comments

Thanks for the list. Another one that I really like using is www.tweetbeep.com.

Hi Hazel, glad you kicked this off so we can actually know who is in this group. I'm Peter, founder of thinkspace, my business provides a shared office community of entrepreneurs, tech and green startups, small business owners. We've got over 60 companies here inside thinkspace. When you come up to Seattle and decide to hold an event, I'd be happy to co-host the event here inside my space!

Thanks for the tips!

I'm looking forward to meeting you tomorrow.

One thing that I'm going to ask you is what is the ROI on video?

I find it very interesting to read how other companies are going about "green marketing". Your view of greening through use of video is a very interesting idea.

While it does seem like a good idea to use video, radio spots, ads on a website rather than using print advertising -- I'm wondering if you have any stats on the effectiveness of doing these versus paper ads.

I'm all for doing green marketing, thanks for your ideas.

Peter

I'm Seattle bound! Looking forward to this!

For many people, shopping local is the green sustainable thing to do. Yes, it's not the top motivator to inspire spending but it certainly does impact my decision when hiring a company for their services. Local shopping means you're driving less distance and reducing your carbon footprint. It also help support your local community which is very important.

I run my business in Redmond. I do every thing I can to support the local businesses around me because I want my community to have a healthy business climate. If everyone is struggling in your business community then it's also likely to have a impact on you too. That to me seems like enough motivation to shop and buy local.

The coupon idea is interesting so long as you have a good mix of products and don't offer the same coupon all the time. Once you start offering a coupon all the time, you end up having a new price point.

Thanks for the tips. I found it very interesting to read.

Thanks for the insight. I think everyone in every industry is starting to see this.

Sorry I can attend. Monday mornings is when I have meeting with my staff.

Dan and Lara,

Sorry, I can't attend. I've got a meeting with the Redmond City Council tonight. I'm bummed I can't attend this one.

Peter

Seems like too many companies just opt for something simple like a special font for their logo. One little company in Redmond (msft) seems to get away with this. I'm certainly much more a fan of a real logo, one that has meaning.

Thanks for posting such a detailed article. In this kind of economy are people are more susceptible to experiencing these kinds of symptoms?

Zeke,

If you need a place to hold your workshop when you're in the Seattle area let me know. I'll comp you the conference room free of charge.

Peter - thinkspace

Great list of tools. I'm going through each one, one by one. It's going to take me forever to get through this!

@Judy I would love to know which Community Bank did not apply for TARP. I'd open up an account and start doing business with them immediately. I have no desire to support banks that took TARP money that 1) did not need it or 2) are hoarding it and just sitting on it.

Great article Steffanie. Thanks for your insight. I think you should come help me build out the framework for measuring how green thinkspace is. I'm already building out quantifiable metrics based on historical operating statements but I'm sure you have other ideas that I haven't even thought about.

Kellen, this topic has been on my mind all day. I was reviewing the list of local banks that received TARP money (see link below) and noticed that my bank was on the list. So today I went in and asked the branch manager what they are doing with the $MM of dollars that they received and he told me that they are holding it and may use it for acquiring other banks. It's a strategy for them as a way to grow.

The manager said if they decide to loan the money out to businesses and people, then it will take a few months to figure out what the process will be before they can lend it.

The crazy thing is that the government made a pretty quick decision to sign off on $700B and handed it out pretty quickly too. Normally, one would think that the government is slow to make decisions, but in this case banks are now the bottleneck.

Your point about Tier 1 capital is interesting. Banks that received TARP funds are hoarding cash to shore up their capital reserved. If Banks intend to use TARP money for that purpose then it's not ever going to find it's way to the people.

After this conversation with the bank manager, I'm more than convinced that the bailout plan is completely ineffective and totally worthless. I think that once a bank accepts bailout money, they should be scrutinized by every single tax payer.

Find your bank and ask them the same question. The Seattle Times Article on Local Banks that Received TARP money

As a small business owner I bring it every day. When working for "the man" it's easier to take it easy once in a while.

I think you'll find it pretty fun to meet and interview people that also have a high level of energy. Good luck with your project.

Conrad, you have provided three very detailed docs. It's a nice outline to have. Is there a way to provide an estimate on what the cost of becoming ISO 14001?