Sun & Earth's Small Business Spotlight

Sun & Earth (http://www.sunandearth.com/), a natural cleaning products and detergents developer, manufacturer, and distributor located in King of Prussia, PA is proud to announce the creation of Earthheads--a blog designed specifically for people interested in preserving the planet and all it's beauty by supporting companies whose soul and purpose or is it sole purpose ;-) is for the betterment of the world in which we live. Earthheads' Mascot, E.J. Smith ("Eej" for short), will be there every step of the way to assist with commentary, questions, and answers. Earthheads will profile small businesses that promote eco-smart products or services (and they don't even have to sell or use Sun & Earth products).

Big Green Earth Store

Business Name: Big Green Earth Store
Location(s): 934 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Website: http://www.biggreenearthstore.com/
Social Media: http://www.twitter.com/biggreenearth
http://www.groups.to/biggreenearthstore
E-mail: tfisher@biggreenearthstore.com
Phone: 267-909-8661
No. of employees: 4-7 (friends and college students involved with environmental programs)
Ownership: Tony Fisher, Owner (and local resident) and silent partner
Motto: "You Don't Have To Be a Superhero To Save the Planet."
Coolest Feature: "Everything."
Suppliers: Made By Humans, BlueQ, Voltaic Systems, Eartha's Handbags (private label), local artisans and crafters, Sun & Earth, Klean Kanteen, Mioculture.
Philosophy: "To provide a one-stop shop for eco-friendly products that help reduce our customer's carbon footprint. To educate others about environmental issues."
Fundraising Opportunities: Yes. Discounts for groups looking to raise money.
Most Popular Item(s): Klean Kanteens (wide-mouthed, stainless steel water bottles),

Eartha's Handbags (made from once-used bags, sacs, containers, packaging, etc.),

and Sun & Earth's REFILL Stations.
Favorite Non-Profits Organizations: PSPCA, PAWS, Australian Cattle Dog Rescue.
What's Next: "Expand into other cities throughout the U.S. with corporate-owned stores. Offer franshise opportunities in the U.S. to other like-minded individuals."
How Did Idea of BGES Begin: "When I was looking for an eco-friendly gift for a friend and realized that I could only purchase the gift online. There was no brick and mortar store offering only eco-friendly products. We were the first to invoke a green only approach to a gift/personal care/housewares store."
BGES in 5 Years: 5-corporate owned stores (Denver, CO; Portland, OR; New York, NY; and an additional 10 franchises throughout the U.S.)
Family Friendly: Families can purchase back-to-school supplies;

REFILL household cleaning products, and purchase cool gifts...all while reducing their carbon footprint.

My Thoughts: Having browsed BGES in "Old City" and on South Street, I am a HUGE FAN of this store. They have the coolest items for all ages. With competitive pricing compared to what I've seen elsewhere, here's what I've purchased from BGES so far: Klean Kanteens for parents, nieces, and nephew (w/sippie cup attachment for my nephew);

dog biodegradable bag-holder that attaches to her leash; natural, hardwood teething ring (I use it as a dog toy since it will not splinter).

I am jealous that I didn't think of the REFILL Station idea ;-) It's brilliant! Consumers are able to bring their empty bottles of laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, etc. to the store and REFILL the containers with natural Sun & Earth cleaners and detergents. So, not only are you doing the planet good by re-using the bottle but you are saving a little money because it costs less to package the products this way.

BGES does many things right in addition to promoting eco-friendly products. Tony hires people who are very interested in environmental sustainability. The owners support great causes like PSPCA and PAWS. BGES hosts local events promoting eco-smart decision-making. If you are ever in Philadelphia, you must stop by BGES!

We wish Tony & his team much success in the future.

Eej gives BGES a thumbs up for competitive pricing, variety of eco-smart products, and ecoolness.

Art Credits: Chris Titanic titanicillustrations@comcast.net

Small Business Spotlight Launch

Well, he's done it. Another amazing cartoon from Titanic, our resident artist. He just e-mailed me this hi-res image of our Blogscot (Blog Mascot). His name is E.J. Smith or "Eej" for short.

Our blog format has changed and we will now utilize it to profile small businesses [Sun and Earth's Small Business Spotlight] who either sell our products while promoting eco-smart options or provide environmentally-friendly products or services (themselves). Our premier feature in July will be Big Green Earth Store located on South Street in Philadelphia, PA.

Hospitality Industry Orders on the Rise for Sun & Earth

Over the past few months, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of hotels, B&B's, and extended stays placing orders for Sun & Earth's natural cleaning products (http://www.sunandearth.com). These businesses are ordering just about everything we make (diswasher detergent, dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, all purpose cleaner, glass cleaner). It's a great thing to witness! But, at the same time...puzzling. Why now? Why Sun & Earth? The only certainty I have at this point is this...I have been told by the General Manager of a major multinational hotel chain that our laundry detergent extends the life of linens. Linens, in the hospitality industry, is an enormous expense. I wonder what else is driving these companies to buy our products. Performance? Results? Natural goodness? Price? Over the next couple of months, we'll be gathering this data. It'll be interesting to see the different reasons.

Be sure to follow @sunandearth on twitter and check out our pages on facebook.

Holiday Weekend Work

I am very grateful to the employees of Sun & Earth who have chosen to spend their Saturday working instead of being with friends and family. Today, we are filling 22 oz Sun & Earth Xtra Concentrated Dish Liquid and .338 oz Sun & Earth On the Spot Instant Stain Remover Pens.

I am not naive to think that our employees are working entirely for my benefit or the company's...or the customer for that matter. Why they are here is not important. What is relevant is that they are, working safely and productively so that we can meet the demand of our loyal consumer base while at the same time improving the lives of our families.

Sun & Earth to Appear on NBC10's 10! Show

What a great way to celebrate Earth Day 2009...talk about the benefits of Sun & Earth natural cleaning products with the City of Philadelphia...on television!

Today is Sun & Earth President and CEO John Mullin's appearance on NBC10's 10! Show. The live-to-tape show is "shot" in front of a 50-person studio audience at 9:30 a.m. EDT. The unedited show airs at 11:00 a.m. EDT on NBC10. Webisodes of the 10! Show are available online at http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com. As a way of thanking the entire studio audience, including Chester County Moms (http://www.chestercountymoms.blogspot.com), King of Prussia-based Sun & Earth is giving away Sun & Earth Reusable Shopping Totes packed with natural, non-toxic cleaning products.

In Development Phase: Free & Clear Concentrated Laundry Detergent

Sun & Earth has begun the final testing phase of its newest product Free & Clear 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent. The formulation will actually bring Sun & Earth full-circle as the company launched this product years ago..."way ahead of its time" said John Mullins (President and CEO). Now that the consumer has become increasingly aware of product ingredients, the timing is right to launch/re-launch Free & Clear.

Instant Stain Remover...Safe. Natural. Effective. Portable.

We've done it!

Sun & Earth has just launched a lightweight, portable, all-natural, stain remover...pen. Our On the Spot Instant Stain Remover is the first of it's kind. Enzymes, instead of harsh petro-chemicals are used to remove stains from coffee, juice, iced tea, etc. We're really excited about this product! We actually tested this one while the Sundance Channel film crew visited in October.

The Latest Concentrated Craze

Believe it or not, the latest concentrated products push by companies is a win for everyone (environment, consumer, company). From a company standpoint, the producer uses less resources (power, plastic, water, fuel for transportation of raw materials, fuel to ship finished product, cardboard, shipping supplies) to ship/distribute the same amount of product. In the end, the same volume of product is shipped to consumers but lasts twice as long resulting in less trips to the grocery store and less materials to recycle. Environmentally, less water, less waste, less recycled materials, less packaging/shipping supplies is used throughout the entire process. Compaction is a great concept. One issue readily recognized is the education of the consumer regarding product usage. Consumers are accustomed to using more than the recommended amount of product expecting better performance results. With compaction, this equates to waste.

Less Is More

Who ever came up with less is more? What does that mean? Is that even possible? To get less of something and actually have more. To pay less for something and actually get more. Sun & Earth has begun the conversion towards compaction (concentrating products). Eventually, every manufacturer of products capable of concentrating them...will. And why? Well, the answer is not as simple as one may think. Why do companies offer concentrated versions of a product as well as the original concentration of the product? Isn't it the same thing in a different package at a different price? Does it have anything to do with the consumer? Costs? Profits?