75 Green Businesses You Can Start to Make Money and Make a Difference. Glenn Croston
green business is seen in many fields. In response to the concern about the impact of food and agriculture on our planet and our bodies, sales of organic food have been growing 15 to 21 percent a year for more than a decade (Organic Trade Association’s 2006 Manufacturer Survey). To fight climate change, reduce pollution, and lower our dependence on oil, businesses increased U.S. wind power capacity 45 percent in 2007 (American Wind Energy Association, AWEA 2007 Market Report, awea.org). Entrepreneurs are transforming the buildings where we live and work to be safer and more efficient as part of the booming green-building movement. The pattern is repeated over and over with startup businesses providing clean water, green clothing and services, efficient transportation; and many other solutions. Never before has there been such a broad range of opportunities for entrepreneurs with almost any background to do well in business and help the environment at the same time.
People around the globe are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on solutions for habitat loss, air pollution, declining oil supplies, water pollution, and climate change. An estimated 30 percent of the U.S. adult population are considered Lohas (lifestyles of health and sustainability) and are spending money in ways consistent with the belief in the need for a greener world. Every day, more people are changing to more efficient light bulbs, buying more fuel-efficient cars, and doing whatever else they can in their daily lives to make a difference. Going green is not just a fad or a trend but a lasting change in how we live and do business.
In a major shift, the old war between business and environmental concerns is fading. Major corporations such as Wal-Mart, General Electric, and DuPont are “greening” their businesses to help the environment and their bottom line. British Petroleum (BP) is investing $500 million in a biofuels center as part of its transition from British Petroleum to Beyond Petroleum. Venture-capital investment in fledgling green companies grew 78 percent in 2006 with the expectation that green companies are a good investment and will continue to boom as key to business growth in the 21st century.
Going green also may be the best way to protect against the loss of business that may result from a globalized economy and other economic challenges. Former bastions of industrial strength are giving way to new industrialized powers, such as China and India, and this shift has eliminated or moved millions of jobs from the United States to other parts of the world. Developing green technologies and companies helps developed economies offset their diminishing role in old industries, and going green makes companies more efficient and more competitive when the economy slows.
Eco-entrepreneurs have many advantages in the rapidly growing green economy. Entrepreneurs with small, innovative firms don’t have to worry about changing their mind-set or about losing investments in old technologies; instead new business owners start with a clean slate to build profitable and environmentally sound companies from the ground up. Eco-entrepreneurs are seeding change in almost every business field with innovative approaches. They are proving to be potent catalysts for greening the rest of the economy.
75 Green Businesses You Can Start helps you get your own business started by looking at opportunities to join the green-business revolution. As part of the burgeoning green economy, there are unprecedented opportunities to build profitable and rewarding businesses while providing solutions for the challenging environmental problems we face. These 75 opportunities identify markets, products, resources, challenges, and strategies for success. Explore these possibilities to find the green business that best fits your personal interests, skills, and resources, but don’t feel constrained by these ideas.—get inspired; blend and combine ideas to create something entirely new.
The opportunities are grouped into the following chapters:
Who is joining the green-business revolution? A 2006 Gallop poll revealed that 77 percent of Americans are concerned about the environment and feel it is urgent to get involved and make a difference. Plus the millions of Americans who start their own businesses are seeking the right opportunity (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, 2005 Executive Report). Combined, these statistics show the potential of green business opportunities. Whatever your background or motivation, this book provides the seeds for a wide range of businesses you can tailor to your own personal goals and interests. For each idea, the book also identifies:
As important as climate change is, going green is not just about slowing