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.

The post 5 Green Business Opportunities You Probably Never Thought Of appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Why Is Climate Change So Serious?

It’s the most serious threat we face because it has the potential to devastate every pillar on which our country is built.

The catastrophic storms linked to climate change are draining our economy of trillions of dollars.

The spread of infectious diseases is killing thousands of people.

Droughts, wildfires and floods related to sea level rise and changing weather patterns are affecting our ability to grow food and keep our cities and towns intact.

We will be swamped, burned up and blown out if we don’t put the skids on the causes of climate change – and fast.

Speaking of which, it’s solving climate change that creates so many opportunities for us.

Why Does Climate Change Create So Many Opportunities?

Burning coal and oil are the largest sources of the carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate change.

Transitioning to solar and wind energy are two smart solutions. They’re also the fastest growing source of jobs in the energy industry.

You know that employment crisis we keep hearing about?

Get out of coal, get into solar. It can work in every state in the US.

Solving climate change through increased energy efficiency and using more solar and wind is also our ticket to energy independence.

Tired of worrying about our oil fields in the Middle East?

So am I. With domestic solar and wind, those worries can be a thing of the past.

Want cleaner air and water?

Banishing climate changing fossil fuels is a good way to get started.

Burning coal and oil (and gasoline) are primary causes of air and water pollution. When’s the last time there was a code “red” day attributed to solar panels?

Can you remember any time when turning on a wind mill led to the pollution of a river, lake or ocean with toxic oil that couldn’t be cleaned up?

Me neither.

The People’s Climate March Statement

The People’s Climate March is a project of dozens of organizations working together to solve the climate crisis.

First and foremost, it will focus attention on the anti-climate policies of the new Trump Administration. President Trump has called climate change a hoax. In fact, Trump is trying to increase use of the very fossil fuels that cause climate change. Say the organizers of the People’s Climate March: Not on our watch!

At the end of April, Donald Trump will have been in office for 100 days.

We need to mark that day with a massive demonstration that shows that our resistance is not going to wane or fade away.

So far, our resistance has been beautiful — and it’s beautiful because at its heart is a vision of a future that inspires us and gives us hope.

It’s a vision that protects our families, our communities, and our climate.

Most importantly, it’s a vision that we are building together.

Since his inauguration, we’ve seen what people power can achieve: Trumpcare? Withdrawn. Muslim ban? Blocked. Now Trump’s entire fossil fuel agenda is next.

Join us on April 29th.

Here’s how you can participate in the People’s Climate March.

The post People’s Climate March: For Jobs, Justice and the Climate appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Can you rap if you can’t breathe? Or if you’re trying to survive a Category 5 hurricane?

Nope.

In fact, you can’t do much if the air stinks, or if you’re battling catastrophic floods and winds.

Reverend Lennox Yearwood, the President and CEO of the non-profit Hip Hop Caucus, gets it. That’s why he’s mobilizing the social justice organization he founded to help stop climate change.

Rev. Yearwood, 47, is the father of two teenage boys, his “biggest inspiration for making the world a better place,” he says. A graduate of Howard University’s School of Divinity and a retired U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer who became a vocal opponent of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Rev. Yearwood is also the force behind a nationwide effort to get hip hop-oriented Millennials to register and vote.

On behalf of Moms Clean Air Force, I caught up with Rev. Yearwood just after he’d attended both political party conventions and was on his way to Baltimore for a rally in the wake of the latest judicial decision not to prosecute police officers for the death of Freddie Gray. With all of the work he does to promote racial equality, why did he want to make climate change part of the conversation, I wondered? And what could moms learn from a guy who chats about carbon dioxide emissions with hip-hop icons like Academy-Award winner Common, Sean “P Diddy” Combs, and Jay-Z (yeah, Beyonce’s husband).

I had to know, so I got him on the phone. And truth be told, he knocked my virtual socks off.

Your organization is dedicated to advancing justice, equality and opportunity. How did you realize that climate change fit into that equation?

Rev. Yearwood: Climate change really hit home for me after Hurricane Katrina. I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and I still have a lot of family and friends there. They were devastated when the hurricane struck. I went down and started organizing the Gulf Coast Renewal Campaign, a coalition of national and grassroots organizations to advocate for the rights of Hurricane Katrina survivors. It didn’t take me long to connect the dots between climate change and environmental justice because so many people who’d suffered during Katrina were the disadvantaged and poor.

I’d been active in the Middle East-focused anti-war movements of the 2000s, which were very “siloed.” In other words, there were a lot of factions protesting the wars but they weren’t working together. I realized that in Louisiana as well as other parts of the country, we needed to be broad-based to actually have an impact politically. So while I worked in the black community, I also reached out to the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters, and other environmental groups and we began working together.

How’d that turn out?

We grasped that even if Katrina hadn’t happened, Louisiana is still called “cancer alley” because people living there are exposed to so much pollution and so many toxic chemicals. While recovering from Katrina was important, we decided we needed to focus on not just the environment, but the “environs,” the actual places where people live. We started campaigns to link communities together and to raise awareness about the whole picture, not only the floods and hurricane damage.

It dawned on us that climate change is a civil rights issue, not just in Louisiana but in a lot of places,  cities like Chicago and Detroit, where people are breathing really dirty air. Pollution is giving kids asthma. It’s making a lot of people sick. The more we connect the dots, the more we see that we need to organize, because one thing we have learned is: the power of the people makes a difference.

How are you using Hip Hop artists to do that?

Last year, we organized the Act on Climate tour and sent artists around the country talking about the importance of solar. This year, because we believe in 100% renewables, we’ve unveiled a limited edition branded “THINK 100%” fitted cap to “support the movement to get 100% clean energy for all”. We’re organizing a diverse group of artists to create music and culture we hope will inspire all of us to solve climate change. We started a project called “People’s Climate Music,” headlined by Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa, that is registering people to vote all summer long. We’ve also put out an album called HOME, an acronym for Heal Our Mother Earth.

Is the Hip Hop community taking advantage of the renewable energy revolution? 

Yes! Lots of people are excited about being part of the solution. (Tweet this) They don’t want just to work for companies like Solar City. They want to become entrepreneurs and compete with Solar City. They want to be the catalysts for the green economy, be self-sufficient, create jobs, put solar panels on their own homes as well as on others in their community.

I think of “hip hop” as being focused on younger, primarily single people, maybe even predominately male. Are there moms in Hip Hop Caucus? “What is the Caucus doing to reach out to women, and moms in particular?

In everything the Hip Hop Caucus does, and the reason we fight so hard for justice, is because we know the impact of injustice on our communities, especially on the mothers and children in those communities.

Our work defending and protecting the most vulnerable in our community (especially mothers) is the foundation of our work, and at every level of the Hip Hop Caucus, mothers have key positions.

“I’m a believer in people. If we come together, and love one another, we’ll succeed.”

NOTE: This article originally appeared on MomsCleanAirForce.org. Thanks.

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Here’s how to respond to your friends, family and colleagues who don’t understand why President Obama’s Clean Power Plan is so good for people as well as the planet, thanks to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, who wrote this analysis for Moms Clean Air Force and all of us who know we must phase out coal and other fossil fuels as soon as possible.

Today, President Obama will unveil the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean Power Plan — a historic step to cut the carbon pollution driving climate change. Here are six key things every American should know:

1. IT SLASHES THE CARBON POLLUTION FUELING CLIMATE CHANGE.

Carbon pollution from power plants is our nation’s biggest driver of climate change —a nd it threatens what matters most – the health of our kids, the safety of our neighborhoods, and the ability of Americans to earn a living. The Clean Power Plan sets common sense, achievable state-by-state goals to cut carbon pollution from power plants across the country. Building on proven local and state efforts, the Plan puts our nation on track to cut carbon pollution from the power sector 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, all while keeping energy reliable and affordable.

2. IT PROTECTS FAMILIES’ HEALTH.

Cuts to smog and soot that come along with reducing carbon pollution will bring major health benefits for American families. In 2030, this will mean up to 3,600 fewer premature deaths; 90,000 fewer asthma attacks in children; 1,700 fewer hospital admissions; and avoiding 300,000 missed days of school and work. The Clean Power Plan is a historic step forward to give our kids and grandkids the cleaner, safer future they deserve.

3. IT PUTS STATES IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT.

The Clean Power Plan sets uniform carbon pollution standards for power plants across the country—but sets individual state goals based on states’ current energy mix and where they have opportunities to cut pollution. States then customize plans to meet their goals in ways that make sense for their communities, businesses and utilities. States can run their more efficient plants more often, switch to cleaner fuels, use more renewable energy, and take advantage of emissions trading and energy efficiency options.

Because states requested it, EPA is also proposing a model rule states can adopt right away–one that’s cost-effective, guarantees they meet EPA’s requirements, and will let their power plants use interstate trading right away. But states don’t have to use our plan—they can cut carbon pollution in whatever way makes the most sense for them.

The uniform national rates in the Clean Power Plan are reasonable and achievable, because no plant has to meet them alone or all at once. Instead, they have to meet them as part of the grid and over time. In short, the Clean Power Plan puts states in the driver’s seat.

4. IT’S BUILT ON INPUT FROM MILLIONS OF AMERICANS.

The Clean Power Plan reflects unprecedented input from the American people, including 4.3 million comments on the draft plan and input from hundreds of meetings with states, utilities, communities, and others. When folks raised questions about equity and fairness, we listened. That’s why EPA is setting uniform standards to make sure similar plants are treated the same across the country.

 When states and utilities expressed concern about how fast states would need to cut emissions under the draft Plan, we listened. That’s why the Clean Power Plan extends the timeframe for mandatory emissions reductions to begin by two years, until 2022, so utilities will have time to make the upgrades and investments they need to.

But to encourage states to stay ahead of the curve and not delay planned investments, or delay starting programs that need time to pay off, we’re creating a Clean Energy Incentive Program to help states transition to clean energy faster.

It’s a voluntary matching fund program states can use to encourage early investment in wind and solar power projects, as well as energy efficiency projects in low-income communities. Thanks to the valuable input we heard from the public, the final rule is even more fair and more flexible, while cutting more pollution.

5. IT WILL SAVE US BILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR.

With the Clean Power Plan, America is leading by example—showing the world that climate action is an incredible economic opportunity. By 2030, the net public health and climate-related benefits from the Clean Power Plan are estimated to be worth $45 billion every year. And, by design, the Clean Power Plan is projected to cut the average American’s monthly electricity bill by 7% in 2030. We’ll get these savings by cutting energy waste and beefing up energy efficiency across the board—steps that make sense for our health, our future, and our wallets.

6. IT PUTS THE U.S. IN A POSITION TO LEAD ON CLIMATE ACTION.

Today, the U.S. is generating three times more wind energy and 20 times more solar power than when President Obama took office. And the solar industry is adding jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the economy. For the first time in nearly three decades, we’re importing less foreign oil than we’re producing domestically—and using less overall.

Our country’s clean energy transition is happening faster than anyone anticipated—even as of last year when we proposed this rule. The accelerating trend toward clean power, and the growing success of energy efficiency efforts, mean carbon emissions are already going down, and the pace is picking up. The Clean Power Plan will secure and accelerate these trends, building momentum for a cleaner energy future.

Climate change is a global problem that demands a global solution. With the Clean Power Plan, we’re putting America in a position to lead. Since the Plan was proposed last year, the U.S., China and Brazil – three of the world’s largest economies – have announced commitments to significantly reduce carbon pollution. We’re confident other nations will come to the table ready to reach an international climate agreement in Paris later this year.

For More Information:

Clean Power Plan Information Site/US EPA

Moms Clean Air Force

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