Buying Books with Heart and Soul
Next time you’re buying a book online – you may be able to help people around the world learn to read.
Better World Books is an online bookstore that supports nonprofit organizations with literacy programs such as Room To Read and Books For Africa ($3.1 million contributed so far) by donating a percentage of its revenues. In the process, Better World Books has saved 8,170 tons of books (millions of books) from landfills.
Co-Founder Xavier Helgesen explains how a business started by college students has thrived in the online marketplace ($21 million in revenue in 2007) while staying true to its triple bottom line mission of creating positive social and environmental impact in addition to financial value.
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
- Why Better World Books targets the mainstream audience, not just the “green” consumer
- How to decide whether your mission-led venture should be a for-profit or nonprofit
- An innovative strategy for offering books on numerous e-commerce web sites at the same time
- How Better World Books overcomes the challenges of a rapidly growing business
Listen to full interview and/or read the transcript at Green Business Innovators.
