Consumers have a lot on their plate these days (if you’ll forgive the pun). There are a lot of factors to consider when making choices about the things we buy, and about the people we buy them from.
Was a product made by children in sweatshops overseas? Was a rainforest clearcut so I could buy it? Does the company test on animals? Will the product fall apart in a year? Were the farmers paid a fair wage for this coffee? Will a product give me cancer? Is it ethical?
Asking these questions is just part of being a vigilant and responsible consumer.
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For my wife, running a business is old news. For me, it’s complete alien territory. I’d rather spend all day in the workshop, but I’m learning more about the administrative side of things as we run along. I took a stab at writing a press release for the official company launch, and we sent it out via PRweb.
Then, crazy things happened.
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Along with the green movement has come a skeptical, reactionary and at times self-serving anti-movement movement (for lack of a better term). On the one hand, we should be thankful that there are people ensuring that anyone standing to profit from green claims are held accountable for their actions (or lack thereof). On the other, the profusion of untested and unvalidated theories being passed around as fact has created a climate of confusion for those of us who just want to do the right thing.
Recently, I had a discussion with someone who was convinced that recycling actually causes more pollution than manufacturing goods from virgin materials. I wasn’t sure. Most of us just trust that the trucks hauling away our carefully washed and sorted recyclables are taking them to a better place than the trucks that carry away our garbage.
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The Designers Accord is a global coalition of designers, educators, researchers, engineers, and corporate leaders, working together to create positive environmental and social impact.
SIDD Fine Woodworking has just been approved as an official Designers Accord Adopter. The vision of the Designers Accord is to integrate the principles of sustainable design into all practice and production.
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One of the core operating principles at SIDD centers around sustainability and responsible business practice. Now, we know it’s trendy to ‘go green’, but honestly, how many companies actually do it? It’s a noble cause, absolutely, but a coat of nasty green paint hardly qualifies.
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Ottawa, Ontario (For Immediate Release) March 10, 2009 — SIDD Fine Woodworking (SFW) has opened its studio and workshop in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
As a company that both designs and builds its products entirely in-house, SIDD is positioned to provide modern furniture and accessories that are innovative, interesting, and impeccably well made.
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The response to Sidd over the past few weeks has been overwhelming. Hundreds of people from over 40 countries around the world have shown an interest in our work.
People have responded very positively to our products, describing them as “Gorgeous”, “Fun”, “Creative”, and “Wild”. It is great to hear from so many excited people.
If you haven’t checked out our product showcase lately, we are working on adding more great pieces every day, and we would love to hear from you. Drop us an email at info@sidd.ca to let us know what you think of our products, or just to say “hi”.
And of course, if you feel like placing an order… all the better!! :)
The design team
Well it has been a wild couple of weeks, but it looks like we are up and running… well maybe not running, but definitely walking. :)
Just wanted to say a big thanks to the good people at Sage Media for such quick turnaround on our website, and the great branding advice. As I am sure you all can tell we are not finished yet, but it is coming along nicely.
Another big thanks to Ken and Monique Pritchard for helping to get the new studio and workshop set up. We are looking forward to creating some sawdust, and designing and building some beautiful new pieces for your home.
The design team
Indie companies like ours serve a bit of a niche market. When you compare us with the big boys, brand giants and mass manufacturing companies, it becomes pretty obvious that we have different values and goals. We work differently, with different aims, and for different reasons.
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