Runa Amazon Guayusa Tea Company is a thriving triple bottom line business started by entrepreneur Tyler Gage in 2008 as a way of helping Amazonian communities in Ecuador to share their rich-tasting tea (guayusa) with the global market in order to create a sustainable, culturally valuable means of working the land and earning an income. Not only is Runa Tea a Fair Trade business, it’s also helping to protect the Amazon rainforest by giving indigenous peoples a way to use their land without contributing to deforestation.

Social Entrepreneurship: 3 Ideas for Kick-Starting Your Socially Conscious Business

Starting a green business or social enterprise from scratch requires a certain amount of determination and patience. Building on his research background, and after working tirelessly to get his Runa Tea idea off the ground, Tyler wasn’t afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. Today, he has lots of wisdom for others looking to start their own social enterprise and make it work:

• Have Your Eyes Open for Triple Bottom Line Opportunities: While studying linguistics in the Amazonian jungle, Tyler would talk to indigenous peoples over a steaming cup of tea, and soon discovered that the native tea, guayusa, was not only higher in antioxidants and caffeine than green tea and coffee, it also had never been produced commercially. Knowing that the energy drinks industry was fast-growing in America, Tyler put two and two together: there was a market for this tea that would also benefit Ecuadorian communities. That’s a triple bottom line idea.
• Enter Business Plan Competitions: Tyler was able to use this method to generate approximately $70,000 in cash in order to kick-start his social enterprise. Business plan competitions are an excellent way to get your idea noticed by investors and other businesses and to set yourself up financially to achieve success.
• Create Beneficial Partnerships Early On: Tyler was able to work with some exceptionally gifts business people who shared their wisdom and expertise. This was incredibly important for setting Runa Tea on the right track early in the process, and helped them avoid some of the more common pitfalls of building this kind of business.

More Green Business Wisdom from Runa Tea

To date, Runa Tea has been able to generate approximately $80,000 in income for indigenous farmers living in the Amazon. Tyler’s 5 year plan includes generating about $500,000 in direct income for indigenous farmers in Ecuador.

If you’re interested in hearing the complete story of Runa, join Tyler Gage and Lorna Li for the Green Business Entrepreneurs Success Summit, where Tyler will share his entrepreneurial advice on:

• The keys to winning business plan competitions to gain expertise and funding for your green business idea.
• The benefits of developing a green business that generates significant income for developing communities.
• How to have an even bigger impact on people and the planet by starting a social enterprise instead of choosing a traditional education and career path.
• The ins and outs of linking indigenous people with the globalized world in a culturally-sensitive way.
• What it takes to create a supply chain from scratch in a developing country.
• How to know when to take your idea and your research and get started.

The Green Business Entrepreneurs Success Summit: April 16-20, 2012

Quit wasting time and get the tools you need to put your green business plans into motion by joining the Green Business Entrepreneurs Success Summit.

This FREE virtual, week long alternative Green MBA is packed with 25 expert speakers and more sage advice on social enterprises and green businesses than you can handle.

Register for this complimentary series of expert webinars for green business here:

http://www.greenbusinessentrepreneurs.com/

The Green Business Entrepreneurs Success Summit speakers include: 

• KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, CEO & Founder of Sustainable Life Media & Sustainable Brands Conference
• Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director Green America & Green Festivals
• Shel Horowitz, Author of Guerilla Marketing Goes Green
• Scott Cooney, Founder of GreenBusinessOwner.com
• Jacquie Ottman, Author of The New Rules of Green Marketing
• Elena Christopoulos, Interim President of the Green Chamber of Commerce
• Joey Shepp, Sustainable Programs Director at the Dominican University of California
• Nikki Pava, Co-Founder of EcoTuesday
• Andrea Vahl, Co-Author of Facebook Marketing All-In-One for Dummies and many more

About Lorna Li

Lorna Li is the Founder and Editor In Chief of Green Marketing TV, a green business blog that provides social entrepreneurs with inspiring interviews, marketing strategies, tips and tools to help them grow their triple bottom line businesses. She is an Internet Marketing professional who specializes in Social Media SEO, the art of leveraging social media to increase search engine visibility and rankings. Lorna’s career as a professional change maker includes a decade of working in the non-profit sector on environmental sustainability and indigenous rights.

She’s been actively involved in the social enterprise sector since 2001 and has helped hundreds of nonprofits receive funding through innovative corporate partnerships. Lorna enjoys helping socially responsible entrepreneurs as an Internet marketing coach and hosting the Entrepreneurs for a Change podcast for social entrepreneurs. You can connect with @LornaLi on Twitter or Lorna Li on Facebook.

Green Marketing TV

Green Marketing TV

Green Marketing TV business blog for green and social entrepreneurs - entrepreneurs who care about people, profits, and the planet. Our mission is to provide socially responsible entrepreneurs with marketing strategies, tips and tools that help them grow their small to medium sized business. We offer insightful entrepreneur interviews, news coverage of inspiring organizations, actionable marketing advice, and useful guides on how to start and grow a triple bottom line business, without going crazy.

More from Green Marketing TV