20-09-2013, 02:36 PM
Ten Green Business Ideas for New Entrepreneurs
[attachment=58133]
INTRODUCTION
For almost half a century, environmentalists have been advocating for big businesses to
incorporate sustainability principles into their practices. Yet even ten years ago, it was rare
to hear of any business with dedicated green, environmental, or sustainability initiatives
(outside of those designed to protect them from regulatory fines and other liability for
polluting activities). Today green has gone mainstream. It is big business. A recent study
by The Pew Charitable Trusts found clean-energy technology outpaced all other sectors
in job growth and investments, even during the recession. A number of other trends also
point to the increasing premium the private sector is placing on environmental outcomes,
including the growth of the market for green building materials1 and reports that a high
percentage of consumers are purchasing environmentally friendly products.2 In fact, the
Pew report predicts that government and private investments are creating “tremendous
potential” for the green economy in the future.3
America currently faces two historic sets of challenges, one to our economy and the other
to our environment. In February 2010, 14.9 million Americans were unemployed.4 At the
same time, people here and across the world are facing increasingly dire immediate and
impending impacts of climate change, such as disastrous droughts, melting arctic ice, and
ever more destructive storms.5
The emerging clean-energy economy can solve both sets of problems. It has the potential
to drive innovation and stimulate a sustainable economic recovery that changes the envi-
ronmentally harmful “business as usual” practices of the past. Where other people might
see problems and crises, innovative green business leaders see opportunity. A wave of
companies both large and small is using success in business to achieve social and environ-
mental change. These emerging business models seek to preserve environmental quality,
promote social equity, and stimulate sustainable economic growth.
The Healthy, Local Food Movement
Americans are increasingly concerned about food safety, childhood obesity, and the green-
house gas emissions associated with transporting food long distances to reach consum-
ers. This concern creates an opportunity for organizations offering healthy food grown
locally without the chemicals and pesticides that can damage human and environmental
health. Starting such an enterprise is a great way to support your local economy, promote
community health, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Urban farms and gardens also
provide much-needed safe, outdoor areas for kids to play and interact with nature. To
learn more about urban farming, please refer to the Green For All publication Overview of
Urban Farming.14
Green Home- and Office-Cleaning Services
As awareness about the health and environmental impacts of toxic substances grows, so
does the demand for fewer toxins in the home and workplace. Toxic cleaning agents can
be harmful to humans, particularly janitors, house cleaners, and residents in buildings
where volatile organic compounds (VOC) may affect indoor air quality. Some toxic ingre-
dients in cleansers not only can harm those in the buildings where they are used, but can
pollute the greater environment and adversely impact community water quality as well.41
Many businesses are implementing new sustainability initiatives that address employee
health, create safe workplaces, and reduce the environmental impacts of their operations.
These businesses, as well as concerned residents, are creating a market for cleaning com-
panies that use environmentally friendly cleaning products and techniques.42
Green Information Technology (IT)
Computers and other IT products (e.g., data switches, routers and servers) are essential
to many businesses operating in the world today. Many medium and large businesses
dedicate significant space to this equipment, creating data centers in centralized, secure,
temperature-controlled conditions. Most companies are looking to save money by reduc-
ing the costs associated with their data center operations, which have significant power
requirements, without sacrificing quality or security.
This creates a number of green business opportunities for IT specialists, many of whom
have been recently laid off due to the recession. It is also an excellent opportunity for
those looking to start a new career in the IT field. According to the U.S. Department of
Labor, employment for administrators of computer networks, systems, and databases is
expected to increase as much as 53% leading up to 2018.71 IT careers also provide good
wages; the median annual salary of network systems and data communication analysts
was $71,100 in May 2008.72 And these opportunities are available to people from diverse
educational backgrounds. Some IT career paths require only an associate’s degree, per-
haps with minimal vocational training or technical certification.73
Conclusion
Businesses in the emerging green economy are as diverse as the people who start them.
This guide focuses on only a handful of the countless opportunities in the marketplace.
Still, we hope that you now understand that there is a place for everyone in the new green
economy. In the U.S., decades of irresponsible and unsustainable business practices have
created an unstable economy, severe social inequities, and environmental degradation that
threatens us all. New entrepreneurs are not wasting any time crafting a future that looks
a lot brighter—one where small businesses provide products, services, training programs,
and living wage jobs that preserve the environment and lift people out of poverty. You can
be a part of this new wave of entrepreneurship. Read the next section to learn about other
people who have already made this leap and found success. You could be next!