On the latest issue of the Small Business Edition of Business Week, a series of entreprenuers were profiled known as antipreneurs.

These small business owners are anti-big and anti-TRADITIONAL advertisting. They aim to make a profit as any other business, just not at any cost. They value their customers, they value where they operate, and they value most of all, being socially responsible.

One of the businesses showcased is vegan shoe shop, Moo Shoes. They are small, women owned, based in New York, and market cruelty-free products (vegan shoes). Below is what they have to say about how they present their product. 

Antipreneurs do pay careful attention to how their products are presented. Moo Shoes, a $1.2 million New York vegan shoe store with five employees, has made its shop a community hub for information about the vegan lifestyle and about animal cruelty. This spring, Moo Shoes hosted Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, a national agency for stray and abused pets. Best Friends set up pens and cages in the store with about 20 homeless dogs and cats. Customers learned about the agency and the strays, and two cats were placed in city homes. “We care about animals, and getting animals homes is important to us, though not directly related to the shoes,” says Moo Shoes co-founder Sara Kubersky.

Moo Shoes have been written about here on Keetsa a gazilllion times, i love their stylish and funky designs. I love this type of company, those who successfully mix profit with compassion. Moo Shoes also tends to support smaller artists, as they give the sustainable shoemakers a venue to market their wares. In turn they too are able to meet the demand of animal lovers who prefer not wear leather and other animal-based materials.

How do they get the word out?

Moo Shoes places ads in vegetarian magazines (e.g. Vegetarian Times) and other non traditional media. As you can imagine they go where there customers tend to be located. They support animal organizations and preach the gospel of cruelty-free living.

They are well known (and respected) in the the community in which they serve, this is how they get the word out, and how they stay relevant.