All of us have been exposed to the green movement in one form or another, you can’t turn on the TV or radio, can’t open a newspaper or magazine without getting blasted with information about how we need to protect the environment. I have personally seen the phrase “ Green is the new Black” used at least five hundred times over the past year and although I’m an environmentalist, I could certainly survive without having to hear that little quip once more.
While it is true that “Green Washing” has reached critical mass it’s also true that now is the very best time to consider a business catering to this trend. It does not require an MBA in marketing to piece together the obvious facts, one, every one of the worlds major corporations are now on the green bandwagon, two, every political leader in this country has included “green posturing” within the framework of their campaign. Now that the political and corporate leaders have set the tone and the masses seem to be falling perfectly into place, all that is needed is a way to capitalize on this trend.
Even though the green trend is in full speed, it has just started a very long journey. Gasoline will never again be sold for under $2.50 per gallon maybe three, and global warming will never be resolved, slowed down at best and even that will take decades if not centuries. The point here is this, right now is the perfect time in our history for the creative to amass fortunes because the media and all the little pieces that make up our day to day lives is focused and providing the sales pitch for your new Green Enterprise.
From simple to complex, from fouled to sexy, from big to small green businesses are reaching into every corner of our lives. Whether it’s a long standing industry looking to upgrade its image or an entirely new product or service, today’s innovative entrepreneurs will be at the forefront of this green movement.
I have compiled a partial list of the exciting, home based, green opportunities available to those who dream of creating more than just a business of their own, but a business they can be proud of, because the work being done will be a reflection of concern for future generations.
Green Publishing:
As the media continues to boast about all things green, many businesses and organizations will become disenfranchised by the lack of respect they receive for doing right by the environment and begin to wonder why their story hasn’t been told. This void in the whole story is where someone with adequate writing skills could become a valuable resource to the community around them. All businesses and community groups love to see themselves featured in local newsprint or talked about on the radio when the story is positive in nature. This kind of positive exposure has great value to those businesses that seek the financial support of the surrounding community.
You can start by interviewing local businesses about the things they do for the environment and submit these stories to local papers or create a “Green Newsletter” that features local businesses and their environmental efforts. The value for them is in many ways the same as the value they get from their advertising dollars, the only difference being that they are being talked about in a positive light from a third party perspective instead of talking about themselves, which is far more effective.
Renewable Energy and Environmental Research:
In the relatively new area of renewable energy and environmental stewardship falls perhaps the greatest of green, home based business ideas. Every business, big and small requires research within their given field. Many industries have been around long enough to have compiled volumes of specific information concerning issues important to them, many are still in the gathering stages and some, like renewable energy have only just begun. It is within this new industry, focused on the green movement that someone with above average research skills could carve out a lucrative business.
Research can take many paths, data research, market research, etc, far too many to detail here, but the general idea is to find your niche within the niche. Let’s say you have interest in wind power, and although this field seems too small to build a business around, consider this before you dismiss it entirely. Wind power, broken down into its many parts becomes a somewhat overwhelming concern. You have the turbine technology, manufacture of the equipment and not just the turbine equipment, but all the specialized pieces of electronics needed to make it work. You have land acquisition and contract matters, site specification and public oversight. These are just a few of the niche areas a professional researcher could find a means in which to grow a business.
Energy Auditor:
As the cost of natural gas and heating oil forces people to make sacrifices during the long winter months and electricity rates keep climbing year after year, energy conservation will be the last alternative. A simple energy audit on most homes or businesses can easily cut expenses by 15% or more and this can add up to big income for a skilled energy auditor. In addition to finding the areas of excessive energy use, auditors generate revenue by selling the products that they recommend for energy reduction purposes.
Becoming an energy auditor might sound like something that takes years of schooling, but the truth is that anyone with an ability to learn quickly could pick up enough knowledge to get started in less than two months. There are on-line programs that train and provide an in-house certification, but much of what you need to know can be self taught and at no additional expense. Being a professional energy auditor does require some basic equipment that can be purchased at many accessible retail locations. This is the perfect service to market to the real estate dealers in your area, because having provided an audit on a property that is for sell increases the properties value.
Jay Welsh is the Director of Mygreenscene.com, Lecturer on renewable energy markets, EPA Certified Energy Auditor and the Writer/Publisher of several market research titles concerning renewable energy. You can contact Mr. Welsh at [email protected]
Image from Stock.xchng.