I’ve been writing about green businesses for over three years. I’ve written about large companies that have started the transition to going green and I’ve written about small green business startups. One thing that never crossed my mind were eco florists. Aren’t all flower shops already green? The answer is no.  There are two flower shops in Toronto that offer organic flowers. One has a retail outlet while the other has an online presence.

Eco flora was started by floral designer Scott Graham in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They specialize in being an online eco florist.

From their website:

“Eco Flora is a Toronto based online florist offering exclusively ecologically grown flowers with a contemporary design style. We offer our services year round to our clients in the Toronto area. We use wild-crafted, certified organic, organic and fair trade flowers without the additional floral chemicals.”

The following video is a detailed look at Eco Stems, another eco florist located in downtown Toronto.

Personally, I had no idea that cut flowers could be filled with many different  pesticides – it’s just something that the average person doesn’t think about when buying flowers. We are all aware of the pesticides used in fruits and vegetables, and because of this many of us buy organic produce. Eco Flora and Eco Stems are both great concepts for a 21st century flower shop. Our hats go off to both of these green businesses for not only making the world a better place, but for making it look a little more beautiful too.

The hospitality industry has made major strides in becoming more eco-friendly. It is no longer a rare occurance to find an established, high-end hotel trying to become more environmentally friendly, but some hotels go further than just changing light bulbs. The Muse , a hotel  in New York City, has taken the term eco-friendly to a new level.

How They Did It

First and foremost, they have garnered a lot of credibility as an eco friendly hotel by being certified by a reputable agency. In The Muses’ case, they have been certified by Green Seal’s certification team. The Muse was awarded GS-33 Green Seal certification.

The Muse has instituted a paperless guest check-in/out service. Something so simple as this can dramatically the amount of paper used by any hotel. They also offer eco-friendly bath comforts, in-room recycling bins, organic snack and beverage options at the in-room bar as well as organic or fair-trade coffee and tea.

The rooms are well stocked with linens cleaned with eco-certified cleaning supplies.  It should be noted that there is a towel and linen reuse program which reduces overall water and energy use. Something that The Muse offers, which is a great idea, is the availability of guests to use ceramic mugs instead of paper cups. They also use low flow toilets, showers and faucets while having a comprehensive recycling program for cups, clothes hangers, batteries and more.

Maybe the coolest thing about this hotel is that many unused items, such as unused bath amenities, are donated to community programs.

This is one hotel that has made its eco-friendly mark in one of the greatest cities in the world. We salute The Muse.

In fact, businesses that today find themselves carrying the green banner will be put to the test to define their actions, and it must make sense to the soon to be green savvy public. So, what are some of these definable trends that will dictate the future of green business? Let’s take a look.

A Measure Impact

First up, businesses will find it harder to do business under the “Green” herald unless they hold themselves accountable to their own carbon footprint. While today we can find a number of carbon footprint calculators, the net results tend to vary between sites. As time continues on, these results will merge together to a more cohesive reporting structure, and this is the measuring stick to which the company will report.

A company’s net carbon footprint may be as important to its success as its bottom line, since no doubt one could drive the other. This is especially true if it is a public company that is directly coupled to selling to the public. The voting by the green aware public will no doubt be done by the purse strings.

Building Greener Buildings

For a lot of businesses, a major part of their environmental impact can be found in the very building that their business takes place in. A green building is not only potentially cheaper to operate, it can pay big dividends in brand appearance and customer loyalty.

Already, Obama has been providing money to businesses for energy overhauls, and this is a trend that may be increasing. At the very least the red tape of a new building may tie the expense of a less than efficient building design to increased cost. That is, you may find that it is cheaper to be green than not. Today utilities are being held accountable for energy standards, but incentives may make it the logical choice for all businesses.

Green Branding With The Customer

Soon businesses will find that it is simply not enough to talk to consumers about being green – instead they will need to educate them. Through promotions, handouts, special deals, and other means, businesses will find that an educated customer will better appreciate the new emphasis on being green.

By relating to the customer on green issues, the door is open for further dialog on others. Even such things as giving out free branded reusable bags is a simple but effective way of using the green relationship to build the business and improve the customer relationship.

Open Green Practices

The consumer of today is better informed than ever before, and this is a trend that will no doubt continue. In order for a business to be seen as green, it will no doubt need to have the chain more open to all parties. This can be seen today by the inclusion of local growers for big chain grocery stores, and the trend will no doubt continue.

Not only grocery stores and produce markets will be affected by the need for open green practices. Restaurants will find it beneficial to proudly declare that a particular side item is being provided by a given local producer. The act of being green is really building a responsible community on a global scale, so it should come to no surprise that strengthening the local community ties works well with being green.

With these trends, the future of a successful green business will be defined. The business soon must responsibly measure and report their environmental impact to a given standard. They must build the places of business to a green standard. They will need to reach out and connect to their customers on green matters, to the advantage of both. And finally, they will need to develop and refine openly green practices that tie together the sense of a green community.

While these trends are more evolutionary than revolutionary in their arrival, you may be surprised at how fast they can become a standard accepted business process in 2010 and beyond.

This article is written by guest blogger D. Salmons on behalf of TestFreaks. If you are looking for consumer electronics goods (such as Pioneer AVIC-Z120BT or other products) this website is good for you.

I often get emails from readers of this blog asking what kinds of things they can do to make their business more eco-friendly, so when I found out about SunRidge Farms‘ bike-to-work program for employees I knew that I had to share it with all of you.

I love it when I find out wonderful things that green companies do to help out the environment. It may be a feel good story or it might just be an idea that you can use for your company in helping it turn green. I recently corresponded with a team member from SunRidge Farms, a grower of organic and natural foods, and what I found out was simple but it spoke volumes about the company and its commitment to environmental issues. The bike-to-work program pays employees $5.00 per day to ride to and from work. They say that some employees make as much as $100.00 per month.

This just proves that the simplest of ideas, just a little bit of imagination, can produce amazing things. I salute SunRidge Farms and their commitment to the environment. I hope that small and large businesses out there can take SunRidge Farms’ idea and perhaps implement it in their company, or a variation of it. If it makes sense for your company, try doing something similar, or take SunRidge farm’s idea and add to it.

Paying employees may not be possible if you have a small business, but there must be others ways to make a difference. If you are serious about making your company greener, no matter its size, why not have a round-table discussion and brainstorm how you can ‘green’ your business. If your company does not have a recycling program, that is a good place to start. If your business receives or makes deliveries it makes sense to institute a policy where all delivery drivers are allowed to idle their vehicles for no more than 2 or 3 minutes before having to shut the engine off.

Let SunRidge Farms’ bike-to-work program inspire you. Small changes can lead to greater ideas and perhaps your business can come up with a simple yet important idea to make it a greener company. You may even want to share your ideas with our readers by leaving a comment below. Simple ideas and positive changes is where green business begins.

]]> http://www.futureofbusiness.info/sunridge-farms-bike-to-work-program/feed/ 6 http://www.futureofbusiness.info/tsx-clean-technology-index/ http://www.futureofbusiness.info/tsx-clean-technology-index/#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:55:30 +0000 robertludvig http://www.futureofbusiness.info/?p=1366 A great piece of news has come out of Toronto, Canada. The S&P/TSX Clean Technology Index has been launched. The potential growth of clean tech companies over the next decade is incredible  with the stock market, patient investors and the environment reaping the rewards. The world’s future depends on the rapid expansion and utilization of clean technologies. We cheer the launch of the S&P/TSX Clean Technology Index and hope it becomes a leading indicator of this very exciting area of business and finance.

The index will track the following companies.

Whatever their motives, investing in socially responsibility investment vehicles is on the rise, and because of this the Nasdaq and Deutsche Bank joined forces to create a new index that monitors the global clean technology sector. These two well respected financial institutions have created  DB NASDAQ OMX Clean Tech Index (DBCC) which is made up of 119 companies with at least 33% of their revenues generated from clean technologies.

Climate change is a threat to the world, there is no doubt about it in my mind. If these types of indices have been created, and new ethical mutual funds can easily be bought and sold in the marketplace, the business community has come a long way. These are by no means fly-by-night operations. This is here to stay and the strength, size and scope of green business will increase at an alarming rate over the next few years. With Government money flowing into green technologies at a rapid rate and bright and ambitious entrepreneurs, coupled with well established and seasoned corporations getting on board, green business will thrive and may lead financial markets over the next decade.

With the change to green energy, wind, solar and geothermal energy will create green jobs by the thousands. It will not happen over night. This transition may take decades – yes, I use the plural. The transition to these new and clean forms of energy has begun, and with it green jobs have also slowly made their way into middle America. The need for solar panel installers is growing. Did anyone truly believe that this type of job would be possible for the average American to have? Now it is, and it will only continue to be, a skill that will be in demand as time passes and clean energy becomes mainstream.

Government spoke and now they are accountable to the American people. America is not only waiting for this new energy and job opportunities, they are expecting it. Green business leaders are demanding tax incentives as a motivator from government to speed things up. Only a cynic believes that things will stay the same. The entrepreneur is the one who sees the transition to clean technologies as one of the greatest opportunities in the history of business.

The 21st century is known as the information age, but it will also be the time in history where protecting our environment pushed America through this horrible recession. It may not be the only factor that gets us through it, but it will be a very important reason. What was old will be new again and with it prosperity will come for those who embrace it fully. Don’t watch the train go by without jumping on board and joining the tens of thousands of people who will one day have a green job working in a wind turbine factory, or installing solar panels on homes throughout America.

Obtain the skills now by contacting local solar power companies that sell their products to businesses who want to transition green. Talk with like-minded individuals who care for the environment and want to help preserve it by getting a green job. The time is now.

Today I came across a green business with a twist and I just could not resist showcasing it. GreenSingles brings together people who are conscious about the environment. It is a wonderful way to meet someone who shares the same passion about the environment as you do. Although not a green business in the traditional sense, GreenSingles.com offers a unique opportunity for the environmentalist. I knew I liked this website after I read a quote from it. “It’s not The Environment, it’s Our Environment.

Another interesting tidbit about GreenSingles.com is that it has a section called Green Market. This area of the website allows people to place free advertisements to promote their green business or green service. So if you are eco-conscious and you’ve have been looking for love in all the wrong places, your luck just might turn around here.

John Grant is an optimist by nature and the author of the book The Green Marketing Manifesto. He consults companies on going green in the areas of marketing and innovation. His best advice to a business person who asks the question, “where do I start” is simply one word – innovation. Mr.Grant asks companies, what is the one thing that is five or ten years ahead of everyone else and moving things forward? Everything else will fall into place if one focuses on the advancement of products and services. By jumping in fearlessly, businesses can immediately begin the transition to becoming a greener company. Mr.Grant also believes businesses are making mistakes by telling the public just how many wonderful things they are doing to help the environment. Allowing your company’s green products or services speak for itself is a much more effective way to gain credibility in the green economy.

Obviously, many small businesses that want to transition to becoming a green business don’t have the one magic bullet, but what they do have is the passion to make small and subtle changes that will positively impact the environment and hopefully their company’s bottom line.

Jim Haywood is the Environment Director for an organization called Business In The Community. Working through the Prince’s May Day Network, Mr.Haywood  leads a small team that focuses on climate change. His organization  tries to get businesses to commit to take action against harming the environment by working with business to show how they impact society and the environment.

Jim believes that in the United Kingdom, businesses contribute to at least 40% of the emissions that leads to negative climate changes.

The Prince’s May Day Network, was founded by the Prince of Wales in 2007. Over 1300 business have signed up and are committed to running their business in a environmentally friendly way. These businesses have also committed to spread the word with regards to the urgency of climate change, and to empower the businesses community as well as individuals to show them that everyone can make a difference.

Mr.Haywood accomplishes these goals by empowering employees of these businesses to make a difference both at home and at work, including working with their supply chain – this is how one person can effect the actions of many within the business community. The next step is to look at the customers and ask how they can provide services and products to live in a more environmentally friendy way. Mr.Haywood stresses that one of the most important things businesses can do is to show leadership.