Lexington, KY - Here are the facts: Last year, more Americans were out of work than at any time since the Great Depression. Also in 2009, the major nations of the world held a historic climate conference where, for the first time, all agreed on a growing climate crisis and the need for change. In an effort to find solutions to both emergencies, one word keeps coming up: green. To help businesses and people adapt to change, business authors are espousing fresh, inventive ideas on how any individuals in any size business can benefit by implementing green - in their thinking, technologies and careers.
The Responsibility Revolution: How the Next Generation of Business Will Win
By Jeffrey Hollender and Bill Breen
There is a growing sense that green thinking and practices are essential because they are responsible. At a time when businesses are losing market share because of perceived lack of responsible practices, this becomes a bottom-line decision. Being green becomes a corporate responsibility and an important perception in the marketplace.
The process of rethinking corporate responsibility will ensure the success of the coming era of successful businesses, according to authors Jeffrey Hollender and Bill Breen. In their new book, The Responsibility Revolution, they assert that nothing less than a revolution founded on responsibility will adequately confront the challenges of our economy and society.
Hollender is co-founder and chairman of Seventh Generation, a leading producer of green household products, while business expert Breen co-wrote the bestseller, The Future of Management. Their insights and examples are drawn from large corporations, like IBM and eBay, as well as small, entrepreneurial start-ups.
Responsible corporate behavior is an imperative for the next generation of entrepreneurs who are "pouring on the accelerant and lighting the match" when it comes to responsibility. These companies will be the winners for a number of reasons, including the embracing of green technology as the "largest economic opportunity we've seen so far this century."
Climb the Green Ladder: Make Your Company and Career More Sustainable
By Amy V. Fetzer and Shari Aaron
If you want to get ahead in your career and be more secure in your job, think green. That's the contention of these two authors who highlight individuals who have made their companies sustainable while advancing in their careers.
Bringing sustainability to the workplace starts with individuals, but it is a practice that has been embraced by companies from Wal-Mart and Kraft to Hewlett Packard. Studies show that green strategies reduce risk, strengthen brand loyalty and create a competitive advantage. They also promote employee engagement and motivation, the authors state. If you want to help future-proof your career, a focus on sustainability can raise your profile and identify you as a creative achiever.
Climbing the green ladder is synonymous with leading by example. When Mark Gough started carting off the excess paper his publishing company was throwing away, he bagged it up for recycling. This simple, cost-saving act led to his being promoted to global environment and health and safety manager, and to a teaching position.
The authors believe that it is no longer a question of whether business needs to think green but simply where to start. Their detailed research provides positive insight into the importance of sustainability and how it is integral to both business and personal success. This is an excellent practical guide for any individual or company beginning to explore ideas of green sustainability.
Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet
By Jay Conrad Levinson and Shel Horowitz
Green, along with the values, integrity and ethics it represents, must also become the foundation of any good marketing plan. Conventional marketing has too often become little more than shouting for attention, usually with mixed results.
This guidebook, written by two experts whose guerrilla marketing techniques are renown, suggests that green marketing can become a means to survival in tough times.
Their goal is to show that becoming a successful marketer with profitable, sustainable results means acting ethically.
A Washington Post study supports the authors' premise. Ranking 498 major corporations for social responsibility and market performance during the 2008-2009 downturn, the study found those most known for their social responsibility "equaled or surpassed the whole market."
The first chapter sets the tone for the book. "Because People Matter" suggests that successful marketing is about how you add value for the other person. Ultimately, that happens through a long-term, sustained relationship based on mutual success - a principle of marketing green.
This is a basic Golden Rule: Treat others well and they will become your best marketers. With your customers, suppliers and even competitors as your unofficial sales force, your potential expands dramatically. Success is not only compatible with green - it's easier.