Contents of RauwLetter October 2009
- Spending Today for Future (and Risk Free) Returns
- Comparing Apples to Apples or Oranges
- Renewables' Growth Rate Beats out Nuclear and Fossil Fuels
- Recycling Facts
- Referral Program
- Customer Coupon
Spending Today for Future (and Risk Free) Returns
In one of my early college marketing classes the professor posed a question to the group – if there were a recession and business was really bad and money was tight, what would happen to your marketing budget? The students sat back and then a few tentative hands went up. The answers were what most of us would expect - marketing should tighten its belt and shift down its spending just as the rest of the business would be doing. Seems logical. It's not.
Although the intuitive reaction to a slowing economy and less business is to ramp down costs, marketing budgets are the place to inject more money. Increased emphasis on getting the word out may be just what the doctor ordered and prove a financially sound investment. Homeowners can benefit from this line of thinking as well.
During these tough economic times, the thought of injecting money into one's home can be a hard pill to swallow. However, investing in energy conservation will bring benefits far into the future.
In the Northeast, approximately 40% of one's energy investment is in home heating. Concentrating on this area alone can save hundreds of dollars a year. Investing in caulking and insulation around windows and doors, in attics and walls will help to reduce air infiltration and keep those heating BTUs inside your home. And, having the Fuel Economizer installed on your existing boiler will allow your boiler to use BTUs more efficiently, saving fuel and saving money.
It's hard to think about spending on fuel economizing measures when money is tight, but remember, the payback is real. Investments today will come back over time (in the case of the Fuel Economizer, usually under two years) and then that well-spent money becomes money you don't have to spend.
Although it may be hard to conceptualize money savings in the future, think of those spent conservation dollars like money in the bank – the return accumulates over time. However, unlike most current bank returns, conservation returns can be substantial and are risk free.
