The snapshot above is just one of the nearly 150 rebates and/or incentives available to companies located in San Diego, Ca.  In this example, the local utility will give a maximum incentive of $350,000 for a variety energy efficiency measures.  Very impressive considering this is from a utility company that makes money when we use electricity. This came directly from the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.

This is the best resource to find rebates and incentives in your area, check it  out at: DSIRE.  I’ve mentioned it in other posts and can’t stress enough how valuable this information can be for your business.  It’s like a ‘rebate’ Google- not pretty to look at but has all of the info you need.

That’s it, short post today.

There are obvious reasons green is good for business:

• Increased profits
• Lowered expenses
• New customers, new revenue streams
• Increased branding, etc.

However there are 2 other reasons that make getting money  very compelling to pursue.  It’s important to note that we’re not talking about getting 20 bucks to replace your light-bulbs.  Think in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The reasons are:

1. The government wants to give money to ‘green’ companies.
2. Their definition of ‘green company’ is very loosely defined.

It’s #2 that’s most important to businesses right now.  There is no national certification or designation to qualify a business as a green business.  Here’s an example on a personal level:

To be an attorney, you need to graduate law school and pass the Bar.  Those are the standard requirements that are part of the definition of ‘attorney’.  I am an eco-consultant and green business strategist.  Although I have several certifications (Energy Star Partner, Certified Green Building Professional, etc.) there isn’t a national test or designation for my line of work.  Thus anyone can call themselves an ‘eco-consultant’, regardless of their experience or qualifications.  Thus a grey area exists since a standard has not been set.

This grey area is one of tremendous opportunity to many businesses.  If you are greening your business or committed to ‘green’ you might be able to take advantage of this current climate. In fact, there are rebate programs out there that let the customer decide how big the rebates should be and the terms.  There are also programs that let customers submit a proposal to receive an incentive that isn’t offered yet.  Here’s how that works:

Let’s say you run a printing business out of a small warehouse.  A new printing press is invented that costs $300,000 but will reduce your energy use by 40% and your carbon footprint by 70%.  You can petition your utility company and/or city  to receive a rebate, tax credit or incentive to purchase that equipment.  Because your city just received $50M for energy efficiency measures from the Obama administrations stimulus package, you could get a $250,000 tax credit or they may subsidize the purchase of the equipment.

So, how do you leverage this opportunity?  Here are three places to start:

1. Contact your local utility and city offices and see what rebates/incentive programs they offer businesses in your area.
2. Check out Recovery.gov to see how much money your city has received. I live and work in Encinitas, California (population 58,000) and we received $8,526,582 in stimulus funds.
3. Determine what energy efficiency equipment or processes you need that would be best to petition for rebates/incentives.

This can be an arduous endeavor but the returns can be fantastic.  You might be able to green your entire operation on Uncle Sam’s dime and increase revenues and positive branding in the process. 

For more information or to see which programs might be available for your business, please fill out the form below.

You know that pimply-faced 22 year old guy with the ‘Go Green’ t-shirt you see in the coffee shop every day?  Well there’s a good chance he could do wonders for your company’s green business strategy (maybe not John Belushi, though).  Put simply, having an intern help with your green business initiatives can be an inexpensive way to move your business forward.  Here’s why:

• College students need experience (especially in this economy).
• Students passionate about ‘green’ are usually fanatical.  Like Boston Red Sox fan fanatical.
• They know more about ‘green’ then you do. (This is a good thing).

I have used ‘green’ interns successfully for the last 4 years. Green interns can be crucial to handling the tactical part of your green business strategy.  Once you’ve determined the strategy, they can help you execute it.  Because they are typically so passionate about sustainability they are enthusiastic and hard-working.  Unlike other members of your company who may feel the boss’s green business “inititiave” was thrust upon them, Interns welcome the work.  The typical reasons clients have told me why they have NOT pursued getting a green intern:

1. “I can’t afford it”
2. “I won’t find anyone good/qualified to hire”
3. “I don’t know what to have them do/My company is too small to need one”

Allow me to tackle these one-by-one based on my experience:

1. “I can’t afford it” – 95% of the interns I have hired over the last 4 years have worked for free.  Most did it to get credit at school or for the experience. Few do it for money (surprisingly).
2. “I won’t find anyone good/qualified to hire”- I received over 65 applicants in 2 days for the last unpaid internship ad I posted. Many had college degrees, some had masters, almost all were more than qualified.
3. “I don’t know what to have them do/My company is too small to need one” – I run a one person consultancy and have had up to 4 unpaid interns working at one time for me. There is plenty you can have them do.

Some of the work I have had my interns do over the last several years (in no specific order):

• Identify the number, type, size of every light-bulb and light fixture in a clients 70,000 square foot building.
• Research all applicable rebates and tax credits for a multi-family property client including landscaping, plumbing fixtures, HVAC, etc.
• Research my clients competitors to see their ‘green’ position so that I could give my client some unique competitive advantages.
• Twitter about my upcoming events, blog posts, etc.
• Create a comparison chart of the top 15 waterless urinals for a clients restaurant property including rebates, performance, ease of install, etc.This was a fun one…
• Compile a national list of green vendors that I recommend.
• Schedule and coordinate green speaking events and workshops I have conducted.
• Attended client meetings and taken notes.
• Research no-VOC paint manufacturers located in the US.
• Order green business cards, letterhead, etc.

So you can see that there’s plenty for them to do.  More importantly, when your green intern is doing it, it means your staff is not.  Their time, therefore, is saved.  To find qualified interns I have posted ads through local colleges, Monster, Careerbuilder, local papers and Craigslist.  Craigslist (by far) delivers the best applicants in the shortest amount of time.  It is the only place I post now.  I have also used the same ad for the last few years and have found it be extremely effective.

Green interns can be a very valuable tool for you to use to help your business go green.  Used correctly, they will deliver tremendous results, work hard and thoroughly enjoy the experience.  To say nothing of the positive branding you get by being a company that has interns solely dedicated to your sustainable business efforts.

For a free copy of the ad I use to hire interns, please email below.

The Wall Street Journal reported today that the PGA has lost considerable revenue, viewership and sponsorships since Tiger Woods decided to take a leave of absence recently. Certainly that’s not surprising since Tiger has been the most electrifying golfer of the last 10+ years. What is surprising and should serve as a wake-up call for any business leader is that it could have been avoided. The PGA based the majority of it’s popularity (re: revenue) on Tiger. They didn’t have a Plan B. Now that he is gone, they are getting crushed.

• Have Tiger?  Good for business
• Tiger gone? Bad for business

How does this relate to ‘green’ business? The PGA is much like many businesses today. Humming along, doing their thing but largely ignoring (or doing very little) about sustainability. Right now, that’s ok (for them)- very much like when Tiger was in the mix. At any moment though, a new law, a new regulation, some form of public opinion/outcry could force businesses to suddenly turn on a dime and act on ‘green’. Many businesses will fail because they  arent’t ready to handle it.

So what do you do to make sure this doesn’t happen to you?  Do two things that some of my best clients have done:

1. Prepare for what could happen with ‘green’ in your industry. In The Now Investments, a client in the real estate investment field, saw that their prospects were beginning to be more  interested in ‘green’.  We worked together to develop and implement a green strategy and here are the results thus far:

• They are light years ahead of their competition.  No one is doing what they are doing so they don’t compete on price.
• New revenue streams are now open.  They are now selling to new, untapped markets that were previously closed to them.
• They are fully prepared for any new green building laws and regulations.

1. Create a ‘green’ competitive advantage. Any company that gets in front of the ‘green’ initiative creates a compelling competitive advantage for two reasons.  First, most companies don’t plan for or focus on green.  They don’t see it as a revenue generator so it goes on the back burner.  Second, the perception of ‘green’ is moving away from just the environmental definitions.  Increasingly consumers view a ‘green’ business as being:

• High-Performance
• Cutting edge
• Hyper-efficient

What company wouldn’t want those definitions applied to them?

So take a lesson from the PGA.  Set yourself up for success and prepare for what could happen, not just what you think is going to happen. You’ll be glad you did.

For more information on creating a green business strategy for your company, please fill out the form below:

• Spend too much money
• Sacrifice too much time
• Lose revenue, lose focus on your most important business goals

• Hyper-efficient
• Stewards of the environment- because it makes them/saves them $$
• Resourceful- leveraging rebates/tax credits/incentives available to them

If you aren’t gaining a 10 to 1 return on your green business strategy then it’s time to change tactics.  Now, your company’s green business strategy may involve nothing more than swapping out light bulbs and adding blue recycling bins to this point.  With that said, let’s assume the following:

• You realize than sustainability is one of the great challenges/opportunities facing your company.
• There is no leader in your industry to mirror to determine your sustainable business plan.
• Your customers are beginning to question what you are doing about green.

The 10-to-1 return rule simply means that you should expect 10x return on every green business process/tactic/strategy you develop.  When you look at sustainability through this lens, it will clarify what you should be focused on and quite frankly, what you can forget about.  The 10-to-1 rule applies to the following:

• The return on your investment (i.e. your profit)
• The environmental improvement you’re making (for ex- 10x reduction in paper use)
• Healthier workplace (for ex- indoor air quality is 10x better due to…)

The key to applying the 10-to-1 return rule is in asking the right questions.  Consider 2 questions regarding solar:

1. “Should we consider adding solar to our building?”
2. “What would we need to do to gain a 10x return on a potential solar investment?”

Most companies only ask Question 1 and don’t establish the right framework for making a decision.  Question 2 starts at the minimum return you want and works backwards to see what you’d need to do to attain it.  You’ll either find the efforts needed doable or too complicated/expensive to pursue.  Then (and only then) can you make an intelligent decision.

In many ways, effective strategy is like a game plan for an NFL football game. The best teams put themselves in the best position to win before the game by asking the right questions.  The  Saints dominated the Cardinals in their recent playoff game.  Instead of asking: “Should we run the ball or pass against the Cardinals?”, they asked “What do we need to do to get our offense and special teams in the right situations to score points?”

It’s a subtle difference, but asking the right questions and applying to 10-to-1 return rule can do wonders for your business.

Is your green brand positive or negative?

Every company, no matter the industry has a green brand, even yours.  You may not have given it to yourself and may not even know about it but you have one.  With  constant media attention on green living, green business, etc. there is a green brand for every company.  In lieu of one you create, you get the one your customers give you.

Here are your three choices and their outcomes:

1. “Green Company” – Good
2. “Not a green company” – Bad
3.  “Don’t know if they are a green company” – Really bad

Fortunately for you, most of your competitors fall into the #2 or #3 categories. You may be there right now but let’s assume that since you’re reading this that will be short-term.  So you will have a competitive advantage.

Think of your green brand as a see-saw.  You’re either up or down, very rarely right in the middle.  So your company exists on a continuum between positive green brand and negative green brand.  Luckily as you continue in the positive direction, you gain momentum.  It becomes easier to be a green company and your green brand improves.

At a certain point you break through the threshold and become an untouchable company.  Think Patagonia-like status.  Or Apple.  Both companies have their detractors but their customers are fanatically loyal and evangelistic.  Their customers also forgive their occasional mistakes because they are connected to the company on a visceral level.  Last time I went into Patagonia and the Apple store they were both packed.

So consider 3 things:

1. What is your green brand?
2. Who is defining it?  You? Your customers? Your competitors?
3.  What are you doing about it?

Let’s talk about you. Is your green brand positive or negative? 
Fill out the short fom and let’s take a closer look at your brand.

If Michael Jordan coached me for a day, how much better would I be at basketball? Spending a day with an expert can reap long-term benefits for you and your company.

In a session with a client we determined that the alternative energy contract he was about to sign was going to cost him $1.2M MORE than he needed to spend. Literally in a 20 minute meeting in a cramped, 1-window office we saved him $1.2M and roughly 1000 hours of employee labor (his calculation).  I should have charged him more…

With that said, I’m happy to launch a Green Coaching Day Program.  Info here: Green Coaching Day Program.

You get me onsite at your location for an entire day. At the end of the day you’ll have blueprint for sustainability for your company and specific action steps that you can take to:

• Slash your operational expenses.
• Gain significant competitive advantage.
• Increase revenues.
• Discover new revenue streams.
• Etc.

For more info, click here.

Below is a simple breakdown of typical client results after implementing a green business strategy. Included are the methodologies used to attain them.

1. Action: Create a green marketing strategy including your green message and branding. Develop an authentic green message for your business. Result: More profitable client relationships, new customers, competitive advantage, favorable PR and media attention, etc.

2. Action: Audit the power use of your company. Determine what conservation methods should be implemented and what renewable energy methods (if any) should be pursued. Result: 25-45% reduction in electricity bills.

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Insurance companies are climbing on the green bandwagon.  Some examples:

• The California Insurance Department last month approved a plan to let insurers adjust their fees if their customers drive less

• Insurers have started lowering premiums for property owners (residential and businesses) that have installing energy efficient devices or eco-friendly materials.  On the commercial side, buildings with Energy Star or LEED certification qualify for lower premiums.

• Starting in May 2010, large insurance companies (under a directive of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners) will be required to “summarize steps it has taken to encourage policy holders to reduce the losses caused by  climate change influenced events” (i.e. excessive driving, poor building design and operations, etc.).

This has created a Perfect Storm of opportunity for businesses. Why?

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