The Green Franchising sector has amazing potential for growth. It’s been on the radar screen for a few years now, and more and more green business concepts are being introduced every year.
Things to Know When Considering Green Franchising
There are lots of different categories in franchising that can be environmentally conscious. Mark Siebert, CEO of iFranchise Group, includes organic pizza shops, eco-friendly dry cleaning, and green hotel chains on that list. “Sometimes it’s a matter of adding a green product line, and sometimes it’s creating a whole new franchise,” Siebert says. Either way, franchisors are trying to meet consumer demand first, then appeal to the franchisees who have a green streak.”
One more thing: Subway®, a major player in franchising, had a green franchise restaurant initiative back in 2011. From the Subway website:
“Subway franchisees are entrepreneurs and many are visionaries dedicated to supporting their communities and the environment. In fact, some have built ECO-Restaurants designed to conserve resources during the development process and set the stage for efficient operations in the future.”
In a nutshell, businesses that remain focused on our environment and sustainability will start to get noticed-and appreciated by consumers.
And speaking of consumer demand, more and more of today’s consumers are looking into the viability of solar energy.
For a time, there was a Solar Energy franchise business that catered to those consumers. It was called Solar Universe, and I helped them with their marketing…for free.* I got to know (and like) Joe Bono, its founder.
*Except for one time, when I received a $300 payment. If you want to know why I promoted Solar Universe for free, contact me.
Despite the fact there’s still interest in solar energy, there (currently) aren’t any franchise opportunities in the space. It’s too bad, because I think there’s an opportunity here.
From Visually.
Have you ever heard of “Greenwashing?
It’s when companies aggressively market themselves as green, but aren’t.
From Franchise Direct:
“When selecting a green franchise, make sure they are truly green. A lot of “greenwashing” occurs as franchisors try to profit from the hype without putting forth the effort required to be truly green. In some cases a franchise spends their entire green budget on promoting the fact that they are a green company rather than using the money to implement green practices. Also be aware that some green “awards” displayed may not be legitimate.”
That’s why you need to make sure the green franchise you’re interested in truly is green. Not green-washed. Because today’s eco-conscious customers know the difference. Worse-they’ll spread around what you’re doing to their friends. That won’t turn out well for your cash register.
Green Franchise Opportunities
If you consider yourself to be eco-conscious, and you’d like to make a business out of that passion, be sure to check out all of the business opportunities in the green space.
And be sure to check out the green franchise opportunities listed on the Franchise Direct website.
Go green!
