http://www.greenbusinessowner.com GreenBusinessOwner.com - Start A Green Business en-us DaveArthur@GreenBusinessOwner.com http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/146.cfm The United States Government has launched a greatly improved online resource for recovery funds, jobs, grants, and contracts. Of the $787 billion in economic stimulus and recovery money authorized by congress, much of it is aimed at the green economy. Now it is much easier to see how you fit into the picture and to track where the money is headed http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/104.cfm As home heating and cooling costs rise with the price of energy, many homeowners are seeking ways to increase the energy efficiency of their houses. Most people do not have the knowledge, tools, or experience to determine what should be done to a home to make it more efficient. Here is a green business with good profit potential and there are new electronic tools that make completing a thorough home energy rating faster and easier. This updated article provides more information on certification and valuable resources http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/144.cfm Electronic invoicing or e-billing is an efficient way to streamline a vital portion of your business and speed payment. It can also be a great way to effectively build communication with your customers or clients http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/143.cfm It might be a little on the simplistic side, but this short video boils down the rhetoric, screeching, special interest misinformation campaigns, and astroturf pseudo-movements into an entertaining and clear message http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/142.cfm Fully accredited and well respected Marylhurst College of Oregon offers a ground-breaking Sustainable Business MBA program through distance delivery. Concentrations include renewable energy, public policy, green development and natural and organic resources. This somewhat ground-breaking program may offer the opportunity for working adults to attain a valuable MBA from a fully accredited university http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/140.cfm As we create and market products and services to eco-conscious consumers, it is imperative that we keep in mind that our consumer, the deep green buyer, may be among the most fickle and at times unforgiving segments of the wider market. And for a truly green operation, that is not a bad thing in any way http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/139.cfm Too many green business owners approach their customers with the assumption that people will buy their product or service just because doing so is the responsible thing to do. Good marketing efforts, whether for LOHAS consumers or not, must always start by putting the personal interests of the buyer first http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/138.cfm Businesses, particularly startups, need the direction of a workable business plan. This is wisdom shared and accepted throughout the business world. For many, the specifics of creating a workable plan for their new business idea can be daunting. In this article, business consultant Mia Moore, of Moore Consulting shares an approach to create a basic business plan / goal statement that is both practical and simple http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/137.cfm Certified Green Homes are selling at a significant premium in the Pacific Northwest, despite poor housing markets. If you are a green builder, realtor, real estate investor, or contractor, you will want to read this report from Earth Advantage Institute http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/136.cfm The time for token changes designed to look good in a press release is over. The time for partisan bickering and right-wing vs. left-wing jab throwing is past. Like it or not, we no longer have the luxury of inaction. This video is entertaining but the message puts the real issues in perspective http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/135.cfm With all the talk of green jobs aplenty just around the corner, there are a lot of questions about exactly how to launch a green career, what skills will be needed, where the jobs will be, and how best to prepare for green careers. If you are looking for a new job in the green economy, here is a resource that puts some of the nation's top green career experts in your corner http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/134.cfm In this remarkable video presentation, architect, designer, lecturer, author and visionary, William McDonough speaks about our shared sustainable future, sustainable business practices, opportunity, making this world a far better place, and profiting in the process http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/133.cfm Like it or not, every ad, letter, email, brochure, card, invoice, or package you send out works to create an image of who you and your business are and what you are all about. This is especially true when it comes to products you ship to your customers. Do you like what your packages are saying about you and your company? Here, Dennis Salazar addresses an often overlooked issue in creating a green business image http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/129.cfm I've had the pleasure of talking with writer and green business consultant Scott Cooney at length on several occasions lately. Scott holds an MBA and has extensive experience helping some of the biggest companies in the United States become more sustainable. Scott also wrote Build A Green Small Business, Profitable Ways to Become an Ecopreneur. Here Scott talks about his book and the direction of the green economy http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/126.cfm We have come to expect little from business books of late. Bookstore shelves are crowded with titles that are little more than lists of websites or rehashings of basic business topics. Thankfully when it comes to green business, the pool of marginal work has not gotten so deep and there are two recent releases that are definitely worth reading, Build a Green Small Business: Profitable Ways to Become an Ecopreneur by Scott Cooney, and 75 Green Businesses You Can Start To Make Money and Make a Difference by Glenn Croston http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/125.cfm Andrew Morrison is a true leader in the world of straw bale home building. His workshops and informational websites are among the best offered for people interested in building homes that are made from a fully sustainable product, are super-insulated, have some of the best indoor air quality of any construction method, and are truly beautiful. Here, Andrew tells how he started in the burgeoning green building industry, and how he built his unique green business http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/124.cfm Life-Cycle Costing is an accounting and management process that has been used in business for some time to evaluate capital expenditures and projects. This tool can be useful in evaluating the true cost and payoff of a business decision over the life of a project. In this example of LCC use, we consider the Life-Cycle Cost of a green building project and various building materials http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/122.cfm The beauty industry, including organic skin care and cosmetic companies, are joining the automotive and manufacturing industries in focusing on reducing environmental impact. Companies in the beauty industry who have "gone green" no longer use harsh, unnatural chemicals or resources that are unsustainable in their product lines http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/121.cfm Natural skin care has come full circle--and is here to stay. With natural and organic skincare products leading the way as the country's fastest growing cosmetics and toiletry market, it's "only natural" that estheticians are also plugging into this booming interest in eco-cosmetics http://www.greenbusinessowner.com/public/120.cfm As interest in small-scale renewable energy grows, so does the need for trained solar installation and system design professionals. Solar energy services is an opportunity ripe for the right entrepreneurs in some areas. If this is the green business opportunity for you, you'll need training. Boots On The Roof is a source of solar training and certifications