New York SBDC Research Network

Most entrepreneurs have a pretty good idea that they need to know about the bottom line. But which one? Usually, it's the economic bottom line, involving capital, i.e., money. But in recent years, business folks have focused on other bottom lines such as social (people capital) and environment (natural capital). People in this movement use terms such as performance, features, reliability, durability, serviceability, aesthetics, and perceived quality. In this economic climate, an appetite for cheaply-made items with planned obsolence may have come to an end. But brands that provide for a more sustainable future, concerned with health and safety, honesty, doing good as well as convenience, will come to the fore. To that end, the leaders of the Going Green workshop I attended in September recommended these websites: Branding for Sustainability LOHAS - Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability U.S. Green Building Council Pennsylvania Material Trader - a free online service established