Sustainable Business Is Growing But It Still Has A Long Way To Go

Despite the growth of sustainable business, this extrordinary transformation has only just begun. The combination of regulation and demand will color the future a much darker shade of green than what we see today. Whether you are a passionate supporter of efforts to combat climate change or a science-hating denier, everyone will have to contend with a business environment that will be unmistakably greener.

The core features of the new green economy are here to stay and will keep growing. This includes things like efficiency, conservation, waste reduction, pollution prevention, supply-chain management, environmental reporting, biomimicry and cradle-to-cradle products.

Although the green economy is a permanent fixture, companies will continue to rise and fall as new technologies emerge and old technologies are rendered obsolete. But the core features of green business will be with us for generations to come.

More and more companies are adopting greener practices and environmentally oriented consulting services are very much in demand. However, the green market is still very young.

The vast majority of businesses have yet to adopt sustainable practices. According to the Sustainability & Innovation Survey by MIT’s Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group, small business has been especially slow to adopt sustainability. Their survey revealed that 82 percent of small companies have yet to go green, and 66 percent of large companies have yet to embrace sustainability. That leaves a lot of room for growth.

The green market is now estimated to be worth $5.27 trillion (£3.2 trillion) worldwide. In the next couple of decades the clean energy market alone is expected to be worth more than$13 trillion.

Today the green market may seem big, but the business world of tomorrow will be much greener.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Digital Marketing Will Thrive in a Downturn

Digital marketing is poised to grow during this downturn. Although the marketing world has been hit hard, as reviewed in a recent Convince & Convert article some marketing channels will thrive in this environment. During the last recession, online advertising, plummeted 27% over two years. But according to the author, this time will be different. "Not only will online marketing survive, it may actually thrive during the lean times, continuing its inexorable theft of ad spend from traditional media tactics. Online is far more mature and proven now"

There are several reasons that account for digital marketings viability in a downturn. Online does not require a long term commitment and it is typically less expensive than an offline campaign. The predictable shift in a downturn is to focus on expanding sales with existing customers and email is the perfect vehicle for this group. Reduced marketing dollars can be focused on likely prospects rather than wasted on the disinterested. When compared to traditional tactics, online marketing offers superior measurability and trackability.

Next: The Growth of Mobile / Making Mobile Marketing Work For Your Business