens of still relevant brochures after a trade show.

4. Get your supply chain on board.

Engage your partners and vendors on your green marketing efforts. Communicate the pros of green marketing and provide incentives for a faster adoption. Focus on the new joint marketing opportunities you’ll be creating for your partners and suppliers – after all, if your supply chain is also becoming environmentally-sustainable, your suppliers will want to promote the new added-value and generate more business.

5. Don’t just focus on the green argument.

The green marketplace is quickly evolving and it’s not enough to focus your messaging on the green added-value of your products/services. You need to develop your product positioning so it’s a “no-brainer” for your clients to do business with you. This can take various forms, from communicating the quality of your product or service, focusing on the money your customers will be saving in the long term (and perhaps in the short term, depending where your product fits in the price scale), product innovation/design, etc. The goal is not to focus on the green argument uniquely; position your company as an organization that appeals to more than dark green customers.

About Kiwano Marketing
Kiwano Marketing provides green marketing services to small and medium businesses. Based in Vancouver, Kiwano designs affordable web and print marketing programs with high return on investment – generating more sales for your business while serving our local community. For more information, please visit www.kiwano.ca or call us directly at 604.628.0142.

Kiwano would like to extend a special acknowledgement to the entire Marketwire team for their ongoing support.

photo credit: Felix Francis

There are four critical areas causing business plans to change. All are changing trends in the business environment. The four areas we will examine are: 1) government trends, 2) economic trends. 3) technological trends and 4) cultural trends. Each one causes a specific impact on our decisions and requires us to make adjustments. Some changes are dramatic and require dramatic reactions to minimize their effect on our business.

First are government trends. There are several different sources caused by changes in regulations, tax policies and new legal precedence. Most of these are not a direct result of what we are doing in our business, but are the result of political and social shifts. On the legal side, changes result from court cases. It is absolutely necessary to address these changes because of both the financial and legal jeopardy. The result will be changes to not only our business plans but also our business conduct.

Second are economic trends. These changes occur because the local, national and international environment changes. Typical of these trends are changes in inflation rates, interest rates and the comparative value of currency (foreign exchange rates). Notice that all of these changes are directly and indirectly effects of government actions. These trends require us to adapt our business plan to the new conditions.

Next are technological trends. The amount of effect that these trends have on our business depends on how directly the changes impact our present operations. For instance, if we are making vacuum tubes when integrated circuits arrive, we will have to make some major changes. Note that the changes in our business plan may mean acquiring or learning new technologies, retraining our people, or seeking new customers and products. Inventors, with changes in product lifecycles or adopting new ideas, normally trigger these trends. We can prepare for these changes by keeping up-to-date with trends, new advances and what our competitors are doing. It may mean new sources of raw materials, different marketing techniques, or perhaps the loss or emergence of a new market.

Finally, cultural trends have a direct impact on our business plan and the business environment. The demographics of our customers may change, new social concerns can arise and new lifestyles evolve. If our customers move from the cities to the country, our business will be affected not only in what we sell, but also, in how we deliver it. Too, as social consciences change, acceptable business practices will change. These could include environmental and social programs. For example, government might require a business to provide a certain level of retirement benefit. These trends often burden businesses with new and unplanned costs but must be assimilated into the business plan to remain a viable enterprise.

Notice, these trend types have definite impacts on our business plan. They are all threats to present business operations and also present new opportunities. If we make changes in our business operations to become environment friendly, employee friendly, or technologically modern our business accrues new public interest leading to new sales. Too, we receive free publicity that positively impacts our business credibility and stature. Regardless of the fringe benefits to our business, we must continually be aware and open to new directions so that our business plan and operation doesn’t stagnate or become less functional in the changing environment.

Michael Russell
Your Independent Business Plan guide.

photo credit: Kevin

When looking at what are the most profitable small businesses, there are many avenues to explore. One of the challenges small business owners and home business owners face is marketing their business effectively. In addition to sound marketing methods, marketing to popular trends and markets with growing interest is important.

Advertising can be very expensive, but there are very effective ways of generating free exposure, especially today. With the technologies available via the internet many small business owners are generating massive profits with little or no marketing expense.

There are many opportunities right now for having a profitable small green business. This is a growing trend and most likely will not subside anytime soon. With the awareness level of the public on a constant rise regarding the environment, health and sustainability this niche is easily tapped in to with the right marketing techniques. Here are a few tips on how to capture this audiences at little or no cost:

1. Join social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace and network with like minded people. Here you can build relationships with green minded individuals through customizing your page and joining groups. As you build relationships you can introduce many people to your product by including information in your profile.

2. Write articles about your green products and include a link to your blog or website. This is free and doesn’t tale much time to generate an article that will show up in search engines and market from an educational perspective, attracting qualified prospects rather than cold calling.

3. Set up an autoresponder on your website. This can be done through Getresponse and will allow to build a targeted email list of customers that you can market to through an automated message campaign that does the selling for you.

Theses are just a few methods that can create a profitable small business. The customers are out there and you can attract them with proven methods at little or no cost.

Learn more about online marketing techniques at http://www.teachmeprofits.com

photo credit: x-eyedblonde

photo credit: blmurch

In case you haven’t caught up to the latest of the environmental catch-phrases, “Green Supply Chain” is a relatively important concept that everyone will eventually discover. We live in the early side of the environmental project, and it is common to find businesses ramping up to offer “Green Products” and “Green Services.” Green is, after all, a marketing concept as well as a environmental issue. So, we find a bevy of businesses selling Green believing that they are environmentally conscious as well as reaching out to a growing market of buyers.

What is under developed in these newly-christianed, Green businesses is the follow through that asks whether they are committed to buying and hiring Green in their business dealings. This often creates an unseen and embarrassing realization that their Green commitment is superficial. The Green Supply Chain concept is really part of the greater sustainable issue. Sustainability seeks to create a deeper and more complete cycle of Green actions. The Supply and Demand principles require that every seller needs buyers, and every buyer needs sellers. Consumerism is the yang of the vendor’s ying.

Green Supply Chain, therefore, asks for the commitment to include more than representing your business or product as Green, but that your business also prioritizes Green purchasing when possible. It won’t happen in a single decision, but it will happen in a progressive series of Green decisions. The Green Business League is a national association of Green businesses who have the fundamental commitment to “Buy Green, Hire Green.” This mentality will drive the businesses who wish to sell Green because the buying piece is being promoted.

The Green Business League also certifies Green Businesses through a point-earning system that requires more than paying for a membership in a name-sake-only listing. To Green the Green Business certification, a business must earn points through Green improvements to their business and by purchasing from other Green Businesses. This is certainly a step in the right direction. This program also allows a kind of Green networking to occur where it is easier to find a certified Green Business by providing a league of Green businesses that are ready to sell and buy with other Green businesses.

Beware of the Green hype, also known as Greenwashing, as many businesses try to add a Green branding of their own creation to their marketing efforts. The word “Green” is an unregulated word that can be appropriated by any eager marketing-minded person. The validity of their claims and hype may not be honest, and many consumers will one day have a bad taste in their mouth having been fooled by this practice. The Green Business League acts as an independent third party to encourage fair play and fair business among Green businesses. Ask the businesses that you do business with if they are Green Business Certified, and if not, ask them to start the certification process because your company intends to follow the sustainable practices of the “Green Supply Chain” program.

Learn more about Green Business Certified at Green Business League, find a Green Consultant at Green Consultant Directory

photo credit: …..dotted…..

Are you looking at the world around you and discovering ways to increase your sales? If not, why not? You are surrounded by opportunities all day everyday if you’ll just open your eyes and ears and put them to work for you.

Have you noticed there are cable television channels dedicated to green living, entire lines of green cleaning products, green cities, etc? And you’re wondering what green has to do with you and your business? Well, green could be your new marketing best friend.

One of the quickest ways to increase sales is to get complete strangers contacting you. One of the most effective ways to do that is direct mail. However, direct mail can be costly. Especially if you don’t know how to consistently produce profitable leads from you direct mail efforts.

The costs involved and the learning curve are prime reasons for you to go the paperless, stamp-less route. Now here’s where going green comes in. Start with your existing clients and prospects.

Let them know you’re committed to doing your part to operate a green business. In your efforts to become green you’re asking your existing clients and prospects to allow you to communicate with them electronically. Most will agree because it’s a win-win-win.

They don’t like getting junk mail and throwing it in the garbage. They don’t like sorting through the mail trying to find what’s important among all the fluff. They get to feel good that they’re working with you to do something they care about, keeping our world clean.

Now you have their permission to communicate them through email. Email is a nearly free marketing solution. It’s one of the easiest and quickest ways to learn what works and what doesn’t work in your marketing communications. Plus when you do it right it isn’t just easy for a client or prospect to forward your message to someone else they have a good reason to do so.

Listen to this free recording 30 Days to Increased Sales or ELSE

End your sales challenges now “The 7 Secrets Top Producers Know”, will help you sell more than ever before… http://increasesalescoach.com/sales-marketing-strategy.html

Increase Sales Coach Gets Results Sales Training Can’t BECAUSE it’s never just a sales issue

photo credit: robertnelson

As any experienced marketer knows, differentiating your business from your competitors is a primary key to attracting new prospects and customers and retaining them once they decide to become your customers. But will the same “hook” that attracted them to become your customer be enough to maintain their loyalty? Let’s examine a few strategies:

Low Price: As people are always price conscience, especially in this slow economy, this can be an excellent method to attract new customers. However, unless your company plans on being a “discount house” operation, you will need to evolve a different strategy to retain those customers, otherwise they will simply seek out the next big discount elsewhere.

Great Products: Every business advertises great products. Why is your product better than your competitor? Provide your prospects with a reason to walk in your door. Then make sure your products are updated and tweaked regularly to ensure a competitive edge.

Great Service: This strategy typically does not attract new customers, unless you detail how your service will exceed your competitors. On the surface, there is nothing to differentiate your company from your competitors. Of course, great service is a major key to customer retention.

There are many other innovative marketing strategies being employed in the marketplace which are based upon surveys. These studies can give you an understanding of your target market’s concerns as well as focus on the latest trends. One such trend which every major survey (Harris, Nielsen, Mintel, Intellitrends) has been following is Going Green. With unstable fuel prices, new energy tax credits, and the promise of an upcoming New Green Economy, there has never been a better time to incorporate Green into your company’s business practices and products.

Will Going Green help attract new customers or members? According to Intellitrends, nearly 35% of those surveyed considered a company’s environmental policies before purchasing. Monster Trak reported that, for college graduates, this number was above 80% and 92% of these “Gen Y’s” were seeking to work for a company with a solid environmental and corporate social responsibility policy.

Even with all of the news and surveys on Going Green, business journals have estimated that less than 2% of all small and medium sized companies in the U.S. have begun any green initiatives at all. Pity. According to the Makovsky Green Gap survey, people are looking for businesses to take the lead in improving the environment. That could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to differentiate and really make a difference.

Joseph Winn is the President/CEO GreenProfit Solutions, Inc., an environmental consulting and benefits firm specializing in assisting small and medium size companies in Going Green. You may contact Joseph at:

jwinn@greenprofitsolutions.com

http://www.greenprofitsolutions.com

photo credit: Paul Lowry

The most important fundamental step to launching a successful PR campaign is to target the right audiences. The one question every business owner will ask is simple, “Show Me The Money”. As a PR professional you want to ensure that you are directing all of you’re PR campaigns on profitable paths.

Many times PR pros can benefit from hot trendy markets. This is an ideal opportunity to create a demand for products and services offered in PR campaigns. The task here is to find solutions to implement products and services that will add value to hot trendy markets. Therefore increasing a demand and revenue earnings.

Exploring some of these hot trillion dollar markets could put your PR campaigns on a fast track:

1. Target Multicultural Market – A $1 trillion dollar buying power predicted by 2010. When targeting this market consideration of cultural perspective and media stereotypes are vital. Conducting market research and consumer insights will be a primary element and bilingual promotions should be incorporated.

Highlight:

According to Packaged Facts and the Selig Center for Economic Growth located at the University of Georgia, “African American consumers will swell to $1 trillion by 2010. The national share of buying power for African Americans will increase to 8.6% by 2010 from 8.4% in 2005, per Selig. Hispanic buying power is projected to rise to 9.2% from 8.1%; Asian American buying power will rise to 4.9% from 4.4%, while American Indian buying power will stay steady at 0.6%.”

2. Target Baby Boomers – A buying power of over $2.1 trillion dollars. There are over 78 million baby boomers and every eight-seconds a baby boomer turns 60, totaling 11,000 baby boomers turning 60 a day. Targeting this audience requires a vast knowledge of cultural values. Implementation of product and service value is primary and referral networks are key elements to building strong client loyalty. Support groups and tradeshow affiliations recommended.

Highlight:

This is the first generation in their golden-haired years that marketers can primarily reach most through email and cell phones.

3. Target Green Industry – The green market is valued at $227 billion dollars per year and expected to reach $1 trillion dollars by 2020. Environmental friendly approach introduced with product or service offerings is the best solution to approach this market. Direct implementation of environmental friendly practices in everyday business is strongly encouraged.

Highlight:

Environmental friendly business practices include carpooling, telecommuting, bicycling, recycling, organic purchasing, public transportation, and alternative energy sources.

4. Target Alpha Moms – Holding the power to make 80% of the family purchases and a yearly buying power the same as Great Britain, spending $1.7 trillion dollars a year! Online marketing a resourceful solution to reach this target audience. Product or service offerings should emphasis in-depth detail of features and benefits. Production of quality product or service offerings a constant demand for this market. Strong peer influence and networks trendy practice.

5. Target Mobile Market – Today the worldwide mobile data market is worth 100 billion dollars and by 2015 the mobile content market is predicted to be worth $1 trillion dollars. Today mobile websites offer an opportunity to reach 1.8 billion consumers through cell phones. Targeting this market is setup to be the largest circulation to reach consumers in the world.

CR “Cataunya” Ransom is the Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Mosnar Communications, Inc. in metro Atlanta, Georgia.
CR consults clients and speaks to audiences relating to global marketing and public relations practices. CR is the creator of the Mega Powerhouse Marketing system http://www.megapowerhouse.com

photo credit: j.reed

There are a lot of network marketing opportunities with today’s diverse niche products, services, marketing medium, technology and even scientific discoveries.

Health products are the pioneer network marketing opportunity. Marketing supplemental foods of Forever Living is one. Low calorie beers and fortified foods also offer similar opportunity, but they already are in public groceries. They do not require network marketing anymore.

Two network marketing opportunities are vegetables and environment products.

Not that there is a growing market of vegetarians, but vegetables are just the best health food. They really need to be in all household tables because they have the complete nutrients. Fruits even just come in second and nutrient-fortified processed foods are not complete healthy foods.

Do not market mere vegetables but fresh organic vegetables. Thus, companies should foremost organize production of fresh organic vegetables. Companies should grow vegetables without the harmful pesticides and inorganic fertilizers. Moreover, they should have quality storage and fast delivery facilities to keep vegetables fresh in the market. Companies could also contract quality-controlled production to many local vegetable growers. The group of vegetable growers can instantly be the companies’ additional network of distributors.

Companies should campaign along vegetarians. They can rally for vegetarian lifestyles. They can join social networks of vegetarian, which widely thrive now in the internet.

Environment or green products are the next network marketing opportunity. Not that the market is large, but the need to cut our carbon prints and avert global warming are high. Companies should produce now environment-friendly products. Much like in vegetable growing, companies should now do away with pesticides and inorganic fertilizers because they pollute the air and water resources. They even decrease soil fertility that later will limit food production.

I-Am-Not-A-Plastic-Bag bags are one of the famous green products. They eventually replaced non-biodegradable plastic grocery bags. It went out massively just through the internet and online social networks. Now, it reaches even Asia. The growing groups of environmentalists facilitated its quick spread.

Public markets and groceries are widely present everywhere, but an exclusive vegetable and green store is yet not too visible. It might be good to have one.

Here’s to your success.
Rivers Corbett
CoFounder – MLMOutlaws

Want to discover the truth behind how thousands are developing their network marketing business online? Click http://www.mlmoutlaws.com to discover the technique which helps pay you while you are building your business!

photo credit: Juan Freire

So What Is Leverage?

When considering sourcing a the Best Big Ticket Business Opportunity or Product to market, it is really worthwhile to consider the ‘Power of Leverage’ in running our Business. ‘Leverage’ means to do the work once, and to benefit from what you have put in place again and again and again.

Why work day in and day out doing the same thing over and over again, exchanging your time and your life for money, just like having a job.

If you Work Smart and use the Power of Leverage, you could end up having a lot more extra time on your hands to spend doing other things that are important in your life, like spending more time with your family, taking more time for exercise and good health, playing golf, taking a vacation, exploring your other talents and gifts, making a difference in this world.

So How Do We Implement Leverage Into Our Business?

Leverage can come in many ways, shapes and forms. We will explore the 4 most Powerful Methods of Leveraging your Business.

1) Automation

Automation can easily be seen in Online Marketing or Internet Marketing.

Your website captures your clients name and email address for your database Your webpage is your 24/7 sales person doing the selling and telling for you Your webpage can give information and testimonials of how your products and services have helped others or worked for them. Your website has a ‘Buy Button’ to accept credit card information and other forms of payment Your customer is redirected to a page where they can download your products in digital format instantly, not having to wait for postage and delivery Your automated email system communicates with your database 365 days a year if set up correctly

If you use Automation for your online Business, you can experience time freedom, and just focus on your marketing, or getting customers to your website.

To me this is the Ultimate form of Leverage.

2) Replication

Replication can be creating an automated way for reproducing a product. For example if you have a hobby and see the potential to turn it into a business, rather than trying to keep up hand making the ‘items’, source a manufacturer to replicate it for you, saving you much time, that you can use to growing your customer base, or designing new products.

3) Duplication

Duplication in business can be found in Multi Level Marketing Systems, or Network Marketing. Each person joining the business gets trained and supported by their Mentor who has recruited them into the business.

The new recruit needs to follow the proven system that has shown success for their upline, as they have tried and tested various marketing methods, and stick with the most profitable and duplicatable. It the system is followed, the new network marketer should experience similar results, that is why this method is named ‘Duplication’. This recruit when ready, will recruit their own ‘distributors’ and in turn, teach them to duplicate the System.

4) Team Support

Team Support in Business makes a world of difference in lightening the load, you’ve heard the saying, ‘ many hands make light work’.

If your Business is growing and has different areas that can be outsourced, maybe areas that are time consuming, and not particularly your passion or area of strength, think of outsourcing them or employing new Team Members to work with you, to free up some of your time so that you can focus on your area of expertise.

In these times, many people would welcome the opportunity to earn extra income, and become part of your Team Support.

Remember to see where and how you can make use of the Power of Leverage, and to Work Smart and not Hard.

I trust that you have found this article thought provoking and useful. This Article is Copyrighted. Feel free to Reprint this article or share it with others, on condition that all the links remain in place and you use the complete article.

Jacqui O’Neill is an Internet Marketer who shares Honest and Valuable Quality Information and Resources, to Assist you Towards Your Online Success. *Free Report* – 25 Only – See how the Power of Leverage has been used.

For a Free Report with Live Video on Darren Salkeld’s Instant Income Plan System, which reveals how he, a Factory worker went from Broke and in debt to Success in just 90 days using This Automated Sales System, using principals discussed in the above article, and the opportunity for indepth information that can be used in marketing any product or business, or if you are looking for the ‘best’ Ever-Green Business Opportunity online, Darren and Jacqui can assist you.

To find out more from Darren himself see him on video and Get his Limited Free Report: Free Report Here! Highly recommended.

Jacqui’s Mission – “Helping People – Changing Lives”
Look out for more of Jacqui O’Neill’s articles to help you on your way.

photo credit: Joel Bedford

When a small local entrepreneur decided to sell environment-friendly washable bags to substitute plastic grocery and shopping bags, she had difficulty making them.

One, she does not know how to make bags or even sew clothes. Two, she has no Fine Arts education or even artistic skills to design bags or even draw bag prints. Third, she did not have the time to learn them all. She only has the money and marketing skills for her choice of business.

The local entrepreneur knew however that her place and adjacent communities manufacture bags and she has a circle of visual artist-friends. So, she pushed her plans. She studied and somehow sketched an initial design on what washable bags to produce. She studied the potential market of her eco-friendly washable grocery or shopping bags. She studied revenue schemes for herself and her potential partners of bag makers and print designers.

When she was done with her studies, she immediately looked for bag makers first. She visited 10 groups of bag makers. She looked into their production processes, especially the materials used, and costs. She ended up with 1 group of old females. She decided to form a joint venture with them because she projected a small production of washable bags. She immediately signaled to start bag production.

While bags were made, the local entrepreneur sought her artist-friends and their artist-friends. She solicited them print designs for her washable bags. She studied all submitted print designs according to her preferences and chose 20 of 50. She did not make another joint venture with the 5 artists who drew the 20 prints because all print designs were just solicited free. She however made another joint venture with 1 design printer.

When the bag makers completed all 40 bags, the entrepreneur then had each print design printed in every 2 bags to the design printer. She marketed and sold the washable bags through Multiply.com and word of mouth.

Here’s to your success
Rivers Corbett
Founder – JVBusinessSchool.com

“Award Winning Entrepreneur and Joint Venture Specialist, Rivers Corbett offers an exclusive and exciting opportunity to a limited number of entrepreneurs who are looking to steer clear of the typical ”Get Rich Quick” hype and build a solid business of * lasting *significance. Click on http://JVBusinessSchool.com for more information on this great offer