The business world is filled with predictions of trends for 2012 and here is my list of five trends. My list is focused on the northeast region of the United States. I think it is presumptuous for someone to state a trend will be the same across the globe, but regionally common trends can spot the globe so these may apply in other regions too.

Five Trends to Watch for 2012 in the Northeast

Foodsheds

Farmers and food producers will work towards establishing more foodsheds based on defined regions that supply fresh, nutrient rich food to the community. The collaboration of farmers, processors, distribution channels and marketers will bring efficiencies to the localvore market pushing "local" from a movement to the way shoppers think, act and buy everything from apples to zucchini.

Next Level Local

This will happen with increased education and awareness. Communications about such topics as the costs of the carbon footprint of an overseas shipment, the quality of life of small business growth in a community or the research and entrepreneur partnerships within local universities will increase. The ability for local economies to educate the greater consumer community of the effects on their spending and the new ideas being generated will result in conversations within family units to the value and impact of local patronage within their region moving local the the next level.

Disengagement of Electronic Social Networks

People are increasingly frustrated with the demand of their time and effort on the perceived social push to be active in multiple social network sites and are selectively disengaging. Businesses and organizations will begin to change their emerging media strategies from being everywhere to defining where their customers want them to be and where there is greater gain.

Non-profit Shifts

As increased pressure for services grow in 2012 and the growing number of non-profits emerge in the region, the ability to fundraise becomes even more difficult. Non-profits will look towards creative ways to gain greater financial stability by building revenue generating products and services to support their mission.

Environmental Consciousness

As the region experiences the affects of climate change, growing landfills and weakening environmental protections the level of concern will be heightened in 2012. Action will not come from businesses and governments but from individuals. People, many who have never been involved in the environment before, will join together regionally with the opportunities that benefit the environment whether it be through conservation, technology improvements, local ordinances or bringing skills to others to help specific issues.

So, there you go, the five trends that in my opinion we will see in the Northeast in 2012. What do you think? Agree or disagree? Let me know!

Thank you for reading and a Happy and Healthy 2012!

We have all likely been there, you have a fantastic product idea, you've told your friends and they all say, "I'd buy it." You're charged like a lightning bolt shooting to the ground, except you're not grounded (more about that in a moment). You run full-steam with the idea turning it into a reality with prototype designs, supply and manufacturing logistics and breakeven analysis. You're energized, it's ready for the marketplace you just need cash to set it flying.

You hear about crowdfunding and the success it can bring in creating the dream into a reality. You jump on it and the donations flow in as you watch your goal turn to accomplishment.

Boom!

The money is in and the orders are filled with the manufacturer. Except, what about the packaging, the shipping, the import logistics, the list of customers, the deliveries and what is going to happen next? You have been so focused on the immediate bolt that ran from the idea to the orders you haven't had time to think of the bigger questions. "What is Next?" is the big question because you are back to square one, a lack of money flow.

Remember that lightning bolt charging to the ground? Where to turn for financing will depend on where your feet are on the ground. Getting grounded requires a business plan, a plan that lays a path to profitability. I enjoy hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, but I won't venture out into the Whites without being prepared with a plan, same goes for a business. A plan walks you along the path to profitability which in business leads to:

1. Cultivating Strategic Thinking - A product without the business components; personnel, operations, marketing, selling, research and development, manufacturing and financing is just a fictitious widget case study in a higher education business book. Its lacks a life and movement where people combine their hands and minds and work together in a cohesive unit. Walking the path of developing a business plan takes you through the forest landscape where the integral ecology interacts. You explore the vernal pool that brings to life the song of the pickerel frog and you learn how the conifer helps prevent soil erosion and supplies wildlife habitat. A plan requires you to look at the big picture and the small details at the same time.

2. Spotting Potential Challenges - Along the path you identify internal and external threats that if left unidentified may kill your product before it reaches the masses. You look at regulations, patents and legal considerations and determine if bridges need to be built or will you have to bush whack to keep moving forward.

3. Uncovering Money Flows - Rocks and decaying tree limbs along a wooded path hide benefits to the forest cover. Lift up one of those rocks and underneath you may find an eastern red-back salamander whose diet helps keeps pesky insects in line. Just as finding a beneficial under a rock you can uncover methods and funding sources to keep the needed money flowing into your business. Conducting an analysis such as breakeven, needed capital and liquidity helps establish the funding, marketing and sales strategies. Answering questions about how much is needed, how will financial operations be controlled, how much working capital is required, what budgets need to be developed and how will you maintain cash flow and liquidity.

4. Illuminating Customers - Lighting up a customer with a new product can be fairly easy if it's a flashy new tech gadget. Keeping the light shining requires mapping out the course and identifying the supplies you need to make the journey. You determine whom and where the customers are and what buying patterns they tend towards. You learn how they will get to know you and interact with you and what they want next from you. You are prepared to keep going after the initial bolt of energy. It is all outlined in the business plan.

Many people look towards the quick financial fix, the miracle magic oil that propels their product into a high demand, record selling, vogue item. A quick fix doesn't last and when you come down from the high you may find yourself alone with empty pockets. Funding for the long-term requires back to the basics planning that sets the course to profitability. If you are lost in the woods with just a caffeinated drink and no water, map or compass to find the way out you will likely require emergency assistance. A business plan will help you understand the bio-region your business lives in and the funding sources to get it funded. The funders will have greater confidence in the business when they know you have the information and analysis done with an outline of your path.

Question: Why do you think so many good people go for the quick fix? Leave a comment below or connect on twitter or Facebook.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

p.s. Need some hands-on, individual help with planning, connect confidentially here.

On Saturday I drove over 3.5 hours to a meeting with a group of farmers from the North Country Farm Fresh Cooperative to give them the results of a market feasibility study I had conducted for them. Along the drive I was blessed with the beautiful scenery that New Hampshire has; the mountains, lakes and forested areas. After the meeting my sister, who was up for the weekend and agreed (thanks) to travel to the North Country with me, and I tootled around Main St. in Lancaster visiting the shops along the way. We returned back to Nottingham, filled the woodstove and we headed to Epping to have dinner at the Holy Grail. I had a great day, but upon returning home and switching on the TV I learned about the devastating shooting in Arizona by a deranged person and the innocent people whose lives ended sooner than they should and of Gabrielle Giffords a young, dynamic and intelligent representative of the United States of America.

My Sunday was filled trying to hold back tears as I watched the various news channels reporting on the events. Why? This was senseless and likely driven by a despondent individual. This individual's target was Ms. Giffords and likely did he not agree with some of her views. Why have American's conversations and debates gone so awry? Language and conversation has gone from civil to sensational, from debating to arguing, from non-violent to violent. It needs to stop. The news media, politicians, performers, anonymous commentators, and, yes, businesses need to move towards the use of non-violent communication.

A few years ago my grandmother passed and during the service I suggested to friends, family and acquaintances to make a change in the spirit of my grandmother who never had a bad word to say. I called upon them to make a commitment to move away from any current violent language pattern to a non-violent one. I offered to start by removing swears from my vocabulary in my personal and business discussions. I found such positive results and I continue to strive to improve.

Over two years ago I wrote a blog post about the use of foul language in business. You can read it here. I received some flak from that post but stay committed to its use being non-professional and not the place in any work environment.

But, this post goes beyond just foul language and more into the use of suggested violence as a way to capture attention, gain voters, ratings, sales, etc. It does not matter whether the business is technology, food, leisure, fashion, communications, politics or religion you can find violence used in marketing. Using statements like Sarah Palin's "reload," Donald Rumsfeld's "shock and awe," Wrigley's Orbit gum "knock-out," ads, Nigel Barker's "death becomes you" in an America's Top Model episode about models posing in crime scenes. Images such as cross-fire points, bondage, women domination and a host of other demoralizing women images used especially in the fashion industry need to cease. There is much research on the effects on people of violence used in advertising, music and other modes of entertainment. Let's stop using this as a means of capturing attention.

Acts of goodness should be the goal.

Special Note: My condolences to the friends and family of those who lost their loved ones at the event Saturday. My prayers to those injured. And thank you to the people who had the courage to stop the gunman.

Chief Optimist Executive (CEO) and Entrepreneur Bert Jacobs co-founder of Life is good was one of the speakers at Saturday's University of New Hampshire (UNH) graduation. The company makes T-shirts and other positive products depicting Jake and his simple message. It also give back via The Life is good Kids Foundation committed to helping children overcome life-threatening challenges. The company and its customer base has raised over $4 million for the cause through product, festivals and sponsors.

Here are a takeaways from his talk:

1) "Optimism truly is powerful." Sixteen years ago Bert and his brother and business partner, John, started the business with a used van, discussion about all the negative information in the media and a box of crayons. The brothers looked at the situation and turned it into a business.

"We looked at a gloomy situation, something that bothered us, and saw opportunity."

2)"Simplify your life." Social networking tools, instant messaging, email, video and all the other information coming at us isn't all good.

"We get bogged down because we have access to the information. It's too much.

Instead, play ball with your son, talk to friends in person and have a cookout.

3) Give of Yourself.

"Now, people these days occasionally will ask me, what's it like to be rich? Well, let me tell you there's more than one kind of rich. And the rich that you get from acquiring things and from earning money, it means nothing to me. It really doesn't.

But the richness that you get from giving, it's priceless.

At Life is good we say that takers eat well, but givers sleep well."

Thanks Bert, you are spot on and I couldn't agree with more...ah...frisbee time.

Image via University of New Hampshire Blog

We need to make a shift in work environments that begin to appreciate each other.

In every organization there are a multitude of skills and strengths.

Here are a few for example:

The Connector - These people know who to go to when a certain task is required to get a job done. They know how to connect a person in upper management with someone on a manufacturing line to resolve a product problem. The connector is that kid in the schoolyard that everyone talked to no matter if they were a bully or a nerd.

The Inspirer - These people are always "cup half full" and help keep a team moving forward. They can even make impact with the naysayer. The Inspirer is that kid in the schoolyard that got everyone together knowing the lost lunch money could be found.

The Contributor - These people are behind the scene types who are quiet doers. Give these people a task and they get it done and usually add a pleasant surprise. The Contributor is the kid in the schoolyard that helped round up a group to jump rope and then held one of the ends while the rest took turns jumping.

There is much strength that people have within one organization. Bringing the appreciation of these skills out in the open is often not done because people are so involved in their own responsibilities, projects and in their own overwhelm and deadlines. Or the culture of an organization does not allow this to happen in an everyday environment or at all.

The Culture of an Organization

I once worked for an organization (that will remain nameless) that gave no recognition to the talents of the dedicated people that worked for them. The culture didn't allow for it and that started at the top. The leader in the organization, Nancy (not her real name) would belittle people at meetings, not allow for open and honest discussion and not allow for ideas and innovation. This organization had about 20 full-time employees and another 10 or so part-time employees. Weekly communication meetings would be held with the department heads and some other identified key people to go over what was going to happen in the next few weeks. I was one of the "key people" that came to the meeting. I would sit and listen, as week after week the same information was shared with little to no change. Most dreaded the meetings because they viewed it as a waste of resources. At the meetings sat a Connector, an Inspirer and many Contributors, but not once did I experience a situation where Nancy allowed or requested the strengths be put forth with a new or innovative idea.

The meetings, which Nancy could not attend, were quite different. In those meetings open discussion would occur and ideas would be generated and discussed. The skills and strengths would appear for a short while. In some of the meetings an action to bring an idea forward to Nancy would be taken. These ideas would need some level of "selling" to Nancy and some would succeed while most would not. I was a victim of both situations, (with and without Nancy) I made suggestions for ideas to either streamline a process or recommend a marketing concept.

Appreciation of fellow colleagues can happen in an open and on-going natural way. Some questions for you:

1. Have you or do you work in an environment that I have described?

2. How did it make you feel or how did you survive that environment?

3. What skills and strengths do you have that either you or a colleague has not appreciated?

I really want to hear your input on these matter because we need to make a shift in work environments that begin to appreciate each other.

Share your comments and share this post with others and ask them to comment. Let's begin a shift towards appreciation.

It was March, 2009 when I received a call from a neighbor one-morning asking if I would be available that evening to meet with a woman from Denver Colorado who wanted to interview a group of us in the community who have been working on an environmental and justice issue of groundwater in our community.

That night I met the woman from Denver, Dafna Michaelson, who decided at the end of 2008 that she was going to quit her job, withdraw her 401K and spend 2009 traveling the country visiting one state at a time to interview community problem solvers because she believes that "real change happens at the local level" and those stories must be told. After the interview (see it here) we all wanted to hear more about Dafna's journey and who else she was going to interview in New Hampshire. We inquired where she was staying that evening and found out she had no reservations made yet. I offered my guest room and with great appreciation she accepted.

Dafna and I began a friendship that evening and I began to help her with the journey by scheduling upcoming interviews whenever I could. She reciprocated whenever she could by giving my business and support a plug. Neither of us asked, we just did what felt right. Dafna has completed the Journey Women work and has now started the Journey Institute.

The point of this story is simple. We never know when or how we may meet a person and how that relationship will develop. People in business never really know when a bond will happen or a small jester will turn into a rewarding experience. Whether it's a new customer coming through the door, or a stranger in the store check-out line you let go ahead of you, how we treat people in every situation must come form the heart. When it comes from truth within it will go further and make a greater impact. And whether that person becomes a customer, a friend or remains a stranger in passing that does not matter as much as how you interact.

Leave a comment on how a chance meeting or action that you took turned into a positive?

Thanks for reading and commenting

Photo by Dafna Michaelson via 50in52journey.com

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) has recently released a workbook titled Making Your Business Greener. I downloaded a copy and found there are items that are pretty standard for businesses that are already working on reducing their footprint, but much of it is very useful.

The workbook is a series of checklists that a business team can go through to help determine what can be done and to establish priorities and goals.

As I state in my guide The Sunrise Shift - a guide for a sustainable planet which is free and available for download here

"Just as the earth circles the sun creating sunrises, every step we take working together is a circle of hope for sustaining the earth."

Get both guides and enjoy the journey!

For those of you in the organic product business here is an informative report titled "Organics Today: Who's Buying and What's Next" from the Hartman Group. The report supports research I recently conducted for a client; the Core organic consumer is where the strength lays in helping you grow your business.

There is an age-old question:

Which came first the chicken or the egg?

I don't have that answer, but I do have a similar question.

Which comes first the customer or the employee?

Tom Peter's has a recent post titled ???????? (that is really the title) about this question with some thought-provoking comments that I suggest you take a few minutes to read.

Whether we have a staff or not we must take care of those that take care of our customers. I've been around the business world and have had the joy and the tears of working for people who care about their employees. As many of you know, I worked in the corporate world before starting my own business. During my time there, the management went from individual offices to cubicle nation. My cube face the entrance so whenever my boss, Mr. L (I'll protect his identity) went to his office (he ranked non-cubicle space) he would have to pass by my cube and 3 fellow colleague's cubes before reaching his cocoon.

Well, Mr. L would walk by every morning without acknowledging my existence, which I would usually shrug off as his vagrant disregard for women in the business world. But one morning after Mr. L's pass by, my neighboring colleague, Mr. B., came into my cube. Mr. B was well known and respected in the industry and the company and was someone I looked to for guidance and business advice. He was a calm and levelheaded guy, but this morning he was visually frustrated and down. He told me he had started to track (he was very analytical) how many times Mr. L would acknowledge him as he walked by his cube.

Twenty-Seven Days

Twenty-seven days had passed without a single "hello" from Mr. L. I could not believe what I was hearing. How could a manger walk by the people who worked with him for twenty-seven days and not stop once? I could rationalize Mr. L's on-going dismissal of my existence, but not Mr. B's. We, Mr. B and I, talked for a long while about this and never really came to any resolution, but Mr. B continued to track the non-communicating manager.

What would you do in this situation? What do you do to keep your employees happy? Do you think the customer or the employee comes first?

I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Image by Cyklista Dalibor at Creative Commons