Green Business - All From One New Idea of Going Green

A green business grows green - the money kind - out of very simple ideas.  All it takes is a single concept, usually one related to consumer needs and wants, to produce a "green idea."

For example, gardens and lawns were largely neglected as a market in the 80s - costs of tending, greening chemicals and fertilizer were through the roof, and there had been warnings for years about the pesticides in lawn enrichment products.  Plus, America was still recovering from a recession.  It was no time to spend a lot on the garden. 
Untila guy thought of taking garden trash (the leaves, dirt, roots, weeds, etc.) left over from gardening and actually making your own fertilizer with it (by the simple process of leaving it covered) made a fortune with the idea.  In other words, the guy invented mulch.   And he's a millionaire today.

Green business ideas are usually the simplest ones out there.  Doug Burgoyne of Vancouver started a billion-dollar business manufacturing plastic boxes.  It wasnt that plastic boxes were such a great idea (we've had them ever since Tupperware), but that the boxes themselves were marketed as "green" products.   They were "an earth-friendly alternative" to cardboard, making a simple moving experience an earth-loving one.

There is a huge "green business" consciousness out there, on both the liberal and conservative sides of the political map, and many eco-friendly ideas are still waiting to be marketed successfully.   So, if you get the idea of that you'd like to create a "going green" business, there are three simple rules of thumb:

First, think organic.  Not just the more expensive, naturally produced and pesticide free foods in the stores, but "organic" as applied to every product out there.   For instance, roses and other flowers are often heavily sprayed with pesticides, and those floral beauties are then marketed in bouquets.  However, with the growing "green consciousness" that's abundant in the business world, particularly online, "organic floral shops" are becoming more and more the rage.   The Eco Florist is a new sub-genre of the floral industry, and naturally tended, organically grown flower bouquets and garden products are taking off.

Next, think outside the organic box.  Raw and unprocessed foods are a big business, naturally, but most people think this is confined to fruits and vegetables, and dont consider meat products.  Want to know the biggest new item to hit New York menus recently?   Organically raised, naturally tended beef in steak tartare.   Thats a raw steak, chopped with egg and onion, served just like caviar.  And people are literally eating up the idea.

Finally, look for trends.  Lawn care, exercise and even clothing products are currently being marketed under the "earth-friendly green" label.   Pesticide-free lawns, biking to work instead of driving, and all-organic clothing are the hottest trends right now, along with such old favorites as solar power, "clean" nuclear/geothermal power and electric automobiles.  Some of these ideas are in the planning stages, some have been talked about for decades, but some of them are a reality today. 

So - consider a green business.  Its the best color right now.