As a prospective or current business owner, marketing trends are important not only in order to understand your consumer better, but also to capitalize on what is hot now. So how do you find that niche that is particularly under served? While your business can always benefit from more research, the easiest, and cheapest, way is to look around you. What is in the media and on billboards? More importantly, what is everyone talking about? Lately, it seems there is an ever increasing buzz around “green” practices or ethical consumerism.
Ethical consumerism is on the rise as more marketers, retailers, and consumers realize that their actions have ethical, social, and environmental consequences. Consumers are increasingly shopping with their conscience and it is evident with the rapid growth in sales of organic, local, humane, Fair Trade, and eco-friendly goods and the increase of businesses touting the green advantage.
In Texas, the number one state for population growth and building activity, residential contractors continue to thrive even through the housing market recession. There are over 25,000 residential construction contractors (more than double the number in any other state); and while there are not yet reliable ways of breaking down sales of green versus conventional homes, there has been a fifty percent increase in the amount of homes certified by green building programs within the last year; these numbers don’t include partial efforts such as just minimizing waste; improving energy and water use, using sustainable or recycled products, or just protecting indoor air quality. Green Built Texas provides resources for consumers as well listing contractors dedicated to the construction of higher-performance, lower-impact residential homes in Texas. Construction industry stakeholders have embraced the green movement and sustainable design for its energy savings, worker productivity increases and positive public perception. Buyers are attracted to the lower cost in energy bills and the positive image of supporting more eco-friendly building practices.
New York has not only the largest clean air diesel-hybrid and compressed natural gas bus fleet in the United States but will also be home to the largest population of hybrid taxi cabs in 2012. New York is also selling more hybrid cars, with over 21,000 now registered in the city. This means 400 million fewer pounds of soot, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and other toxic substances released each year into the city’s air. From fuel consumption to emissions, with batteries and by-products in between, hybrid cars are simply greener, and therefore more cost efficient.
Consumers aren’t only purchasing a home or a car with greener standards. From diapers, groceries and even jeans to just about everything in between, more and more Americans are clamoring for options that benefit their pocketbook and their environment.
Denver, Colorado was a pioneer in the environmental movement and eco-friendly communities are easy to come by. Greenprint Denver, The Denver Office of Economic Development and Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy (CORE) recently launched the new Greener Denver Business program, a collaborative initiative supporting local businesses interested in greening their operations.
Ecovian launched a directory highlighting green businesses in Portland, Seattle, Chicago, LA, New York, San Diego and Denver. Their list is driven by consumer feedback and tallies and highlights businesses dedicated to supporting sustainable lifestyles from restaurants and clothing to spas and children’s products as well as construction companies and energy suppliers.
It is a great time to be a green builder in Texas, a hybrid car company in New York or a new or expanding local business looking for that specific niche in Denver. The resources available for green businesses right now are only expanding.
Find out what hot items are selling, what businesses are thriving or what consumers are looking for that just currently isn’t on the market to capitalize on the ethical consumerism within your own community. You just may have the opportunity become an active part in the green movement while building a successful business venture.