Entrepreneur mom: Val Reddemann, 40, mom to Sy, 9; founder of Greenfeet.com, "The Planet's Homestore." Employees: 7, including her husband. Projected 2008 gross revenue: $3.5 million.Click Here to Go GreenMy story: The green marketplace has gone mainstream. After Oprah's environment-focused show in honor of Earth Day, we didn't have a single canvas bag or stainless steel water bottle in stock. And neither did our vendors. Now that no one looks at you like you're a tree-hugging nut when you take a canvas bag to the grocery store, I'll admit that being a green retailer has gotten easier. But there's still a long way to go before most of us really live a green existence. After canvas bags, you've got to tempt consumers with an all-natural manicure kit or a cotton shower curtain that lets you skip the vinyl liner (it off-gasses toxins).I started Greenfeet.com in 1997, during the early days of the Internet, because I wanted to think outside the box—literally. For nine years, I'd been working in the corrugated cardboard industry, but I didn't like what I was doing. So I started working at my father's pneumatic tube company and took classes in aromatherapy and alternative medicine on the side. As time went on, I started to listen to the voice inside me that said, "Educating the world about green living is your calling." I had very little start-up capital, so I emptied my savings account and started a one-woman online operation I called Greenfeet. I did it through Yahoo's merchant store, which let me grow gradually (perfect, since I had a small child) before I had to invest in a server, office space and staff.The upside of running an Internet business from home was that I spent a lot of time with my son, Sy. The downside was the inventory, which took over my garage, my kitchen and my hall. In 2002, when I couldn't find a place to put the Christmas tree, I knew things had to change. The obvious solution was a warehouse, but what I wanted Santa to bring me was a store. Sy was getting ready for kindergarten, and I craved grown-up conversation. In 2003, I found an office/warehouse/storefront right in the town where we live—Chico, CA. Adding a store helped us acquire vendors and generate better payment terms, but as Greenfeet's gross revenues grew—from $725,000 in 2002 to $1.6 million in 2006—I realized that running the store was taking the focus away from our biggest area of growth: the Internet. So now we're back to being an online-only operation, which enables us to reach more people than the store did.I miss the time I had with customers, but since I have a staff, there are still plenty of people to talk to. My husband, Rob, quit his job as a financial controller for another company and joined us in 2005. One of our most loyal employees is Sy, who does chores to earn an age-appropriate paycheck. And then there are the green enthusiasts I connect with via podcasts. We also have MySpace and Facebook pages. Plus, my friend Dori and I do weekly shows on everything from eco-pet care to green offices. Our show is called "More Hip than Hippie" (www.morehipthanhippie.com), which is exactly what green living ought to be.    Lessons Learned

1: Careful hiring is key. I lost $7,000 of my personal savings by hiring young turks who were only minor participants in the excellent projects they had sold me on. Make sure you know what (and who) you're getting. 2: More partners aren't always better. It's easy to catch link fever when you have a Web business. I affiliate only with companies that match our values and our mission.  3: Appearance matters. Even if you're a one-woman operation, don't skimp on photography, graphics or service. Great visuals set a professional tone, and excellent service keeps customers coming back.4: You need a search function. It's a crucial way to find out what customers are really looking for. Make sure yours is prominent on your site and works well. 5: You can never do too much networking. Greenbusiness.net and Coopamerica.org are both great resources for making contacts, asking questions and getting the encouragement you need.

    Ask a Pro: Environmental Edge How do you tap into the explosion of interest in all things green? Here, some advice from Eric Friedenwald-Fishman, coauthor of Marketing That Matters and creative director at the Metropolitan Group in Portland, OR:

  • Focus on quality. Don't expect a shirt to sell well just because it's hemp; make a case for fit, cut and quality. Most people want style first, greenness second.
  • Appeal to consumers' hearts, then their intelligence. Package your site and your products in such a way that they create an emotional response. But be sure to follow feelings with facts.
  • Get Personal. Don't just send a sales slip in a box. Include a story. Use your site's "about" button to let your customer know you're a mom with a mission.
  • Create buzz. Offer customers a discount or a coupon if they get their friends to sign up for your newsletter, which must be full of useful information. Once you've built a relationship, green shoppers are loyal and can help generate word-of-mouth buzz.
  • Invest in your staff. They're the most cost-effective marketing tool you have. If your staff buys into your mission and is trained to convey your brand, they'll spread the word to customers. They'll work harder and stay with your company longer, too.
  • Walk the talk. If customers are ordering two items and only one is available at the moment, ask them if they'd like to wait a few days so everything can be shipped in one box. Green policies set you apart from your competitors—and create customer loyalty.
  • Grow and change. The marketing approach that succeeded last year may not work as you acquire a wider—and less insular—audience. Stay flexible.