Become a Green Entrepreneur: Make a Difference and Improve Your Bottom Line

Green entrepreneurship is gaining ground in the United States—and that ground is becoming even more green as “wage slaves” realize that the grass really is greener on the other side and that the more green they allow their new businesses to become, the better off everyone will be in the long run. If you are a small business owner looking at becoming a green entrepreneur, nothing can make you more attractive to today’s customer base—and to Mother Earth—then a little “green” tweaking here and there. After all, black and red are not the only colors that should be in your organization’s repertoire.

More than one out of eight Americans today are considered entrepreneurs for many reasons: It affords workers more autonomy, and entrepreneurs tend to have wealthier households than do non-entrepreneurs. Although being a small business owner indeed can be a rewarding feat, being a “green” business owner will make you stand out even more, thus making you a unique trailblazer who is sure to capture the public’s attention—and some of their green dollars in the meantime.

Here are some benefits of taking your small business down the “green” route:

1) Being environmentally sound in your practices makes you more attractive to customers who are looking for eco-friendly companies. You can easily take advantage of the wave of people who are joining the green movement.

2) Adopting earth-friendly practices makes you more appealing to job seekers who want to work for an earth-friendly organization. You can maintain loyal employees who are proud of where they work and ultimately work harder simply because they are happy, are motivated, and receive more training. After all, research shows that employees at green companies are significantly more productive—by a whopping 16 percent, according to a study by the University of California in Los Angeles.

3) When you own a green business, you have an edge over your competitors, as your green service or product can allow you to be seen as the better choice among clients. Especially because many green products are gaining popularity and thus are not much different in price than are non-green products, it simply makes sense to purchase earth-friendly options. You can easily make this message clear to buyers.

4) You can encourage and motivate customers to be greener in their daily lives; you can also motivate more job seekers to pursue green jobs, as they see the value of working with the environment in mind. In contemporary society, college graduates are not just concerned about making money: They are also focused on making a difference, and being green satisfies today’s social-consciousness culture.

5) You can attract investors who are interested in helping to finance green jobs and green company initiatives in today’s business climate.

6) You have a legitimate reason to promote yourself in the media—in press releases and interviews, for example—which gives your business even more public exposure. In addition, you gain more of the public’s trust, as consumers see you as environmentally conscious and ethical.

This article was written by YaShekia King, a writer for USGreenTechnology.com. Image from Shutterstock/ rvlsoft