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.

Green choices like solar power and organic food have grown immensely in recent years, with consistent double digit annual growth, yet solar power is still less than 1% of the overall market and organic food is only about 3% of the food market.  The green economy is already over $200 billion in size and still has huge growth ahead in the broader market.  
 
Nobody is immune from the current economy, but green businesses like Sustainable Spaces that help people to save money, are doing well. Saving energy is more important than ever for homes and businesses eager to save money. Lyndon Rive, CEO of SolarCity, still expects the solar industry to grow rapidly in 2009, in part because of the opportunity people have to save on their utility bill. As energy continues rising in price in the years ahead, the opportunity for businesses improving energy efficiency will continue to grow.
 
Green markets won’t stay small because of the strong trend consumers are displaying to choose green products. Surveys constantly report that consumers will buy available green products.  Well-priced products like Green Works that work well and also happen to be good for the environment are increasingly moving into the mainstream.  
 
Another trend is that the price of oil will not stay low forever, and seems likely to reverse its downward slide in 2009, here there are opportunities ahead in autos. A variety of new all electric or plug-in hybrid cars are on the way in the years ahead and when people start buying more cars again, they will be looking for something fresh and new.
 
Want to start a green business for very little money? Zola Goods and Green Irene are two great examples.  Green Irene is recruiting Eco-Consultants across the country to go out to homes and perform Green Home Makeovers, providing a direct sales model like Avon. Zola Goods works through coordinators who hold green house parties, like Tupperware, helping homeowners green their homes. Another ready to go option is opening your own on-line green store with OnlyGreen4Me.
 
Look for big government action in 2009 that will help the continued growth of the green economy. America’s new Obama administration has pledged its support for a renewable energy portfolio standard, green job development and action on climate change. The highly qualified green team he is assembling, including Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu to lead the Department of Energy. These actions will stimulate the economy not just now, but for many years to come.
 
The opportunities are not just for a few, or for the greenest of the green but a green policy and business development can be a incorporated into most industries, new and established.  
 
Wishing you a happy, prosperous and green New Year.   

 
Source: Glenn Croston is the author of “75 Green Businesses You Can Start to Make Money and Make a Difference”.