Starting 2009 in a New Direction with a Green Business

What’s your plan for 2009? Our economic situation is forcing many of us to rethink our lives and businesses. “Improve finances” may be at the top of many to do lists for 2009 and going green might provide the new direction you’re looking for. Far from being finished, the green economy is just getting started.

Landor Associates, a leading strategic brand consulting and design firm, has released their second annual trends outlook, which provides “predictions” for 2009 including sustainability. Russ Meyer, the Chief Strategy Associate for Landor Associates tells us that brands will need to integrate their commitment to sustainability into a larger message of efficiency, effectiveness, and value.

Green businesses have been growing at a rate of about 5% annually during the last three years creating a plethora of new ‘green collar’ job. These new careers produced by the greening of industry are not your everyday forestry professions. Many of them are environmental twists on old professions, like law, others are engineering careers tied to research in renewable technologies like wind energy and ethanol production.

Travel firms that embrace sustainable tourism will be best placed to survive the global financial crisis, a report on the industry's prospects said, noting China and India among growth areas. "Conscientious consumption" should be the watchword for travel companies looking to prosper in the months and years ahead.