What's your eco-quotient?
By this I mean, as a business person, how are your services and products appealing to the environmentally conscious consumer? Perhaps you manage your business based on Profit and People and think you've gone far enough.
But consider the missing third "P": Planet. If you haven't found an eco-niche in your market, you could be missing out on a growing number of consumers who deliberately spend their dollars on products that help or sustain the environment.
Take fair-trade shade grown coffee for example.
I mean, if you're going to drink coffee, you might as well give both the earth and the people a break at the same time. Who wouldn't, right? This not only applies to commodity products but non-competitive products as well. There are a large number of people now who will pay thousands more for a hybrid car than a gas fueled one. They will pay close to double the price for organic strawberries rather than non-organic ones. There is huge perceived value in helping to ease the conscience of such consumers by feeding their desire to be carbon neutral, sustainable, "green", or otherwise eco-aware.
This even applies to the University of Northern British Columbia which as branded itself in part as Canada's Green University. The message caters directly to the university's prime demographic of liberal social and eco-conscious students who have a very different relationship with their environment than I did growing up. Mind you that was before travel mugs, recycling programs, and backyard composters. Today's generation has grown up looking at life through the lens of environmental sustainability; you could say that they wear green-tinted glasses rather than rose-tinted these days. And thus it makes sense that purchasing decisions would be guided by these same criteria.
So, if you haven't already, make it easier for your customers to buy your product or service knowing that in some way you are contributing positively to nature. It could be by making a donation to a local environmental group with every widget sold or by better yet by publically introducing earth-friendly practices to your workplace.
For example, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce can help you reduce energy use, a very eco-friendly practice, with the LiveSmart BC: Small Business Program. Their Business Energy Advisor, Sorin Pasca, will deliver free energy assessments for small businesses and help owners tap into available product incentives and cash rebates. Their help doesn't end there as they also help coordinate product installation and hold your hand through the whole process. Did I mention this service is available for free with no strings attached?
The LiveSmart Program incentives will run out March 31, 2013 so book your appointment for an Energy assessment today by contacting the Chamber at 250-562-2454 or by visiting www.pgchamber.bc.ca
By being green you can stay in the black and keep coming back.
Jennifer Brandle-McCall is the CEO of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce.
