At Big Green Purse, we encourage consumers to shift their spending to the greenest products and services available. But another great way to use our marketplace clout is by creating our OWN green businesses. Here are 5 green business opportunities you probably never thought of but could be perfect for you if you want to do well and do good at the same time.

5 Green Business Opportunities

#1 Organic Catering Service

If you love to cook and have a passion for healthy food and the environment, then why not start an organic catering company?

Serve organic produce grown locally, along with fresh free-range meats and organic dairy products if you want to include those on your menu. Or, create several menus that include vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.

Make your operations sustainable by offering washable table cloths, napkins, place settings and cutlery, and reusable condiment containers. Skip plastic products, including straws and disposable cups (especially polystyrene hot/cold cups). Compost food waste or donate leftover food to a homeless shelter or food pantry.

One appeal of this business is that you can start small and with very little up-front capital.

Begin by providing the food only for a size crowd you can cook for without investing in a large kitchen and lots of supplies. Getting an advance for the food will cover your purchase costs; get full payment upon delivery of the food so that you can pay outstanding expenses and your labor costs immediately.

Initially, partner with a party supplies vendor so they can provide the linens and table service. Eventually, you can acquire those supplies and charge a fee to cover their expense, cleaning and replacement. Also, hire help in the kitchen, delivery and set-up as you need it. As you grow, you can hire marketing staff, cooks, and additional help.

#2 Eco-friendly Landscaping Service

If you relish the outdoors and thrive in Nature, consider becoming an eco-friendly landscaper. Eco-friendly landscapers can help property owners design with Nature in mind. The most eco-friendly landscapes use less water, prioritize native plants over grassy lawns that may require a lot of fertilizer and pesticides, and include a flower and/or vegetable garden. They also include water features to help sustain birds and bees.

If you don’t know as much about plants as you should, find a partner. Check with your local botanic garden or the sales staff at the local garden center, many of whom have become plant experts during their careers selling plants to the public. Or, partner with a nursery that propagates and sells native plants.

You can also take a course at your county extension service in landscape design, native plants, or other courses that can help you build your expertise.

Alternatively, work on the marketing and promotion end of this business, partnering with a plant expert while you do the selling. Or, develop on-line garden design programs. A web-based business is among the cheapest way to get into business for yourself.

#3 Green, Non-Toxic Beauty 

The media has done an impressive job of bringing the need for alternative beauty products to our attention. Salon-quality vegan and organic beauty products are now available; everything from skin care products, to shampoo and even cosmetics, are going green and avoiding synthetic chemicals and unethical testing. While you could open an organic beauty salon, this is expensive to get off the ground, as you need to rent a location, stock it with pricey equipment and products, and hire people to provide the services.

As an alternative, become an affiliate of a company like Miessence or Beauty Counter. Like the Avon model, you earn income by selling the company’s products to your own list of customers. The amount of money you earn is directly in proportion to how actively you market the products.

Start-up is immediate and apart from your initial product investment, you have no overhead as you don’t maintain a storefront or a big inventory.

#4 Sustainable Event Planning Services

Corporate events waste an incredible amount of resources and cost a lot of money to host. A green event planning service  focuses on reducing unnecessary costs and limiting the impact on local resources by reducing the use of paper and plastic.

Start by schooling yourself in the ins and outs of event planning, which you can do here. Realize that there is a “green” version of most of the supplies needed to pull off a successful event. Developing web-based tools like online event agendas and mobile apps will reduce the need for paper-based printed programs, reports and other materials.

#5 Solar/Wind Energy Consultant

Many consumers would like to use more solar and wind power but they’re just not sure what systems or services work best for them. Develop a consulting practice to help consumers figure out what their energy needs are, what systems would help them meet those needs, and how much they cost.

You don’t need to provide the actual installation. You do need to know what systems and companies you can recommend depending on your clients’ needs. So while you’ll need to invest time in building your expertise, the up front operating costs will be minimal, consisting primarily of marketing your services via a website and social media. If you have no initial clients, offer to help some friends, colleagues or neighbors at no cost until you get up and running.

Finding Green Finance

Starting and running a new business doesn’t have to drain your finances – as long as   you’re smart about budgeting, cost projections, and income streams.

If you do need a loan to your business off the ground, keep in mind that you’ll need a full assessment of your finances and credit-worthy status before you go down that route.

I’ve personally found that my bank manager has been very helpful in looking at my business accounts and projections.

I urge you to speak to your own banking manager about whether you should request a loan to help you through the start-up phase of the business cycle.

If you don’t want to take a loan from a bank, look for a reputable angel investing network that will give you access to investors looking for green opportunities.

If you only need a small amount of capital to get going, think about a loan from a family member or friend.

You can sell them shares in your company in return for the investment. Structure a “waterfall” deal that enables you to repurchase your shares as you reach financial milestones and business goals.

Once you decide on your business model, speak to your accountant or financial planner before proceeding. And to stay inspired on your journey, make sure to keep up with new green initiatives in your marketplace as your business grows.

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The environment is under assault in many ways, but one of the worst is the attacks on the planet at the federal level. The president of the U.S. opposes measures to stop climate change. The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is rolling back laws that protect clean air and water and limit our exposure to toxic chemicals. The head of the Interior Department, whose job it is to safeguard public lands, is looking for national monuments whose status he can revoke, and is considering turning over our national parks to private companies to run for their personal gain. You could not accuse the Trump Administration of being a sustainability leader in any stretch of the imagination.

That’s why it is heartening to see many corporations stepping up to embrace sustainability as an operating principle. James Andrews of KDA Incorporated explains in this guest op ed article why he urges his corporate clients to adopt sustainable practices: not only because it is the right thing to do but because they’ll be more successful leaders if they do.

“Protecting the planet has become more important than ever, and that’s as true for corporations as it is for the environment at large. Indeed, sustainability must form an essential part of any company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) polices. The public demands it, and a company’s profits will be strengthened because of it.

You can get a better idea of whether you, and your management team, have the required skills, by having a leadership assessment carried out. This can give you a base on which to build your success with sustainability. But first, let’s consider the many benefits of operating sustainably.

Why is sustainability important?

The simplest answer to this question is because the human race cannot continue to live on this planet without it.

Let’s just look at one example: energy.

The worldwide supply of fossil fuels is depleting, and global warming is an ever-increasing concern.

These may sound like distant issues that have little to do with your business; but in fact, energy and climate change affect every aspect of your ability to operate: the cost and delivery of the materials you buy, the impact higher energy prices have on your bottom line, even the ability to operate if a climate change-related extreme weather event occurs.

The fact is that being a good leader means that you need to be able to see this bigger picture. You can see it in two ways.

The first is by acknowledging that protecting the environment is a priority that must be addressed.

The second is by acknowledging that you have a responsibility to do your part by operating your business sustainably.

How to succeed as a leader promoting sustainability

The most important step you need to take as a business leader is embrace sustainability. You need to educate yourself about it, and believe in what you are doing.

Here are some tips to help you achieve that success:

Start with the basics. Do you recycle effectively? Are all electronic devices switched off at the end of the day? Do you have a sustainable business travel programme?

Learn about what others have done. Read case studies and use advice and techniques.

Keep well informed about developments in your industry that advance sustainability as well as achieve operational goals, and make sure your plans reflect latest opportunities to use energy and resources wisely while minimizing waste.

Lead by example. If you constantly drink bottled water, instead of using the water fountains provided, you are not setting a good example. Do not just talk about sustainability, act in a way that supports it.

Give your employees access to the advice and support they need in order to ensure that all of their work activities support sustainability.

As a leader who sees outside your own business, you must recognize how important sustainability is as a global issue.

Remember that a business which operates sustainability is increasingly what your customers and clients are clamoring for.

If you want to expand your customer base and increase sales and profits, operating sustainably is the key.”

NOTE: Guest opinions by thought leaders who support our work help us bring you different and new perspectives that help you live the greener life you want. Our editorial decisions remain our own. Thanks.

The post If You Become a Successful Sustainability Leader, Business Success Will Follow appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Looking to start a business on a budget? Right from the start, you can save money by using less energy, paper, supplies, and maybe the actual office itself.

BONUS: you’ll shrink your carbon footprint, too.

To help you get on the right track, I’ve identified 5 smart ways to cut business costs by shrinking your carbon footprint.

1. Go Paperless
2. Automate Energy Use
3. Telecommute
4. Skip Unnecessary Trips
5. Share Office Space

1. Go Paperless

Paper makes up about 35 per cent of our waste even though it’s an easy material to recycle or not use at all. That could mean you’re spending a hefty chunk of change on reams of paper you’ll just end of throwing away. Instead…

• Create a digital business card that you can easily email to people you meet. If you must print a card, choose one of those half-sized designs.

• Use electronic software programs to print fewer documents, share documents and files online, produce rough drafts, and publish e-versions of final drafts.

• When you do need to print, print on both sides and again, use available software to eliminate unnecessary blank pages.

• Reuse paper printed on one side into note pads, stuffing for shipping containers, and scratch paper for kids’ art projects.

• Recycle waste paper through local recycling programs.

2. Automate Energy Use

* Use a programmable thermostat – If you have set up shop in a building or office where you have to pay for heating and cooling, make sure you have the option to change the temperature of the thermostat.

* Put office lights on sensors or timers to make sure the lights go off when no one is working.

* Program computers to shift to sleep mode when they’re not being used, though it’s better if you can get them turned off completely when they’re not needed.

3. Telecommute

* Reduce overhead. Many businesses now keep their office footprint small and their overhead costs low by allowing employees to telecommute. Some entire businesses operate this way.

* Share desks. Perhaps employee A uses the desk when she is in the office Monday-Wednesday-Friday, and employee B uses the same desk when he is in the office Tuesday-Thursday.

4. Skip Unnecessary Trips

If your business requires you and your employees to travel to conferences, meetings and sales calls, consider whether the cost and carbon footprint of transportation, hotel, meals and other related expenses are worth the price.

* Can you cut them down to zero by attending the event virtually, conducting the meeting on Skype or a Google Hangout, or holding a webinar?

5. Share Office Space

Renting office space can eat into costs. Plus, it may not be a good use of precious resources if you end up having to pay for office space you don’t use. If you can’t operate virtually, a good and eco-friendly solution is to bunk with another, like-minded company.

* Share administrative services, the cost of maintaining conference room facilities, and other related expenses while maintaining a separate identify.

Of course, it also makes sense to compare prices of any products you do buy. Our sponsor for this post, Cost Compare, will soon enable its customers to compare prices on a wide variety of supplies, including coffee makers, CRM services, mailing lists, and even graphic designers. You can learn more about them right here.

NOTE: Sponsors enable us to bring you expert content at no cost to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own. Thanks!

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