Environmental Business

Business Loans, Angel Investors, Venture Capital and Start Up Capital for Environmental Businesses

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

With President-Elect Obama’s announcement that he will establish an “Apollo Project” to develop a Green Economy, there is no doubt that “the Green Technology train has left the station.” Indisputably, investors will start to invest heavily in companies that appear to possess commericializable Green Technology that will enter the marketplace as the US embraces the Green Economy and develops the necessary infrastructure to make this happen. Before staking a claim to one or more of these companies, however, investors should understand whether existing patent rights owned by third parties could undermine the investment potential of even the most promising Green Technology innovators.

photo credit: bbjee

Small-business owners often think of ‘going green’ as a double-edged sword. On one hand, many think of going green as the right thing to do to support the environment and the local community. Yet many also see it as an extra expense that cannot be recouped.

As a small-business owner, what should you do? Is the amount of time and money you’ll spend on going green worth the investment?

The answer is: Yes. Go green. More and more companies are going green every day.

Most small-business owners do not know that environmental management can be beneficial to the company in ways that go well beyond helping the environment:

· From an internal operations perspective, going green can actually reduce costs and help avoid liabilities, as well as present unexpected business opportunities if your company can provide an environmental solution to others. You can even go so far as to obtain certification from an independent third party so you can include their logo or “ecolabel” on your product and other green marketing materials. Ecolabeling helps market your product to green-conscious consumers.

· From an external perspective, by going green your company is that much more attractive to investors, lenders, insurers, customers and employees.

photo credit: kevindooley

Calling all green business bods! Want to hear more about how environmentally-friendly technology can benefit your business? Or are you looking to further your environmental career by boffing up on the latest green science?

Green technology certainly is the way forward for smart business owners and job-seekers looking to move into a successful company. Advocates of green technology claim that the green revolution will be just as explosive and all-encompassing as the advent of information technology in the last 20 years. The main goals of green technology advocates are to end the cycle of disposable products, replacing it with one where products that can be reused are created; reducing waste and pollution; finding alternatives to fossil fuels; and creating new, sustainable methods of production that can meet society’s needs.

So where can you find out more?

Next month, ecoConnect, facilitator and promoter of innovative green technology, will host a green business forum with guest speaker Zac Goldsmith. Son of billionaire Sir James Goldsmith, Zac is a renowned environmentalist, anti-globaliser and the director and editor of The Ecologist magazine.

photo credit: Susan E Adams

In the wake of An Inconvenient Truth, the eyes of the business world have opened wide to the consumer demand for doing greener business. As a business advisor, I have noticed this trend and the companies that are embracing it. My clients are always looking for ways to set apart their business in order to increase their company’s bottom line. For many companies using environmentalism can be a very effective way of differentiating their business from their competitors.

One example of a company that uses its green thumb to stand apart from the crowd is Greenkarat.com. They sell rings that are made of recycled gold and platinum taken from old jewelry and other items.

photo credit: Capitan Giona

Environmental & Economic Benefits

A new color class of jobs that could cross all lines, including the unemployment line, is here. It’s called “green-collar jobs,” and could save our environment and economy. This blossoming sector includes technicians in the renewable energy and energy-efficiency industries, in which there are already 8.75 million U.S. jobs.

The term “Green Collar Jobs” was first coined by Alan Durning in his 1999 book, Green Collar Jobs. His book examines the move from economic dependence on logging timber to “green-collar” jobs such as sustainable forestry, ecosystem restoration and tourism in the post logging rural towns of the Pacific Northwest.

photo credit: Choubistar

In today’s global market place people are looking to go green for many reasons.
One good reason is the environmental impact going green has.

If you consider the impact of fuel burn in the daily commute to work the overpowering reason to go green is the cost of gasoline.

More and more the ability to stay at home and telecommute is taking first choice for many people.
Inter the home business arena and the ability to have family time when you want it, work in your sweats and slippers, not have to suck the exhaust fumes of the traffic ahead of you on the daily commute is another environmental plus.

photo credit: Paul Lowry

The most important fundamental step to launching a successful PR campaign is to target the right audiences. The one question every business owner will ask is simple, “Show Me The Money”. As a PR professional you want to ensure that you are directing all of you’re PR campaigns on profitable paths.

Many times PR pros can benefit from hot trendy markets. This is an ideal opportunity to create a demand for products and services offered in PR campaigns. The task here is to find solutions to implement products and services that will add value to hot trendy markets. Therefore increasing a demand and revenue earnings.

photo credit: dokusentia

If you have ever thought about opening your own business but never found the needed funding for doing so, you may have put your hopes on the back burner. Owning a business can be a very powerful step in life – becoming your own boss can literally change your life. Even though some lenders are very hesitant to loan money for new ventures, there are many lending institutions that do business online that are willing to loan you the money to start your new business.

Online Competition Yields Big Savings

Because of the competitive online world of finance, you stand a better chance of getting approved for your new business loan by utilizing the services of an online lender.

photo credit: Wonderlane

As consumers we have the power to encourage banks and other financial institutions to be more socially conscious and green. The recent financial collapse has shown that the way banks have been working must be flawed. Now that the banks are “looking in the mirror” so to speak and trying to sort out what went wrong we have the chance to help guide their restructuring. Now is a good time to let them know that we want businesses that care more about the earth and those of us who share it.

This is not as foreign a concept as you may imagine. A recent study discovered that when asked 43% of American bank customers would rather deal with a bank that appears green. Unfortunately for many banks that appearance of green is something they have exploited as a way to forgo an actual social and environmental contribution.

photo credit: Unhindered by Talent

It’s a good thing that “going green” is finally a trend. Big businesses are going green with environmentally safe products, environmentally safe fabrics and environmentally safe packaging. But, the trash isn’t entirely off the streets yet.

There are still companies cutting corners and not only that, but we our starting to feel the crunch from the lack of valuable resources. Worrying about the environment is not just worrying about maintaining safe guidelines on resources we use. But, it also includes making sure we have resources to use in the future.