Open For Business

Ethical consumers wanting to purchase local green products can now do so at a bargain. Annalea Krebs, a social entrepreneur from Vancouver B.C., today announced the launch of ethicalDeal, a “Green Groupon” site that offers consumers discounts on green products and services through the power of group buying.

“We wanted to give consumers extra incentive to buy from local, sustainable companies and also raise the profile of companies offering green products and services,” said Krebs. Some consumers resist buying ethical products because they think they’re too expensive, or the quality isn’t as good or they don’t know where to find them or what to trust … ethicalDeal makes it easy to go green by organizing exclusive deals on the best green stuff to do, see and buy in your city!” ethicalDeal follows a similar format to Groupon, a deal‐of‐the‐day website, which has gained a cult following on the Internet. Much like Groupon, ethicalDeal will feature daily deals at 50‐90% off in each market it serves.

When you share your name with the biggest pop star of the past 25 years, you have two choices: change your name or embrace it. Michael Jackson of Vancouver, BC chose the latter path, moonwalking across the stage during his high school graduation ceremony.  He now owns Thriller, a skate and snowboard shop on Main Street, as well as Grub Wear Inc. His journey into small business began in 1988, when he began handing out silkscreen t-shirts to up-and-coming skateboarders and BMX bikers in a popular London, Ontario skate park.

“No one ever told me how to fill out a PST form,” he recalls over coffee, covering his face with his hands and exhaling loudly. Despite this initial inexperience, however, Jackson’s never regretted a moment. “My victories are my victories so I should also be proud of my failures" he explains. In the years since, he has accumulated so many stories it would make your head spin; or, as he would say, “there’s more than enough to fill a screenplay.”