T Minus 2 Days to Launch

Woke up this morning, and thought "no way in hell."  There's just too much to to do to get the store done by Saturday.  Granted, technically Saturday lasts until 11:59:59 PM.  But we'll see.  I'm really hesitant to launch the store, even a small, intimate launch, if it's not nearly perfect.  I guess there's always the launch first and ask questions later mantra.  Better to get a product out there that's 99% of the way done and spend the next few days/weeks fixing that last 1%.  We shall see.



Yesterday we made some progress.  We began loading our products into our e-commerce server.  Pretty cool to see the site with more than just a couple test products up there.  (Sneak peak: http://twitpic.com/ncasz) We have a lot to do re: the products.  We need to work on descriptions and images.  We need to make sure everything is in the correct category.  It's daunting, and we're only talking like 25 or 30 products to start out.



We also attended the Boston EcoTweetup last night at OM in Cambridge, MA.  Really great place, and a great crowd.  Cool to see the robust green community in Boston, and we'll be looking for their support when we launch our store to the public.  We met a ton of people and made a few good connections.  We may have even found a major part of bGreen's Super Secret Phase II, so that's cool.  Also met the elusive @BostonTweet.  Amazing this is the first time we've run into each other, but it was good to finally connect.



Until tomorrow...

Boston EcoTweetup

Tonight is the second Boston EcoTweetup.  We'll be there spreading the gospel about bGreen.  We hope to see you at Om in Cambridge, MA tonight.



Here's the link to sign up: http://calendar.boston.com/cambridge-ma/events/show/89119736-bostoneco-tweetup-a-green-networking-event

T Minus 3 Days to Launch

There was a time yesterday, just after we thought we managed to delete all the work our developer had done, that we thought a launch on Saturday would be impossible.  Fortunately for us, we did not in fact delete said work, we just managed to hide for a short while.  It was a bit touch and go.



We actually got a bunch accomplished yesterday.  We setup the domain for our store, no small feat in itself.  We're tech savy, but not tech guys.  The store address will be http://shop.bgreenlifestyle.com.  Don't bother checking the link yet.  There's nothing there and it's password protected.  Don't want prying eyes getting a look at our new baby until it's fully done.



We started uploading all our product info to our Network Solutions site.  We got approved for our Merchant Account, which is critical, otherwise we'd be giving away our products.  We came up with a launch plan for Saturday.  Twenty five people or so, mostly family and a few friends, will get our super secret password to visit the store and put it through it's paces.  They'll be more forgiving if we screw something up along the way, which we're certain we will.  We're only going to offer a limited number of products, say 30, and make sure we really nail the whole process before adding more people and products.  We'll call it the beta launch.



We also met with Brian Kramer, our PR guy, at the Roadhouse in Brookline, MA.  Good venue, good food (loved the nachos), and the Celtics were on TV.  Good stuff.  Brian has been gracious enough to help us along with our launch for the promise of future riches. We hammered out a plan to try and get our story in some of the local papers and hopefully get featured online in a few venues.  More on this later, and I'm going to try and persuade BK to write up a blog post about his PR efforts.



Another busy day ahead, and we'll be sure to share our progress with you tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

T Minus 4 Days to Launch

Yesterday was an incredibly busy day for us.  Our last email was sent at 1:10 AM, which I guess is technically today.  Oh well, life in the fast lane.



We are now officially schooled in Merchant Accounts.  What a pain in the ass.  There are literally hundreds of choices, and each one seems more convoluted than the next.  Fortunately, our e-commerce host, Network Solutions, integrates only with a half dozen or so providers.  In fact, they offer their own Merchant Services.  More on that in a second.



Now, if my company offered merchant services, I'd want to make my website as user friendly, intuitive, and informational as possible.  We were able to eliminate basically all but two providers without even doing a lot of work.  Terrible websites combined with  difficult contact options means we will exclude you 100% of the time.  Sorry.  On our own site, we give like 127 ways to contact us.  Really.  Check it out.



So we narrowed our choice down to two providers: Network Solutions & PayPal.  Both offer the same services, priced competitively.  PayPal offers an all in one fee (we estimate it to be around 2.5%), slightly higher than that of Network Solutions base fee (2.05%).  However, with Network Solutions, you pay extra for things like Amex charges & corporate card charges.  While we don't love this, we do feel that the majority of our customer purchases will be consumer, not corporate, and, although we love Amex ourselves, we're not in the majority.  Most purchases will most likely be Visa or Mastercard.  So we'll take the lower base fee offered by Network Solutions and see where it gets us.  We had one other hangup with Network Solutions.  They make you sign a 3 year deal, with a $99 cancellation fee.  No big deal, but not ideal.



In the end, our decision came down to customer service.  With Network Solutions, we got a Live Chat session going, and within 30 seconds we were getting answers to our questions.  In fact, we even setup a call with them later in the day.  They called us, we hammered out some details, and signed the deal.  PayPal, on the other hand, was a 17 minute wait to Live Chat with someone, and frankly, their Live Chat was lame.  They sent us a link back to their website for information.  Uh, thanks.  They did, however, respond to us via Twitter, but we hardly want that to be our main mode of communication wtih our provider.



We also got Quickbooks up and running last night.  Went with the online version for a trial before committing to buy the new snazzy Mac version.  This is probably worthy of it's own post once we get up and running, so stay tuned for that.  Riviting stuff!

T minus 5 Days to Launch

As we mentioned last week, we were literally sitting on our hands looking for things to do.  Well, that all changed early yesterday morning when we received an email from our developer, The Hype Lab, saying that our site was ready for review.  It's not often I work from the comfort of my Bob-o-pedic, but I fired up the laptop and eagerly checked out the site.  The design looked great, and it's a really solid base to build on.



After combing through the site later in the day, we put together a list of probably thirty items that need attention.  Who knew that there were so many pages and layers to a decent online store?  Most of the issues centered around alignment and spacing, a problem that is easy to fix.  We did come across a few issues that see to be more Network Solutions issues than design issues, and we'll be spending the next couple days working through those.

Image via Wikipedia

We need to get better at operating within the Network Solutions software.  Yesterday we got hung up on setting up our shipping options, and couldn't make the checkout process work.  Apparently Boston isn't a destination that the US Postal Service can ship to.  Hmmm, that strikes me as odd, since I got about 400 pieces of junk mail last week via the good old USPS.



We'll also be working on our roll out plan.  Right now, I think our best bet is to start small, with a limited number of products and a limited number of customers.  That way, we can see exactly how the process works from start to finish and basically make sure we don't screw it up.  No one hates a bad online shopping experience more than we do, and we'd hate to be the cause of the crime.



Check back with us each day this week, as we'll be posting a "T minus" blog each day until our launch.

Twiddling our thumbs

I cringe when I even start to type out this blog post.  What the heck could two budding entrepreneurs be doing twiddling their thumbs just weeks before their online store goes live, and their quest for world domination begins?



Well, frankly, we've been wondering the same thing.  We're really just in a holding pattern for the next two weeks or so.  It's maddening.  We keep calling each other just to try and come up with something about the business we should be discussing.  The calls are really pathetic.

me: hey, what's up



him: not much since two hours ago



me: hmm, really?  what's happening with the store?



him: uh, nothing since the last time you called



me: oh, ok.  is there something we can do?



him: uh, i don't know.



me: ok, i'll go write a blog post about something

It's tough.  We're really anxious.  We want to get the store live, start selling some products, and actually see if we can make something of this.  The store is in the hands of our developers.  The products are waiting in the wings.  Our PR guy has his wheels spinning.  We're really just stuck here looking at each other.  We've even taken to going to the Apple Store to look at how our site looks on the new iMacs.  Sad.  We know.  There's no doubt that next week we'll be working our butts off checking for bugs in the store, making sure our showroom floors are sparkling clean, and getting ready to reveal the store to friends and family.  Until then, I guess we''ll just enjoy the few days of peace and quiet.

F. Rock Bags, not your daddy's briefcase

These days, if you're a dude, you've got limited choices when it comes to carrying a bag.  Go for a backpack, and you look like a freshman lugging around your books and the local bully's books.  Go with a messenger bag, and you look like you may as well be delivering packages rather than ruling corporate America.  Coach, Tumi, Jack Spade...been there, seen that.  Gucci, Louis Vuitton?  Come on.  You're an urban semi-hipster, not Birdman.  So where does that leave you?  If you want something hip, unique, and, if you're from Boston, local, look no further than the latest offerings from F. Rock.



Started earlier this year by Nicole Keane, F. Rock is what all these other bags aren't.  They're local...all the labor is done in Massachusetts, and most of the materials are sourced here.  They're green...the leather and fabrics are all reclaimed.  They're priced right...bags start in the low $200's.  And perhaps most importantly, they're unique...you can have the bag custom designed to your specs, just as we did.



When I asked Nicole what she wanted to do with F. Rock, this is what she had to say:

"The most important message that I try to convey, and will be developing further, is 1) sustainability and style can coexist and do in F. Rock.  One need not sacrifice style for sustainability as a consumer or as a business owner; it just requires a touch of creativity and inventiveness and 2) sustainability is and should be not a product-only commitment. It is a 360 concept that integrates one's business, environment, community and product into one closed-loop system.  I feel as if these touchstones keep me honest (as the saying goes) and keep my business decisions always focused on and connected to my core brand values. Also, the bag is Boston-based and inspired by the city and vintage days gone by."

Needless to say, we love the bags, and are psyched that we're going to be able to offer them to our customers as well (yeah, these would make a sick Hanukkah or Christmas gift).  Hopefully we'll offer you a bGreen collection, a few styles we put together that you can buy right off the rack.



If you're looking for a completely custom bag, we can set you up with that too.  The process is super easy.  Pick your bag style, pick your leather, pick your fabric, pick your hardware, and you're done.  It took a few weeks to get the bags.  After all, they are custom made!  Nicole is great in dealing with any special requests or tweaks to your design.



We designed two bags, and they couldn't have been more different.  One says, "what up boardroom" and the other says "what up classroom."  Check out our gallery of our bags, shot in Boston's North End, and if you're interested in your own, you can customize and buy them here.



[gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="ID"]

Because I said so!

Growing up, whenever I protested doing a chore or activity, I, like many children, would ask why and most times heard back "because I said so".  "Because I said so" is used far too often as an easy way to get someone off your back.  For a long time, "because I said so" was all anyone heard about the environment.  Why should I use florescent bulbs?  Because I said so.  Why should I recycle?  Because I said so.  Why should I care about the environment?  Because I said so.  OK, you get the point.  We can't fault people for not treating the environment right if no one ever taught them why.



A couple of weeks ago, I went to watch the Hartford marathon.  It was a great day for the city of Hartford.  People were everywhere and everyone was enjoying themselves.  Later in the day, we were walking through Bushnell Park and saw a few people playing "football" with a roll of toilet paper.  Each time the roll went into the air, toilet paper came streaming off and landed on the ground.  And the “players” just walked away from the mess.  I asked them to pick it up and they said, "why, it's not like it's going to make a difference, it's a mess here anyway."  My response was that we should be responsible and not add to the mess.  I may have added some "colorful" language to make my point but that is neither here nor there.  The point is let's be clear about why it matters to not toss toilet paper all over a city.  It's wasteful, careless, irresponsible, and just plain stupid.



This is just a minor incident, but it's a good example of what we are trying to do with bGreen.  We want to make people understand that there are steps you can take to help the environment you live in rather than add to the mess we've created.  One component includes being responsible when you are out and about and another entails thinking about what goes into the products you purchase.  Don't be responsible because I said so, do it because you want to make a difference in the world you live in.



I think I got too preachy here.  Well, it's our blog.  If you don't like it, go blog reading elsewhere.



Love,

bGreen

Shipping Up To Boston

Actually, we're shipping out of Boston.  As much as we like the Dropkick Murphys, our real dilemma is how to get our products out of Boston and into our customers hands.  We've recently engaged in a hot debate about how to handle the cost of shipping our products to our customers.  In a perfect world, we'd never charge shipping, and hope to earn enough of a profit margin from each product that this could be a reality.  Sadly, never charging for shipping would most likely put an end to our quest for World Domination.  Our virtual doors would be closed before they even had a chance to open.



It's a tricky game, and part of the problem we face is that our cost of shipping is really unknown.  Depending on what each customer orders, the cost could vary widely.  We're talking like Grand Canyon wide.  What if one customer orders some cleaning supplies - heavy liquid stuff?  And another customer orders some recyclable packaging - really light, fluffy stuff?  Both size and weight are vastly different, and so are our shipping costs.



We've looked around the internet at how some of the biggest companines, like Amazon.com & Zappos, and some of the smaller, more up-starty companies, like Lululemon &  Rue La La, handle their shipping.  The real answer is that everyone does it differently.



[caption id="attachment_157" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Amazon.com Free Super Saver Shipping"][/caption]



Amazon offers their free Super Saver shipping on most orders over $25, presuming the product is sold direct through Amazon.  They also offer a premium membership option, Amazon Prime, that gets you 2 day shipping on everything.  And just yesterday, Amazon announced that they are offering same day local delivery in certain cities.  We're curious how that will work out, as we used to be huge fans of Kozmo.com back when you could order a single DVD and have it delivered within the hour.



[caption id="attachment_162" align="alignright" width="174" caption="Zappos.com Free Both Ways"][/caption]



Zappos used an easy solution to solve a difficult problem.  How do you buy shoes online without trying them on?  Easy, offer free shipping in both directions, and make returns a snap.  Why not just order the same pair of shoes in two sizes, try them on, and send back the pair that doesn't fit.  Easy, smart, effective.



[caption id="attachment_165" align="alignright" width="201" caption="RueLaLa.com"][/caption]



Smaller companies such as Rue La La will ship your order for $10, and return shipping is now free.  When they first launched, if was $10 shipping, but you had to pay return shipping, seriously driving up the cost of your order is the clothes or other goods weren't to your liking.  We love their site, and have certainly spent a pretty penny there, and free return shipping makes it that much easier.  We're still bummed about the "merchandise credit only" policy, but I guess it's a small price to pay for some of the great deals.



[caption id="attachment_163" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Lululemon Free Shipping"][/caption]



Lastly, we want to just quickly mention Lululemon.  An email recently came to our inbox (yes, we get Lululemon emails, so what?  Did you know that Victoria's Secret sends their catalog to more men that women?) that announced they'll be offering free shipping for the next month for all online orders.  Pretty sweet deal, and certainly a costly promotion for them.  So that's one way to handle it - charge for shipping most of the time and offer a freebie once in a while.



So that brings us back to bGreen.  We're not really sure what method of shipping we're going to go with.  Probably some crazy hybrid combo method of all the existing methods out there.  Like free shipping on Tuesdays between 8:27 and 9:01 as long as you buy two pairs of recyclable shoes and promise to return one for store credit.  My guess is we'll be experimenting with what works during our first few months of existence.  We'll see, and we'd certainly love your feedback on what shipping options you like (aside from free, obviously) and how much you'd be willing to pay to have your order shipped.

Network Solutions in da house

A couple weeks ago we blogged about our experience in choosing an e-commerce provider ("The Late 90's are Awesome").  At the time, there were really two options in the mix - Network Solutions and Shopify.  We tested them both, got (and gave) some good feedback, and ultimately made our decision based on a couple factors.  For now, we've decided to use Network Solutions.



Earlier we had talked about two the two main factors in our decision, which in our minds are User Experience and Customization.  Both solutions offered varying degrees of both.  Network Solutions website is far more technical and powerful, but Shopify's seemed "friendlier."  We chose technical and powerful.  Both products are totally customizable.  Our developer, The Hype Lab, has had their hands full with trying to code our site into the framework provided by Network Solutions.  To quote them, they're basically "reverse engineering" the NS code to then put in our code.  Good thing we had a good tech support phone number!  While Shopify may have been easier to code for, we think in the long run NS will be a better fit.



A couple other factors ended up carrying some weight in our decision.  The 1% transaction fee Shopify charges, the integration of Network Solutions with one of the distributors we're working with, and the ability for NS to handle gift certificates.  We really just don't understand the 1% fee, and 1% is 1%.  For a new business, 1% could be the difference between Ramen noodles and Wagamama for dinner.  While integration with a distributor isn't critical, it will help us streamline our processes of order processing, shipping, and inventory management - all critical customer experience factors.  Finally, gift certificates just seem like a critical component of online shopping.  Maybe we'll never sell a single one, but we certainly want to provide that option to our customers.  As we all know, customers are key.  Happy customers = recurring business = successful business.



Hopefully when they're done working their asses off for us, the good folks over at The Hype Lab can share their thoughts on working with the Network Solutions platform.  Computer geeks (yes, we put ourselves in that category) - be on the lookout!

Search Results. Where the heck are we?

While chowing some Chicken Parm over Penne with an Arrabiata sauce at Il Panino Express the other night, we were talking about search, ads, and search results. Turns out, it's harder to find us via search than it is for A-Rod to get a hit in October. While we acknowledge our site isn't SEO ready, we really expected better results than what we got. Below are a few search terms we thought we should/would like to show up under. Check it out. Pretty interesting, and something we're going to have to throw some resources at going forward.



Search Term: green boston



Top 5 Results: Green Dragon Tavern, Boston Green Tourism, Boston Green Building, Boston Redevelopment Authority, Making your trip green - Boston Globe



Search Term: green home



Top 5 Results: GreenHome.com, HGTV Green Home 2009, GreenHome.org, Sierra Club Green Home, The Green Home Guide



Search Term: green building



Top 5 Results: U.S. Green Building Council, Greenbuilding.com, Green Building - EPA website, Green Building - wikipedia, Thegreenbuilding.net



And the most disappointing one of all...



Search Term: bgreen



Top 5 Results: NatureUSA.net, bgreenapparel.com, bgreentoday.com, B Green Design, B Green Hangers



Without boring you too much, it's not until you search for "bgreen lifestyle" that we begin to show up.  I'd give us a F- right now.  We need to be an A- within the next few months if we're hoping to drive traffic to the site via search.  Stay tuned.