Interview with Jean, CEO of BigGreenCart

Can you tell us about your background before you started biggreencart.com?

My background is in Psychology. I am a Psychotherapist and Life Coach, and have been working in the field for over 20 years. Ever since my college years I have been involved in the Green Movement, opting to be a vegetarian even during my adolescence, and always believed in making decisions that exercised my (and our) power to make changes that benefit the planet.

How did you come to see there was a need for a site such as yours?

When I was trying to sell a sophisticated water filter on eBay, I realized there was not a niche market yet set up for my item. No one knew what the item was about, and I was unable to sell it! This made me realize that there was a need for a business that targeted the Green consumer, and allowed producers of Green items to sell their goods to a target audience.

How did you get started on building the site?  What were the biggest challenges in getting it up and running?

I placed an ad on Quentin's Friends, then interviewed several Website Developers, and used the money I had earned from the sale of an apartment to hire the proper aides so that the site could be built. The biggest challenge was my own inexperience with building a website, and constantly learning as the website grows. Trusting the people I hired was a challenge as well, as I had to put my faith in their ability to give me the best product in return.

What’s your biggest challenge right now?

Garnering the attention and traffic we need to get the site booming has certainly been a challenge. And, still, I continue to learn and grow as new challenges face the site, which I must learn to manage myself. My knowledge has expanded exponentially since I began this project, but there are still bumps in the road that remind me that there is much more to be learned as we go!

Looking back, what do you think you could have done differently?

I could have hired a different team to assist me in creating the website; that change might have helped me along the way.

What do you consider your key differentiator over other sites such like yours?

The consumer on Big Green Cart is given the same power as a Green Business Owner, which allows for a lot of growth. A small Green business, or individual making a Green product, can market their item to their desired audience with an ease that puts them on a higher playing field, so to speak, as their product is now being advertised internationally via the Web. As opposed to other auction sites, Big Green Cart targets a very specific audience, the Eco-Conscious Consumer. Also, above all other auction websites and even most Green classifieds, the cost to list an item on BGC is exceptionally low-- just 99 cents- and the user has the option to list their item for up to three months.

How do you go about forming channel partnerships?

We do that in several ways. We contact other Green businesses using Social Media to connect with them, and we participate in as many Green Festivals as possible to connect with other businesses one-on-one. We are currently looking for a Green-minded celebrity to endorse the site.

Being a business owner is a 24/7job.  How do you balance that with your life?

I have a great Assistant who allows me to balance my life as best as I can.

Where do you see this site in three years?

The Green market is burgeoning and we intend to grow right along with it. We will be the go-to place to sell and auction Green products, not only with ease but at a fair fee.  We also are looking to develop an iPhone application that will make our site accessible to Green buyers on the go.

Dave Blake, the interviewer, is a serial entrepreneur with a long history of helping consult small companies.  He's had a thriving photography studio for the last several years called  www.daveblakephotography.com.  He currently is working on several new ideas while actively consulting several startup companies.  Dave has a passion helping business owners realizing their dream of creating their life's dream. You can read more about his services at http://www.dmbenterpriseconsulting.com