Green R3

Starting your own GREEN business

Looking to save the planet and start your own business?

Here are 10 businesses where you can do both.   I’ll split them up over multiple posts as it will take a while to read (and to write).

1. Eco-Friendly Furniture.  This one is close to my heart.  My Dad has been doing this for years, He started by helping people re-finish their antiques.   Basically, he would recover the old hardware, strip the furniture (not using an eco-friendly stripper I imagine but setting a good precedent), and repair any broken or missing pieces and re-finish it.   It was pretty profitable and kept him amused.   It reached the point when he was booked and just couldn’t keep up.

This is a service that requires a bit of skill but is a great part-time business to get started with and build yourself up a client base.

Another option is to recycle old discarded furniture and with using a bit of imagination, you can create your own design.   Take old windows and make table tops, use disposed chairs and create the legs and foundation for the table, shatter some coloured glass and use morter to create a mosaic underneath the old glass window.

Now for the hard part.   Selling it.   This takes a bit of work.   You can approach various retailers with your artwork or even venture into one of a kind craft shows in your neighbourhood.

This is an example of a designer who started using cardboard to create their eco-friendly designs.

Another designer, Peter Danko, uses similar methods.

Required:

Capital: $10,000 +(covers salary and tools)

Skills: basic tool knowledge and willingness to learn

IF furniture isn’t your thing, then try….

2. Green Cleaning Services.   This, like the option above, is another family business.   My Father-in-Law has a carpet cleaning business that uses all natural products.

Carpet cleaning isn’t just all there is to being an eco-friendly cleaner.   It starts with being aware of what chemicals other companies use so that you know what you’re competing against.

A good way to get a head start on the competition is knowing your (future) clients.   For example, Proctor & Gamble try to only use GREEN certified cleaners and services.   Another client would be a LEED building, these are buildings that are built using GREEN technologies.   Chances are that they will listen to you a bit more attentively then they would to your competition.

A good place to start is with that competition so you can at least get your hands dirty (no pun intended) in the business.   There is a skillset required in this business and not just anyone can jump into it.

Required:

Capital: $5000 + (salary + equipment)

Skills: Start working for someone part time or practice with friends and family to get acquainted to the skillset required.

Stay tuned for the next batch.