ATTN: Conscious Consumers With climate change high on the global priority totem pole and the economic downturn taking its toll from big banks to our spare change, we must be ever more mindful of organizations who take advantage of that sweet spot unethically. Before we go any further, it's important to note that many companies are perfectly trustworthy, recognizing the power of being both eco-conscious AND profitable. There is a long list of organizations leading the way in finding that balance -- we look to them for inspiration. Some, however, with an increasingly competitive market, eroding margins and angry shareholders, may not always take the high road. Which is not to say they engage in outright malicious practices (though certainly some may) but rather they may find room for compromise, take advantage of loopholes, and be less than 100% forthright in their communications. By now you've heard of "greenwashing" and "localwashing," which sit under the bigger umbrella of "ecowashing" as manufacturers compete for increasingly discerning dollars. Your discerning dollars. The same dollars you now delicately balance against your budget and your conscience. There's big business at this intersection, and companies know it. So what can you do to be more... Continue reading

Sustainable Stats As of today, there are over 160 users on Twitter with the word "sustainable" in their name. WeFollow reports over 313 thousand users following the #sustainable hashtag, and over 919 thousand following #sustainability. Assuming there's some crossover, that's still close to a million people interested in the topic. And that's not counting any spillover into #eco, #green, and #enviro. A search for "sustainable" in Twitter posts yields 160 in the last hour, which would give us 3,840 tweets per day if we assume a comparable rate. A search for "sustainability" in Twitter posts yields 54 posts in the last hour, which would yield 1,296 tweets per day at the same rate. What does it all mean? It means the tide is turning, the culture is adapting, and people are paying attention. As the world wide web continues to level the playing field of information dissemination, more and more people are becoming aware of the need for sustainable living and consuming. The impact for your business? It's something to think about sooner rather than later -- from how you operate to how you contribute. Whether that means incorporating recycling into your operations, streamlining manufacturing processes, lowering or eliminating toxicity,... Continue reading

Back in 1999, I would have said that a good time to start business planning was during your annual company retreat in Aruba. (Mai Tai's optional, of course.) But as you might have guessed, that's not the case today. Market volatility and the natural-selection-on-steroids process we're witnessing now simply doesn't allow too much luxury time spent in "planning to plan." The short answer on when to start planning business strategy is this: NOW. No matter how you spend your money or focus your personnel, every single component of planning helps better inform those decisions. Here are a few big ways in which planning components can play a pivotal role in attaining your business objectives: Audience Analysis: Have you narrowly refined your targets? Applied the 80/20 rule? Developed personas? Competitive Landscape: What should you do that's "me-too?" Where should you break from the pack? Executive Roadmap: Is every sales and marketing activity tied to a strategy and overarching business goal? Messaging: What is your relevant, values-driven authentic message? What is your thought leadership platform? Integrated Promotions: How will you tie everything together, including social media? Deep down we know the value of planning, and why the following quote resonates: “Planning is... Continue reading

By now you may recognize that planning is an essential component of successful business. Perhaps you've read the entry "Moving Beyond 'Plan' as a Four-Letter Word." Perhaps you've even decided as to how you might kick off the process. The previous post "Strategic Business Planning: In-house or Outsource?" covers both options (including pros and cons) in great detail. Making a Commitment In order to bring planning to your organization as a discipline, you must commit to operationalizing it. This means making it part and parcel of periodic business operations, just like payroll or inventory audits. While this may seem daunting initially, it will only take a few instances before it becomes a part of business as usual. Beginning the planning process without commitment from key stakeholders, your organization runs the risk of investing time and money upfront only to find that the process fizzles out. Remember: it doesn't have to be a major undertaking and clog your productivity with weekly meetings. The frequency and duration should correspond with the objectives. And depending on how early you start, the process can simply rolled into all the other activities which correspond to your business objectives. Operationalizing Components Following are key components you'll... Continue reading