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What Happened?
Have you ever heard of the term "Triple Bottom Line?"
Wikipedia has a good definition. But, I will summarize by saying
that it is about People, Planet, and Profit. We (Eco Design
Resources of Santa Cruz) achieved two of the three requirements
for having a triple bottom line -- Profit was the missing link.
We paid living wages and had a health care plan (took care of
our People), and our products are definitely good for the
Planet. Alas, yes, [sigh] green products are usually more
expensive than their traditional counterparts. They are also
BETTER than the comparable products from big-box stores, which
is hard for this consumer-minded country to wrap their heads
around. And, understandably, people do have budgets to abide by,
so choices and tradeoffs have to be made.
The products we sold represented the true cost of a good
material because the companies we dealt with were also truly
green -- they pay fair wages while creating healthy,
sustainable, non-toxic products in an environmentally sound
way. Items that are produced inexpensively are usually truly
'cheap' -- they do not last as long as green products, are laden
with toxic chemicals, use non-renewable resources, have poor
labor practices, etc. That said, there is still something known
as 'economies of scale' to be reckoned with. The companies that
we work with are often on the smaller side, though not start-ups
(we typically shied away from unproven technology -- after all,
we want people to be happy with their purchase for a long time
to come - the true essence of green!). So, because these
companies are often 'home-grown' and cannot produce on a massive
scale, it contributes to the higher price.
In an on-going effort to make green products available and
affordable to the masses (not just the wealthy), and in the
hopes that by putting green products in more homes the word
would spread, we kept our profit margin artificially low.
Unsustainably low. We have been operating at a loss since the
beginning (November 2006). I spent money in the hope of making
money, but it never quite turned around.
While the green building industry continues to expand by
leaps and bounds with each passing day, we hope (and trust) that
the market for green products will become more widespread. Eco
Design Resources of Santa Cruz was on the leading edge of the
curve (the original store was founded in 2002), and we hope to
be back. In the meantime, please support other local and green
vendors. There are some other green building stores in the
greater bay area that are still functioning. See below for the
list, and keep up the good green work!
What's Next?
For at least the month of April, I (Sharon) will be taking a
break from the business as I search for something
income-producing (like a 'normal' job). I hope to pick this back
up again someday, if a way to make it profitable is determined.
I (and many consultants I spoke to along the way) do
believe that these products are the way of the future, out of
necessity for our personal health, as well as for the health of
our planet.
We adored working with our customers, as I know many of you
appreciated Scott, Heidi, and Linda. In January, we acquired one
part time person (Jessica), and two interns (Hugh & Cat) -- all
are students at UCSC and did a fantastic job for Eco! Since you
were mostly familiar with my first three employees, here is what
they have moved on to:
Scott has taken a job with Ventura Partners, a project
management firm specializing in non-profit development, and
continues to promote sustainable planning and design through his
work. He is working towards LEED accreditation and remains
enthusiastic about the future of green development. Heidi is
working for her husband, who is a general contractor practicing
green building (Brothers Builders in Half Moon Bay). She also
plans to return to school for her degree in architecture, and is
expecting an eco-baby in July!
Linda returned home to Long Beach in January to fulfill
family obligations. She is still contemplating how best to
utilize her environmental degree to its fullest capacity.
Our website will remain active at least for another year.
Feel free to check it for updates on what we are up to.
Other good green vendors to visit:
greenspace (Santa Cruz)
www.greenspacecompany.com
From now until June 2008, greenspace is offering 5% off
to customers coming from Eco Design Resources of Santa Cruz!
Lydia and her staff have been incredibly supportive of us all
along. We maintained a friendly spirit of co-opetition, and the
relationship is ongoing, on many levels. They are a larger venue
than Eco, and therefore have a greater variety of products than
we were able to showcase. They also offer workshops, and host
events on current topics facing our nation -- everything from
sustainable gardening to green building, water conservation and
global warming issues. Lydia has been a green interior designer
for over 10 years, and a general supporter of the green cause
for even longer. She has a wide network of resources and a
wonderful staff. I truly hope you will support them as you
continue to do good things for your home and the planet.
Eco Goods (Santa Cruz)
www.ecogoods.com
Though they don't carry building supplies, they have a lovely
selection of eco-minded products!
Eco Design Resources (Redwood City)
www.ecodesignresources.com
Residing in the Green Building Exchange, which offers
workshops, events and training, and houses a permanent
tradeshow/display area.
Eco Home Improvement (Berkeley
www.ecohomeimprovement.com
Green Fusion Design Center (San Anselmo)
www.greenfusiondesigncenter.com
Green Sacramento
www.greensacramento.com
Creative Eye Studio (Roseville)
www.creative-eye-studio.com
Eco Design Resources of Santa Cruz
www.edrsc.com
As I mentioned before, we are not officially going out of
business -- we are simply closing our Cedar Street location
in Santa Cruz. Keep visiting our website, as I don't know what
the future will hold! The website will keep you informed.
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