Finding the Green Opportunity of Your Dreams

Step 1:  Getting Started with the RISE Test

By Glenn Croston:

Author of “Starting Green: An Ecopreneur’s Toolkit to Starting a Green Business” and “75 Green Businesses You Can Start to Make Money and Make a Difference”

Introduction

Green business is not just a fad – it’s good business.  Sustainability is one of the most important business trends of our time, creating opportunities and careers throughout the economy.  The drive to be cleaner, more efficient, and less wasteful is transforming our buildings, transportation, water, food, retail, services, schools, appliances, offices, farms, restaurants, plastics, clothing, furniture, and just about anything else you can think of.  It is not just limited to businesses considered green either – a growing number of Fortune 500 businesses have major sustainability efforts underway, finding it an essential part of staying competitive.  With such sweeping changes underway and even greater changes ahead, now is the time to be a part of the shift toward sustainability.

The RISE Test is your first step to being a part of it.

While there are green business and career opportunities for people from every background, the answers are not one size fits all.  We each have our own unique skills, experiences, resources, environment, and passions that make us who we are. 

The RISE Test (Resource Inventory Self Evaluation) seeks out and identifies all of your assets that can help you start a green business or career.  The resources RISE looks at are external like time, money, or equipment, and internal like skills, passions, aptitudes, and experience.  Write down your answers to take the next step, finding the opportunity that is the best match for you.

The opportunity you’re looking for may not be obvious at first - contact me and I will work directly with you on the full RISE evaluation, helping you find the opportunity that is the best match for you.  We face many challenges but also great opportunities.  Now is the time to RISE to the occasion and get started on your way to joining the green economy today.

Glenn Croston

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Section 1 – What skills and aptitudes do you have?

Whether you are just starting in your professional life or have worked for many years, you have skills that the green business world needs.  These may come from jobs, training, formal education, hobbies, on-line courses, or from the school of life.  You may not see how your skills are related to green businesses, but as green goes mainstream the skills that are needed included sales, marketing, finances, and many other skills commonly used in other industries.  Possible skills to consider include those in the list below, but this list is only a start.  Your skills and aptitudes could be almost anything so don’t feel constrained to what is on the list, or what you think the desired answers are. 

·         Science or Engineering (if so, what kind)

·         Sales and Marketing

·         Communication and Writing

·         Training and education

·         Electrical and mechanical

·         Financial, accounting

·         Business Management

·         Languages

·         Computer/IT skills

·         Design and artistic talent

·         Craftwork (making things with your hands)

·         Property management, real estate

·         Construction

·         Business management

Section 2 - What experience do you have?

Your resume may not tell your whole story but it should at least tell people your complete work history and how it has prepared you for the green economy.  Before you leap into something completely different, consider a fresh angle on a field you already know.  Are you an electrician?  Consider studying solar.  Worked in retail?  Consider green retail, or greening an existing retail business.  If nothing close to your current experience will work for you in the next phase of your career, then think more broadly.  Thinking through these questions will also help you to target your resume for new fields you want to enter.

·         What college or post-graduate degrees do you have? 

·         Formal certifications? 

·         Where have you worked?  Include internships, volunteer positions, work/study and other activities.

·         How are the above related to businesses or careers in the green economy?

Section 3 – What external resources do you have?

In addition to internal resources, we each have a variety of external resources that can help us start a business or a new career.  Don’t think of what you lack, but of the resources you do have.  If you don’t think you have any, think again.  Rather than saying you don’t have any time, think how many hours you can set aside each week to start working on something new.  The same goes for money.  If you don’t have much, don’t let that stop you.  Get creative.  What tools do you have?  Don’t forget your network of people you know – this is often an invaluable resource when it comes to making contacts for your new venture.  Consider the following, trying to list how much of each you can commit to a new business or career.

·         Money (How much can you commit to the business?)

·         Time (How many hours can you commit to the business each week)

·         Computer and software

·         Car or truck

·         Network of contacts, including social networking (in what fields?)

·         Professional organizations you belong to

·         Office (in your home, or elsewhere?)

·         Tools and other equipment 

Section 4 - Where are you?

The green economy is growing around the world but is not evenly distributed.  Despite the flattening of the world’s economy, there are still strong local influences on opportunities for businesses or careers.  The economies of London, Los Angeles, or Portland share many features, but are unique in many ways as well.   

·         What industries are strong in your region?  Maybe businesses related to those industries are a good place to look for partners.  

·         Do you live in an urban environment, suburban, or more rural?  

·         How strong is interest in green products and services where you live?

·         Are there local regulations or incentives where you live that are not present everywhere else, such as requirements for non-disposable shopping bags, or green building codes? 

·         What industries are shrinking?  These offer resources that are no longer being fully utilized like trained workers or empty warehouses.  If construction is down, there is an opportunity for construction related resources to be used for energy efficiency retrofits, for example. 

Section 5 – What do you love?

Last, but definitely not least, consider what you really love in life and your work.  What gets you excited when you think about the future?  This provides a strong indication of the direction you should consider taking in your professional life.  No matter what your head says, it’s hard to succeed if your heart lies somewhere else.  What do you daydream about?  Having a clear idea of what you want is important for success, particularly with new ventures.  Green businesses are easy to get excited about, providing both economic opportunity as well as the opportunity to make a difference in the world so this helps.

The Next Step – Getting Started

This initial self-assessment is only the first step.  Finding the right opportunity that matches your resources is the next step.  Thinking about this on your own and talking to friends is helpful, and I’m happy to help as well.  Working directly with you, I’ll be your personal consultant and green business expert to help you find, start, and grow your own green business.  It's time to start in a new and better direction.  I'm looking forward to hearing from you. 

Talk to you soon,

Glenn Croston

About Glenn Croston

Glenn Croston is the author of “75 Green Businesses You Can Start to Make Money and Make a Difference” and “Starting Green: An Ecopreneur’s Toolkit for Starting a Green Business From Business Plan to Profits.”  He is the founder of Starting Up Green (www.StartingUpGreen.com), and a recognized expert on green businesses, consulting on the RISE analysis, business strategy, and greening operations.

For more information, contact Glenn Croston at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it