How to Green Your Business

Are you wondering how you could start greening your business? If so, this advice by Carol McClelland, PhD could give you the insight you need to conduct an effective green job search.

Carol is author of the new book, Green Careers For Dummies. Today she's "appearing" here at Discovering Your Inner Samurai as one of the stops on her Virtual Book Tour. While she's here, she'll:

1. Answer questions left by readers (as comments to this post).
2. Give away a signed copy of her book to the person who asks the best question by the end of Monday, March 22nd.
3. Offer a $5 savings on all Green Careers For Dummies books. There's a link on the Blog Tour page for a mail-in rebate.

So, leave your question as a comment after this post, and Carol will respond. Maybe you'll be the lucky winner of Green Careers For Dummies!

Greening Your Business
Guest post by Carol McClelland PhD

You’ve no doubt heard about the shift toward a greener, cleaner, more sustainable economy. Are you curious how you might be a part of the opportunities developing within the green economy?

A green business is one that improves the environment in some way by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency, reducing waste, conserving water, or restoring nature or by helping others make greener, more sustainable actions through marketing, education, policies, or regulations.

Take a New Look at Your Current Business

If you have a business, consider how you might green the business you have.

• Green your own business practices – One of the first things you can do to green your current business is to think about your own business practices. How much energy do you use in your work? How much waste do you produce? How much traveling do you do in the course of your work? Do you consume water as a part of your business? As you assess your business practices, take a new look at your business practices to identify and establish new patterns.
• Green your business services – Then take a look at your business services or products. Is there an aspect of your work that you could approach from a greener, more sustainable perspective? Remember, you don’t have to label it green to make a difference. It’s all in your mindset as you approach your work. If you help people with their marketing, do you want to focus on green/sustainable companies? Do you want to specialize in offering marketing collateral that is produced with a greener outcome in mind? If you are a builder or a designer, are there ways you can incorporate greener/more sustainable designs into your work with clients? Can you use more sustainable furnishings and finishings in your work?

Look for New Business Opportunities

If you don’t have a business or you are looking for a new adventure, take a look at these options to find a business that is a good fit for your skills, interests, experience, and education.

• Identify an existing local business that could be greener – As you scan the businesses in your region, do you notice any businesses that are ripe to transition to a greener business? A printer, a restaurant, a dry cleaner, a landscape design company.
• Look for a new business opportunity to help your community become greener– As you look at your community do you see any gaps in services? Think about the green actions you have a difficult time implementing in your area. Are you having a hard time finding creative ways to get from point A to point B? Do you wonder where to recycle of your e-waste? Are you having a hard time evaluating the energy efficiency of your home? If you can align your skills and background with one of these needs, you may have identified a viable business idea.
• Search for virtual opportunities – If you aren’t interested in running a brick and mortar business, explore virtual or consulting opportunities that you can do from your home office. You might consider an Internet-based business that allows you to sell a niche product, provide environmental education to a target market, or consult with other businesses to help them green their practices.
• Invent a green product or service – If you are creative and often think out of the box, consider the problems we face. Some of the most effective solutions require just a slight shift in business as usual. The trick is thinking expansively to see a new product, a new system, or a new process that if implemented would cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce waste, or increase energy efficiency.

First Steps...

Starting a new business or transitioning your existing business is quite an undertaking. Taking it one step at a time is the best approach. Use the following bullets as a guide for your actions.   

• Understand the scope of the green economy. The green economy isn't just about renewable energy and energy efficiency. Nearly every industry is making concerted efforts to rethink its business practices. Read about developments in your industry or profession or read about sustainability in general to find ways to apply the concepts in the work that you do.
• Assess your skills, interests, education, training, and experience. What industry or sector within the green economy are you well suited to work in?
• Do an audit of the green companies in your geographic area or online that match your target industries.
• Brainstorm business ideas that will work for you. Don't just leap on the first idea that comes to you. Considering multiple ideas will lead to a stronger business in the end.
• Create a business plan to bring focus to your vision. Before you leap into action, take the time to develop a business plan to think through the underlying issues associated with running the business you are contemplating.

We are currently in the earliest phases of the green economy. If you don't see a green business idea or strategy right now, keep watching. New innovations, policies, and regulations will continue to open up new green business opportunities in the months and years ahead. The key is to become aware of the issues of sustainability and how they apply to your business. If you find a viable opportunity, greening your business can give you a stronger brand, a more targeted audience, and a compelling marketing message.

Good luck! 

Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of Green Careers For Dummies and the Founder and Executive Director of Green Career Central, a full-service online resource center dedicated to providing career guidance, coaching, and resources to clarify the ever-evolving world of green career possibilities for professionals, students, and career counselors.

Carol will be stopping by Discovering Your Inner Samurai throughout the day on March 22nd to answer your questions. Leave a comment and she'll respond!

Want to be entered into our drawing to receive a free, autographed copy of Carol’s book? Leave a comment on this post.

Comments

[Carol McClelland]

Thanks so much for hosting my virtual book tour today, Susan! I'm looking forward to answering any questions your readers may have about the green economy and how to find or create your green venture.

[Lady Samurai]

My pleasure, Carol. Your book is such a great read - so valuable in so many ways.

[Carol McClelland]

So glad you enjoyed the book and found it to be valuable. Definitely a lot of angles of opportunity within the green economy. Sometimes it just takes a new filter to see them.

[Janice]

Hello Carol,

As I have been researching a business idea I have heard the term "greenwashing".

Can you explain what greenwashing is and how to avoid it?

Thanks for a great article today!

Janice

[Carol McClelland]

Hi Janice,

Greenwashing is something every green business needs to be aware of.

Greenwashing is giving consumers an inappropriate impression of the green nature of a company or a product. Usually this means that the company has overstated the degree to which its product, service, or business practices are green and sustainable in order to be seen more favorably by its customers.

These days consumers are wise to greenwashing and are likely to ask hard questions or stop buying if they question the veracity of your marketing.

As I researched Green Careers For Dummies I found one site that provided a detailed description of the different flavors of green washing is - http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/. I highly recommend reviewing this site to understand the ins and outs of greenwashing.

If you have a business that provides a green product, you might also do research to find a third party organization that can certify that your product lives up to key green/organic/sustainable standards. Although certification programs aren't 100% perfect, it is a beginning step you can take to communicate your value to consumers.

You might also want to find out if your city or county has a green business certification program or look into Green America's Green Business Program (http://www.greenamericatoday.org/greenbusiness/), which will give you an icon you can include on your site to let customers know that you've been vetted as a green business. To obtain the designation, you'll need to complete an application process to demonstrate that your business practices are green and sustainable.

Good luck with your business!

Carol

[Jason Webb]

Very interesting article, thanks for sharing.

Thanks and Regards/-
Jason Webb