Small-business owners are acknowledging the "going green" trend; but are they, and their customers, willing to pay more for the environmentally friendly products?

Of the 600 small-business owners who recently participated in a nationwide Wells Fargo/Gallup Business Index poll, two-thirds said that they would pay more for environmentally friendly goods. On the other hand, about 49 percent of respondents said they do not believe customers would pay more for green items; 43 percent said their customers would.

Seattle-based environmental and business consultant Alicia Silva of Synergy Design Studio, told Floral Management editors recently that it's a good idea for businesses to demonstrate green ideas in their stores.

"So many consumers are now happy to support businesses that have environmentally-friendly practices," says Silva in the July issue of Floral Management magazine. "Advertise and market your environmentally friendly practices. You won't be disappointed."

So, are florists embracing these practices? Last month E-brief editors posted an e-poll asking readers whether they had employed environmentally sound practices such as recycling vases and composting into their businesses. The results found 62 percent of readers answered "no" while 38 percent answered "yes."

Some green ideas that small-business owners currently are using in their stores include: 
 •High-efficiency light bulbs and other lighting forms
 •Biodegradable pots 
 •Eco-friendly cleaning agents

Read more about businesses going green in the July issue of Floral Management.

--Cassandra Foster
cfoster@safnow.org

 

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