The new wave of business owners and entrepreneurs understand the importance of building a company that is not only financially successful, but also environmentally responsible and ethically sound. It is important for entrepreneurs to understand that in today’s world, it is more important then ever to build a green business.
Growing a green business requires you to have sustainable products, materials, energy, shipping methods and labor practices. The purpose of a green business is to minimize harmful effects on Earth’s environment on both a local and global scale. The responsibility of a green business is to take a pro-active approach by trying to reduce waste, decrease our carbon footprint, improve our communities, protect our customers and clients and eliminate any non-eco-friendly practices.
For many green businesses, the environment is the main focus. Green business takes supreme caution when it comes to making decisions that can have an effect on the environment. These green companies adopt principles, policies and practices that improve the quality of life for their customers, employees, communities, and the planet.
If you are thinking about becoming a green entrepreneur, you have to first become a strong leader. You need to be accountable, fair, and develop a motive-based trust with your employees as well as your clients. Surveys among US workers in 2013 show interesting figures regarding ethics in the workplace. About 41% of them said they observed unethical conduct while on the job. By strengthening ethical behavior, you can lead a positive workplace that not only retains employees, but also increases productivity.
When employees enjoy where they work they are more committed and motivated on reaching the goals of the business which leads to increased profits. Many green business owners are driven by the need to make a difference for both the people and the planet we live on. Choose both profit AND planet when creating your business. If your focus is building a green company, you still need to be conscious of the business’s financial stability. Your business needs to generate a profit in order to run and for your long-term sustainability goals to be achieved.
Listed Below Are 5 Green Entrepreneurs
Professor Dara O’Rourke, PhD– studies the environmental, social, and health impacts of global supply chains. Dr. O’Rourke is both a professor and practitioner. He teaches environmental and labor policy at University of California, Berkeley and is co-founder and Chief Sustainability Officer of GoodGuide. The GoodGuide is a comprehensive source of consumer information on the health, environmental and social performance of products and companies.
Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm– This green entrepreneur developed the Red Wiggler Composting Mix. This mix was created to improve lawn and garden soil by composting worms. The worms turn almost any organic material into a nutrient rich high-grade fertilizer in the form of worm castings.
Olympia Auset – She is the founder of SÜPRMARKT, a pop-up organic grocery store and subscription service, to serve the local community of South Los Angeles, California. She wanted to create a place where locals can buy fresh produce.
She figured since there are approximately 1.3 million people living in South Los Angeles with only 60 grocery stores across the region, she was living in a “food desert.” A food desert is where high-quality fresh food such as fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy options are scarce and preventable disease rates are higher.
Cole Hershkowitz– Created Chai Energy, a free mobile app, allowing its users to make smart energy choices. Chai Energy finds energy-saving opportunities built on a user’s actual energy consumption, and recommends rebates, incentives, and programs to help in savings on utility bills. It allows consumers to see which appliances are running, how much energy they are using, and how much it is costing in real time.
Christoph Ostermann– Is the co-founder of SonnenBatterie eco which is an energy storage solution for your home that utilizes intelligent software to manage energy throughout the day. SonnenBatterie eco allows you to save money every single day by harvesting energy from your solar PV system or the grid when it is cheapest, and using the stored energy from the battery to power your home when rates are more expensive.
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