Unless you happen to be running Solyndra, chances are your green business doesn’t have a reputation so terrible that it is beyond repair. And yet, in this era of unprecedented connectivity, when anyone can post anything online, you may find that your company has developed something of a bad rap in cyberspace. This could be due to customer complaints, you may have received negative reviews from media outlets, or your competitors could be assaulting you through the anonymous platforms available on the internet. No matter what has caused you to develop a negative reputation online, though, you need to nip it in the bud. A huge number of consumers now use the internet to suss out the relative appeal of a company before they buy. So if you want your eco-efforts to succeed you absolutely must do everything you can to ensure a good online reputation. Here are just a few management tips that should help you to clean up your image online.

1. Pay attention. The first step to managing your reputation is to become aware of what people are saying about you in the online arena. If you ignore negative commentary and reviews you can’t hope to combat them. You might find, for example, that there are areas of your business operations you can improve in order to address consumer complaints. If customers are upset about faulty products or lackluster service, you’re in luck, because these are problems you have the ability to fix. You’re bound to have criticism that is vague and unfounded, as well, and there’s little you can do to combat this (although you can always request that it be removed, it’s ultimately up to the hosting site to decide). So becoming aware of complaints and addressing the ones you can is a good place to start when it comes to managing your online reputation.
2. Stake your claim. One of the best ways to manage a reputation online is to claim ownership of branded space. This means purchasing domain names so that squatters (or competitors) don’t snap them up. And you should also make an effort to create profiles on social networking sites as a way to stop others from doing it for you.
3. Optimize. Part of managing an online reputation successfully involves taking steps to control content and create a positive message. In order to do this you need to ensure that your efforts are doing double duty. Rather than simply creating web pages or penning a blog, you need to optimize content. If you do it right you can make sure that when people come looking for you online they find just what you want them to.
4. Participate in social media. Unless you hire an army of ghost-tweeters you can’t hope to achieve adequate coverage on every social media outlet. But you can make targeted efforts to control your online reputation by focusing on a couple of social networking sites that are bound to provide you with the greatest benefits. As a professional, you might want to hit up LinkedIn, and where customers are concerned, options like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube (just to name a few) may provide you with the outreach options and vast audience you seek. But since you’re operating a green business, you should also look into social media platforms geared towards your genre.
5. Get help. You’ll no doubt discover that online reputation management requires more time and effort than you can afford, especially if someone seems to have it out for you. In this case an online service could give you the results you want. Although the process can be pricy, it might be worth it if your business improves as a result.

It’s not easy being green, but that doesn’t stop plenty of people from harboring dreams of a world in which responsible businesses operate with the environment in mind, striving to reduce pollution and waste any way they can as well as manage their operations in sustainable ways that does less harm to the environment. It’s not a pipe dream, either. All it takes is business owners willing to put their money where their mouth is rather than greenwashing and calling it a day. And thanks to rising awareness of the problems facing our planet, plenty of entrepreneurial souls are finding ways to advance their green agenda through the careers they pursue and the companies they found. If you happen to find yourself seeking a way to use your knowledge, skills, and passion on behalf of the environment through your professional pursuits, here are just a few growth industries in the green sector that you may want to consider.

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Thankfully, we live in an era where environmental awareness is becoming more and more popular of an idea. Whether it’s by way of irritating trend-following or programs and legislation that enacts legitimate change, it’s a good thing that people are realizing how important the environment is. Especially given our track record over the last few hundred years or so. Not only is this good news for the earth (and by extension, humanity as a whole), but it’s also great news for you, the green business owner! Read the full story

Believe it or not, placing a few optional recycling bins around the office and calling it a day does not exactly make your office eco-friendly. If you really want to institute some changes within your business that will help you to shine up your brand image while doing something good for the community that supports you (not to mention the planet that supports all living organisms), you need to start seeking out ways to make your operations more sustainable while cutting back on waste and pollution. And here are a few of the best (and easiest) ways to make that happen. By the way, many are also cost-effective.

1. Perform a waste assessment. These audits are generally done to find areas in which your company is wasting time and money. But they can easily be skewed to show how your wasteful habits are affecting the environment, as well. For example, you could undergo an energy audit to see how much of the bought air is leaking to the outside world through cracks, seams, portals, and ventilation. Read the full story

Whether you are personally invested in green living or you don’t know the first thing about the eco-friendly movement that is currently sweeping the globe, it behooves you to be aware of recycling and how it may benefit your business. Even if you think the practice is more trouble than it’s worth, you may be legally bound to comply with recycling mandates. Some states now require that items like aluminum, glass, and some plastics go into a recycling bin rather than a trash can, and failure to comply could result in hefty fines. But nearly everywhere you go it is illegal to toss electronics because they house hazardous materials. So if your business is looking to get rid of some old computer equipment, recycling may be the only option. Read the full story

Both the current state of our environment and the economy are grim so there’s no better time than now to earn a green MBA. Obtaining an MBA with a focus on renewable energy and sustainable efforts opens up plenty of opportunities. Whether you’re considering pursuing a green degree or about to graduate from one, you’re probably wondering what kinds of jobs are available. Whether you hope to work in the corporate world, for a non-profit, or in public service there are plenty of options. Read the full story