GreenBusinessOwner.com Adds In-Feature Comments

After WAY too much time trying to figure out how to make our green business opportunity website more interactive and user friendly for everyone, we have finally managed to make reader comments and discussions possible from every article and feature page on the site. I’m sure a talented programmer could have made it happen in about two minutes flat, but it took us a few months longer than that.

Our original membership based forum system just never fit with our dedication to help anyone and everyone. We were sensitive that some people just don’t want to reveal anything about themselves or give their email in order to take advantage of a web page. With our new system, a reader can leave a message, make comments, or ask a question, revealing only a nickname.

Anyway, feel free to come by and discuss what you see!

www.GreenBusinessOwner.com

Green Jobs Available

With all the talk of green jobs aplenty just around the corner, there are a lot of questions about exactly how to launch a green career, what skills will be needed, where the jobs will be, and how best to prepare for green careers. If you are looking for a new job in the green economy, here is a resource that puts some of the nation’s top green career experts in your corner. Also, take a look at two job posting services that list nothing but positions in sustainability, green construction, alternative energy, solar, wind energy, and the like…Read the rest HERE

The Green Economy Demands Greatness

Increasingly, environmental stewardship and responsibility are expected behaviors across the nation. Small businesses are catching on and scrambling to clean up their operations. There is a call for talented Green Business Consultants with the right skill set in business, ecology, environmental studies, sustainable construction, or science. Becoming a Green Business Consultant could be a rewarding move in many ways…Read the rest of this article on GreenBusinessOwner.com

Funding Your Green Business May Be Easier Than You Think

With the credit markets across the US in absolute shambles, it is becoming nearly impossible for some small businesses to find funding for launch, operation, or growth. Do you need cash to launch or grow your Green Small Business? Consider open-market peer-to-peer funding options through internet auction based financial service company, Prosper. As a thoughful business owner in the green market, you may be in a uniquely attractive position for peer-to-peer lenders . . . Read the rest of this article on GreenBusinessOwner.com

Inkjet Continuous Ink Supply Systems

Save on your color ink supplies and keep dozens of spent ink cartridges out of the landfill. Simple aftermarket Continuous Ink Systems for your inkjet printer can save you hundreds on your color printing costs and make a difference in your waste stream . . . Read The Rest of This Article

Create Digital Content For the Amazon Kindle and Publish Without Paper

The ebook was supposed to revolutionize the publishing industry–no more agents, editors, marketing departments, or lowest common denominator literature. No more forests churned into wood pulp for the next horror novel. Most agree the ebook failed. But what about the massive and growing market for e-reader content? Amazon has opened up the path to publishing for their popular Kindle digital reader. For budding authors, self-publishers, and small publishing houses, this could be an eco-friendly path to a huge waiting audience . . . Keep Reading On GreenBusinessOwner.com

The Paperless Office – Finally More Than A Marketing Slogan

For years, the promise of the paperless office has been central to the marketing hype of every new scanner, computer, office gadget, or fax machine. With paper costs climbing and simple software solutions available for free, it may be time to take a serious look at putting your company on a paper diet and enjoying both time and resource efficiency . . . Keep Reading On GreenBusinessOwner.com

The New Honda Insight Hybrid

Recently Honda revealed the new concept car to hold the previously retired “Insight” badge at the Paris Auto Show. The car looks to be a great value, but Toyota’s plan for for a plugin Prius could change the whole gas-electric hybrid game . . . Keep Reading On GreenBusinessOwner.com

Green MBA Programs

There is a demand in American business for professionals who understand the basic concepts of sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and the triple bottom line approach to commerce. Increasingly, corporations are turning to graduates from MBA in Sustainable Business or Green MBA programs. More and more schools are offering the track, and some of the best have low residency/distance education programs . . . keep reading on GreenBusinessOwner.com

China Poised to Overtake US In Cleaner Tech?

For years, we’ve been hearing the dire predictions of environmental catastrophe looming from China. The environmental impact of billions of rural Chinese as they pursue, and rapidly close in on, the living standards and consumption patterns of Western economies is truly frightening.

Nearly all reports from China regarding the environment are still troubling. Chinese cities are still grossly polluted. Air quality in many, if not most, Chinese cities far exceeds even the most lax environmental standards. A new heavily polluting coal fired micro power plant goes online in China each week to meet the skyrocketing demand for electricity generation. Clearly, the environmental challenges in China are a major global concern, yet they are making a few initial strides to clean up their act—and some analysts argue that they are poised to move far faster than US industries toward cleaner technology.

In a San Francisco Chronicle article this week (Friday, June 14th, 2008) Andrew S. Ross described the US-China Clean Tech Summit held there. The two-day conference brought together a number of well-known speakers from US players in clean tech and green business.

Of note  to GreenBusinessOwner.com readers was Ross’s report of Steve Westley’s address to the group. Westley is former California State Controller and an eBay senior executive. He now heads the Westley Group, an investment firm. Westley recently invested in China Energy Recovery, a firm that removes and reprocesses waste from booming Chinese manufacturing facilities. He reported that he is considering more investment in the area as China moves to address its environmental challenges.

Westley also warned that China could easily move ahead of US interests in clean technology should they follow recent patterns of development. The Chinese have already shown remarkable ability to quickly adopt and adapt western manufacturing practices and technology. They have been following the lead of US businesses with great aplomb, but increasingly US industries are finding themselves in the position of reacting to Chinese business developments and trends. It is not that much of a stretch to imagine us following them in the not too distant future as the Chinese add innovation to their growing stable of strengths.

China has recognized that they have an environmental problem, have seen that they can address those problems, and may well be recognizing the economic, if not social, benefits of adopting more sustainable business practices. All the while US industry has either dragged their feet or boldly lobbied against alternative energy, fuel efficiency, environmental controls, and any number of environmental controls. If China fully picks up the mantra of cleaner business practices, sustainability and clean technology and puts the momentous effort that the country is becoming famous for behind the movement, the United States could be left in the dust.

Certainly, not everyone agrees with Westley’s assumptions or predictions, but he does make a convincing and clearly conceivable case.

Along with Ross’ article in the same San Francisco Chronicle edition there was an Associated Press report of many US companies delaying alternative energy projects due to a combination of the tight credit market and the (probably temporary) drop in fuel prices. BP-Solar and T. Boone Pickens have reported this week that they will be either delaying or severely scaling back their active alternative energy projects.

Wonder if the Chinese are paying attention to those decisions…

Dave

www.GreenBusinessOwner.com