California’s state budget gap was about $40 billion this year. New York’s some $50 billion. Every state in the Union is struggling with drastically lower revenues and higher costs for services of every kind, washing state capitals with red ink. At the polls next year, governors who are facing elections - - including Governor David Paterson of New York - - may find themselves politically drowned by such gargantuan deficits.
So, faced with closing schools, hospitals, fire stations, and kicking struggling families off of welfare roles, governors are turning instead, like the famous bank robber Willy Sutton, to wherever the money may be. In New York’s case, at least some of it is hidden in a carbon piggy bank.
Late last year, ten northeastern states started a cap-and-trade system covering carbon emissions from powerplants. Each facility must buy its initial “allowances” for whatever they emit from the state, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues. Each state decides how to spend this money, but generally they have committed it to energy efficiency programs.
That’s where Paterson took a bold gamble. He proposed using $90 million of the state’s $202 million in carbon allowance revenues this year to subsidize the state’s budget deficit. Many criticized the move, fearing that environmental and energy efficiency goals won’t be met and that other states might copy the move, making matters worse. That may also cost the Governor some “green” friends, hurting his chances at the polls next year.
But maybe he did New Yorkers - - and the rest of us - - a real favor. First of all, more than half the carbon money still goes to energy investments. For example, Paterson recently announced a buy-back program for inefficient old appliances. That will save lots of energy as people trade up for newer energy-efficient models, stimulating the economy at the same time, just as the “cash for clunkers” program helped car dealers.
Of course Paterson could have proposed higher taxes instead of raiding the carbon piggy bank. But is it a good idea to tax workers and businesses more, penalizing hard work, or is it better to essentially tax waste and thereby encourage conservation? Many have suggested this very idea as a way to deal with climate change - - tax carbon polluters, which raises the cost of electricity and gasoline - - but lower taxes on payrolls and businesses. Such a zero-sum “tax shift”, it is argued, would reward hard work and discourage wasteful use of energy, both worthy outcomes. In any case, it would force users of energy to pay the true cost of their supply - - a cost, measured in climate change impacts, that is borne today by everyone regardless of how much energy they use.
Climate activists’ immediate reaction to Paterson’s move was negative, but perhaps it’s worth another look. If governors everywhere knew there was carbon piggy bank in their state, we might soon see more support for carbon cap-and-trade systems and quickly earn bi-partisan support for tackling climate change. Given that Congress is stalled on climate legislation, this may be one of our best bets for an American contribution to a global deal in Copenhagen later this year. If that happens, we will have Governor Paterson to thank for being bold enough to get us started.
Last week the Iraqi government launched a new version of its official history. As students return to school from the Ramadan holiday they found new history books waiting for them that include the major changes the nation has experienced in recent years and open up topics that were once censored.
This power to write history is sacred. As Oscar Wilde said, “Anybody can make history; only a great man can write it.”
This power comes from the fact that the narratives
we live in have a powerful, hidden hand in determining how we interpret
our environment. This fact, long noted by Hindu and Buddhist
traditions, is supported by an ever-growing body of scientific
knowledge.
Innovators who significantly impact the world seem able to recognize when we are living a story with a dead ending. Then they abandon the current tale to enter a new one that empowers people to act when no one else will.
I’ve been researching narratives relating to business, and I’ve found three lessons that can help us better leverage the full power of storytelling.
1. Choose a new starting point
Like
turning the rudder of a ship, you can change the future people
anticipate by retelling the past. One key is to strategically pick the
right starting point.
Let’s consider Hewlett-Packard as an example of this principle. Since 2006, HP has engineered a remarkable turnaround under the leadership of CEO Mark Hurd. But I believe the groundwork for this 180-degree change was laid years prior under his predecessor Carly Fiorina.
Core to her strategy was the idea of “resetting” the HP story by
reaching back to HP’s original roots. The company’s internal and
external messaging brought to life the story of the company’s founders,
Hewlett and Packard, working in their garage, building their first products. In fact the HP “garage” was elevated into an icon that roots the company in a common starting point and grounds them in a history of invention.
2. Show the system is stuck
People are willing to change only when they grow discontented with where things are. In 2007, Michael Dell took back the reins of his company. Dell, the company that had revolutionized the computer industry by introducing a direct-to-consumer model, was in serious trouble as competitors began copying that model. With its stock sinking, the company turned to its founder for help.
In trying to craft a turnaround, Michael Dell has played on the story, as all narrative experts do. He repeatedly says that “this is a defining moment in our history and in our relationships with customers.”
The
first part of his message is a wake-up call: the future that Dell
employees and partners are imagining is not the right one because the
old direct model is no longer unique. He then paints a future of
promise: “We know our competitors drive complexity and needless cost
into consumers’ environments. We
intend to break this cycle.” In other words, he is arguing that the
competition is stuck and this presents an opportunity for his company.
3. Repeat
Embedding a new story requires
far greater effort than you might think. Communicating your version of
the past and future—your vision—demands repeatedly delivering it to
your audience using creative methods to remind them and keep them convinced.
I’ve worked with several companies to embed new stories that alter behaviors and thereby build a competitive advantage.
It usually requires carefully picking the stories that illustrate the
turning points you want people to remember, then telling them over and
over in meetings, by email, through visual displays, in continuing education classes and through textbooks, like the Iraqi government.
But the effort is worth it. Every
leadership book underscores the importance of maintaining a long-term
vision in the minds of your people. This vision is a product of the
past, of the story people tell themselves about what has happened and
therefore what to expect in the future. For your innovations to succeed
you must revise, edit, and rewrite prevailing stories.
Ask yourself the questions below to see how you can rediscover your past and write a new success story.
1. Where did this idea come from?
2. How did the company find its current direction?
3. Is our mission clearly stated?
4. How can I remind my employees that they are working toward something bigger than themselves?
5. How can I use my company’s stories to engage and inspire my staff and my customers?
Yes, positioning the right person as the board chair is key. Because the chair has the greatest influence on how the board uses its time in meetings and in between meetings, who will be on the board, and who will be groomed for future leadership.
I have seen organizations rise or fall, depending on the board chair's effectiveness. Even the most extraordinary nonprofit CEO cannot achieve the enterprise's fullest potential without a good board chair.
Here's how an effective chair uses her time for the greatest benefit to the nonprofit:
Understands and communicates the mission to investors and key constituents, including making the case for support.
Works in partnership with the CEO to create board meeting agendas that are focused on key strategic issues, and engages board members in productive and meaningful discussions, and decision-making.
Identifies and develops board members for future leadership. Leadership succession planning is vital for the organization's longer term sustainability.
Works in collaboration with the Board Governance Committee and the CEO to identify and recruit new board members from diverse backgrounds and perspectives who have the experience and relationships to be valuable to the organization.
Is a lead financial contributor to the organization and asks other board members for their support.
Meets with each board member individually at least once a year to help each person to discover how they can be most useful.
My advice to board members, nonprofit CEOs, and funders: the most important thing you can do to help build stronger boards is to position the right people as board chairs, and then give them your fullest support. That's how to strengthen the nonprofit sector in serving our communities--regionally, nationally, and globally.
In training and placing business executives and professionals on nonprofit boards, I see which board environments motivate people to perform their best, and which environments crush the spirit right out of well-meaning, enthusiastic, and generous board members.
You see, nonprofit boards are revealing environments because people are there voluntarily. Board members don't have to be there nor do their best in order to earn a living. They are there primarily to serve their communities, to learn, for the psychic reward, and perhaps somewhat to build their professional networks.
The main point is that nonprofit board members are most likely to give generously of their time, expertise, and money, including opening doors to prospective donors, if the board environment is friendly, supportive, enthusiastic, and appreciative. That tone is set by the leadership--the board chair and CEO of the organization, and has everything to do with how people treat each other on the board.
Think of the ways that people signal their support for each other and the organization, or, on the other hand, squash the spirit. Here are a few recent stories I've heard:
Same situation, but different reactions on two different boards: An email went out to the board announcing that an esteemed civic leader had just agreed to attend the annual fundraiser as one board member's guest. On one board, members emailed back to each other with enthusiastic notes. "Amazing!" "Great!" Then others chimed in by inviting people of interest and cheering each other on. On the second board, similar situation, but the response to the initial email was silence. Dead silence. Which board would you want to be on?
On one board, the chair opens every meeting with thank you's to board members who have contributed in the past quarter, showing appreciation and also signaling the variety of ways that one can be helpful in advancing the organization's work. On a second board, the board chair rarely even makes it to board meetings, and no one at all acknowledges the few board members who use their business networks to raise money and other valuable services and assistance for the organization. On a third board, the board chair attends board meetings, but does his emails during board meetings from the head of the table. If you were on the second or third board in these examples, how motivated would you be to open up your most valuable contacts to invite them to do favors for the organization or to contribute generously?
On one board, the board chair made the lead financial contribution, both personally and from his company, and people from his company volunteer at the organization. On the second board, the board chair asked everyone on the board to contribute $3,000 to an event (some did and some didn't), and then, in the end, he himself contributed only $200, and nothing from his company, even though he is a successful businessman. On the second board, how much would you stretch your family budget to give to this organization or ask your boss to contribute from the company?
In order to give and raise money generously, boards need to have a clear understanding of the case for support, a good website to refer to (and perhaps printed materials), and staff support. But, even more importantly, board members need to feel that they are part of a team that is working together to advance the organization in serving the community. It should be fun. Exhilarating.
There are many great causes, and many boards that will appreciate generous, enthusiastic members. Board members have choices, and can easily move on to other organizations where they can do good and feel good too.
Businesses that seek to retain the most talented employees can learn from these volunteer experiences how to build teams that are inspired and motivated to give their best and their most. High performers thrive in work environments where they engage with others to achieve the greater potential.
It’s not just the ads showing a baby-boomer couple sitting in matching bathtubs on a beach at sunset where you can find performance anxiety these days. Try looking in the hardware aisle and at the gas station.
Rather than ban inefficient incandescent light bulbs, for example, California lawmakers set an efficiency performance standard - - which was adopted by the feds - - so in 2012, you won’t be able to buy energy-wasting bulbs. That spurred Phillips to develop and market their “Halogena Energy Saver” incandescent bulb that is 30% more efficient than conventional versions. The performance standard approach - - instead of government picking winners and losers - - clearly worked for both environmentally minded policy makers and bottom-line minded businesses.
The stealth performance standard that will hit another part of daily life - - your car - - relates to gasoline and diesel fuel. California adopted a “low carbon fuels standard” that says the carbon content of fuels sold in the state must decline 10% by 2020. Fuel sellers can achieve that by slashing emissions from refineries ahead of other carbon regulations; by blending petroleum with lower carbon-content fuels like sustainable biofuels; by selling non-carbon fuels like hydrogen; or anything else that reduces the carbon content of the total portfolio of fuels sold.
Senator Barack Obama embraced making this a national standard almost two years ago and many lawmakers of both parties like this technology-neutral, competition-enhancing approach to reducing carbon. Chevron, Toyota, and several others also have endorsed this approach, because it allows them to find the cheapest ways to comply with the policy goal and perhaps to develop solutions they can market to others. Nothing like a good profit motive to accelerate public policy.
Of course this spells trouble for companies that are hoping to market fuels made from high carbon-footprint sources like the Canadian tar sands. Given that it takes up to four times as much energy to extract and refine that gunk into anything useful, it’s a sure bet the resulting products won’t find much of a market if fuel sellers are trying to lower the carbon content of their products. An online investor news service has a list of stocks that are exposed, at least in part, to this significant/growing liability - - may be a good list to keep handy of stocks to avoid:
Based on the successes of the performance standards approach so far, academics and policy makers around the world are looking for more ways to use them, instead of prescriptive bans or mandates. At least in some human endeavors, it seems performance anxiety can be a good thing.
As the US economy slowed, the US Government stepped in with the $787 stimulus package passed in February 2009 as the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA).A big chunk of the stimulus, about $67 billion worth, is designed to speed the development of renewable energy, clean transportation, and energy efficiency, as well as helping the economy.For many businesses tight on cash and credit these days this money can’t come quickly enough.While eager to access stimulus funds, these businesses often need help finding incentives with requirements that match their business, and finding their way through the application process.Greg Burkart of independent financial advisory and investment banking firm Duff & Phelps helps businesses to access this money.
Burkart and others at Duff & Phelps have worked with cleantech clients for years in the Detroit office of the firm, giving them a head start helping these clients.Funding opportunities from the stimulus package each have varying requirements for the stage of the business receiving funds, how much funding is provided, and the type of project proposed.Burkart sifts through all of the opportunities so that when clients call he knows what is available.
Burkart groups the incentives into a few broad categories:
1.Grants from the Department of Energy (DOE)
2.Subsidies from the Department of Agriculture, mainly for biomass and biofuel related businesses.
3.Grants that are used instead of tax credits for renewable energy
4.Tax credits
5.Loan guarantees for renewable energy projects
Since February the federal government has been sorting out how these incentives will work and money was slow to move through the system at first.Today stimulus money is moving through the system at an increasing pace, but even as the processes move forward they can frustrate and confuse those without experience.“People can be intimidated by the application process,” says Burkart.
For early stage businesses, applying for grants is usually the best path suggests Burkart, particularly grants from the DOE for the research and development of energy-related technologies.Many of the DOE grants expired in September 2009, soon to be released by a new set of funding opportunities for grants in the next fiscal year.“There’s a new batch coming up soon,” says Burkart.In general these DOE grants target the development, commercialization and implementation of technologies related to renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, fuel cells, smart grid, and components of these), energy efficiency, energy transmission, and transportation.To get funded proposals have to match the objectives stated for each of the grant opportunities.
Another important form of incentive included in the stimulus is loan guarantees.With the dramatic changes in the credit market in 2008 and 2009, many renewable energy projects have found it difficult to raise capital, stopping them in their tracks.Loan guarantees are designed to attract investors back to renewable energy projects, reducing the risk of these investments. Although ARRA provides for increased loan guarantees, implementation of these has taken time.Only one large deal has been approved in the last four and a half years in the existing loan guarantee program, but for loan guarantees in the stimulus construction must begin by Sept. 30, 2011, putting pressure on the process to speed up.In a recent solicitation, the loan guarantees can be applied to projects and technologies that are already commercially available rather than just research technologies, opening the door to greater use.
In the latest program for loan guarantees, financial institutions are added to the partnerships and the applicants for the guarantees are banks, who will act as aggregators of projects.Big US banks like JP Morgan and Bank of America are getting involved, as well as European and Asian banks who see using these loan guarantees for US projects as an opportunity to help component producers in their own country by promoting the sale of wind blades, for example.Banks are getting stalled wind and solar projects moving again by slapping a guarantee on them.
Given the time frame involved for loan guarantees, it will probably take more time for the guarantees to be approved and construction to get started on these projects.
Past measures to support renewable energy also included tax credits.Banks or other investors can “buy” these tax credits, helping to fund renewable energy projects.A wide variety of tax credits are still a key part of the incentives, including credits for manufacturing, investment tax credits and energy production tax credits..The appetite for tax credits has been greatly reduced though because of the recession, hampering the availability of capital and stopping many projects in their tracks.
Another funding opportunity in the stimulus allows investors in renewable energy projects to receive a cash grant instead of tax credits.With the cash grants, 30% of the cost of the project can be returned as cash within 60 days after the project is placed in service, rather than waiting for filing taxes to receive the tax credit. The cash grant can be a very attractive proposition, and money for cash grants has already started to flow, with $550 million in funding in August 2009 and a similar amount expected for September.
In addition to helping businesses find a good funding match, Burkart also helps them navigate the application process.“For the stimulus to be used in a transparent way, there is a process to apply for funds,” says Burkart.“Many people have good projects, but haven’t been able to think through the process.”
One business Burkart has been working with is developing a technology for lithium ion batteries.They started with just 2 people four years ago, and got a small grant from the state, in Michigan.Building on this funding, they parlayed it into a federal grant, adding researchers and growing to 25-30 people.Then, then went back to the state and received funding allowing them to build R&D further up to 50 people, and $125 million in a refundable credit.The US DOE provided $150 million to develop manufacturing here in the US, and build a $275 million manufacturing plant.
When working with clients, Burkart has four key tips to increase the chances for getting funded.The first is to read requirements for programs and grants carefully, making sure that your technology is matched with what is being funded.
Also important for getting funded is demonstrating that jobs will be created.“People really need to flesh out in their application the economic modeling for the number of jobs being created or retained,” says Burkart.
A third area they should pay attention to is getting funding from other sources in addition to the federal government.Burkart has found that state and local funding provide good opportunities, often progressing quite rapidly, raising awareness, and validating the business.
Finally, Burkart advises businesses not to underestimate how much time reviewers will spend digging into a proposal or application.“They want to know if you are going to be around,” says Burkart.Part of their examination will involve looking through your financial plan and finances, looking for errors or unrealistic assumptions.
The stimulus funds may not be for every business, and are not necessarily a magic bullet, but for the right business with the right help navigating the process, they can provide valuable capital and a big boost that might not otherwise be available.
Glenn Croston is the founder of StartingUpGreen.com, helping to start and grow greener businesses and delivering the Green BizBlast to connect those seeking and selling green. He is also the author of "75 Green Businesses You Can Start to Make Money and Make a Difference", and the author of "Starting Green", a nuts and bolts guide to starting and growing a successful green business (Entrepreneur Press, September 2009).
We see over and over that companies that
are thriving are pursuing something good. While many traditional
companies try to paint themselves “good,” under a thin veneer they
maintain near exclusive commitment to growing short-term shareholder
value. While many “good” organizations try to make a profit, they
remain rooted in a traditional non-profit mentality.
But many of today’s successful businesses were grown from the middle
of these extremes. They do not feel a tug-of-war between being good and
creating shareholder value because these two agendas can actually
depend on each other. Like sleeping and eating, you must have both. You
cannot choose.
When I asked Tom Adams, CEO of Rosetta Stone (RST), about the company’s mission, he
said, “Basically we want to make the world a better place. We imagine a
world where anyone anywhere can learn any language fluently with
Rosetta Stone alone. And that will lead to a better world through more
communication.”
Two months later when I interviewed Rosetta Stone’s head of R&D,
he said something similar, using different words. When people can
explain their company's purpose in their own language, it means they actually understand it, which means there is a chance they truly believe it.
When this purpose links company sales or profit with doing good,
they become codependent. That removes the conflict between shareholders
and society and creates singular clarity.
Since people want to feel good about what they belong to, this
purpose has salutary effects on both employees and investors. Tom says
it enables RST to attract employees who might otherwise scoff at
working for a mid-sized firm.
“We fundamentally want to change how people learn languages. That is
what drives us. It drives not just the employees on the bus today, but
it also allows us to recruit people who would not normally join a
company our size. We have people for whom this is the smallest company
they have ever worked,” says Tom.
And Tom believes this “good” mission also makes investors “proud to
be investors in Rosetta Stone.” This I find more difficult to believe,
but does it matter? Since being good and making money depend on each
other, investors do not have to choose. That is the beauty of adopting
this strategy.
Ask yourself the questions below to see how you can find a business
strategy that aligns all of your missions – your bottom line, your
employees and your community.
1.Do I see a need within my company or within my community that I can assist with?
2.What is the impact of my product or service?
3.How can I use my product or service to serve a greater good?
A few weeks ago, USEPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that 10,000 facilities would soon have to measure and register their carbon emissions. Last week, she told a packed house at the Governors’ Global Climate Summit2 in Los Angeles that her agency will introduce rules requiring significant new sources of carbon emissions, like a new or remodeled fossil-fueled power plant, to pay for the right to pollute.
Clearly, these are salvos in the Obama administration’s campaign to use the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gases, rather than wait for Congress to figure out how to do it (last year, when I outlined for presidential candidate Obama how to do this, I sensed it appealed to the law professor in him, even though he was a member of Congress at the time!).
While the US Chamber of Commerce recoiled in horror at these announcements - - causing PG&E, Exelon, and PNM to cancel their memberships in protest over the Chamber’s “so last-century” position - - others saw opportunity. Among those who will create new jobs in a low-carbon economy are the oft-maligned “bean counters”, or in this case, the carbon counters.
While companies as different as Walmart, Dell, and Walt Disney embrace carbon footprint labels for products as diverse as sneakers, laptops, and movies, they hire in-house experts and outside contractors to decide how best to measure the carbon content and which standards to use. Leaders in the field include PE International, Natural Logic, and Clear Carbon. This is also a major new business development opportunity for engineering firms, currently struggling in the economic downturn, to create whole new areas of expertise and revenue streams. CH2M Hill and Ameresco are two early/major players in that space.
And in anticipation of more regulation and carbon-labeling, new standards and models are being developed around the world for how to measure things that don’t have a smokestack, driving even more business to this new class of carbon accountants. New Zealand’s Former Prime Minister Helen Clark told me how her country is trying to breed cows that “emit” less methane by engineering both the diet and the digestive system. An army of pocket-protectors is now chasing cows and sheep across the NZ landscape to measure the carbon in each belch and fart, demonstrating the broad scope this new profession will have. I guess that’s one way to stimulate a green economy!
Investors and companies should pay attention to the service industry that’s emerging to meet these massive new demands for information. A decade ago, health-conscious consumers forced manufacturers to list nutritional information on food packages. We’ll soon be able to make buying decisions based on carbon content too - - taming our waistlines and “waste lines” at the same time.
No matter what business you’re in, you use office supplies, and greening these office supplies is step in the path toward a more sustainable business.Shoplet.com is helping more businesses and consumers choose green office supplies by making the choice easy.
Shoplet.com sells over 200,000 office products, including everything from furniture to cleaning supplies. For many of these they can now suggest an alternative from a selection of over 8000 green office products, a wide selection.“Our mission is to provide our customers with the largest selection of green products possible and encourage users who are not already doing so to think about finding greener alternative to the products they already buy,” says Tony Ellison, CEO and founder of Shoplet.
.
Shoplet is taking this route and making it easy to switch to green because they see an opportunity; in the last 3 years they have seen demand for these products grow over 700%. “We saw a demand for greener, more energy efficient office supplies and we wanted to provide our customers with the largest selection possible,” says Ellison.“While we see the biggest demand for things like recycled copy paper, we are also seeing more people buying other recycled paper products, recycled notebooks and even bigger items like recycled chairs and desks.”To help with shopping green, Shoplet has a Facebook application that calculates the number of trees saved, energy conserved, and water conserved as a result of buying more eco-friendly products.
Although there are many greener options available, common misconceptions about green products often get in the way of buying them.Many people still believe that green products don’t work as well as others, or that they always cost a great deal more.Some green choices do cost a little more while other cost less, but they all deliver value for your money.“In the past there may have been this stigma towards recycled products about them being more expensive and less of a value,” says Ellison, “but these days it is virtually impossible to tell the difference between a recycled item and its less green counterpart”.
Office supplies are probably not the biggest part of your budget, but they are highly visible and help to increase awareness of sustainability in daily business practices.“When employees see reams of recycled office paper it makes them naturally try to be more conservative with what they print and more vigilant in throwing paper in the recycling bin instead of the trash,” says Ellison.
Green purchasing is also influenced greatly by how easy (or hard) it is to find these products.Most people are not opposed to buying green, but they need the choice to be as easy as possible, or else it won’t always happen.“We wanted to provide people with an easy to use interface to could quickly find recycled office products as an alternative to the office supply products they have been using for years,” says Ellison. “Our innovative Green Your Office Checkout allows customers to compare the items they put in their cart with their greener counterparts”.
As more businesses move toward sustainability they find that they are not alone.Businesses are part of an interconnected supply chain, working with other businesses on sustainability.“We have also been working closely with our manufacturers to help them come up with eco-friendly ways to improve their products,” says Ellison. “HP, for instance, produces increasingly more energy efficient printers using more recycled materials. We try to convey to our manufacturers the demand we see from our customers for more recycled office supplies.”They now work with manufacturers like Smead and House-of-Dolittle that are responding to increased demand by offering whole lines of products made from 100% recycled material. Manufacturers of electronic equipment also see this mainstream demand for more energy efficient products, and are finding ways to incorporating recycled materials into their products and making them more easily recyclable at the end of their life cycle.
Buying green products is not just for a small group today.Government, businesses, and individuals are all buying green options.“The green movement has moved beyond the fringes to a mainstream movement,” says Ellison. “It just seems logical to use less when it benefits both the environment and your bottom line. Where five years ago the demand for recycled copy paper was minimal at best, now we see most of our enterprise-level customers asking specifically for green alternatives.”If you’re one these businesses joining the move toward sustainability, or just looking for a good value, consider green office products next time you’re shopping and look up Shoplet.com to help make the move easy.
Glenn Croston is the author of "75 Green Businesses" and "Starting Green", and the founder of Starting Up Green, helping green entreprenuers to make money and make a difference.
We all hear a lot about the problems we face, and there's no lack of them it seems. Our environment and our economy face great challenges.We need clean water and food.We need to produce energy for our homes and businesses without harming the planet, or ourselves.We need efficient buildings and transportation that get the job done without wasting energy and money.And we need good jobs and strong businesses that get our economy back on track again. Green businesses hold the keys to making all of this happen.
For all of the problems we face, green businesses are providing solutions.Not only is it possible for businesses to make money while helping the planet – more and more businesses large and small are doing it every day.
How we produce energy is changing, creating a trillion dollar opportunity for businesses that provide cleaner alternatives.Huge solar farms are sprouting in the desert, and more homes every year have solar panels on their roofs with help from innovative businesses like SolarCity.Millions of buildings are slated for renovation to be more efficient, saving energy and money.New cars from Aptera, Nissan, Tesla, Think, and Better Place are headed for our roads, fueled by electricity rather than gasoline, reducing pollution and reducing our dependence on imported oil.
While some argue that going green is an expensive luxury, some of the largest corporations have found that going green and wasting less is not just the right thing to do, but the profitable thing to do.In tight economic times taking steps like these to get lean and green can make all the difference between being profitable or not.
Anyone can find an opportunity that fits their unique skills and experience, while doing business in a greener and cleaner way.Work at home moms and others looking for a way to make money and do the right thing can work in direct sales as Green Irene Eco-Consultants and Zola Goods Coordinators.Contractors can retool and start a business in renewable energy or retrofitting homes and other buildings to make them more energy efficient like Sustainable Spaces, or Pro Energy Consultants.People can start their own retail outlet selling eco-friendly goods, or start an on-line Eco-Store with OnlyGreen4Me.com.
What do green businesses need to do to succeed?Green businesses need to take care of the business fundamentals like planning, marketing, raising money, operating efficiently, and delivering products that people want to buy, as well as measuring and monitoring their environmental impact.
In the webinar with Jim we’ll talk about the Nine Secrets to Green Business Success, covering the why, how, and what to create your own success.What’s not a secret is that this is the time for action.We can move from talking about problems to taking action and creating solutions.There’s a great, green future ahead and you can help to make it happen by building your own green business that makes the most of a changing world and works to change it for the better.
Glenn Croston is the author of "Starting Green" and "75 Green Businesses", and the founder of Starting Up Green, helping people to start and succeed with green businesses.
