GreenBusinessOwner.com – run by Scott Cooney (pictured right) and his crew gets my vote for ‘most kick ass website for green business owners. ever.’
And it’s one that I watch with increasing excitement.
Here’s why…
Top 7 things I love about GreenBusinessOwner.com
1. You can attend a regular online Open House where mission-driven entrepreneurs can open a URL and join the web conference to ask a question about a challenge they face or an idea they have. The software is cool, too: you don’t have to rack up cell phone minutes or hold a phone to your ear–simply click on the Open House URL and you’re there.
2. You get access to a dedicated small business sustainability strategy series. This series of articles on his site is really focused on microenterprise and small business solutions for common challenges like strategic planning, customer service, and operations.
Scott’s interviewed well over a thousand mission-driven entrepreneurs from the time he ran a 250 page green business directory to the research for his book to this series, and you get the benefit of all that accumulated wisdom right there in one series of articles. Most recently, he interviewed Jeffrey Hollender, former CEO of Seventh Generation in one of the most intriguing articles I’ve read in a while.
3. You get access to regular free web classes entitled “Introduction to Green Entrepreneurship”. These teach
* What to expect from life as a social entrepreneur
* Personal and professional success factors and tips from veterans in the field
* How to connect your mission/vision to your customers’ wants and needs
(The next class is January 25th, from 6-8 PM EST, by the way – sign up here for announcements of all upcoming free web classes).
4. You get a Free Book! Scott’s book, Build a Green Small Business (McGraw-Hill) was described by Horst Rechelbacher (founder of Aveda) as “one of the most important reads to foster a global economic transition to a green economy”. The book is available for free (you pay only S&H) on his site. If you know anyone who is interested in starting a green business and needs to review some ideas, this is a killer gift!
5. You can explore their dedicated section for green products for small business (which includes energy saving devices and sustainable promotional tchatchkes).
6. You can also find amazing things in their dedicated section for green services for small business, including bamboo cabinetry and green printing services for advertising purposes.
7. Want to run a green business but don’t have an idea? Check out the ever-building list of startup ideas in the “Start a Green Business” section.
Plus . . . As a person, I just really like Scott. He really walks the talk. In addition to pledging his career to the green economy, Scott lives it, too. He hangs his clothes on a line, has an organic garden in his tiny San Francisco backyard, doesn’t own a car (out of choice), has been a vegetarian for 19 years, avidly supports both the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition as well as the plethora of farmer’s markets in the Bay Area, and routinely volunteers his time for worthy projects.
Yes, he does consulting work in business development for mission-driven entrepreneurs and managers. His client list is a fun who’s who of the small green business community.