February 2010
Monthly Archive
How To Market Your Ethical Business Effectively At Green & Eco Events
Posted by admin on 26 Feb 2010 | Tagged as: Green Events
Exhibiting at green and ethical events can be a rewarding and worthwhile experience in terms of raising awareness and increasing exposure for your business in the green and ethical arena. However it can be time consuming in terms of preparation and planning and can involve a great deal of hard work. Here I’ve shared 5 top tips to ensure your hard work leads to fruition and that you gain the best coverage for your business.
1. Plan Ahead
One of the most important things you can do prior to an event is to plan ahead. Make a list of the objectives you would like to achieve from attending the event no matter how obvious they seem and then think about how you are going to attain them.
Try to think long term as well as short term; it’s great if you’re a retailer and sell lots of stock on the day but ask yourself will those customers know where to buy from you again or did you manage to get their contact details for your mailing list so you can keep in touch with them.
Book Early – Booking last minute may mean losing out on early bird offers and any pre show marketing including web coverage. Many of the bigger events will have show guides in which your company details and logo will be displayed. Missing deadlines may mean you lose out on an advert which could be seen by thousands of people. Choosing the location of your stand can also be a benefit of booking early especially as the location of your pitch can play a big part in the amount of visitors you receive.
2. Presentation & Display
Whilst this may seem obvious, I’ve been amazed to see companies that have paid hundreds if not thousands of pounds for space at an event and have a stand that is drab and unappealing. Ensuring that your stand is eye catching, interactive, colourful and well presented will mean visitors are more likely to approach the stall and take a look at what’s on offer. When visitors see a busy stall they are far more likely to approach it than a quiet one.
Other questions worth asking yourself before an event are:
Can visitors see exactly what services or products my business provides?
Are prices/special offers easily identifiable?
Can visitors take away information/contact details should they wish to contact you in the future?
Does my promotional literature look professional and does it make the customer want to know more?
If you are attending an outdoor event or festival is your stall weatherproof? Do you have a plan if it rains or if it is very windy?
3. Engaging With The Public
Striking a balance between being overly friendly and appearing uninterested towards the public is one of the hardest things to achieve at events. Whilst many attendees are happy to strike up a conversation immediately, many more will prefer to be left in peace and browse uninterrupted. A smile and cheerful greeting is often a preferable alternative to launching into a hard sell, as you will appear polite and approachable. Some visitors may be scared off if they think are going to be pounced on.
Great ways to open the channels of communications between you and the public can be prize draws, competitions and quizzes. These not only work well in terms of engaging the public but are a great way to capture people’s contact details for your mailing list. Always ensure you have a tick box on entry forms so that people confirm that they are happy to be contacted by you in the future.
4. Networking
Some exhibitors can end up focussing exclusively on gaining sales and new clients from the comfort of their own stand but taking a break for half an hour to walk around the show, visiting other stands and networking can be time well spent. Important things you could do could include:
Meeting new suppliers;
Making new partnerships for your business;
Chatting with fellow exhibitors to get valuable feedback about other events, marketing opportunities and recommendations;
Seeing which companies are doing well at the event and identifying why (Are there any strategies they are using that you could employ for your business at your next event?)
5. Evaluate
Questions to ask yourself after the event include:
Was there anything I should have done differently?
What things went well and should be adopted regularly at events?
Was the event and the type of visitor attending right for my business?
Using tracking or reference codes on your promotional literature is also a good way to evaluate the response from an event, although do bear in mind some people may contact you up to six months or even a year after an event.
Showcasing your business at events can be a great way to meet new customers and contacts and can also be a fun way to market your service or products. Finding what works for you may not be obvious at first and may take a few more events to improve on your performance but with experience and perseverance they can be a cost effective and successful way to market your ethical business.
Kate Haines has been attending green events and exhibitions for several years with her GreenFinder showcase stand and also organises green fairs in Warwickshire and co-hosted the Eco Chic Wedding & Home Show.
For monthly updates on the latest green and ethical events across the UK visit the GreenFinder website and sign up for the GreenFinder newsletter online.
Related Links
Environmentally Friendly Banners & Displays
Organic Bedding:What Are The Benefits?
Posted by admin on 25 Feb 2010 | Tagged as: Green Directory Reviews
If you have gone organic in parts of your life, but never thought about organic bedding, read on as to why it makes sense. As a recent reviewer commented, “Why would you want to sleep in something that has been poorly made by underpaid staff and steeped in chemicals?” Conventional cotton producers consume $2.6 billion worth of pesticides; more than 25% of the world’s pesticides on 2.5% of farmed land. It’s not just about chemicals and Fairtrade. Why would you not want to sleep in soft, silky, comfortable organic cotton bedding that has been made from beautiful quality Egyptian organic cotton, by fairly paid producers? Also guaranteed to have used no allergy inducing chemicals.
What is organic bedding?
Certified 100% organic cotton bedding starts with natural cotton fibres which have been grown without the use of chemicals, synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Only cotton from verified, organically cultivated, sustainable sources can be used, a process which takes a farmer three years to attain. The natural fibre must then be treated and finished using only natural and biodegradable means such as non-toxic bleaching or eco-dyes to arrive at the finished article versus conventional cotton which can be treated with a series of chemicals from the field to the finished product. Certification gives assurance at every stage of the cotton’s journey from field to the finished product on quality, absence of toxic chemicals and the payment and working conditions of producers. In the UK, the leading certification body is the UK Soil Association which adheres to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Certifications by bodies such as the UK Soil Association or Oeko-Tex not only offer the consumer assurance on the organic integrity and quality of the bed linen but also guarantee no irritating nasties.
Why choose organic bedding?
Choosing organic cotton isn’t just a change in bed linen, but a change in attitude and one which is about value, not just in ethics, but also lasting comfort and value for money. Not to mention the apparent relief it gives to allergy sufferers and reducing carcinogenic chemicals.
The wider benefits of certified organic cotton are much quoted: decreased chemical exposure due to the absence of pesticides, chemical fertilisers or toxins which affect growers’ health and income, allergy sufferers and the environment. As well as being considerate to the environment and the people involved in growing and processing the cotton, certified organic cotton bedding collections also offer the consumer original design and natural, lasting quality for different budgets and for classic or contemporary interiors. Given we spend around eight hours in bed, choosing organic, chemical-free bedding offers the comfort of a great night’s sleep and is often the bed linen of choice for those with sensitive skins; with the added benefit that the product you are buying is from fair and sustainable cotton sources.
Why choose Fou Furnishings ®?
Fou Furnishings is (GOTS) certified by the UK Soil Association, the UK’s leading certification body and environmental charity. All their organic cotton bedding has been made with great care – from the original design, choice of long staple cotton fibres which are inherently strong, to the finished product.The company deals only in high thread counts which need to be woven from long staple fibres such as Egyptian organic cotton which is renowned for its quality. Bed linen fabrics which are woven with long staple fibres inherently contain the natural strength, softness and durable quality of the fibre which will withstand frequent laundering, outlasting those fabrics made from inferior or shorter staple cottons. All of their linens are certified by either the UK Soil Association or Oeko-Tex and have been specified and independently tested by Fou Furnishings for performance against the company’s own and external standards e.g. colourfastness, shrinkage, pilling and allergy inducing dye stuffs.
Fou Furnishings’ linens are available in three qualities in very high thread counts of 330 to 475 and luxurious finishes which means their linens are gorgeously soft and comfortable against your skin and will withstand frequent laundering and still look great. Choose from organic essentials sateen, crisp percale or lustrous Italian sateen for different budgets and classic or contemporary bedrooms. A recent reviewer’s experience of sleeping in Fou Furnishings’ elsa bed linen was described “as though I was sleeping on a cloud, or at least in a really swish boutique hotel. The product washes really well too.”
For readers who want to sample organic bedding, the company would be delighted to send out swatches of their linens. Simply visit their website and click on ‘request sample’ or call T: 0141 644 5211 for friendly service and information.
Related Links
An Unusual Way To Raise Funds For Conservation
Posted by admin on 18 Feb 2010 | Tagged as: My Alter-Eco
Jim Jablon, the owner of Florida’s Wildlife rehab centre has reused an alligator skin to create the unique ‘Gaitor Bike’ He hopes to sell raffle tickets at £75 each to raise money for the wildlife centre which rescues abused and neglected exotic pets.
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So what do you think? Noble cause, creative reuse or tasteless PR stunt? Let us know your thoughts on the matter.