Top Ways to Rebrand as an Eco-Friendly Business
If you’re like most contractors, keeping up with the latest construction industry trends and technology is an essential part of your business. One of the biggest buzzwords across the industry today is green—namely, finding ways to make your business more environmentally conscious and sustainable. And there’s good reason for it. Renewable energy and eco-friendly building processes are the future of the home building industry, so adopting greener ethics is crucial for business—not to mention a healthier environment. Here are some of our top tips to help you remarket your brand as an eco-friendly business.
Choose an eco-friendly focus
The first step towards remarketing any brand is to find your focus and choose a clear pathway that will help you reach your goal. For example, green construction companies may do any (or all) of the following:
- Choose sustainable suppliers and manufacturers
- Increase building site and office recycling measures
- Adopt low-impact building practices (less machinery, more handcrafting)
- Consider renewable energy sources
By choosing one or two key green concepts to adopt in your rebranding, you have a greater chance of succeeding in meeting your new eco-friendly goals. Likewise, customers who require your specific skill set will be drawn to your business over others because of your strong focus and passion for the environment.
Boost your green credentials
Once you’ve decided on the eco-friendly concepts you’ll focus on, training is the next step. Currently, there are no national training requirements for green construction companies in the United States, but there are several organizations that offer fantastic support for professionals just like you. The U.S. Green Building Council is perhaps the most well known, and their comprehensive training program covers everything from the basics of energy efficiency and eco-friendly practices to LEED certification and the future of green business. Other short courses and green trainings are most likely available near you—check locally in your particular sector for more information.
While you’re studying up on eco-friendly business models, take some time to consider your current suppliers and product manufacturers. Working with brands that boast green ratings will increase your business in the long run, so look for companies whose goals match yours. For example, suppliers who provide or sell Energy Star rated products or manufacturers who use only FSC certified sustainable wood are a perfect match for an eco-friendly construction brand.
Get experience
Training and qualifications are an important part of rebranding. Still, the only way to prove your new skills is by gaining experience in your new field. There are several ways you can go about doing this:
- On the job training and shadowing with existing eco-friendly brands
- Experimentation with new products and eco-friendly practices on site
- Taking on new leads and projects that match your new green ethos
With your newfound knowledge and experience in hand, you can begin to build your green portfolio with solar, windows, roofing, or HVAC job leads that fall into your new green services category. Get honest feedback from friendly professionals and clients, since this will be invaluable to your business growth and success.
Once you feel confident with your new eco-friendly business model, take your green brand even further by striving for LEED certification and/or Net Zero Energy building construction. After all, experts predict that these kinds of ultra-sustainable builds are the future of the construction industry.
Sell yourself
The last step—and arguably the most important—in rebranding is to sell your new business model to the general public. Since your business was already up and running before you decided to make any green changes, your marketing efforts should be straightforward. Make sure to update any current ads and communication to showcase your new green focus, including:
- Social media accounts
- Website information
- Print (and other) advertisements
- Lead generation campaigns
In addition to listing your new green goals and business plans across social media and ads, you can further boost new sales by demonstrating your new eco-friendly practices and/or products with facts and figures. Numbers and charts speak volumes, but you can really wow your audience by including plenty of photographs and videos of your new green projects as well as positive reviews from current clients.
Becoming a “green brand” might seem overwhelming at first, but as you can see, it’s nothing more than some simple rebranding steps. Besides these helpful pointers, all you’ll need is some motivation, a positive attitude, and of course, a love for the environment!
