Feb-08-10
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Owning a non-vegan business doesn’t mean that you can’t incorporate some vegan products into your store too. A wide range of vegan products is available, and they can make your business more successful if you strategize effectively. Here are the top 10 reasons why you might consider including vegan goods in your 2010 business plan:

1) Reaching the vegan niche.
Want more customers? Try attracting the vegan crowd with some products tailored to their needs and wants.

2) Broadening your product range.
Replacing products that your customers are finding dull with modern vegan alternatives can be an easy way to give your product line a fresh feel, and increase your profits.

3) Supporting the environment and animal rights.
Vegan products are cruelty free, and they are often made from eco-friendly materials. Why not do your part as a business person to support two worthy causes? Your customers will likely recognize you for your efforts.

4) Relating to your non-vegan products.
Find a relationship between your non-vegan products and vegan ones. For example, if you own a gym, consider selling vegan water bottles, workout clothes, sweat towels, etc.

5) Reaching environmentally conscious consumers.
Is the green movement happening in your area? Incorporate vegan goods that are also eco-friendly in nature and open yourself up to a new crowd of customers.

6) Complimenting your non-vegan products.
Do you own a restaurant or cafe? Incorporating vegan foods such as seitan or tempura into your restaurant can add more gourmet options. Interesting meals such as curried vegetable pakoras can intrigue the interest of vegans and non-vegans alike.

7) Enlightening your current consumer base.
Maybe your customers are not familiar with vegan options, and you can be the first to introduce these alternatives. Whether your customer base is “vegan savvy” or not, a smart marketing campaign to introduce great ethical products will create “word of mouth” advertising.

8) Reaching animal lovers.
Why not try reaching a third group of potential consumers? Animal rights advocates are always interested in cruelty-free options, and you will get their seal of approval by helping their cause, which equals more “word of mouth” advertising.

9) Keeping your customers interested.
When you own a storefront, it’s easy to fall into the trap of offering the same old products. This is good when items are sure sellers, but most people like to try something different once in a while. To keep your customers interested and coming back to check out what’s new, try featuring new vegan products from time to time.

10) Diversifying your business.

In order to be successful in business, it’s important to offer a variety of services or products that have a focus. There will always be “winners” and “losers” in your offerings – but sometimes it’s hard to tell what will be successful, and what won’t. Finding the right balance of focus and diversity is a key to keeping your business successful in good times and bad.

You don’t have to be a vegan business to carry vegan goods, but it’s important to do your research before diving into this product niche. Start small, and find out what options your customers would like to see. Educate yourself about the benefits of vegan products so you can talk to your customers about them. And finally, pay attention to the impact your new offerings are having on your business by tracking the results.

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  • Meg
    I think those are a lot of great reasons!

    Then there are also those trying to eat better (reducing cholesterol, saturated fat, etc. while raising fiber and other nutrients), those who have religious reasons to avoid specific animal products (whether all the time or at specific times like Lent), and those with allergies/intolerances to certain animal products.

    Plus, as a vegan, I bring a lot of friends and family to vegan or vegan-friendly restaurants. Similarly, vegan products show up at family get-togethers. They might not care so much about eating animal products, but since they know my husband and I do they're usually willing to try some vegan food. I don't think we've heard a single complaint! Some of them have been really impressed by vegan options and now seek them out just for the taste. And I don't blame them! I ate a few vegan products before I even considered going vegan. Some I found on my own and liked, while others were introduced to me by a roommate who sometimes tried to eat vegan.

    In any case, I'm thrilled to see more great vegan products out there. It's getting easier and easier to go vegan and I think we're closer than ever to reaching some sort of tipping point where a much larger number of people will be changing their eating habits to eat more vegan meals, even if they don't all go totally vegan.
  • marinahanes
    Hi Meg! Thanks for brainstorming more reasons why non-vegan business should consider selling vegan products. I agree with you that it's getting easier to choose vegan options over others, and I'm always thrilled to see more vegan products in businesses that don't necessarily have a vegan focus. I appreciate your comment!
  • vegan_mainstream
    Meg, what a great summary! The world is changing, so we need to make sure the person that is looking for a healthier food option can reach for a vegan option. Veganism must be accessible to everyone if we want to ensure that the "tipping point" moves toward the "Go Veg" movement. Thanks for your comment (we loving getting feedback on post).
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