Halme, M: Sustainable Consumer Services

The goal for consumer oriented business should be to make a profit and to do it without costing the Earth. Sustainable consumer services for households - services that are delivered to consumers at the premises such as home delivery of organic food, appliance leasing, mobile laundry services, internet marketing of homeservices or car pool schemes - provide a key part of the answer of how to reduce material consumption and waste while still turning a profit. This book, equally a practical business handbook and business course text, examines the issues, looks at business models, provides dozens of real-life best-practice examples and presenting data from the first large-scale consumer survey that explains consumer behaviour and what they want from home service provision. The book is an essential resource for businesses and public or non-profit organizations and housing organizations entering the growing consumer services market. It provides a wealth of business know-how on what works and what doesn't, how to avoid potential pitfalls, and how to provide consumer services at the household level that are profitable, environmentally sustainable and that add to consumers' quality of life.