How to become A Green Entrepreneur

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second-best time is now. Green Entrepreneurs step in where governments and societies have failed to address pressing global issues adequately. They create and run businesses innovatively with an environmental conscience.

• Écoentrepreneur
• Ecopreneur
• Environmental Entrepreneur
• Sustainable Entrepreneur
• Ecological Entrepreneur
• Enviro Preneur
• Sustainpreneur

What do Green Entrepreneurs do?

A Green Entrepreneur would typically need to:

• Turn environmental challenges into business opportunities to create ecological value
• Eco-design a product/service while taking into account its environmental impact in terms of product assembly, materials, packaging, distribution, use, and final distribution
• Eco-design to reduce production costs and price for the end-user; create a positive environmental effect
• Eco-label and green market to raise customer awareness about the green characteristics of the products/services, so they make educated purchasing choices
• Identify the eco-labels related to their product/service in the countries where they operate, check requirements to obtain them, and assess possibilities to get them to foster sales
• Undertake market research to provide valuable first input for the design of prototypes to be tested in real conditions and improved until a market-fit is attained
• Customer profile to identify potential customers among all beneficiaries in a move from an economy of ownership to one of service functionality
• Involve stakeholders, particularly customers, to ensure good acceptance of the product/service and anticipate barriers to its progress
• Balance commitment, honesty, transparency to provide a viable reputation, image and selling point
• Establish tailored relationships with the customers including dedicated personal assistance
• Give due credit to web 2.0 technologies’ power in their green business model, especially when the target market moves beyond the local level
• Take into consideration globally pervasive political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors to foresee opportunities
• Avoid potential threats caused by long term changes and trends in the business environment
• Deal with contextual factors such as limited availability of natural resources and increasing generation of waste and emissions
• Look for root causes of social and environmental challenges tackled by the business; back up the claims with authentic data and evidence
• Invest in sound distribution and sales channels by involving suppliers in eco-design and co-creation processes to promote sustainability

Green Entrepreneurs may spend their time between the office, the field, meeting investors and clients. Collared shirts, well-fitting pants, and suits are the usual norm unless otherwise specified.

While many follow a standard 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., forty-hour workweek, Green Entrepreneurs find themselves working at odd times of the day, many times more than forty hours per week

By its nature, Green Entrepreneurship is not a field with traditional job openings. Most entrepreneurs just start a business themselves or with partners and see how successful they can be.

Green Entrepreneurs are generally employed by:

• Educational Institutions
• Green Organizations

Professional associations and organizations are vital resources for Green Entrepreneurs interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more looks excellent on your resume to bolster your credentials and qualifications.

• Getting funds for a technology-intensive product which is untested and may take years to market
• Educating the customer regarding the superiority of your product/service in comparison to a cheaper non-green product
• Underdeveloped labels, standards, and certifications failing to show consumers the value of the green product/service
• Finding appropriate training while fighting “ greenwashing.”

In conjunction with green-minded organizations, universities and colleges offer summer internship programs to help Green Entrepreneurs have a better understanding of the profession they wish to embark on.

Academia has begun addressing the relatively new field of green entrepreneurship through business schools, economics programs, environmental studies programs. Courses focus on environmental sustainability, social equity, and justice, financial profitability. Students learn about the environment and sustainable practices and how to start and run a successful business venture.

A degree is not required to start a business; however, those who learn successful business and marketing strategies are far more likely to have a successful business. Accredited courses related to the environment and sustainable development can help launch a career in Green Entrepreneurship.

Getting your business registered with and certified by a reputed organization such as Green Business Certification will help align your business with your values, get a framework for sustainability, and get a marketing advantage at a minimal cost.

Adequate knowledge, skills, and experience in Green Entrepreneurship can land you these jobs: Lecturer in Sustainable Development, Lecturer in Environment and Business, Land Project Manager, Assistant Professor, Green Entrepreneurship and Marketing, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies, Community Environmental Educators. Green Entrepreneurs may create a brand new Green Product, Service, or Process.

Green Entrepreneurs analyze the trends in the STEM industries (science, technology, engineering, and math), where many green innovators get their start. Some examples include nanotechnology, green chemistry, and storage techniques for renewable energy that can capture wind or solar power and store it for future use.

You can support an existing Green company. Think about what in-demand skills you have that could help another Green Entrepreneur or small business. Examples include grant writing, research, accounting, public relations, and building a website.

Lastly, market your knowledge and understanding of the regulatory environment or legal system. Mentor other Green Entrepreneurs through the process of meeting regulatory compliance or standards or commercializing products. Find innovative ways to bring Green Entrepreneurs together with specialized networking events or advocacy groups that foster Green Entrepreneurship. Translate or expand existing Green services to new customers.

The job outlook for Green Entrepreneurs is likely to be better than it ever has been with numerous niches that enterprising individuals and firms can successfully identify and service. Green Entrepreneurs face many challenges on their way to success, and many are defeated several times before they can even get a business off the ground.

With the existing shortage in programs aimed at equipping Green Entrepreneurs with additional skills, knowledge, and experience, you must remain proactive in gaining all the three throughout your professional career.

A new European-wide Erasmus + project, Green Entrepreneurship Training (GET-UP), is seeking to address this gap in learning and skills development for Green Entrepreneurs. The overall aim of the project is to design and develop a bespoke Green Entrepreneurship training curriculum to foster the business skills and understanding that will support long-term business development and success.

Ecology implies community, and Green Entrepreneurs understand the connections between their actions and the greater community. Green Entrepreneurship is a reward-based approach to addressing environmental problems rather than a punitive approach and may prove more successful at changing attitudes and practices in the long run.

Growing Environmental Awareness

Green Entrepreneurs pursue business goals keeping in mind the sustainable development and growth of society. They are change agents showing how sustainability is kept in mind while realizing profits.

Awareness of environmental and societal concerns quickly catches the attention of businesses, government, and citizens alike. As a result, Green Businesses are beginning to occupy center stage with consumers preferring eco-friendly products and services over eco-destructive products and services.

Types of Green Entrepreneurs

Wind Entrepreneur, Solar Entrepreneur, Environmental Science Entrepreneur, Carbon/ CO2 Emissions Entrepreneur, Mass Transit Entrepreneur, Building Retrofitting Entrepreneur, Energy Efficient Automobiles Entrepreneur, Organic Farming Entrepreneur, Natural Building Entrepreneur, Additional Careers Entrepreneur, Conservation/ Sustainability Entrepreneur, Cellulosic Biofuels Entrepreneur, Green Engineering Entrepreneur, Geothermal Power Entrepreneur, Holistic/ Alternative Medicine Entrepreneur, Hydropower Entrepreneur, and Ecotourism Entrepreneur.

What Do Green Enterprises Need?

Green Enterprises and companies require time. They need people with true environmental spirit and, most importantly, genuinely thoughtful ideas. As it is with regular entrepreneurship, you need innovation. To create something that the world needs. Perhaps something that no one has thought about before. And of course, something utterly connected to saving the environment.

Greater Focus Needed on Education and Training Programs

National governments have introduced a range of policies and programs to support the development of a low carbon or green economy. At a local and regional level, introducing specific business advice, coaching, and mentoring programs will help existing businesses exploit opportunities in the green economy.

There is a need for an even greater focus on developing education and training programs to provide individuals wishing to start a business in the green economy and existing owners looking to green their business with the proper understanding and skills.

At 23, Adam Werbach led the Sierra Club, the oldest and largest environmental organization in the US, to create the country’s largest national park, protecting over 3 million acres of public land.

Much of green is about solving old problems in new ways. Green Entrepreneurs have (or seek out) the knowledge, initiative, and resources to solve these problems or find innovative ways to bring existing solutions to the market. While green ventures face some unique challenges posed by the inherent “triple bottom line” - the line measuring the company’s economic value and degree of social and environmental responsibility - most founders are driven by passion and the commitment to rise above challenges.

Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.