by Tara Joyce | Jul 30, 2008 | Cultural Creativity
I want to run a green business
I am an environmentalist, a tree hugger, a dirty hippie and every day I do my best to lessen my impact on the earth.
My issue with calling Elastic Mind a ‘green business’ was that I didn’t want to be a hypocrite. I used recycled paper and a waterless printer. I employ renewable energy to power my office and buy recycled furniture to fill it. I compost, reuse everything I can (including shipping envelopes and twist ties), go to meetings using public transportation and really try and do my best every day.
Is That Enough?
That may sound great but is it enough to be able to call Elastic Mind a green business? I wasn’t so sure since there is always more that I could do. For example, I sometimes run an air conditioner (which I borrowed, not bought) on super hot days so my Mac doesn’t overheat and explode. Is that really necessary? Could I live without it? Of course. So maybe my business practices aren’t good enough?
What Makes a Business Green
John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing would argue they are. Here are his ideas for what makes a business green. They are reasonable, attainable and fair and prevent crazies like me from calling themselves hypocrites just because they have an air conditioner.
by Tara Joyce | Jul 30, 2008 | Innerpreneurship, Self/Business Growth
My Shameful Secret
I have something to admit. I never wrote a business plan for Elastic Mind. I never really saw the value in it for me. I started writing something resembling a business plan a few months back but it was only to appease the banks. I haven’t needed their money yet so the business plan sits in a folder, scribbled on, looking sad, in my filing cabinet.
I really wanted to write one. But only because I thought I ‘should’ as I was told over and over in business school (Wilfrid Laurier University) that business plans mattered. Plus, every entrepreneurial website (and I have been to a few) encourages you to write one and banks won’t talk to you if you don’t have one.
Business Plans, Are They Your Friend?
But putting the need for a loan or line of credit aside, is there value in them? I’d say no, at least in the traditional sense. I never understood the point of spending countless hours planning something out that will only change and shift and likely never resemble the original plan in the first place. What I do understand is having a vision and goal for your company and following it.
Create a Non-Traditional Business Plan
Since I usually feel alone in a lot of my views, I get happy when I find a like-minded individual. Wise Bread argues that you can create the non-traditional business plan you need by answering 4 questions.
They are:
- What is your product or service?
- Who are your customers?
- When will things get done?
- When are bills due and when do you get paid?
If you can answer those questions, you’ve got all the ‘business plan’ you need. At least until you start knocking at the bank’s door. And even then, they should have a business plan template that you can fill out. No need to spend money on business plan software or a business plan writer.
by Tara Joyce | Jul 26, 2008 | Innerpreneurship
Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t think you have the greatest new business idea. Most people don’t. – The Vision Myth
Think about what would make you happy and what you are truly good at before you decide to start your business. Follow those ideas. It’s all about exploring core values. – What are you core values?
by Tara Joyce | Jul 23, 2008 | Cultural Creativity
I wrote previously in my post, Wal-Mart, Sustainability and the Line, about businesses who are trying to improve their environmental practices. I asked where the line was for companies who businesses were not sustainable, i.e., Wal-Mart, but who were trying to adopt more sustainable business practices. I argued that the fact that they were doing something was better than doing nothing. Today, I read an interesting blog post that agrees and asks, How Bad Is Greenwashing, Really?
by Tara Joyce | Jul 16, 2008 | Innerpreneurship
As business owners committed to making a difference, it only makes sense to ensure your business processes are sustainable. A simple way to reduce your environmental impact is to use certified recycled paper and to print using only waterless printers.
Waterless Printing Defined
Waterless printing is a method of offset printing which is less environmentally damaging than conventional lithographic printing. Waterless printing takes advantage of modern technology to eliminate chemicals and water altogether.
Why traditional printing is bad for the environment
Traditionally, printing is a huge consumer of resources, including chemicals, water and energy. Waterless printing does not use dampening solutions, which contain alcohols or petroleum-based solvents. Such solutions contain more than 60% volatile organic compounds, which contribute to smog. A waterless press eliminates the need for up to 100,000 litres of water and 10,000 litres of alcohol per year consumed by a typical mid-size printer.
Pros of Waterless Printing
- better for the environment in that it removes the use of water and chemicals from printing
- higher degree of color consistency and color saturation and better detail
- produce more in less time; it saves you and your printer time
- recycled papers performed better on a waterless press than they do on a wet lithographic press
- less paper waste from the printing process
Cons of Waterless Printing
- it may cost more; this depends on the printer used
- printers using waterless printing are harder to find
The fact is, there really isn’t any reason why we shouldn’t all be using waterless printing. It is more a matter of lack of awareness than anything else. As this process grows in popularity, I’m sure we will be finding more printers cropping up.
