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39 Green Business Ideas for Sustainable Entrepreneurs

Meredith Wood

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

An eco-friendly business, or "green business" is one that demonstrates a commitment to an environmentally sustainable future. Green businesses strive to have a positive impact on the environment and their community. This can be achieved through many practices and strategies, from recycling to sourcing local products to promoting energy efficiency.

Sustainable and green business ideas combine your commitment to the environment with your goal of starting a business. Beyond that, they also deliver on revenue and profit. A study by Nielsen revealed that 66% of global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. If you want to launch a green business, get started with this article containing our top sustainable and green business ideas.

what is a green business plan

39 green business ideas

Here are 39 sustainable business ideas for you to consider if you want to go green.

1. Energy auditing and green consulting

Work with businesses or individuals to help them implement strategies to reduce their carbon footprint.

2. Garden planning

Landscape eco-friendly, sustainable gardens for families and businesses to feed themselves.

3. Environmental law

Provide legal services to protect the environment or hold entities accountable for violating environmental laws.

4. Composting business

Provide a service to pick up compost or a place to drop it off.

5. Green cleaning

Use eco-friendly products to clean homes and businesses.

6. Air duct cleaning

Dust and dirt can easily accumulate in air ducts, preventing the air conditioning system from working properly and thereby increasing energy consumption. Start an eco-friendly small business that serves to regularly clean air ducts to reduce energy consumption.

7. Fundraiser or grant writer

Many environmental organizations could use help getting funding . Start a career as a freelance grant writer to help them out.

8. Eco-friendly food supplier

Deliver food from local sources to people or businesses who need them. Farm-to-table restaurants are some of the businesses that you could help supply.

9. Eco restaurants

Open a restaurant that uses only locally sourced food and sustainable products and processes.

10. Organic nutritionist

This is a powerful sustainable business idea. Help people eat clean — it’s better for their health and our earth.

11. Wind power development

Build wind farms that produce sustainable energy.

12. Geothermal developer

Build power plants that use steam produced from reservoirs of hot water found a couple of miles or more below the Earth's surface.

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13. Solar panel manufacturer

Produce the energy-saving panels for homes and businesses.

14. Plant delivery service

Start an eco-friendly small business that sources and delivers plants to people or businesses that will help clean the air around them.

15. Open a used bookstore

Recycle old and gently books for a fraction of the price. You could do this either online or in-person with a brick-and-mortar location.

16. Green gift shop

As mentioned earlier, green products are a selling point. Why not open a store full of them?

17. Sell bicycles

One way to reduce carbon emissions is to reduce the number of people driving cars. One way to do that is by encouraging more people to ride bicycles.

18. Sell scooters

While scooters do emit carbon dioxide, they are much more energy-efficient than cars.

19. Energy-efficient car sales

Of course, people still want to drive cars. Why not sell more environmentally friendly car options?

20. Open a consignment or thrift store

How many clothes do you get rid of each year? Recycling old clothes is a great way to reduce the carbon footprint of each clothing item so they don’t go to waste.

21. Manufacture or sell eco-friendly fashion design

Many designers are making clothing from sustainable materials. You could be one of them, or you could sell them.

22. Environmental blog

Publish information and news about climate change and subjects of interest to the environment. Reap advertising payouts from your visitors while informing the public.

23. Advertising agency specializing in green business

With all the new green businesses and initiatives forming, they’re going to need someone to know how to bring all the good they're doing to a large audience, you could start a green business advertising agency.

24. Give bicycle tours

This is a great sustainable business idea for bicycle enthusiasts! Bike tours in your city are way more environmentally friendly than big ole bus tours or long joy rides.

25. Eco-travel planner

Plan eco-friendly travel destinations and activities for tourists.

26. Sustainable events planner

Offer event planning services that guarantee a reduced carbon footprint from the event.

27. Open an organic spa

Harsh chemicals are bad for your skin just as they are for the environment.

28. Recycled furniture and home goods

Use recycled materials to build furniture and home goods people use in their everyday lives. Or open an antique shop reselling older furniture or refurbishing it and reselling it.

29. Eco-friendly kids toys

A great eco-friendly small business idea for parents. Mainstream children’s toys use a ton of unsustainable materials. Why not give parents an environmentally conscious option for their kids.

30. Handmade clothing

If you've got a knack for sewing you can sell your handmade clothing online. A bonus if it’s from recycled materials.

31. Green remodeling

Green remodeling is the perfect green business idea for the handy entrepreneur. Take a worn down home and make it something new using sustainable materials and updated appliances that reduce carbon footprints.

32. Green architecture

Design new homes using sustainable methods.

33. Solar panel installation

Install solar panels for sustainable energy in homes or businesses.

34. Start a cooperative

Communal living easily reduces the carbon footprints of those living in them because everything is shared and the values of the building uphold sustainability.

35. Green venture capitalist

Invest in helping other people get their green business ideas off the ground.

36. Green financial planning

Sell “green bonds” to those looking to add environmentally conscious businesses to their portfolio.

37. Software

Build software programs made specifically to help businesses or individuals with environmental activities and initiatives.

Develop mobile apps designed to help people with environmentally friendly functions, like finding recycling centers or learning about the environmental practices of different brands.

39. Refurbish/recycle tech

Take people’s old and unused technology and recycle the parts or make something new.

Hopefully, these green business ideas have you excited about the possibilities — not only for profit but the pleasure of running a business that helps people lead greener lives and combining what you do with what you believe in. A value-led company is attractive to consumers — why not create one?

Benefits of starting a sustainable business

Green and sustainable business ideas deliver more than profits. Beyond the feel-good impact that comes with making the world a better place, environmentally conscious and green businesses cater to a rapidly growing market.

“Despite the fact that millennials are coming of age in one of the most difficult economic climates in the past 100 years,” according to a recent Nielsen global online study, “They continue to be most willing to pay extra for sustainable offerings — almost three-out-of-four respondents in the latest findings.”

Generation Z does not want to be left behind either: The rise in the percentage of respondents ages 15 to 20 who are willing to pay more for products and services that come from companies who are committed to positive social and environmental impact hovered around 72%.

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Businesses that establish sustainable or green values or practices have an opportunity to grow market share and build loyalty among consumers now and in the future.

Now is the time to pursue your sustainable business idea

There's never been a better time to launch a green or sustainable small business. We’ve undoubtedly seen a ton of change in the last year toward climate solutions and policy, especially as the implications of the Paris Agreement reverberated through businesses, industries, and investors.

“Companies continued to ratchet up their commitments and achievements on renewable energy, greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable supply chains, water and land stewardship, the circular economy, and other aspects of a sustainable enterprise,” according to GreenBiz . “Technology continued its inexorable march, accelerating sustainability solutions in energy, buildings, transportation, food, and just about everywhere else.”

However, global indicators continue to trend in troubling directions. Concentrations of carbon dioxide are unprecedented compared with the past 800,000 years according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, even after accounting for natural fluctuations. Global temperatures continue to rise, and other metrics — on coastal flooding, heat-related deaths, wildfires, polar sea ice, biodiversity, and more — are just as harrowing.

Suffice it to say that we have a major challenge on our hands. Of course, no one is going to solve climate change on their own. But if you’re looking for green business ideas you can do your part and start an environmentally conscious business.

On a similar note...

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23 Green Business Ideas for Eco-Minded Entrepreneurs

what is a green business plan

Table of Contents

Today’s consumers are just as interested in a business’s corporate social responsibility practices as they are in its products and services. This is good news for eco-minded entrepreneurs. If you’re interested in starting a company that can make a lasting environmental impact, consider the following 23 eco-friendly business ideas. You can simultaneously make money and help save the planet.

Ensure your green business genuinely prioritizes eco-friendly practices. Consumers are wary of greenwashing tactics — that is, when a company deceptively markets itself as green.

Green business ideas for eco-minded entrepreneurs

Eco-friendly companies may include outdoor apparel brands, businesses that make reusable plastic bottles, eco-friendly cleaning companies, businesses that install solar panels, a local recycling business, and many other potential ventures. If you want to start a business with a green, eco-friendly focus, consider any of the 23 ideas below.

1. Ink refill business

Starting an ink refill business can be an environmentally conscious — and highly profitable — decision. You might question whether refilling ink cartridges truly helps the environment considering the amount of paper wasted annually. However, when people reuse old ink cartridges, less nonbiodegradable waste accumulates in landfills. Paper, printers and copiers are still necessary in the business world, but empty ink containers are not.

2. Environmental publications

graphic of a man typing on a laptop at a desk

If you love to write, start your own environmentally minded publication. Your actions can make a big difference in the world. By debunking popular myths and sharing the truth about the world we live in, you can help consumers rethink how their actions affect the planet. 

Start your environmental publication by creating a blog or email newsletter and letting it build traction.

3. Green finance

Green finance focuses on supporting local, community-level projects with an emphasis on sustainable and ecologically friendly agriculture. Green finance is also typically concerned with educational opportunities, funding for artistic endeavors and projects that support local ecology. 

Green finance is preoccupied with social profitability. While actual profit margins remain crucial, green finance aims to support beneficial projects that provide value to the local community and ecology.

SBA loans can help launch your green endeavor. For example, SBA 504 loans are intended for community projects, which creates a way to intertwine monetary and social profitability.

4. Eco-friendly retail

The online clothing brand For Days provides an interesting twist on customer loyalty programs . Customers can purchase a “take-back bag” and send the company clothes they no longer use. In doing so, they earn rewards to spend on future For Days clothing purchases. 

Besides incentivizing sustainable clothes shopping, For Days partners with other leading brands in the sustainable textiles space, such as ADIUM and CARIUMA. If you’re thinking about opening a retail store , consider partnering with a company that has values similar to you and your customers.

5. Sustainable construction materials

graphic of two colleagues talking over architectural drawings and models

You might not think of construction as sustainable, but some companies now provide recycled materials for use in projects like infrastructure repair. 

For example, Axion hopes its eco-friendly products will change how companies think about rebuilding America’s infrastructure. Its railroad ties and pilings are made from recycled plastic from consumer and industrial uses instead of nonsustainable materials like steel and concrete. Axion has worked with major partners like Long Island Rail Road to improve infrastructure safely and sustainably in the United States.

6. Organic catering

As organic food sales skyrocket, eco-friendly foodies should consider starting an organic catering company to share their passion for food and the environment. You could work out of a food truck or a catering kitchen. If you cater local events and business luncheons with organic and locally grown ingredients, free-range meats, and vegan, gluten-free and paleo meal options, you’ll appeal to nature lovers and health and wellness enthusiasts alike. 

Be sure to minimize your venture’s environmental impact by avoiding plastic and paper goods as much as possible and by composting food waste.

7. Eco-friendly beauty salon

If cosmetology is your passion, start a beauty business that’s Mother Nature-approved. Open a salon that prioritizes organic and vegan hair and beauty products. Eco-friendly hair salons can stock all-natural shampoos and conditioners, while nail salons can use environmentally friendly and vegan polishes and spa treatments.

Choosing the right business location for your salon is crucial. Conduct research to understand area demographics, potential foot traffic and nearby competitors.

8. Eco-friendly landscaping

graphic of a gardener in an apron holding a green leafed plant

Professional landscaping may make your lawn and garden look nice, but all that maintenance isn’t necessarily great for the environment. With some eco-friendly advice and know-how, you can help homeowners make their yards literally and figuratively greener. Try using drought-resistant plants and strategically placed trees for a lawn that saves water, energy, and money.

Landscaping is also a business you can start quickly if you want to get your venture up and running right away.

9. Sustainable event planning

Whether big or small, meetings and events can generate large amounts of waste and consume valuable resources. Green event planners use their expertise and event-planning skills to find eco-friendly venues, materials and accommodations. 

Whether you’re planning a corporate event or a small party, sustainable event management benefits more than just the planet. There are financial advantages — plus it generates a positive image for event organizers, vendors and stakeholders while raising awareness and inspiring change in the community.

10. Bicycle repair and refurbishing

Biking short distances instead of driving is better for the environment and your health. Like most transportation modes, bicycles occasionally need a tune-up.

You could be the expert cyclists come to when their bikes need repairing or maintenance. If you have some extra space, you could purchase inexpensive older bikes, fix them up, and sell them for a profit.

According to University of Oxford research, replacing one of your car trips per day with a bike trip can lower your carbon emissions by 67 percent. Consumers interested in ending their commute are exactly the right audience for your bicycle repair and refurbishing businesses.

11. Handmade, all-natural and organic products

Soaps, cosmetics and cleaning products are just a few of the household items that can be made using common organic materials.

Sure, anyone can find a recipe for a sugar scrub or vinegar-based cleaning solution and do it themselves. However, if you package and sell these items in sets, your customers conveniently have those all-natural products at their fingertips. Local markets and events are excellent places to sell your products, or you can sell them online . 

12. Eco-consulting

Are you an expert on green living? Start an eco-consulting service. Eco-consultants evaluate homes and offer solutions to make them more environmentally friendly. 

You could advise clients on switching their home appliances to more energy-efficient machines or implementing a recycling program. To further boost your credibility, become a certified eco-consultant.

13. Farmers market vendor

graphic of a farmers market vendor

Thanks to the organic movement, those with a green thumb have a golden opportunity to earn money by selling non-GMO, pesticide-free produce at their local farmers market. 

Selling naturally grown fruits and vegetables gives you a distinct advantage over competing growers who use conventional farming methods, including pesticides. Note that you may have to be approved or certified by your local board of health before you can begin selling.

14. Green housekeeping services

For working parents, cleaning the house can be at the bottom of the to-do list. Market yourself as the green solution to their housekeeping woes by offering services that range from light dusting to heavy-duty chores like cleaning the kitchen and bathroom using only approved all-natural and eco-friendly cleaning products. 

Charge an hourly rate or create service packages for a flat fee. Remember, your clients are giving you access to their homes. Build a trustworthy reputation with people you know first before advertising to strangers.

15. Upcycled furniture

Don’t throw out your old, broken furniture. With basic templates and access to power tools, you can break down and reassemble chairs, tables and dressers into new pieces you can paint and sell. Shelving and storage units are easy to make from wood scraps. Depending on the item, you might even be able to fully restore a unique and valuable piece of furniture.

Alternatively, you could reupholster old chairs and couches to give them new life, and start an online resale business to market and sell your products

Scour Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and eBay to find old furniture to upcycle.

16. Green franchises

Want to run a business with a solid brand and customer base already in place? Opening a franchise might be the answer. While franchising might call to mind fast-food joints and hotel chains, there are many eco-friendly franchise businesses and franchises for every budget .

17. Secondhand store

graphic of a cashier in a clothing store

New things are typically expensive, and pretty soon, those costs add up. For example, a new book could cost $15 to $30, while a used book usually costs only a few dollars.

Opening a secondhand store saves your customers money and is better for the environment. Encourage consumers to donate their gently used items to you instead of tossing them in the trash so another person can get value from them. You can sell used clothes, coats, books, kitchen appliances and furniture. 

18. Green consulting

graphic of two people talking at a table next to a photo of a windmill

Green consulting is similar to eco-consulting but has a business focus. Whether it means cutting energy costs or reducing their carbon footprint, the pressure for businesses to make sustainability part of their business model is enormous, and that pressure is only going to grow.

Business sustainability consultant Barbara Englehart said there are numerous benefits for companies that go green, including reduced costs, risks and liabilities as well as increased employee retention and productivity.

“This is all [relatively] new in the business world, and companies need help,” Englehart explained. “They weren’t teaching sustainability in business schools five or 10 years ago.” 

19. Solar panel installation

Many green-minded homeowners have installed solar panels on their homes, and many more would like to do so. If you know how to do this, offer this service in your area.

20. Eco-friendly office cleaning

Common industrial cleaning products contain chemicals that contribute to pollution and can harm people. Starting an eco-friendly office cleaning business counters this problem. Your eco-friendly business can exclusively use nontoxic products or brands that minimize their use of single-use plastics. You can further decrease your company’s environmental impact by reusing greywater whenever possible. As a bonus, your client businesses can feel good about contracting with your services.

21. Reusable plastic bottles

Single-use plastics are indisputably a leading cause for concern among environmentalists. Offer people a way to drink water on the go without contributing to plastic pollution by launching a green industry business that designs, produces and sells reusable bottles. Explore alternative materials like metal or glass, bottles made from recycled plastic, or renewable plastics from materials like cornstarch or sawdust.

22. Environmental impact and carbon emissions lessons

Many people aren’t aware of the carbon emissions their daily activities produce and the impact those activities have on the environment. Offer classes to educate the public about how driving, using air conditioning in the summer, leaving lights on unnecessarily, flying and other activities contribute to carbon emissions. You can also teach people how to reduce the environmental impact of these activities.

23. Local eco-friendly recycling business

Chances are that your town’s department of public works oversees a public recycling program. However, many experts say that what you put in your recycling bin doesn’t always get recycled. Some municipalities don’t accept all types of recyclable containers, while others may not thoroughly sort the collected recycling. Open an eco-friendly local recycling business to guarantee your community that their goods are recycled.

Enhance your recycling business by refurbishing old technology like computers and printers.

What are the benefits of starting a green business?

Great reasons to start a green business include the following:

  • Green businesses have a built-in target audience. In 2020, 65 percent of people who responded to a Pew Research Center survey said the government wasn’t doing enough to combat climate change. Your business can target this vast consumer base and fill in the gap.
  • Green businesses attract top talent. Many of the 65 percent of people who think climate change needs to be addressed more aren’t just customers — they’re workers too. These people might inherently be more inclined to work for a green business like yours. Your green business pedigree can help you attract and retain top talent and boost employee retention efforts.
  • Green businesses have built-in marketing copy. Your eco-friendly offerings and environment-first mission statement are exactly what green shoppers are seeking. This makes writing marketing copy and devising campaigns uniquely intuitive.
  • Investors may be interested in your green business. Venture capitalists and angel investors often seek out the most innovative, unprecedented businesses to fund. Given the scope of the climate crisis, innovative green businesses may attract their attention. This is why launching a green company goes hand in hand with accessing business funding.

Given consumers’ increasing prioritization of sustainable products, services and companies, your business plan might be crystal-clear when launching an eco-friendly company.

What is a green industry business?

A green industry business uses sustainable materials to make its products. Green industry businesses aim to use as little water, energy and raw materials as possible while cutting carbon emissions, or they use these materials in renewable and eco-friendly ways. This business approach minimizes the company’s strain on natural resources and contributions to climate change. In some cases, if waste is generated, it is reused as energy or raw material.

What is a green business model?

With a traditional business model, a company outlines raw material budgets, design processes, and service delivery or product distribution methods. A green business model ensures ample revenue while prioritizing minimal environmental impact over maximum profit. It may involve the restricted use of fossil fuels while emphasizing power supplied by solar panels, as well as other approaches to drastically reduce energy consumption.

How do I start a green business?

As consumers have come to care about corporate social responsibility , a greater number of green businesses have emerged. However, the problems that climate change poses require many solutions. Thus, to start a green business, identify an eco-friendly service that no one in your market currently offers. Next, think of similarly eco-minded people who can join your team. 

As you launch your green business, change your lifestyle to reflect its values and services.

Get creative with your green business ideas 

Green business ideas can be great business ideas that merge sustainability and profit. This list is just a start. Get creative and even merge business ideas to create unique companies that provide one-of-a-kind green services. For example, you can offer recycling or donation alongside your professional organizing services. This way, once you’ve organized your clients’ homes, you ensure that whatever they’re not using anymore doesn’t go into a landfill. If you have a passion for protecting the environment, anything is possible.

Sammi Caramela contributed to this article.

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How to Develop a Small Business Sustainability Plan

If you’re a small business owner, you may be wondering what you’ll gain by adopting a small business sustainability plan. In a word, plenty! Regardless of your industry, adopting sustainable business practices can improve your bottom line—in both the traditional and the environmental sense.

Your cost savings, reduced risk, positive brand association, improvements to the environment and public health, and ability to meet demands for eco-conscientious products and services will more than offset the costs of up-front integration of sustainability initiatives. In other words, your small business sustainability plan’s initial costs are a wise investment!

what is a green business plan

What Is a Business Sustainability Plan?

A business sustainability plan is simply something an organization develops to achieve goals that create financial, societal and environmental sustainability. A business impacts communities and resources, so taking these steps to sustainability is in the best interests of the environment, the business owner and the consumer.

Reasons to Build a Sustainable Business

Making the case for a sustainable business is simple: an environmentally friendly business can be a profitable one. You can decrease your business’s negative impact on the environment and potentially save money. Just take it from the many  companies around the world that generate at least $1 billion a year in revenue from sustainable products or services. These companies manufacture everything from burritos to sports cars. Collectively, these businesses generate more than $100 billion in annual revenue from their green product lines alone, and they can outperform competitors by nearly 12 percent annually.

Small businesses can easily scale these practices and implement them in their own organizations through a small business sustainability plan. From saving money and promoting public health to improving public relations, the benefits of building a sustainable business might surprise you.

Benefits of a Small Business Sustainability Plan

  • Reduce energy use. From installing ENERGY STAR products and appliances to using LED light bulbs and automatic taps, if you reduce waste, you will increase your business’s efficiency, potentially save money on energy and contribute to overall small business sustainability. You can even start small: encourage employees in energy-saving practices such as turning off lights, carpooling, or telecommuting whenever possible.
  • Improve public health.  Be committed to going beyond mere compliance with baseline government standards. A sustainable business will implement changes that reduce emissions, improve air quality, and identify products that reduce concerns about health and safety liability. This promotes higher standards of public health and environmental protection.
  • Be a trailblazer.  Not too long ago, no one thought a sustainable business could also be a profitable one, so many industries still lack sustainable companies. Become an inspiring voice of advocacy beyond the four walls of your organization, and blaze trails by creating value for employees, consumers and the public. The visionary thinking and passion behind your business sustainability plan will be remembered—and will yield dividends—for years to come.
  • Attract green-conscious consumers—and publicity. Improve public relations with your sustainable business by becoming attractive to Earth-conscious consumers and raising your brand’s value. And remember to let the public know when you implement your environmentally friendly policies. Learn more about the  benefits of running an environmentally friendly business here !

5 Steps to Sustainability for a Small Business

If you’re ready to develop your small business sustainability plan, we’re here to help! With these five steps to sustainability based on going above and beyond mere regulatory compliance , you’ll be equipped to make your business more up to date and efficient. The result will be rewards for both the environment and your bottom line.

Step one to sustainability for a small business

Step 1: Learn about Sustainability

The first step in creating a small business sustainability plan is learning what, exactly, sustainability is all about.

  • Knowledge is power. Use your resources wisely! There are many guides out there that offer suggestions on sustainability as well as renewable and sustainable energy. Use them as a jumping-off point.
  • Profits, people and planet. Internalize the idea that sustainability within your business means managing your triple bottom line: your financial, social and environmental impacts, obligations and opportunities.
  • Going green vs. going sustainable. You may be wondering, what is a green business? Green products and services directly reduce the environmental impact when compared to other products and services— sustainability is a broader concept. It’s about the long-term, multifaceted impacts and implications of your products and services. But you can use green language in your small business sustainability plan and campaign using green goals to measure your total sustainability success.
  • Out with the old (way of thinking). Forget the outdated “take-make-waste” worldview, and adopt the “borrow-use-return” model. It’s all about a perspective shift. The key is to see the business, the self, the economy and the household as connected with—instead of separate from—the environment.

Step two to sustainability for a small business

Step 2: Assess Areas of Improvement

If the federal government and major corporations can find ways to improve sustainability, so can your small business! It just takes some research.

  • Learn the laws. From local development laws to self-regulation in your industry to international treaties, many standards are already on the books in terms of sustainable practices. The Environmental Protection Agency ’s website is a great place to start in your research.
  • Check your compliance. At a minimum, your business should be in total compliance with any laws or standards already in place. Research cost-effective ways to improve compliance, such as through pollution-prevention techniques and innovation.
  • Assess global issues. Research issues such as global warming, energy and fuel crises, and ecosystem decline to see whether your practices are a contributing factor. This will guide what small business sustainability goals you set in terms of improvement.

Step three to sustainability for a small business

Step 3: Find Opportunities

Start embracing the entrepreneurial spirit of innovation and asking yourself the hard questions: check out these opportunities for creating the best small business sustainability plan possible.

  • Innovate. Success in implementing sustainable business practices is directly related to innovation. If you want to meaningfully reduce waste and energy consumption, you’ll need to innovate, whether you’re a start-up or a thriving business. From problem solving to finding cheaper and better ways of doing things, innovation ranges from simple changes to implementation of complex new technologies.
  • Get employee input. Bring in employee ideas and support; employees will take responsibility for things like energy efficiency and come up with solutions that will help you implement and improve sustainability.
  • Self-reflect. Ask yourself a few questions, and you’ll find numerous opportunities for improvement: What strengths does my business bring to the table that can play a unique role in sustainability? Does my company create an overabundance of waste? Do the companies I work with create mass amounts of waste?

Step four to sustainability for a small business

Step 4: Create a Vision

Your vision for sustainability is all about what makes you and your business tick.

  • Find your company’s passion. What is your company passionate about? Choose from a few environmental issues (e.g., global warming, air pollution, waste disposal, water pollution, urban sprawl), and focus on where you can have a meaningful impact.
  • Be specific about your small business’s vision. Create a separate vision for each section of your small business, from those on the front lines to those working behind the scenes in different departments.
  • Define your sustainability model’s terms. Be sure to define a few words that describe your business’s specific sustainability model. This will help you give your employees the ability to take ownership of your overall vision.

Step five to sustainability for a small business

Step 5: Implement Changes

The final of the five steps to sustainability is an exciting one. Implementation!

  • Communicate clearly. Adequately communicate your new sustainability plan across your entire company. Educate your employees to ensure successful implementation, and make sure all leaders are involved.
  • Change policies. Ensure your current policies align with your sustainability plan. If not, create new ones that are specific to different departments and employees.
  • Review performance. Create specific, measurable and attainable written goals, and develop metrics on how to track the success of your changes. This could be as simple as comparing a previous energy bill under the old policies with a new one that comes after you’ve implemented changes.
  • Get feedback . Have your leaders in the company report back to you on any difficulties they encounter in implementing changes to policies, so that you can troubleshoot how to fix them while still staying true to the sustainability model. This will help you identify opportunities for more small business sustainability.

After you’ve taken the five steps to sustainability, make sure you can substantiate your sustainability claims before going public with the environmental advantages of your products or services. You can avoid making unqualified claims by following the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines and general principles that apply to environmental marketing. You’ll learn how consumers will interpret your claims and how to support and qualify your claims without being misleading. Then you’ll be ready to let people know about your small business sustainability plan. The financial, societal, environmental and public relations rewards are sure to follow!

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Sustainable Green Business Plan Template

Sustainable Green Business Plan Template

What is a Sustainable Green Business Plan?

A sustainable green business plan is a strategic plan that focuses on sustainability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. The plan outlines a company's goals, objectives, and target measurements to ensure the company is operating in an environmentally friendly, socially responsible manner. The plan should also identify projects and strategies to ensure that these goals are being met.

What's included in this Sustainable Green Business Plan template?

  • 3 focus areas
  • 6 objectives

Each focus area has its own objectives, projects, and KPIs to ensure that the strategy is comprehensive and effective.

Who is the Sustainable Green Business Plan template for?

This Sustainable Green Business Plan template is for businesses of all sizes and industries, from small businesses to large corporations. The template can be used to create a plan that incorporates sustainable practices, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility into their business operations.

1. Define clear examples of your focus areas

Focus areas are the broad topics that a business wants to address in order to meet their sustainability goals. It is important to define and clearly identify what these focus areas are in order to create a sustainable green business plan. Examples of focus areas could include implementing sustainable practices, reducing waste, and increasing social responsibility.

2. Think about the objectives that could fall under that focus area

Objectives are the specific goals that a business wants to achieve within each focus area. These goals should be specific, measurable, and attainable. When creating objectives, think about the desired outcome and what can be done to achieve it. Examples of some objectives for the focus area of Implement Sustainable Practices could be: Reduce Carbon Footprint, and Increase Recycling.

3. Set measurable targets (KPIs) to tackle the objective

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are targets that measure progress toward an objective. They are typically quantitative and should be set in terms of initial and target values, as well as a unit of measure. This helps to ensure that progress is being monitored and that the objectives are being achieved. An example of a KPI for the focus area of Implement Sustainable Practices could be: Decrease reliance on fossil fuels for energy from 80% to 40%.

4. Implement related projects to achieve the KPIs

Projects are the activities that will be used to achieve the objectives and reach the KPIs. These projects should be based on the objectives and KPIs that have been set, and should be well-defined and actionable. This will ensure that the objectives are achievable and that progress is being made. An example of a project related to Implement Sustainable Practices could be: Increase reliance on renewable energy sources.

5. Utilize Cascade Strategy Execution Platform to see faster results from your strategy

Cascade Strategy Execution Platform is a platform that enables businesses to create and manage their business plan. It provides users with tools to define focus areas, objectives, KPIs, and projects, and to track progress towards those goals. With Cascade, businesses can see faster results from their strategies and improve their sustainability initiatives.

25 Green Business Ideas for Aspiring Eco-Minded Entrepreneurs

Lindsey Rudy

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25 Green Business Ideas for Aspiring Eco-Minded Entrepreneurs

Green businesses and eco-friendly companies are part of one of the fastest-growing industries around the world. This presents a great way for creative entrepreneurs to not only find financial success and opportunity but also pursue something that makes a positive impact on the world.

Below, we’ll explain how new entrepreneurs can enter this exciting field and we’ll give you some tips for starting your own green business.

What Is a Green Business?

A green business can take a lot of different forms. Essentially, a green business looks to prioritize sustainability through various business practices or by implementing certain technologies.

For example, a farm that uses less water than traditional farms to produce the same crop yield could be considered a green business. Another example is a company that installs solar panels on homes to reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

These are just a few examples, but the possibilities are nearly endless as many traditional businesses can be converted into green businesses.

A key aspect of a green business is sustainability. This means the business can run and expand with a minimal negative impact on the environment or people. This can also include things like fair labor practices in areas that are traditionally unfair, or industries that normally source raw materials in an environmentally unfriendly way. By making this raw material sourcing more sustainable, the company can be transformed into a green or eco-friendly business.

25 Green Business Ideas

Below are 25 green business ideas to help spark your entrepreneurial creativity and help you start thinking of new opportunities.

Sustainable Fashion Store

This is a great way to mix a strong fashion sense with the green business movement. The fashion industry has often come under fire for labor practices. By flipping this and sourcing fashion made with fair labor practices and eco-friendly materials, an entirely new niche can be created with a sustainable fashion boutique .

E-Bike Conversion or Sales

E-bikes have exploded onto the scene and are selling like crazy all over the world. These eco-friendly modes of transportation reduce carbon emissions and make cycling fun for everyone. Converting old traditional bikes to e-bikes can be easy and profitable. Another option is to sell e-bikes at a retail store or even create your own brand of e-bikes.

Organic Smoothie Bar

Smoothies are a high-margin and easy avenue to open your own business. By choosing all organic ingredients, you can reduce harmful chemicals associated with agriculture. Customers also resonate with this more healthy option which also helps the environment.

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Company

This can be a commercial cleaning company or a maid service for homes or businesses. The goal is to use only safe and eco-friendly cleaning products. Many consumers have concerns or even allergies to harsh cleaning agents. By avoiding these you attract eco-conscious clients and help the environment as well.

Another aspect of this is that you can immediately set yourself apart from the competition by offering green cleaning options.

Bicycle Rental Service

If you live near a tourist area or where people visit, offering a bike or scooter rental service can help alleviate car traffic and exhaust emissions. This is also relatively inexpensive to start and can be done without a permanent physical location.

The options here are almost limitless and you can quickly expand to other locations if your area can support it.

Green Dry Cleaning Service

Dry cleaning often uses harsh and environmentally unfriendly chemicals. By offering a more eco-friendly option, you can attract customers who want a more sustainable option.

Customers are often happy to pay a premium for these green services, so it provides a higher margin product for you to sell.

Organic Tea or Coffee Shop

By serving organic and fair-trade coffee or tea and offering sustainable food options, you can attract an entirely new customer base and also charge a premium for these high-quality products. This means higher margins and happy customers while helping to promote sustainability.

Solar Panel Installation or Repair

If you already have home repair or construction experience, installing or repairing solar panels can be a great way to enter the green business market. You can even add this to your existing list of services if you currently work in home construction.

Solar panel installations require maintenance as well, so even if you don’t install these, you can still offer maintenance packages to homes or businesses with solar panels. Solar energy is an expanding field as electricity prices move higher, so now is a great time to enter this area.

Local Exchanges

Consider starting a business where people can swap goods instead of letting them go to the landfill. Things like gently used furniture or other home items can often be used by other people. This saves waste and helps those in need. This can also be run as an app and proceeds can come from advertising revenue or fees.

Plant-Based or Vegan Restaurant

Many environmentalists believe that plant-based or vegan foods are more sustainable than meat dishes. You can lean into this concept with a plant-based or vegan restaurant.

Organic Lawn Care Service

Most lawn care companies use harsh chemicals, but there are organic options that can often be used instead. Organic lawn care is a fast-growing industry right now, so this is a great opportunity to increase your customer base.

Green Business Consulting

If you have knowledge in a certain area of green business or have experience in environmentalism, consider consulting for other companies looking to increase their sustainability. Some businesses are required to become more eco-friendly due to various state or federal laws, so this offers a lot of opportunities to earn a substantial income.

Sustainable Beauty Salon

Offering more sustainable and organic versions of hair coloring, nail polish, makeup, and other beauty products can set you apart from the competition. There is also a large market for these safer products.

Electric Landscaping Service

Landscaping uses loud and polluting equipment that some homeowners don’t like. There are commercial mowers and tools available now that are all electric. Market yourself as an eco-friendly landscaping company with lower emissions and less noise.

Sustainable Pet Supply Company

Consider only offering toys and products made from safe or recycled materials. You can also sell brands of organic pet food.

Pet spending by consumers is a growing area, so this can be a solid way to take advantage of two growing sectors.

Eco-Friendly Home Remodeling

Offer low-chemical or safer construction materials such as flooring with no toxic glues or finishes or low-fume carpeting that is safer to install.

There are many safer and less toxic home materials on the market now. Use these to your advantage to find new customers and help the environment as well.

Reusable Bottle Company

New reusable drink bottles are entering the market all the time. Some now are even battery-powered and communicate with your phone. Create a new idea for a reusable bottle and save the environment along the way as it helps consumers create less waste from plastic bottles.

Create an Environmental Advocacy Group

Creating an advocacy group that promotes environmental initiatives and causes can help spread the word about what’s important to you. Your services can be offered to companies and other businesses who want to also promote their eco-friendly practices.

Eco-Tourism

Start a travel agency that specializes in eco-tourism or tourism with a far less negative impact on the environment. Things like bicycle tours of cities and hikes can all be part of the packages.

Website About Environmental Concerns

Create a website to educate people on green businesses and how they can participate. Accept advertising from eco-friendly businesses and others to generate revenue.

Sustainable Toy Store

A toy store with only products made with sustainable labor practices and sustainable materials. You can sell a variety of toys or specialize in one specific type of toy.

Green Product Review Site or App

A website where you either write reviews of green products or let users share reviews and feedback. Revenue can come from advertising or paid memberships.

Composting Service

Provide a service that picks up composting material to be composted and repurposed for fertilizer.

Electronics Recycling

Electronics that end up in landfills can cause toxins to enter the ground and water. Collect these items for proper disposal and recycling. You can charge to pick up items from homes or large businesses looking to get rid of computers or other equipment.

E-Scooter Sales and Repairs

E-scooters have replaced cars for many people in cities. Consider a shop to sell or repair these scooters in an area where they are popular.

Green Gift Shop

If you are near an area with a lot of foot traffic, consider a store or pop-up store to sell eco-friendly items and clothing.

7 Steps for Starting Your Green Business

Once you have your idea, it’s time to turn it into a reality. Follow these steps to get your company started.

Write a Business Plan

A business plan outlines the goals of your business in a formal way. How you will start the business, acquire financing, or market your company are all things included in a business plan. 

This acts like a roadmap for your business, so dedicate the proper care and attention when creating your business plan. Many problems you may face can be addressed in a business plan, which means an easier time when you launch your new business.

Choose Your Business Structure

Your business will need to be registered as a legal entity. Below are common ways to structure your business along with the benefits of each.

Sole Proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is the most basic type of business structure. It’s essentially just you as an individual doing business as yourself. You can do business under a different name by submitting a DBA or “Doing Business As” form with your state. However, your business finances and personal finances are seen as the same by the law which means your personal assets are exposed to liability.

Partnership

This is similar to a sole proprietorship but with more owners. The owners can agree on terms internally and should have the terms of their relationship in writing.

However, this has the same pitfalls as a sole proprietorship as there is no protection from liability for the owner’s personal assets.

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

This is the most common way to structure a business for entrepreneurs. A limited liability company or LLC can be created as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or even a corporation. However, it has the added benefit of providing limited liability protection.

This means that the member’s or owner’s personal assets are protected from lawsuits or judgments against the business.

Corporation

A corporation is the most complex business structure as it requires annual meetings and paperwork to be filed regularly to maintain its legal status. A corporation can also complicate taxes as the owners need to pay themselves as employees. However, the owners can take dividends, which are taxed differently than a salary.

However, for complex businesses, the advantages of a corporation can be worthwhile.

Obtain Licenses and Permits

Depending on what services or products your business offers, you may need specific licensing or permits. For example, an organic or sustainable beauty salon would need the same licensing and permits as a conventional beauty salon. This would apply to the staff as well if they perform services on customers.

Not all businesses require this though, so it’s important to research your business first and look into any licensing that may be required.

Open a Business Bank Account

This is a critical step to take after creating a business entity, such as an LLC. With the documentation you receive after creating an LLC, you can open a business bank account under the business name .

This keeps all your business finances separate and it also makes it easier to obtain services like merchant accounts or business insurance.

Look for Funding

Funding for a small business can be a complex topic, but a good place to start is simply at your local bank or credit union. If you have good credit and a solid business plan, you may be able to secure financing.

Next, look into SBA loans which are secured by the Small Business Administration. These loans can be made in amounts up to $5 million and often have friendly terms.

SBA loans do require extensive paperwork, but the work is worth it if you can secure funding.

Green businesses may also be eligible for certain funding programs like grants or even tax credits from state and local governments. So make sure to investigate these avenues as well.

Not all businesses need a business loan or financing to get off the ground. If you need to start small, don’t let that discourage you. Many successful businesses are started with no financing.

Business Insurance

If you’re providing a service or are selling from a retail store, you likely will need business insurance. This can vary from business to business and even state to state.

Business insurance providers will walk you through the process of what’s required in your state. Just make sure to shop around for the best premium.

Market Your Green Business

Every business needs marketing, including a green business. Marketing campaigns can cost anywhere from free to millions of dollars. A good place to start is simply on social media.

Create social media profiles for your new business on all the popular platforms. If you aren’t social media savvy, try to focus on one platform you are most comfortable with.

From there, create your accounts and start posting relevant information. These take a while to grow, so begin as soon as possible, even before you launch your business.

Next up is paid advertising. This can come in the form of buying ad space on websites or paying for clicks from various platforms. Start small with paid ads and be sure you are turning a profit before spending more money.

Don’t rush your marketing spending as it can quickly cause a loss of money that you may need for other business expenses.

Start Your Green Business Today in an Eco-Friendly Way

When you’re ready to take that next step and make your green business a reality, trust doola to help you register your business.

doola helps green businesses create an LLC or corporation in a fast and easy process, with no credit checks or background checks. Our team of experts can also assist with business checking accounts and manage your bookkeeping for you so that you can focus on running your green business.

Why start a green business?

The green industry is a fast-growing area of opportunity with many areas still untapped or unsaturated by competition. It’s a great place for creative entrepreneurs to start a successful business and also do something positive for the world around them.

What is an example of a green business?

A green business provides services or produces products in a way that is more ecologically friendly than a traditional business. A green business can also focus on sustainable and fair practices. For example, a company that produces its products with 100% recycled raw materials would be considered a green business.

What is a green business known as?

A green business is known as an eco-friendly business or one that prioritizes sustainability and ecological consciousness. A green business attempts to provide a product or service that does less harm than traditional products or services in that same industry. A green business can also be a completely new kind of business that solves a problem in a new and novel way.

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Learn what it means to be a green business

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In this series, we will share a lot about starting and growing a green business. In this article, you’ll learn what exactly it means to be a green business, some terminology, and how to become green.

What is a “green business”?

A “green business” can be defined as an organization that uses renewable resources (environmentally sustainable) and holds itself accountable for the human resource aspect of their activities (socially responsible).

Being green requires developing an attitude toward sustainability and practices that can be incorporated into our everyday lives.  Being a green business means changing the way a business purchases, develops, produces, and provides products and services so it has a positive impact on the environment. Think of the planet as a warehouse of goods.  When you use the goods, you have to pay for them with money or fair trade.  When you use the environment’s resources, you have to pay the environment back to offset your consumption.

Shades of green

There is a misconception that “becoming a green business” means being a radical “environmentalist” from the “green movement” of the past.  This is NOT the case.  Think of the old “green movement” as “dark green” and “becoming a green business” as a “bright green”.  There are many shades of green in between.  You will have to decide what shade of green you want your business to be.

To help you decide what shade you want to be, ask yourself these ten questions.

  • What are my reasons for becoming green?
  • Are there any market factors involved?
  • How does being green integrate with my business plan?
  • How does being green give me a competitive edge?
  • Am I starting a new green business or am I running an existing business that wants to slowly move toward being green?
  • Do I want to be 100% green or are there areas I will not be green?
  • In any area where I cannot go green, how can I offset my consumption?
  • Do I want to have my business certified as being green?
  • Are there any green groups in my area, or should I start one?
  • When choosing to purchase products and services, how do I qualify them as green?

Choosing which shade of green – a practical example of picking a green product

Recently, many companies have chosen to make reusable shopping bags available to their customers.  Each has chosen a different approach.  Company ‘A’ chose to provide large bags made of a thick blue plastic material with cloth handles imprinted with their logo.  Company ‘B’ chose to go with black cloth bags with their logo imprinted on the side, and Company ‘C’ went with small cloth bags made of hemp and had their logo imprinted using soy-based inks.  Each company thinks they made a good “green” choice.  As you can see from this example, Company ‘C’ chose the most environmentally friendly product, but is it really the “greenest” if it is too small to hold enough products?  Will people continue to use it or just throw it away?

What terms do I need to learn?

There are a number of new “green” terms you will need to familiarize yourself with.

Sustainable / Sustainability

“Sustainability” refers to three areas, environmental, economic, and social.  It is about making choices that meet your needs without compromising the needs of future generations.

  • “ Environmental Sustainability ” refers to maintaining the quality and longevity of environmental resources used by the business.  This can include energy, water, waste management, emissions, etc.  If a business puts back 100% of the natural resources it consumes, it is considered an “environmentally sustainable” business.  This is because it replenishes the very resources it depends on.  If a business consumes more resources than nature can replenish, uses too much energy, or causes excess waste / pollution, it is not considered sustainable.
  • “ Economic Sustainability ” includes the overall financial model and productivity of a company.  The income and expenses must provide for a financially sustainable business. If a business is constantly going deeper into debt, it is not financially sustainable. In our context it also refers to evaluating the products and services you purchase to determine if they are “more sustainable” or “less sustainable”.  For example, purchasing energy-saving Compact Florescent Lights (CFLs) is considered a “more sustainable” choice.
  • “Social Responsibility” refers to social impact of a business.  It includes ethical principles, giving back to society, health & safety, respect for human rights, equal opportunities, fair compensation, and ensuring a high quality of life. It involves eliminating unethical and corrupt behavior. It involves thoroughly investigating your sources to ensure they provide fair compensation for work performed, provide a safe work environment, and do not violate human rights in the treatment of their workers. It may also include doing things for the local community, educating / helping others, participating in community groups or your local city and chamber of commerce.

Carbon Footprint

“Carbon Footprint” refers to your impact on the environment.  It refers to measuring how much carbon dioxide does a particular activity, purchase, or product produces. For example, driving a car to the store produces a much larger carbon footprint than does walking to the store, as it produces much more carbon dioxide.

“Carbon Offsets” or “Carbon Credits”

“Carbon Offsets” or “Carbon Credits” refers to offsetting your carbon footprint instead of reducing your own carbon footprint. This used to mean planting a lot of trees to offset your carbon output. Today, this means purchasing carbon credits from a company that offsets carbon emissions. This is commonly used to compensate for air travel or use of an automobile.  For example, if you take a plane to travel somewhere, you can buy carbon offsets to compensate the environment for your production of carbon dioxide. Be careful and thoroughly research a company before buying carbon credits.

“VOC” refers to Volatile Organic Compounds.  These include paints/thinners, dry cleaning chemicals, petroleum products, and tobacco.  Sources can also include copy machines, carpets and products containing formaldehyde, such as particle-board-based furniture and cabinets.

Why do businesses become “green”?

Some people have heard of global warming and want to learn what they can do about helping to slow the process.  Some see other businesses going green and aspire to be as successful.  Some simply see it as a market trend while others realize the actual benefits to the planet and future generations.  Whatever your motivations are, the planet will appreciate your efforts to not only reduce your overall impact on the environment, but your efforts to restore it.  Your business will benefit from it.

How do businesses become “green”?

Becoming a green business involves a learning curve where business owners learn how other businesses have changed their business practices, then make changes to their own practices that are appropriate to their line of business.  It can involve a certification process.

Becoming a certified green business can be difficult and confusing, as there are no commonly defined standards.  Each organization has its own requirements to qualify.  They all require you to go beyond achieving basic regulatory compliance and take additional measures to become sustainable.  Some organizations have a standard that they apply to everyone, while others are more flexible and adapt their requirements to your line of business.  They all seem to have some common areas for which they judge your business.

  • Compliance with all environmental regulations
  • Pollution prevention
  • Conserving energy, water and other natural resources
  • Reducing waste
  • Controlling chemicals & hazardous materials
  • Tracking resource use
  • Educating employees and customers
  • Introducing green practices to other businesses
  • Don’t forget that you will need a tagline – Become Green, Be Green, Stay Green…

Some organizations require you to integrate additional practices such as verifying the fair treatment of the human resources used to produce products you buy, use and sell.

When you first encounter Green Businesses, you may run into logos and terminology that are somewhat foreign to you.  You have likely seen the “recycling logo” on cans, bottles, and recycle bins.  But do you understand the meaning behind it?

Understand the Three R’s

The “Three R’s” are not the old “Reading wRiting and ‘Rithmetic” we were taught years ago. They stand for the “Three-R’s” of the waste hierarchy, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle .  The commonly used symbol of the three R’s is a logo with three rotating arrows.  To eliminate your carbon footprint, you must Reduce your Consumption and Waste, Reuse what you have, and Recycle everything you can.

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Green Business Guide

Published: January 26, 2022 Updated: August 12, 2022

Welcome to the Green Business Guide

What is the green business industry.

Green

The importance of green business practices and the profitability of sustainable / eco-friendly companies is on the rise. Many Canadian consumers are willing to pay a premium for 'green products', and are on the lookout for new products and services to fit their lifestyles. Consumers are interested both in products that are made using sustainable practices as well as services that allow  businesses or homes to be more environmentally conscious.

Use the navigation to explore four sections designed to help you focus your secondary market research.  

  • Getting Started has introductory materials like how-to books, sample business plans and general start-up information
  • Industry Info has sources outlining the current status, outlook, and trends for your particular industry or sector and more
  • Competitive Info has sources for outlining your competitive market, including strategies for identifying potential competitors and/or partners and market share
  • Customer Info has sources that will help you develop your market analysis and learn about the demographics of your target market and your customers' need

This guide will not only help you to become more efficient with your research time but it will also save you money by directing you to reputable sources to learn about your market.  But first, take a deep breath because secondary market research is a journey and it will require work. The definition of a market can vary from a broad industry to a specific market niche.  Also, the geographic scope of your market may vary across a municipality, a region, a country or the globe. In new or emerging markets there may be very little information or data published so you will have to dig and possibly look at comparable, more established markets. This guide will help you to organize your work and prioritize your research questions. We aim to save you time by directing you to the information you can use to make better business decisions. Feel free to jump into whatever section is most applicable to your business goals now.

Photo Credit: Photo by Margot RICHARD on Unsplash

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Green Business Definition: Everything You Need to Know

The green business definition describes a company that does not make any negative impact on the environment, economy, or community. 3 min read updated on January 01, 2024

The green business definition describes a company that does not make any negative impact on the environment, economy, or community. These types of businesses are forward-thinking when it comes to human rights, environmental concerns, and related issues. Green businesses use environmentally sustainable resources and uphold socially responsible policies.

Achieving a Green Business

If you're a small business owner who wants to go green, you'll need to establish best practices for sustainability when it comes to purchasing, product development, manufacturing, and the provision of products and services. Environmental responsibility is the primary characteristic distinguishing green firms from those that do not monitor their environmental impact. Businesses of all sizes have successfully gone green, from sole proprietorships to Fortune 500 companies. Not only do green strategies conserve natural resources, but they can also reduce costs and improve efficiency.

When going green, consider these four key areas:

  • Lowering energy consumption and improving efficiency.
  • Eliminating waste and using sustainable materials.
  • Adhering to environmental laws, regulations, and best practices.
  • Purchasing green equipment, products, and services.

Within each of these areas, you can make changes ranging from basic improvements to more complicated and far-reaching projects.

Defining Sustainability

The concept of sustainability has three key elements: social, economic, and environmental. Each requires taking steps to meet the needs of your business while preserving resources for future generations.

  • Environmental stability is concerned with resources such as water, waste management, energy, emissions, and natural resources. Businesses are considered 100 percent sustainable if they replace the resources they use, while unsustainable businesses cause excess pollution and use more resources than they can replace.
  • Economic sustainability describes a business that is earning a profit rather than going into debt. This category also includes purchasing products that reduce environmental impact, such as energy-efficient appliances.
  • Social sustainability covers how a business gives back to its community, including ethical principles, education and charitable programs, human rights provisions, health and safety measures, fair opportunities and pay, and high employee quality of life. It also includes taking action against unethical behavior and ensuring that your supply chain and resources are free of human rights violations.

Shades of Green

When it comes to going green as a business owner, it's not an all or nothing proposition. To decide how far you want to go, consider these questions:

  • Why do I want to go green?
  • What market factors should I think about?
  • How can going green give me an advantage over the competition?
  • How does going green fit in with my business plan ?
  • What specific aspects of green business do I want to adopt?
  • How can I gain a competitive edge in areas where I don't plan to go green?
  • Do I plan to seek green business certification?
  • Do groups and resources for green business exist in my industry or region?
  • What steps will I take to make sure the products and services I purchase are green?

Offsetting the Carbon Footprint

Your business's carbon footprint is its environmental impact in terms of carbon dioxide produced by a specific activity. If you can't or don't want to reduce your business's carbon footprint, you can take steps to offset its impact. This could include buying carbon credits from a reputable company to compensate for the carbon dioxide your business uses.

Green Business Certification

Many organizations offer certification for green business standards and sustainability measures. Some of the most common requirements of these certification programs include:

  • Taking steps to prevent pollution and reduce waste
  • Safely managing hazardous materials and chemicals
  • Providing consumer and employee education programs about sustainability
  • Conserving natural resources
  • Complying with environmental laws

When transitioning to a green business model, leverage local resources designed to help you succeed. You may seek a mentorship with another business in your industry that has successfully implemented sustainability measures. You can also access resources, training, and tools from government agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Small Business Administration.

Some small steps you can take to reduce the environmental impact include:

  • Eliminating plastic bottles
  • Switching to energy-efficient LED light bulbs
  • Working with vendors and suppliers who follow sustainable practices
  • Using green cleaning products

If you need help with taking steps to create a green business model, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.

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8 steps to putting together a green business plan

All businesses need a business plan, so why not write a green business plan.

Writing a green business plan will help pull together your company’s ideas for the future. With a framework to follow you are significantly more likely to make your aspirations a reality.

green business plan

On top of this, a green business plan is a fantastic resource to present to potential investors. They will be impressed with your foresight and may be more interested to invest in a sustainable future.

Consumers are also looking for sustainable brands to spend their money with. It does not matter if you are a company like quantum ai , or Macdonald’s customers want to feel they are doing their part in saving the environment.

So, here are 8 steps to take when putting together a green business plan:

Avoid templates

Searching for ‘business plan templates’ on Google may be a good start for what to include on a business plan, but it is obvious to any investor when you follow a template. If you want to wow your investors scrap the template and put your excitement for your green business on the page.

Executive summary

Let’s be honest, not every investor is going to read your plan page to page. This is the purpose of an executive summary and it is the perfect introduction for your green business plan. You need to use this to create a hook, it would not hurt to say how many investors you already have attracted.

Highlight your risk management

Every investor does know the risk of investing in a new business. Which is where risk management comes in. Investors also know that sustainable entrepreneurs might get caught up in sustainability and forget about the business. By showing your risk management you are proving you are not a gung-ho environmentalist, but a businessperson.

Do some market analysis

Many a business has fallen due to their lack of understanding of the market they are joining. As with the previous point, it is easy to get wrapped up in the environmental agenda and skipping this important step can finish your business before it starts. Everything you write about needs to be backed up with evidence from market analysis. Creating a green business plan blind, without any market research will not end well.

Avoid jargon

It is not to say that you should not include any technical language . However, jargon fuelled business plans will alienate investors. Your business plan should be easy to read. It should also be easy to understand. An investor needs to understand what they are investing in. If you do use jargon, explain what it means.

Don’t be intimidated

Your first business plan can be an intimidating prospect. The blank piece of paper staring back at you does not appear that it will take over your life for the next 5 years. Once you get going the words will flow. Start with a basic structure of what your business plan needs, then build from there. You can always go back and make some amends, but first, you need to get something down!

Sustainability is the core

Every step of your green business plan should have sustainability at its centre. All your decisions should focus on sustainability and if that is not reflected in your plan you might have a problem. If you set your business up as environmentally friendly there is nothing worse than consumers discovering that you are not. Your green business needs to be beyond reproach. Be the paragon of sustainable business your customers want you to be.

It will almost certainly change

Personal plans change, and so do business plans. Do not get hung up on one idea, every market can be volatile. Look at the last few years, the pandemic changed every business. Don’t worry about it and be adaptable .

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Greenhouse Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

greenhouse business plan template

Greenhouse Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their greenhouse farms. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a greenhouse business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your greenhouse business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan

If you’re looking to start a new greenhouse business or grow your existing greenhouse farming business, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your greenhouse business in order to improve your chances of success. Your greenhouse farming business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Greenhouse Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a greenhouse farming business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for greenhouse farming businesses.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for greenhouse farming.

If you want to start a greenhouse farming business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below we detail what you should include in each section of your own business plan:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of greenhouse business you are operating and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a greenhouse business that you would like to grow or expand into a new market, or are you operating a chain of greenhouses?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the greenhouse industry. Discuss the type of greenhouse farming business you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of greenhouse farming business you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of greenhouse businesses:

  • Flower Greenhouse : this type of greenhouse business focuses on growing flowers to sell, either to flower shops and other businesses or direct-to-consumer.
  • Vegetable Greenhouse: this type of business focuses on growing vegetables to sell to various grocers and markets, restaurants, or direct-to-consumer at farmer’s markets.
  • Potted Plant Greenhouse: this type of greenhouse propagates and grows potted plants to sell, either to plant shops and nurseries or direct-to-consumer.

In addition to explaining the type of greenhouse business you will operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

  • When and why did you start the business?
  • What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of clients served, number of positive reviews, total number of plants sold, etc.
  • Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the greenhouse industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the greenhouse industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy, particularly if your research identifies market trends.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section:

  • How big is the greenhouse industry (in dollars)?
  • Is the market declining or increasing?
  • Who are the key competitors in the market?
  • Who are the key suppliers in the market?
  • What trends are affecting the industry?
  • What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
  • What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your greenhouse farming business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: consumers, flower shops, plant shops, grocers and farmer’s markets.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of greenhouse business you operate. Clearly, private consumers would respond to different marketing promotions than grocery stores, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most greenhouse businesses primarily serve customers living in their same region, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

Finish Your Greenhouse Business Plan in 1 Day!

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other greenhouse businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes plant shops, flower marts and farmer’s markets.

With regards to direct competition, you want to describe the other greenhouse farming businesses with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be greenhouses located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

  • What types of customers do they serve?
  • What types of plants do they propagate, grow and sell?
  • What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
  • What are they good at?
  • What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

  • Will you provide better flowers, vegetables or other plants, organic options or quantity?
  • Will you provide services that your competitors don’t offer?
  • Will you provide better customer service?
  • Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a greenhouse, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of greenhouse company that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to your greenhouse harvest, will you offer educational services, plant supplies or any other products or services?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your greenhouse company. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your greenhouse farming business located in a busy retail district, shopping plaza, a property with expansion potential, etc. Discuss how your location might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your greenhouse marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

  • Advertising in local papers and magazines
  • Reaching out to local websites
  • Social media marketing
  • Local radio advertising

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your greenhouse business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your greenhouse business, including propagating and tending plants, harvesting, maintenance equipment, making deliveries and meeting with potential customers.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to sell your 1,000th plant, retain X customers or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your greenhouse farming business to a new location or city.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your greenhouse business’ ability to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing greenhouse farming businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing greenhouses or successfully running small businesses.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you acquire one new customer per month or per quarter? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your greenhouse farming business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a greenhouse farming business:

  • Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
  • Cost of equipment and supplies
  • Payroll or salaries paid to staff
  • Business insurance
  • Taxes and permits
  • Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your operations location lease or blueprints of the greenhouse you are working on.  

Putting together a business plan for your greenhouse is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the greenhouse industry, your competition, and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful greenhouse farming business.  

Greenhouse Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my greenhouse business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Greenhouse Business Plan.

What is the Goal of a Business Plan's Executive Summary?

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of greenhouse business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have a greenhouse business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of greenhouse businesses?

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Greenhouse business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to see how Growthink’s professional business plan consulting services can create your business plan for you.

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Business Plan Template & Guide For Small Businesses

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The Intersection of Profit and Purpose: How Green Businesses Can Promote Social Responsibility

ESG , Sustainability

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Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in today’s business world as more and more people are becoming aware of the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions.

As a result, many businesses are looking for ways to become more environmentally friendly and operate in a more sustainable manner.

In this article, we will explore the various challenges and opportunities businesses face regarding sustainability and provide practical tips and advice for those looking to start a green business or make their existing business more sustainable.

We will cover topics such as the benefits of being a green business, how to measure a business’s environmental impact, and how to finance green initiatives. Whether you are a business owner or interested in sustainability, this article has something for you.

So read on to learn more about the exciting world of green business!

what is a green business plan

What is a green business?

A green business is a company that operates in an environmentally sustainable manner, meaning it considers the impact of its operations on the environment and works to minimize any adverse effects. This can include reducing waste, conserving natural resources, and using renewable energy sources.

There are many benefits to being a green business. For one, it can help to reduce a company’s operating costs by minimizing the use of resources such as water and energy. It can also help to improve a company’s reputation and customer loyalty, as more and more people are becoming conscious of the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions.

To become a green business, a company can take several steps. One of the first things to do is to conduct an environmental impact assessment, which can help to identify areas where the business can become more sustainable. This might include implementing energy-efficient lighting, using renewable energy sources, and reducing waste through recycling and composting.

In addition to these operational changes, a green business should also have a solid commitment to sustainability in its business practices. This can include sourcing materials and products from environmentally responsible suppliers and supporting environmental causes through charitable donations and partnerships.

There are many examples of green businesses in various industries, including eco-tourism, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture. These businesses are helping to lead the way in environmental sustainability and are setting a positive example for others to follow.

Overall, a green business is committed to minimizing its environmental impact and operating in a sustainable manner. A company can help protect the environment and contribute to a more sustainable future by making these changes.

How can a green business become more environmentally friendly?

As concern for the environment grows, more and more businesses are looking for ways to become more environmentally friendly. There are several steps that a company can take to reduce its impact on the environment and operate in a more sustainable manner.

One of the first things a business can do to become more environmentally friendly is to conduct an environmental impact assessment. This will help to identify areas where the industry can reduce its use of resources such as water and energy and minimize waste. Based on the assessment results, a company can implement changes such as upgrading energy-efficient lighting and appliances, using renewable energy sources, and implementing recycling and composting programs.

In addition to operational changes, a business can become more environmentally friendly by sourcing materials and products from environmentally responsible suppliers. This might include choosing suppliers that use sustainable production methods or sourcing materials from recycled sources.

Another way a business can become more environmentally friendly is to support environmental causes through charitable donations and partnerships. This can help to raise awareness about critical environmental issues and show the company’s commitment to sustainability.

Finally, a business must communicate its sustainability commitment to customers and stakeholders. This might include sharing information about the company’s environmental initiatives and progress on social media or having info about sustainability in marketing materials.

By taking these steps, a business can demonstrate its commitment to the environment and operate in a more sustainable manner. This can help to reduce the company’s environmental impact, improve its reputation, and attract environmentally conscious customers.

What are the benefits of being a green business?

There are several benefits to being a green business, which is a company that operates in an environmentally sustainable manner. These benefits can be divided into three main categories: financial, reputational, and social.

Financial benefits of being a green business:

  • Reduced operating costs: By conserving resources such as water and energy, a green business can reduce its operating costs.
  • Increased efficiency: Implementing sustainability measures can help a business become more efficient, leading to cost savings.
  • Government incentives: Many governments offer incentives to businesses that adopt sustainable practices, such as tax breaks and grants.

Reputational benefits of being a green business:

  • Improved reputation: A company seen as environmentally responsible is likely to be viewed more favorably by customers, investors, and other stakeholders.
  • Increased customer loyalty: Many consumers are willing to pay a premium for products and services that are environmentally friendly.
  • Increased employee retention: A company with a solid commitment to sustainability is often seen as a more desirable place to work, which can help improve employee retention.

Social benefits of being a green business:

  • Environmental protection: By operating sustainably, a green business can help protect the environment and contribute to a more sustainable future.
  • Community engagement: Many green businesses support environmental causes and engage with their local communities, which can help build positive relationships.

Overall, there are many benefits to being a green business, including financial, reputational, and social. By operating in a sustainable manner, a company can reduce its costs, improve its reputation, and make a positive impact on the environment.

Want A Sustainable Project?

Talk to ugreen and position your brand towards a sustainable future., want to learn green design, discover our courses and become a protagonist of the sustainable future., how can a green business measure its environmental impact.

Measuring a business’s environmental impact is an essential step in the process of becoming more sustainable. By understanding the impact of its operations on the environment, a company can identify areas where it can reduce its use of resources, minimize waste, and lower its carbon footprint.

A business can use several tools and methods to measure its environmental impact.

One standard practice is to conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA), which looks at a product’s or service’s environmental impact from raw material extraction through production, use, and disposal. An LCA can help a business identify areas where it can reduce its environmental impact, such as using more sustainable materials or improving production processes. If you want to know about our LCA services, click here.

Another tool that a business can use to measure its environmental impact is a carbon footprint calculator. This helps a company to understand its greenhouse gas emissions and identify opportunities to reduce them. A business can also use a water footprint calculator to understand its water use and identify ways to reduce it.

In addition to these tools, a business can also engage with stakeholders such as customers, employees, and investors to understand their concerns about the business’s environmental impact. This can help the company identify focus areas and prioritize its sustainability efforts.

Measuring a business’s environmental impact is essential to becoming more sustainable. Using tools such as life cycle assessments and carbon footprint calculators and engaging with stakeholders, a company can understand its environmental impact and take steps to reduce it.

What are some examples of green businesses?

Green businesses are companies that operate in an environmentally sustainable manner, taking into consideration the impact of their operations on the environment and working to minimize any adverse effects.

There are many examples of green businesses in a variety of industries, including:

  • Renewable energy: Companies that produce clean, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power are considered green businesses.
  • Sustainable agriculture: Farms and other agricultural businesses that use sustainable practices, such as organic farming and permaculture, are considered green businesses.
  • Eco-tourism: Tourist companies that promote environmentally responsible tourism and support local communities are considered green businesses.
  • Recycling: Companies that collect and process materials for recycling are green businesses, as they help to reduce waste and conserve natural resources.
  • Sustainable fashion: Clothing companies that use sustainable materials and production processes, and support fair labor practices, are considered green businesses.
  • Sustainable construction: Companies that use sustainable building materials and practices, and design buildings for energy efficiency, are green businesses.
  • Natural and organic products: Companies that produce natural and organic products using sustainable materials and practices are green businesses.

These are just a few examples of green businesses. There are many other companies in a variety of industries that are working to reduce their environmental impact and operate in a more sustainable manner. Doing so, these businesses are helping to protect the environment and contribute to a more sustainable future.

what is a green business plan

How can a green business reduce its carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint measures the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases a business produces through its operations. Reducing a business’s carbon footprint is a meaningful way to mitigate the impact of climate change and operate more environmentally sustainable.

There are many ways that a green business can reduce its carbon footprint. Some of the most effective strategies include:

  • Energy efficiency: One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to reduce a business’s carbon footprint is to implement energy-efficient practices and technologies. This might include upgrading to energy-efficient lighting and appliances, using smart power strips, and sealing windows and doors to prevent drafts.
  • R enewable energy: Another way to reduce a business’s carbon footprint is to switch to renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power. This can help reduce the business’s reliance on fossil fuels, which significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Transportation: Transportation is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. A business can reduce its carbon footprint by encouraging employees to use public transportation, carpooling, or alternative modes such as biking or walking. The company can also consider using electric or hybrid vehicles for company-owned vehicles.
  • Supply chain: A business can also reduce its carbon footprint by considering the environmental impact of its supply chain. This might include choosing suppliers that use sustainable production methods and minimize carbon emissions.
  • Offsetting: In some cases, a business may not be possible to eliminate its carbon emissions. In these cases, the company can offset its emissions by purchasing carbon credits or supporting projects that remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

By implementing these strategies, a business can significantly reduce its carbon footprint and help mitigate climate change’s impact.

How can a green business communicate its commitment to sustainability?

Communicating a business’s commitment to sustainability is a crucial way of demonstrating its values to customers, employees, and other stakeholders and building trust and credibility.

There are several ways that a green business can communicate its commitment to sustainability:

  • Sustainability report: Many businesses produce annual sustainability reports, which outline their sustainability initiatives, progress, and performance. These reports can be shared with stakeholders and are often available on the company’s website.
  • Social media: Social media platforms are an excellent way for a business to share information about its sustainability efforts with a broad audience. This might include sharing updates about new initiatives, highlighting the company’s commitment to sustainability in marketing materials, and engaging with customers and stakeholders about environmental issues.
  • Public relations: A business can use public relations channels such as press releases, media interviews, and speaking engagements to share information about its sustainability efforts with the public.
  • Website: A business’s website is often the first place customers learn about the company, so it’s essential to include information about sustainability on the website. This might include information about the company’s environmental initiatives, progress, and performance.
  • Customer communications: A business can also communicate its commitment to sustainability to customers through email newsletters, marketing materials, and in-store signage.

Using these channels to communicate its commitment to sustainability, a business can demonstrate its values, build trust and credibility, and engage with stakeholders about environmental issues.

What are the challenges of starting a green business?

Starting a green business, a company that operates in an environmentally sustainable manner, can be rewarding and fulfilling. However, it can also present several challenges.

Some of the most common challenges of starting a green business include the following:

  • Funding: One of the biggest challenges of starting any business is securing funding. This can be incredibly challenging for green businesses, as investors may be hesitant to invest in a company focusing on sustainability.
  • Lack of knowledge: Many entrepreneurs may not have a background in environmental sustainability and may not be familiar with the best practices for operating a green business. This can make it difficult to know where to start when it comes to implementing sustainable practices.
  • Market demand: While there is a growing demand for environmentally friendly products and services, it can be challenging to gauge the level of request in a specific market. This can make it difficult to determine the feasibility of starting a green business.
  • Competition: As more businesses adopt sustainability as a core part of their operations, competition in the green business space can be fierce. It can be challenging to stand out in a crowded market.
  • Regulation: There may be several regulations and standards that a green business must comply with, such as environmental regulations and standards for sustainable products. Navigating these regulations can be challenging for entrepreneurs new to the green business space.

Starting a green business can be a rewarding and fulfilling endeavor, but it can also present several challenges.

By preparing for these challenges and seeking resources and support, entrepreneurs can increase their chances of success.

what is a green business plan

How can a green business finance green initiatives?

Implementing green initiatives, which are sustainability projects that help a business reduce its environmental impact, can be significant.

Funding these initiatives can be challenging, but many options are available to companies looking to finance green initiatives.

Some options for green businesses include:

  • Self-funding: One way to finance green initiatives is to use the business’s resources. This might include setting aside a portion of the company’s profits for sustainability projects or redirecting funds from less critical tasks.
  • Grants and subsidies: Many governments and organizations offer grants and donations to businesses looking to implement green initiatives. These grants can be a valuable source of business funding and are often competitively awarded.
  • Loans: Another option for financing green initiatives is to take a loan from a bank or other financial institution. Many banks now offer green loans designed explicitly for sustainability projects.
  • Equity financing: For businesses looking for a more significant funding source, equity financing can be a good option. This involves selling a stake in the company to investors in exchange for funding.
  • Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo allow businesses to raise funds from many people, usually in exchange for a reward or product. This can be a good option for companies looking to finance smaller green initiatives.

Overall, many options are available for businesses looking to finance green initiatives. Companies can find the best solution for their specific needs and goals by researching and considering these options.

What are the government incentives for green businesses?

Governments around the world offer a variety of incentives to businesses that adopt sustainable practices and operate in an environmentally responsible manner. These incentives can be a valuable resource for companies looking to implement green initiatives and become more sustainable.

Some examples of government incentives for green businesses include:

  • Tax breaks: Many governments offer tax breaks to companies that adopt sustainable practices. This might consist of tax credits for using renewable energy or tax deductions for investing in energy-efficient equipment.
  • Grants: Governments often offer gifts to businesses looking to implement green initiatives. These grants can be a valuable source of funding for companies and are usually competitively awarded.
  • Loans: Some governments offer low-interest loans to businesses looking to implement sustainability projects. These loans can be a good option for companies looking to finance more significant initiatives.
  • Technical assistance: Some governments offer specialized services to businesses looking to implement green initiatives. This might include help with identifying opportunities for sustainability or assistance with implementing specific projects.
  • Public procurement: Governments are often significant consumers of goods and services and can use their purchasing power to support green businesses. By prioritizing the procurement of environmentally responsible products and services, governments can help to create a market for green companies.

Overall, many government incentives are available to businesses looking to become more sustainable. By taking advantage of these incentives, companies can access valuable resources and support as they work to reduce their environmental impact.

Green Business: Conclusion

In conclusion, sustainability is an increasingly important topic for businesses of all sizes and industries.

Companies can reduce costs, improve their reputation, and positively impact the environment by operating more environmentally responsibly.

There are many challenges that businesses face when it comes to sustainability. Still, many resources and incentives are available to help them overcome these challenges and become more sustainable.

Suppose you are a business owner looking to make your business more sustainable or simply interested in learning more about green business practices. In that case, many resources are available to help you get started.

For example, you might consider consulting with a green building consultancy or taking a green building course to learn more about designing and operating environmentally friendly buildings.

By taking advantage of these resources, you can gain the knowledge and skills you need to succeed as a green business.

Overall, the world of green business is exciting and rewarding. There are many opportunities for businesses of all sizes to make a difference and contribute to a more sustainable future.

We hope this article has provided you with valuable insights and inspiration, and we encourage you to continue exploring the topic of sustainability and green business.

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Scaling green businesses: Next moves for leaders

The transition to net zero is well underway, but it is not happening fast enough. Growth in key climate technologies, including wind and solar power and electric vehicles (EVs), has helped accelerate decarbonization efforts worldwide. Solutions such as green hydrogen and long-duration energy storage (LDES) are becoming available and, if scaled, could reduce global emissions even further. But the pace of scaling these technologies has not kept up with projections for a warming planet. Governments and companies have done an admirable job developing and deploying climate technologies to date, but a significant acceleration is required to meet net-zero targets—and stave off the most dire effects of climate change.

About the authors

This article is a collaborative effort by Rob Bland , Laura Corb , Anna Granskog , Tomas Nauclér , and Giulia Siccardo , representing views from McKinsey’s Sustainability Practice.

Last year, we released a framework  for launching and scaling green businesses, based on our work with both incumbents and start-ups. 1 See Rob Bland, Anna Granskog, and Tomas Nauclér, “ Accelerating toward net zero: The green business building opportunity ,” McKinsey, June 14, 2022. A few of the key actions include leading with game-changing ambition, signing up captive demand before scaling, and building capacity with parallel scaling. In the interim, as the economic and geopolitical backdrop has changed, market dynamics for green business builders have shifted in both nuanced and fundamental ways. On the one hand, capital markets and public-sector institutions have started to galvanize behind green investments. Policy, including the Green Deal Industrial Plan in Europe and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the United States, promises to support companies looking to scale climate technologies. At the same time, inflation, economic uncertainty, and the invasion of Ukraine have all complicated the path to net zero .

Three areas have emerged that should now be priorities for those navigating the challenges and seeking opportunities: building up supply chains (often through cross-sector partnerships), proactively addressing an emerging skills gap, and exploring different avenues for financing and investments.

what is a green business plan

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Many of the unique challenges to scaling green businesses remain—high capital expenditures on physical assets (compared with building digital businesses), higher short-term costs, and customer education and adoption barriers for many sustainable products. However, the urgency to reach net-zero targets has only grown in many markets, and the industrial economy is now being reinvented around a lower-carbon energy system , circular-economy practices , and other emerging models. Companies that can innovate and scale during these fast-moving, uncertain times could set themselves up for exponential growth. Our analysis shows that growing demand for net-zero offerings could generate $9 trillion to $12 trillion of annual sales by 2030 across 11 value pools, including transport, power, and consumer goods.

In this article, we lay out the evolving landscape for scaling climate technologies and explore three areas of potential action for green business builders.

A significant scaling gap

More than 4,000 companies have set or are in the process of committing to emissions reductions 2 “Companies taking action,” Science Based Targets, accessed February 22, 2023. and 70-plus countries have set net-zero targets. 3 “For a livable climate: Net-zero commitments must be backed by credible action,” United Nations, accessed February 22, 2023. How quickly would key climate technologies need to scale to help meet such goals?

To arrive at projections, we conducted an analysis of the current growth trajectory for climate tech relative to current net-zero commitments. Based on our analysis, even mature technologies—including wind and solar power—would need to scale by a factor of six to 14 times faster to remain on track for a 1.5° pathway by 2030 (exhibit). 4 Based on the McKinsey 1.5°C achieved commitments scenario, which represents existing commitments from companies and policies from countries. To conduct this analysis, we estimated the current trajectory of supply of key climate technologies (based on current activity) across four categories of maturity: mature, early adoption, demonstrated at industrial scale, precommercial; factored in current emissions-reductions commitments from countries and governments; and assessed the supply of these technologies that would be required by 2030 to stay on track for a 1.5° pathway.

Historically, growth in solar and wind has often outpaced projections, and new players entering the market (oil and gas companies, private equity players, and institutional investors, for example) show signs that the current pace of deployment could speed up. 5 “ Renewable-energy development in a net-zero world ,” McKinsey, October 28, 2022. Nevertheless, the potential gap for renewables to meet net-zero targets looks steep.

Climate technologies that are high-potential but relatively less advanced in their commercialization (compared with renewables) would need to scale at an even greater rate. Consider hydrogen. Our analysis indicates that supply of green hydrogen, which is produced with renewables, would need to grow by a factor of 200 times.

Next moves for green business builders

Seven actions for scaling green businesses.

Through our work with organizations that have built and scaled green businesses successfully, we have identified seven key principles . This framework is a way for leaders to navigate both the opportunities and risks involved in scaling climate technologies—and potentially set their companies up for significant growth. There is no one right combination of these factors, and most existing players have combined several of these elements.

Lead with game-changing ambition. Effective green business builders tend to set their sights on creating something significant from the start. Game-changing ambition may mean aspiring to produce a zero-carbon product at a competitive cost (which enables a competitive price), compared with a less sustainable alternative, and scaling new capacity fast.

Accelerate to the point of cost advantage. Building a business around a clean technology may require analyzing different technological pathways, including some technology options that are not yet commercialized. When analyzing a new technology, leaders must understand the scale break point for cost competitiveness, to reach lower unit costs faster and potentially be competitive on price from the start.

Sign up captive demand before scaling. Successful green business builders often set up demand with a strong commercial plan prior to expanding, to reduce risk. One way of accomplishing this is through purchase agreements. For example, Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt signed a supply agreement with BMW. 1 “BMW Group signs long-term supply agreement for battery cells with Northvolt,” Northvolt, July 13, 2020.

Build capacity with parallel scaling. To reach scale-up goals, the ability to drive several investments or market introductions in a limited time frame is key. We’ve seen leaders “parallelize the scaling” from the start—that is, initiate additional growth waves before they complete the first one. One approach is scaling through partnerships in the value chain. For example, investing in production capacity in a company’s home region while finding a partner to deploy the same technology in another. Or coinvesting in expanding manufacturing capacity with suppliers.

Proactively create business ecosystems. As we explore in the accompanying article, scaling most climate technologies won’t happen by companies “going it alone.” Achieving scale requires coordination among governments and regulatory bodies, investment and financing institutions, incumbent players, and disruptive innovators. Finding the right scaling partners along the value chain—partners that have a similar strategic interest—is key. And coalitions dedicated to scaling access, cost-effectiveness, and supply across green ecosystems are a must for transitioning to a green future.

Lead on sustainable operations, through ambitious targets, innovation, and partnerships. Successful green business builders are leaders in how their operations minimize carbon emissions and other environmental impacts. Sustainable operations start from the beginning—designing with low-carbon inputs (green materials), implementing low-emissions processes (circularity), and controlling for emissions through the value chain. Supply chains for some key materials (lithium, for example) could be in high demand. Solidifying a sustainable, resilient, and cost-effective supply chain is therefore important.

Dedicate recruiting resources early in the process. As we cover in the accompanying article, the range of skills required to scale successful green businesses can be wide—and in an especially tight labor market, scarce. Green business builders can invest early in building their talent base, project the needed skill sets for the future workforce, dedicate resources to upskilling and new capabilities, and create the technical infrastructure to enable superior talent performance.

Scaling climate technologies often requires companies to think and act in bold and innovative ways. While our seven actions for scaling green businesses hold true, they continue to evolve (for a summary of the original framework, see sidebar, “Seven actions for scaling green businesses”). Economic uncertainty, inflation, new public funding, technological risks, and supply chain considerations have altered the landscape for green business building.

Actions that have become particularly important for organizations during these volatile times include creatively developing supply chains (including through partnerships), proactively addressing emerging skills gaps in the workforce, and exploring new avenues for financing and investment.

Build up the supply chain through cross-sector partnerships

Green business building efforts are often supply chain building efforts. For hydrogen-powered vehicles to scale and help decarbonize long-haul freight transport , for example, a supply of hydrogen and hydrogen infrastructure also needs to scale. We are increasingly seeing green business builders develop their supply chains by forging partnerships across sectors and, in some cases, creating a growth strategy with complementary players as collaborators. These partnerships are getting a boost from major climate legislation packages in the United States and the European Union. For example, the IRA in the United States allocates $369 billion for climate and energy spending, 6 Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, H.R. 5376, 117th Congr. (2022). with a focus on ventures that address critical gaps in the North American supply chain. These collaborations happen upstream, downstream, or horizontally in the value chain.

Upstream partnerships are operational partnerships that propel vertical integration. They occur when a company partners far upstream to secure critical supply of a product or service. In one example, the Volkswagen Group announced a joint venture with Umicore, 7 “PowerCo and Umicore establish joint venture for European battery materials production,” Volkswagen Group, September 26, 2022. a circular-materials technology company, to boost the supply of low-carbon battery materials. The collaborators aim to scale capacity to meet demand for 2.2 million EVs per year. Such a partnership could not only help fortify the supply chain for battery recycling, it could also help solidify demand for players across the EV and energy storage value chains (charging infrastructure, grid storage markets) and help reduce commercial risk for investors. In another example of a large-scale upstream partnership, Dow Chemical and Mura Technology, an advanced-recycling company, announced they will pair up to construct multiple recycling facilities for plastics that could add up to 600 kilotons of capacity by 2030. 8 “Dow and Mura Technology announce largest commitment of its kind to scale advanced recycling of plastics,” Dow Chemical, July 21, 2022.

Downstream partnerships are demand-based partnerships that drive vertical integration. They occur when a company uses a demand commitment from a purchaser to help stabilize or enable their financing. As an example, advanced-market commitments are one tool for helping to guarantee future demand for technologies. Take Frontier , a joint effort among organizations including Alphabet, Meta, Shopify, and Stripe. 9 McKinsey Sustainability is a partner in Frontier. For more, see New at McKinsey Blog , “ McKinsey partners with Stripe, Alphabet, Shopify, and Meta on $925 million carbon removal commitment ,” blog post, April 13, 2022. These organizations have collectively made a $925 million commitment to purchase carbon removal, enabling carbon removal suppliers to have a line of sight to their end customers while they are still scaling operations.

Horizontal partnerships are ecosystem partnerships that bring together a cross-section of organizations along the value chain. For example, the Center for Houston’s Future and the Greater Houston Partnership have laid the groundwork for a clean-hydrogen hub  in the Gulf Coast region by bringing together both public and private entities that span production, infrastructure, and electrolyzer capacity. 10 McKinsey’s Houston office has been working in collaboration with the Greater Houston Partnership’s Houston Energy Transition Initiative and Center for Houston’s Future. Over the past two years, McKinsey has supported these initiatives through a variety of efforts, including a pro bono study , Houston leading the energy transition - strategy report , Greater Houston Partnership, June 2021, and a report , Houston as the epicenter of a global clean hydrogen hub , Center for Houston’s Future and the Greater Houston Partnership, May 2022. Another example is the LDES Council, a group of more than 60 member institutions that has committed to accelerating the scale of LDES technologies. 11 McKinsey has collaborated with the LDES Council as a knowledge partner, including on the reports Net-zero power: Long duration energy storage for a renewable grid , LDES Council and McKinsey, November 22, 2021; A path towards full grid decarbonization with 24/7 clean Power Purchase Agreements , LDES Council and McKinsey, May 2022; and Net-zero heat: Long Duration Energy Storage to accelerate energy system decarbonization , LDES Council and McKinsey, November 2022. Members include technology providers, customers, and investors.

Get ahead on the skills gap

The net-zero transition has created a shift in needed job skills , as markets are reshaped and organizations institute new operational practices and processes. The range of skills is broad: from honing technical skills in manufacturing EVs, solar panels, and wind turbines to engaging with low-emissions suppliers to having executive expertise in carbon accounting and project finance. Green business building opportunities have encouraged many entrepreneurs, but the available talent to scale operations—in infrastructure, engineering for capital projects, and in process engineering, for example—has not quite caught up.

Looking into the next decade, skills shortages 12 Christopher Boone and Karen C. Seto, “With green jobs booming, here’s how to plug the sustainability skills gap,” World Economic Forum, January 9, 2023. could loom for certain sectors, particularly as more companies concurrently scale up manufacturing and operations in the United States to access the incentives offered by the IRA and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. For example, McKinsey analysis shows that bursts of factory building in Michigan could strain labor supply by close to 200 percent and manifest differently across skill categories of workers, with growing needs for architectural, equipment, and electrical work. To address these potential shortages, companies must not only acquire the right talent, they also need to figure out how to upskill and reskill labor for future opportunities. In the United Kingdom, for example, Octopus Energy has opened a heat pump  R&D and training facility to help accelerate adoption of the technology. 13 Octopus Energy Blog , “How Octopus Energy is revolutionising heat pumps,” blog entry by Aimee Clark, October 29, 2021.

Building up the talent pipeline at academic institutions is another way for companies to fill the skills gap. For example, Shell is a founding partner of the Energy Transition Institute at the University of Houston, where students work with Shell scientists across three core areas: hydrogen, carbon management, and circular plastics. 14 Chris Stipes, “Leading energy,” University of Houston, accessed February 22, 2023. Governments can support such talent-building efforts at universities. The US Department of Energy, for example, has funded a new research center at the University of Michigan for EV battery technology. 15 “$11M DOE center for next-gen battery technology,” University of Michigan, August 30, 2022. Private and public entities will both need to contribute to workforce development going forward.

Explore different avenues for financing and investments

Financing the scale-up of climate technologies can come with challenges, as many technologies rely on significant up-front investments in physical assets, including large-scale facilities and infrastructure. Technologies that haven’t yet reached technical maturity or commercialization can come with a higher risk profile for investors. As we have written about before, securing purchase agreements and inviting customers to invest in the business up front are some ways that green business builders have successfully addressed these challenges.

Project finance is an increasingly common approach for green business builders that can help mitigate the risks for capital-intensive infrastructure projects. Project finance is a nonrecourse or limited-recourse structure in which the project company shareholders’ liability is limited to their equity investment and the project lenders rely primarily on the project’s cash flow for repayment—meaning principal repayment usually begins after the project is operational. Northvolt, a Swedish battery maker, quickly turned to project financing and has plans for at least a third gigafactory manufacturing plant. 16 “Northvolt announces its third gigafactory will be established in Germany’s clean energy valley,” Northvolt, March 15, 2022.

Many green business builders look to blended finance models, which rely on a mix of private capital and public or philanthropic funding. Public-funding pools utilize grants as a means of reducing debt and mitigating risk, for example, and multilateral climate funds, such as the Green Climate Fund, have factored into these blended finance models.

Financing partnerships are also playing a larger role, from joint ventures between local start-ups and global technology companies to multistakeholder-funded research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) programs that provide early-stage and growth-stage equity capital for high-risk first deployment projects. These RD&D programs are particularly showing up in developing countries, to help increase private investments into businesses that serve underrepresented communities most affected by climate change.

When it comes to purchase agreements, inflation could be a top concern for suppliers and buyers. In response, we’re seeing green business builders offer agreements to customers that have inflation-adjustable price formulas.

Scaling new, green businesses may seem more challenging than it did a year ago, but we see many companies addressing the complications with determination and foresight. Organizations that evolve with the times and embrace a new set of actions could set themselves up for significant growth opportunities—and help the climate get back on track.

what is a green business plan

The authors wish to thank Sarah Abebe, Jennifer Barnes, Francesco Cuomo, Fredrik Dahlqvist, Jonas DeMuri-Siliunas, Dani Ebersole, Lisa Leinert, Mark Patel, Anastasia Perez Ternent, and Megan Routbort for their contributions to this article.

This article was edited by Andrew Simon, a senior editor in the Seattle office.

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Greenhouse Business

Back to All Business Ideas

How to Start a Greenhouse Business

Written by: Carolyn Young

Carolyn Young is a business writer who focuses on entrepreneurial concepts and the business formation. She has over 25 years of experience in business roles, and has authored several entrepreneurship textbooks.

Edited by: David Lepeska

David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.

Published on April 7, 2022 Updated on March 13, 2024

How to Start a Greenhouse Business

Investment range

$17,000 - $100,000

Revenue potential

$93,600 - $312,000 p.a.

Time to build

Profit potential

$56,000 - $94,000 p.a.

Industry trend

Do you want to take your gardening to the next level? The greenhouse industry is set to grow more than 80% by 2027, so you could jump in on this booming market by starting your own greenhouse business. If you have property, you could build your greenhouse on it and open it to the public if you can get the proper permitting. If you don’t have property, you could purchase a small piece of land and build. You’d be doing what you enjoy and making good money while providing people with fresh, healthy produce or plants to beautify their yards. 

Before you get started on that greenhouse construction, though, you need to gain some business know-how. Fortunately, you’ll get all the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills you need by reading this step-by-step guide, designed to put you on the garden path to greenhouse success. 

Looking to register your business? A limited liability company (LLC) is the best legal structure for new businesses because it is fast and simple.

Form your business immediately using ZenBusiness LLC formation service or hire one of the Best LLC Services .

Step 1: Decide if the Business Is Right for You

Pros and cons.

Starting a greenhouse business has pros and cons to consider before deciding if it’s right for you. 

  • Great Lifestyle – Do what you love every day
  • Good Money – Profit margins on items you grow will be high
  • Promote Health – Grow healthy, fresh produce to enrich people’s lives
  • High Startup Costs – Greenhouse construction costs money
  • Crowded Market – Compete with greenhouses and large garden stores

Greenhouse industry trends

Industry size and growth.

  • Industry size and past growth – The commercial greenhouse market was worth an impressive $26.88 billion in 2019.(( https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/global-commercial-greenhouse-market/ ))
  • Growth forecast – The commercial greenhouse market is projected to grow more than 80% by 2027 to reach $49.3 billion. 

greenhouse industry size and growth

Trends and challenges

Trends in the greenhouse industry include:

  • Greenhouse manufacturers are producing greenhouses that are more energy-efficient, which helps greenhouse businesses save money, particularly in light of rising energy prices.
  • Automated irrigation systems, pH sensors, and climate control software are being used to solve problems faced by greenhouse growers, such as disease prevention and pest management.

Challenges in the greenhouse industry include:

  • Labor shortages are making it difficult for greenhouse growers to find employees.
  • Rising energy prices are a challenge for greenhouse growers who cannot afford the most up-to-date greenhouse technology.

greenhouse market Trends and Challenges

Demand hotspots

  • Most popular states – The most popular states for greenhouse growers are North Dakota, Kansas, and Washington . (( https://www.zippia.com/greenhouse-worker-jobs/best-states/ ))
  • Least popular states – The least popular states for greenhouse growers are Arkansas, the District of Columbia, and Mississippi. 

greenhouse industry demand hotspots

What kind of people work in greenhouses?

  • Gender – 54.9% of greenhouse workers are female, while 42% are male.(( https://www.zippia.com/greenhouse-worker-jobs/demographics/ ))
  • Average level of education – The average greenhouse worker is high school educated.
  • Average age – The average greenhouse worker in the US is 40.7 years old.

greenhouse industry demographics

How much does it cost to start a greenhouse business?

Startup costs for a small greenhouse business are about $17,000. Costs include the construction of the greenhouse and equipment. With a small greenhouse, you could sell your items at local markets, or from a farmer’s market stand. To start a larger greenhouse that you could open to the public could cost $100,000 or more. 

You’ll need a handful of items to successfully launch your greenhouse business, including: 

  • Irrigation system
  • Fans and hoses

How much can you earn from a greenhouse business?

Prices for your items will depend on the types of items that you grow. These calculations will assume that you’ll have a large enough greenhouse to allow people to come and shop, and that your average total sale per person will be $20. Your profit margin after energy and other growing costs should be about 60%. 

In your first year or two, you might get 15 customers a day 6 days a week, bringing in $93,600 in annual revenue. This would mean $56,000 in profit, assuming that 60% margin. As you gain traction and get repeat business, you might have 50 customers a day. At this stage, you’d hire staff, reducing your profit margin to around 30%. With annual revenue of $312,000, you’d make a tidy profit of around $94,000. 

greenhouse business earnings forecast

What barriers to entry are there?

There are a few barriers to entry for a greenhouse business. Your biggest challenges will be:

  • The land required to build a greenhouse
  • The costs of greenhouse construction and equipment

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Step 2: hone your idea.

Now that you know what’s involved in starting a greenhouse business, it’s a good idea to hone your concept in preparation to enter a competitive market. 

Market research will give you the upper hand, even if you’re already positive that you have a perfect product or service. Conducting market research is important, because it can help you understand your customers better, who your competitors are, and your business landscape.

Why? Identify an opportunity

Research greenhouse businesses in your area to examine their products, price points, and what sells best. You’re looking for a market gap to fill. For instance, maybe the local market is missing a greenhouse that sells vegetables that include head lettuce, brussel sprouts, and tomatoes. Or it might be missing a greenhouse that sells bedding plants.

what is a green business plan

You might consider targeting a niche market by specializing in a certain aspect of your industry, such as decorative plants or fresh produce.

This could jumpstart your word-of-mouth marketing and attract clients right away. 

What? Determine your products or services

You’ll just need to decide what products you want to grow, and what you have space for in your greenhouse. You could also make products like homemade tomato sauce that you package in jars. 

How much should you charge for greenhouse products?

Your prices will completely depend on the products you grow. You should check your local area for prices on similar items. You should aim for a profit margin of 60% when you’re working by yourself. 

Once you know your costs, you can use this Step By Step profit margin calculator to determine your mark-up and final price points. Remember, the prices you use at launch should be subject to change if warranted by the market.

Who? Identify your target market

Your target market will be broad, so you should spread out your marketing to include sites like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. 

Where to locate your greenhouse?

When choosing a location for a greenhouse business, several key factors must be taken into account.

First, consider the climate, land and soil quality, and the accessibility of the location. A suitable climate will reduce costs for climate control, while fertile land is essential for plant growth and greenhouse structure.

Easy access to transportation, employees, and customers is crucial for the success of your business.

Also, ensure that the area has access to resources like water, electricity, and natural gas, which are vital for maintaining greenhouse conditions.

Additionally, look into local zoning and regulations, infrastructure, orientation and topography, and the size of the land to accommodate your greenhouse and potential expansion.

Keep in mind the security and labor availability in the area, as well as the level of competition.

Lastly, ensure that the cost of the land, taxes, and other expenses align with your budget and business plan.

By carefully considering these factors, you can select an ideal location for your greenhouse business that promotes long-term success.

greenhouse business idea rating

Step 3: Brainstorm a Greenhouse Business Name

Your business name is your business identity, so choose one that encapsulates your objectives, services, and mission in just a few words. You probably want a name that’s short and easy to remember, since much of your business, and your initial business in particular, will come from word-of-mouth referrals.

Here are some ideas for brainstorming your business name:

  • Short, unique, and catchy names tend to stand out
  • Names that are easy to say and spell tend to do better 
  • Name should be relevant to your product or service offerings
  • Ask around — family, friends, colleagues, social media — for suggestions
  • Including keywords, such as “greenhouse” or “greenhouse produce”, boosts SEO
  • Name should allow for expansion, for ex: “Blooming Botanicals” over “Cactus Kingdom”
  • Avoid location-based names that might hinder future expansion
  • Use online tools like the Step by Step Business Name Generator . Just type in a few keywords and hit “generate” and you’ll have dozens of suggestions at your fingertips.

Once you’ve got a list of potential names, visit the website of the US Patent and Trademark Office to make sure they are available for registration and check the availability of related domain names using our Domain Name Search tool. Using “.com” or “.org” sharply increases credibility, so it’s best to focus on these. 

Find a Domain

Powered by GoDaddy.com

Finally, make your choice among the names that pass this screening and go ahead with domain registration and social media account creation. Your business name is one of the key differentiators that sets your business apart. Once you pick your company name, and start with the branding, it is hard to change the business name. Therefore, it’s important to carefully consider your choice before you start a business entity.

Step 4: Create a Greenhouse Business Plan

Every business needs a plan. This will function as a guidebook to take your startup through the launch process and maintain focus on your key goals. A business plan also enables potential partners and investors to better understand your company and its vision:

  • Executive Summary: A brief overview of the entire business plan, summarizing key aspects and goals.
  • Business Overview: Detailed information about the greenhouse business, including its mission, vision, and objectives.
  • Product and Services: Clear description of the greenhouse products and services offered, emphasizing their unique selling points.
  • Market Analysis: In-depth examination of the target market, including demographics, trends, and potential opportunities.
  • Competitive Analysis: Evaluation of competitors in the greenhouse industry, highlighting strengths and weaknesses.
  • Sales and Marketing: Strategies for promoting and selling greenhouse products, encompassing marketing channels, pricing, and sales tactics.
  • Management Team: Introduction to the individuals responsible for running the greenhouse business, outlining their roles and qualifications.
  • Operations Plan: Detailed plan on how the greenhouse will operate, covering production, logistics, and day-to-day activities.
  • Financial Plan: Comprehensive overview of the greenhouse’s financial projections, including revenue forecasts, expenses, and break-even analysis.
  • Appendix: Supplementary materials, such as additional data, charts, or documents supporting the information presented in the business plan.

what to include in a business plan

If you’ve never created a business plan, it can be an intimidating task. You might consider hiring a business plan specialist to create a top-notch business plan for you.

Step 5: Register Your Business

Registering your business is an absolutely crucial step — it’s the prerequisite to paying taxes, raising capital, opening a bank account, and other guideposts on the road to getting a business up and running.

Plus, registration is exciting because it makes the entire process official. Once it’s complete, you’ll have your own business! 

Choose where to register your company

Your business location is important because it can affect taxes, legal requirements, and revenue. Most people will register their business in the state where they live, but if you’re planning to expand, you might consider looking elsewhere, as some states could offer real advantages when it comes to greenhouse businesses. 

If you’re willing to move, you could really maximize your business! Keep in mind, it’s relatively easy to transfer your business to another state. 

Choose your business structure

Business entities come in several varieties, each with its pros and cons. The legal structure you choose for your greenhouse business will shape your taxes, personal liability, and business registration requirements, so choose wisely. 

Here are the main options:

  • Sole Proprietorship – The most common structure for small businesses makes no legal distinction between company and owner. All income goes to the owner, who’s also liable for any debts, losses, or liabilities incurred by the business. The owner pays taxes on business income on his or her personal tax return.
  • General Partnership – Similar to a sole proprietorship, but for two or more people. Again, owners keep the profits and are liable for losses. The partners pay taxes on their share of business income on their personal tax returns.
  • Limited Liability Company (LLC) – Combines the characteristics of corporations with those of sole proprietorships or partnerships. Again, the owners are not personally liable for debts.
  • C Corp – Under this structure, the business is a distinct legal entity and the owner or owners are not personally liable for its debts. Owners take profits through shareholder dividends, rather than directly. The corporation pays taxes, and owners pay taxes on their dividends, which is sometimes referred to as double taxation.
  • S Corp – An S-Corporation refers to the tax classification of the business but is not a business entity. An S-Corp can be either a corporation or an LLC , which just need to elect to be an S-Corp for tax status. In an S-Corp, income is passed through directly to shareholders, who pay taxes on their share of business income on their personal tax returns.

types of business structures

We recommend that new business owners choose LLC as it offers liability protection and pass-through taxation while being simpler to form than a corporation. You can form an LLC in as little as five minutes using an online LLC formation service. They will check that your business name is available before filing, submit your articles of organization , and answer any questions you might have.

Form Your LLC

Choose Your State

We recommend ZenBusiness as the Best LLC Service for 2023

what is a green business plan

Step 6: Register for Taxes

The final step before you’re able to pay taxes is getting an Employer Identification Number , or EIN. You can file for your EIN online or by mail or fax: visit the IRS website to learn more. Keep in mind, if you’ve chosen to be a sole proprietorship you can simply use your social security number as your EIN. 

Once you have your EIN, you’ll need to choose your tax year. Financially speaking, your business will operate in a calendar year (January–December) or a fiscal year, a 12-month period that can start in any month. This will determine your tax cycle, while your business structure will determine which taxes you’ll pay.

what is a green business plan

The IRS website also offers a tax-payers checklist , and taxes can be filed online.

It is important to consult an accountant or other professional to help you with your taxes to ensure you’re completing them correctly.

Step 7: Fund your Business

Securing financing is your next step and there are plenty of ways to raise capital:

  • Bank loans: This is the most common method but getting approved requires a rock-solid business plan and strong credit history.
  • SBA-guaranteed loans: The Small Business Administration can act as guarantor, helping gain that elusive bank approval via an SBA-guaranteed loan .
  • Government grants: A handful of financial assistance programs help fund entrepreneurs. Visit Grants.gov to learn which might work for you.
  • Friends and Family: Reach out to friends and family to provide a business loan or investment in your concept. It’s a good idea to have legal advice when doing so because SEC regulations apply.
  • Crowdfunding: Websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo offer an increasingly popular low-risk option, in which donors fund your vision. Entrepreneurial crowdfunding sites like Fundable and WeFunder enable multiple investors to fund your business.
  • Personal: Self-fund your business via your savings or the sale of property or other assets.

Bank and SBA loans are probably the best option, other than friends and family, for funding a greenhouse business. You might also try crowdfunding if you have an innovative concept. 

types of business financing

Step 8: Apply for Greenhouse Business Licenses and Permits

Starting a greenhouse business requires obtaining a number of licenses and permits from local, state, and federal governments.

Federal regulations, licenses, and permits associated with starting your business include doing business as (DBA), health licenses and permits from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ), trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other intellectual properties, as well as industry-specific licenses and permits. 

You may also need state-level and local county or city-based licenses and permits. The license requirements and how to obtain them vary, so check the websites of your state, city, and county governments or contact the appropriate person to learn more. 

You could also check this SBA guide for your state’s requirements, but we recommend using MyCorporation’s Business License Compliance Package . They will research the exact forms you need for your business and state and provide them to ensure you’re fully compliant.

This is not a step to be taken lightly, as failing to comply with legal requirements can result in hefty penalties.

If you feel overwhelmed by this step or don’t know how to begin, it might be a good idea to hire a professional to help you check all the legal boxes.

Step 9: Open a Business Bank Account

Before you start making money, you’ll need a place to keep it, and that requires opening a bank account .

Keeping your business finances separate from your personal account makes it easy to file taxes and track your company’s income, so it’s worth doing even if you’re running your greenhouse business as a sole proprietorship. Opening a business bank account is quite simple, and similar to opening a personal one. Most major banks offer accounts tailored for businesses — just inquire at your preferred bank to learn about their rates and features.

Banks vary in terms of offerings, so it’s a good idea to examine your options and select the best plan for you. Once you choose your bank, bring in your EIN (or Social Security Number if you decide on a sole proprietorship), articles of incorporation, and other legal documents and open your new account. 

Step 10: Get Business Insurance

Business insurance is an area that often gets overlooked yet it can be vital to your success as an entrepreneur. Insurance protects you from unexpected events that can have a devastating impact on your business.

Here are some types of insurance to consider:

  • General liability: The most comprehensive type of insurance, acting as a catch-all for many business elements that require coverage. If you get just one kind of insurance, this is it. It even protects against bodily injury and property damage.
  • Business Property: Provides coverage for your equipment and supplies.
  • Equipment Breakdown Insurance: Covers the cost of replacing or repairing equipment that has broken due to mechanical issues.
  • Worker’s compensation: Provides compensation to employees injured on the job.
  • Property: Covers your physical space, whether it is a cart, storefront, or office.
  • Commercial auto: Protection for your company-owned vehicle.
  • Professional liability: Protects against claims from a client who says they suffered a loss due to an error or omission in your work.
  • Business owner’s policy (BOP): This is an insurance plan that acts as an all-in-one insurance policy, a combination of the above insurance types.

types of business insurance

Step 11: Prepare to Launch

As opening day nears, prepare for launch by reviewing and improving some key elements of your business. 

Essential software and tools

Being an entrepreneur often means wearing many hats, from marketing to sales to accounting, which can be overwhelming. Fortunately, many websites and digital tools are available to help simplify many business tasks. 

You may want to use industry-specific software, such as et GROW , redbud , or Velosio , to manage your costs, inventory, ordering, invoices, and payments. 

  • Popular web-based accounting programs for smaller businesses include Quickbooks , Freshbooks , and Xero . 
  • If you’re unfamiliar with basic accounting, you may want to hire a professional, especially as you begin. The consequences for filing incorrect tax documents can be harsh, so accuracy is crucial. 

Develop your website

Website development is crucial because your site is your online presence and needs to convince prospective clients of your expertise and professionalism.

You can create your own website using website builders . This route is very affordable, but figuring out how to build a website can be time-consuming. If you lack tech-savvy, you can hire a web designer or developer to create a custom website for your business.

They are unlikely to find your website, however, unless you follow Search Engine Optimization ( SEO ) practices. These are steps that help pages rank higher in the results of top search engines like Google. 

For your greenhouse business, the marketing strategy should focus on showcasing the quality and variety of your plants, your expertise in horticulture, and the unique benefits of purchasing from a greenhouse. Emphasize your commitment to sustainable practices, the specialty plants you offer, and any additional services like landscaping consultations or educational workshops. Here are some powerful marketing strategies for your future business:

Kickstart Marketing

  • Professional Branding : Your branding should convey a sense of natural vitality and expertise in plant care. This includes everything from your logo and signage to the design of your greenhouse and marketing materials.
  • Direct Outreach : Connect with local garden clubs, schools, and community organizations for educational partnerships. Reach out to landscapers and garden centers that might be interested in your plants.

Digital Presence and Online Marketing

  • Professional Website and SEO : Develop a website showcasing your plant catalog, care tips, and information about your greenhouse. Optimize your website for local SEO with keywords related to gardening, plants for sale, and greenhouse services.
  • Social Media Engagement : Utilize platforms like Instagram and Facebook to share beautiful photos of your plants and greenhouse, gardening tips, and updates about new arrivals or special events.

Content Marketing and Engagement

  • Gardening Blog : Share informative blog posts about plant care, greenhouse gardening tips, and the latest trends in horticulture.
  • Email Newsletters : Keep your customers informed about new plant arrivals, upcoming workshops, and seasonal gardening tips.
  • Video Tutorials : Create video content on topics like plant care, greenhouse maintenance, or tours of your plant collections.

Experiential and In-Person Engagements

  • Workshops and Classes : Host workshops on gardening, plant care, and other related topics to attract visitors to your greenhouse and establish your expertise.
  • Open House Events : Organize open house days where people can tour your greenhouse, participate in workshops, and purchase plants.

Collaborations and Community

  • Partnerships with Local Businesses : Collaborate with local businesses for cross-promotion, such as cafes offering a discount to your customers or co-hosting events.
  • Community Projects : Engage in community projects like public gardens or educational programs in schools to increase visibility and build a positive community presence.

Customer Relationship and Loyalty Programs

  • Loyalty Program for Regular Customers : Implement a loyalty program that offers discounts or benefits for repeat customers.
  • Referral Incentives : Encourage word-of-mouth marketing by offering incentives for customers who refer friends and family.

Promotions and Advertising

  • Targeted Local Advertising : Use local media, community boards, and online platforms to advertise your greenhouse, especially during key gardening seasons.
  • Seasonal Promotions : Offer special promotions or discounts during peak gardening seasons or around holidays like Mother’s Day.

Focus on USPs

Unique selling propositions, or USPs, are the characteristics of a product or service that sets it apart from the competition. Customers today are inundated with buying options, so you’ll have a real advantage if they are able to quickly grasp how your greenhouse business meets their needs or wishes. It’s wise to do all you can to ensure your USPs stand out on your website and in your marketing and promotional materials, stimulating buyer desire. 

Global pizza chain Domino’s is renowned for its USP: “Hot pizza in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed.” Signature USPs for your greenhouse business could be:

  • Fresh, organic produce straight from the greenhouse to your table
  • Healthy, organically grown plants to beautify your landscape
  • Start your vegetable garden with our young, healthy plants

unique selling proposition

You may not like to network or use personal connections for business gain. But your personal and professional networks likely offer considerable untapped business potential. Maybe that Facebook friend you met in college is now running a greenhouse business, or a LinkedIn contact of yours is connected to dozens of potential clients. Maybe your cousin or neighbor has been working in greenhouses for years and can offer invaluable insight and industry connections. 

The possibilities are endless, so it’s a good idea to review your personal and professional networks and reach out to those with possible links to or interest in greenhouses. You’ll probably generate new customers or find companies with which you could establish a partnership. 

Step 12: Build Your Team

If you’re starting out small from a home office, you may not need any employees. But as your business grows, you will likely need workers to fill various roles. Potential positions for a greenhouse business include:

  • Greenhouse Workers – care for plants, make sales, customer service
  • General Manager – scheduling, ordering, accounting
  • Marketing Lead – SEO strategies, social media

At some point, you may need to hire all of these positions or simply a few, depending on the size and needs of your business. You might also hire multiple workers for a single role or a single worker for multiple roles, again depending on need. 

Free-of-charge methods to recruit employees include posting ads on popular platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Jobs.com. You might also consider a premium recruitment option, such as advertising on Indeed , Glassdoor , or ZipRecruiter . Further, if you have the resources, you could consider hiring a recruitment agency to help you find talent. 

Step 13: Run a Greenhouse Business – Start Making Money!

If you’ve got a green thumb, a greenhouse business could be a fabulous opportunity for you to follow your passion and make good money at the same time. The greenhouse industry is booming as demand for healthy produce grows in a more health-conscious world. It does take a bit of investment and commitment to get started, but the returns are considerable. 

You understand the business side of things now, so you’re ready to start growing your way to entrepreneurial success!

  • Greenhouse Business FAQs

Yes, you can make a relatively good profit margin on greenhouse items. You just need to focus on growing high-quality items that a large market of people want to buy.

The possibilities are endless since so many plants can grow well in a greenhouse. It’s probably best to specialize in either greenhouse produce or decorative plants that people will buy for their landscaping.

The most profitable greenhouse product depends on factors such as location, demand, and market trends. Some popular greenhouse crops that can be profitable include tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, and herbs.

The cheapest way to heat a greenhouse is to use passive solar heating techniques such as insulation, thermal mass, and glazing. Additionally, you could consider using a wood-burning stove or a propane heater or installing a geothermal or solar heating system.

A greenhouse does not necessarily need sun all day, but it does need sufficient light to support plant growth. Ideally, a greenhouse should receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, although this can vary depending on the type of plants being grown and the climate in your area. 

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  • Decide if the Business Is Right for You
  • Hone Your Idea
  • Brainstorm a Greenhouse Business Name
  • Create a Greenhouse Business Plan
  • Register Your Business
  • Register for Taxes
  • Fund your Business
  • Apply for Greenhouse Business Licenses and Permits
  • Open a Business Bank Account
  • Get Business Insurance
  • Prepare to Launch
  • Build Your Team
  • Run a Greenhouse Business - Start Making Money!

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Cathal Friel-chaired green transition firm announces London IPO plan

Friel orchestrated the ipo of open orphan in 2019 through the reverse takeover of dublin-listed venn life sciences.

what is a green business plan

Serial entrepreneur Cathal Friel is planning to pursue an IPO for a green transition company in London next month

European Green Transition (EGT), a company chaired by serial entrepreneur Cathal Friel focused on assets and businesses needed for the green energy transition, has confirmed that it is planning to pursue an initial public offering (IPO) in London.

It would mark the fifth IPO that Mr Friel’s Raglan Capital corporate finance business has orchestrated in the space of a dozen years.

EGT’s main shareholders are Mr Friel, who currently owns 43.8 per cent of the company, and fellow director Michael Nolan, a 11.6 per cent stakeholder co-founder of Fastnet Oil & Gas, which Raglan brought to AIM, the London Stock Exchange’s market for small companies, in 2012.

Chief executive Aidan Lavelle owns 6.9 per cent of the company. All stakes are based on equity in EGT before the raising funds in the IPO. The company is expected to have pre-IPO value of close to £10 million (€11.7 million). The aim is to have follow-on stock placings as the company develops.

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Ganley’s US court case takes a turn

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The company is expected to started trading on London’s junior AIM market after Easter.

The seed portfolio includes three exploration projects – two in Sweden and one in Germany – for critical metals such as lithium, used for electric vehicle batteries, and rare-earth metals such as dysprosium and terbium, used in the manufacture of wind turbines.

“We are very excited by the scale of the opportunities created by the green economy transition in Europe. We are applying our M&A [mergers and acquisitions] focused approach of targeting distressed and undervalued assets towards prospects in the green economy,” said Mr Friel.

The principal asset is the so-called Olserum REE (rare-earth elements) project in southern Sweden, which EGT aims to progress towards obtaining a 25-year exploitation permit. EGT does not intend to mine itself, but bring in a partner and benefit from royalties.

A European Union law aimed at boosting supply from within the bloc of minerals crucial for its green and digital transitions – and end its reliance on Chinese supply – is on track to enter force this year, subject to the European Council approving a final text agreed by the European Parliament in December.

The EU’s demand for base metals, battery materials, rare earths and more is set to increase exponentially as it moves away from fossil fuels and turns to clean energy systems which necessitate more minerals.

A number of the other companies that Raglan oversaw the flotation on the stock market over the past 12 years have created value through acquisitions of distressed assets.

Fastnet Oil & Gas spun off its oil and gas assets in 2015, following a slump in oil prices. However, Mr Friel subsequently managed a merger in 2016 of what was then a listed cash shell company with Amryt Pharma, which was looking to buy and develop a pipeline of drug candidates focused on treating rare and orphan diseases. The deal was essentially an IPO as it involved a €12.6 million stock offering.

Amryt was acquired for about $1.48 billion (€1.37 billion) last year by Chiesi Farmaceutici, an Italian pharmaceutical company.

Mr Friel orchestrated the IPO of Open Orphan, a pharma services company, in 2019 through the reverse takeover of Dublin-listed Venn Life Sciences. The company went on later that year to buy UK clinical trials business Hvivo, which was struggling at the time. The since-renamed Hvivo group had a market value of €206.8 million as of Friday.

Hvivo spun out its Poolbeg Pharma unit, which is focused on developing treatments for infectious diseases, in 2021 through an IPO in London of the division that raised £25 million (€29.2 million). Poolbeg’s market capitalisation stands at £48.7 million (€48.5 million).

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what is a green business plan

Advocates hope national school food framework gets green light as plan lands on Freeland’s desk

what is a green business plan

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland speaks in the House of Commons, in Ottawa, on March 19. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

A framework for a national school-food program has landed on the desk of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, and, with the federal budget just weeks away, advocates hope the proposal will get the green light.

The proposed plan comes as food prices continue to cause political headaches for governments across the country, said Tyler Meredith, a policy thinker and former economic adviser to Ms. Freeland and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“A proposal has now been put forward to minister Freeland, and it’s now for us to watch whether it’ll be funded in the budget,” Mr. Meredith said.

“I’m cautiously optimistic.”

The federal government consulted with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous groups and other stakeholders to come up with the framework over the past year.

The Liberal government has long promised to move in this direction, and Mr. Trudeau campaigned on it during his re-election campaign in 2021, promising to put $1-billion over five years toward such a program.

That money is urgently needed, community food groups argue, as Canadians increasingly struggle to put food on the table and many families find themselves in food-bank lineups.

“It would help to meaningfully address something that many families are dealing with, which is both the high cost of food and also, frankly, the significant time and effort that is required in preparing lunches for kids,” Mr. Meredith said.

Ms. Freeland wouldn’t comment on the plan that’s currently before her. A spokesperson for her office said the 2024 budget, expected on April 16, will focus on making life affordable, building homes and creating jobs.

While education doesn’t fall under federal jurisdiction, a national lunch program would allow Ottawa to partner up with provinces and territories, many of which are already doing the work alongside community groups.

A national school program would be a scaleup similar to Ottawa’s national child-care program, Mr. Meredith said.

The effort to lower daycare costs to $10 a day required investments from federal, provincial and territorial governments.

Providing school lunches as a national program allows Ottawa to use its spending power “in a smart way that helps to address and alleviate concerns associated with inflation,” Mr. Meredith said.

“They are able, potentially, to buy food and distribute it at a scale that individual families simply do not have the bargaining power to compete with in the market when they go to fill their grocery cart,” he said.

In the past year, British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia have allocated money toward school lunches, but on-the-ground organizations argue a federal partner would lead to more mouths fed.

“We believe that there is no other initiative that the federal government could take that would – for the money spent – have as big an impact on supporting food affordability, and helping families, than investing in a national school food program in budget 2024,” said Carolyn Webb, mobilization co-ordinator with The Coalition of Healthy School Food, Canada’s largest school-food network.

Ms. Webb, who asked Ottawa earlier this week to fund a national program, said it would also help local producers and farmers, and create more jobs for food services workers.

“I think if we see a signal in the budget that the government wants to move in this direction, I think it can catalyze a pretty quick conversation with provinces about how they all invest,” Mr. Meredith said.

“This is the single most important issue that families and voters of all classes are facing, and why they are frustrated, and what they want governments to focus on.”

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Europe’s green giant is focusing on safer bets

Reuters Graphics

That said, Iberdrola shares trade roughly where they stood at that point in time. Given that some of that is down to a pre-existing mix of U.S. exposure and regulated assets, Galán’s new investment targets should cement the group’s appeal. He is allocating 60% of net capital expenditure, or 21.5 billion euros, to power grids. That’s up from 44% in a previous plan, or 16 billion euros. These networks need massive upgrades and changes as ditching fossil fuels requires more electricity. But as regulated businesses, grids also offer more predictable returns as investors receive a guaranteed rate over the lifetime of the asset.

Reuters Graphics

Galán’s strategy is not without risks of its own. Biden’s handouts are inflating construction costs, and presidential hopeful Donald Trump has threatened to axe some green tax credits. Still, with U.S. power networks required to expand by two-thirds to handle surging electricity demand, the Iberdrola boss’s bets look reassuringly logical.

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CONTEXT NEWS

Iberdrola, Europe’s largest listed renewables player, said it plans to invest 41 billion euros by 2026, including a planned buyout of minorities in listed unit Avangrid and 5 billion euros of co-investments from partners.

The $79 billion Spanish utility said it was targeting EBITDA of between 16.5 billion and 17 billion euros in 2026, up from 14.4 billion euros in 2023.

Net investments over the next three years will amount to 36 billion euros, of which 60% — or 21.5 billion euros — will be allocated to electricity networks. Iberdrola plans to allocate 10.5 billion euros to renewable projects such as solar and wind farms, and 1.5 billion euros to electricity storage.

Iberdrola has earmarked 35% of its planned net investments to the United States, its biggest destination for capital expenditure.

Shares in Iberdrola were up 0.2% at 11.31 euros at 0830 GMT.

Apple's horrible day — explained in 60 seconds

  • The US DOJ, with 16 state attorneys general, has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple .
  • That lawsuit argues that the iPhone maker engaged in anticompetitive practices in five key respects.
  • Apple says the suit is "wrong on the facts and the law," and it will "vigorously" defend itself.

Insider Today

Apple is under fire.

The US Department of Justice, along with attorneys general from 16 states, has accused Apple of engaging in illegal anticompetitive behaviors to achieve the iPhone's dominance .

The stakes are high.

Prosecutors — who likened the action to the famous antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft more than two decades ago — say their focus on the iPhone is because of several ways in which Apple unfairly limits the functionality of other products and services to iPhone users.

Apple "engaged in many of the same tactics that Microsoft used," the Justice Department alleges, leaving customers with "higher prices, fewer new products, and a worse user experience."

Apple said in a statement to Business Insider that the suit was "wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it."

Meanwhile, it was a bad day for Apple's stock, which was down more than 4% at market close.

Related stories

So what does the DOJ's case against Apple center on?

Here are the five key areas where prosecutors say Apple is breaking the law and harming consumers:

1. Restricting cross-platform apps

The suit says Apple makes it harder for consumers to switch between smartphone platforms by restricting apps that offer a consistent user experience across devices .

2. Limiting cloud streaming games and apps

Prosecutors argue that Apple's restrictions on streaming services force users to pay for more expensive smartphone hardware than they would otherwise have to.

3. Android users get green text bubbles and grainy videos

Because Apple blocks other apps from sending or receiving carrier-based messages in favor of its own Messages app, the lawsuit says the company is making communications with non-iPhone users less innovative and less secure. Look no further than relegating Android users' texts to green bubbles and the grainy quality when sending videos, the DOJ argues.

4. Making smartwatches less smart

This one is a twofer: Prosecutors say the Apple Watch's dependence on an iPhone locks users into the iOS system, while the iPhone doesn't play as nicely as it should with third-party smartwatches .

5. Denying access to full-fledged digital wallets

In limiting tap-to-pay functionality and restricting third-party development of cross-platform digital wallets, prosecutors say Apple is harming businesses' and customers' ability to conduct secure digital transactions on their phones, independently of Apple.

Read the full complaint here

US vs. Apple Inc lawsuit by Steven Tweedie

Watch: Trump fights back as fraud trial begins

what is a green business plan

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  1. 45 green business ideas for aspiring entrepreneurs

    what is a green business plan

  2. The Green Business Plan Guide

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  4. Sustainable Startups: Why Every Startup Should Be a Green Business

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  6. Overview of Green Business: Enabling Policies and Private Sector

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COMMENTS

  1. PDF The Green Business Plan Guide

    Ultimately, a green business plan should demonstrate that the proposal is economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially just. nBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT No two green entrepreneurs are exactly alike. They come from an array of communities, backgrounds and industries. Even so, green entrepreneurs do have a number of things in

  2. Green business opportunities and net zero

    Proactively create business ecosystems. Many green business building efforts are also value-chain-building efforts. Consider circular materials, like the recycled textiles example mentioned earlier. There is a need to secure effective collection, appropriate sorting and processing, and market-based demand for the recycled textile fibers.

  3. 39 Green Business Ideas for Sustainable Startups

    31. Green remodeling. Green remodeling is the perfect green business idea for the handy entrepreneur. Take a worn down home and make it something new using sustainable materials and updated ...

  4. Identifying sustainable business opportunities

    Before executing a green strategy, companies could benefit from developing a complete business plan, including a business case with a five- to ten-year outlook. Again, this advice is standard for any company, regardless of product or sector, but may be particularly important for green products because of the heightened uncertainty.

  5. How to build a green business

    June 11, 2022 Launching and scaling a new business is no easy feat. When you add the objective of solving some of the world's greatest challenges, like decarbonization, the stakes are even higher. Check out these insights on green business building from our Learn to Leap series to find out how some companies are paving the way, and dive ...

  6. Green Business Ideas to Consider

    If you want to start a business with a green, eco-friendly focus, consider any of the 23 ideas below. 1. Ink refill business. Starting an ink refill business can be an environmentally conscious ...

  7. What is a green business? + how to go green

    A green business often exhibits core traits like: Offering nontoxic, eco-friendly products in sustainable, recyclable, or reusable packaging. Sourcing materials and ingredients from companies dedicated to ethical, fair-trade, and sustainable practices. Prioritizing the health, well-being, and treatment of their workers and employees.

  8. Develop a Small Business Sustainability Plan

    Step 1: Learn about Sustainability. The first step in creating a small business sustainability plan is learning what, exactly, sustainability is all about. Knowledge is power. Use your resources wisely! There are many guides out there that offer suggestions on sustainability as well as renewable and sustainable energy.

  9. Sustainable Green Business Plan Template

    What is a Sustainable Green Business Plan? A sustainable green business plan is a strategic plan that focuses on sustainability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. The plan outlines a company's goals, objectives, and target measurements to ensure the company is operating in an environmentally friendly, socially responsible ...

  10. 25 Sustainable Business Ideas To Inspire Eco-Minded Entrepreneurs

    One of the simpler green business ideas you can start is to sell used books. Not only will you be doing our planet a favor, but you will also be encouraging the growth of a reading and learning culture. You can open a used bookstore, whether physical or online, and sell used books. 12. Sell eco-friendly pet products.

  11. 200 Creative Green Business Ideas for a Sustainable Living

    A green business provides services or produces products in a way that is more ecologically friendly than a traditional business. A green business can also focus on sustainable and fair practices. For example, a company that produces its products with 100% recycled raw materials would be considered a green business.

  12. Learn what it means to be a green business

    Being green requires developing an attitude toward sustainability and practices that can be incorporated into our everyday lives. Being a green business means changing the way a business purchases, develops, produces, and provides products and services so it has a positive impact on the environment. Think of the planet as a warehouse of goods.

  13. Green Business Guide

    The importance of green business practices and the profitability of sustainable / eco-friendly companies is on the rise. Many Canadian consumers are willing to pay a premium for 'green products', and are on the lookout for new products and services to fit their lifestyles. Consumers are interested both in products that are made using ...

  14. Green Business Definition

    The green business definition describes a company that does not make any negative impact on the environment, economy, or community. These types of businesses are forward-thinking when it comes to human rights, environmental concerns, and related issues. Green businesses use environmentally sustainable resources and uphold socially responsible ...

  15. 8 steps to putting together a green business plan

    Writing a green business plan will help pull together your company's ideas for the future. With a framework to follow you are significantly more likely to make your aspirations a reality. On top of this, a green business plan is a fantastic resource to present to potential investors. They will be impressed with your foresight and may be more ...

  16. Greenhouse Business Plan Template & How-To Guide [Updated 2024]

    For example, give a brief overview of the greenhouse industry. Discuss the type of greenhouse farming business you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team.

  17. Green Business and Social Responsibility: Profit With Purpose

    A green business is a company that operates in an environmentally sustainable manner, meaning it considers the impact of its operations on the environment and works to minimize any adverse effects. This can include reducing waste, conserving natural resources, and using renewable energy sources. There are many benefits to being a green business.

  18. PDF GREEN BUSINESS BOOKLET

    preneurs to identify a suitable green business idea and to develop a business plan for their future green business, and to help entrepre-neurs who already have an enterprise to green their business. The booklet is structured as follows: • Readers will learn about what is meant by green business and what its benefits are in Chapter 1.

  19. Green energy business: The next moves for leaders

    Successful green business builders often set up demand with a strong commercial plan prior to expanding, to reduce risk. One way of accomplishing this is through purchase agreements. For example, Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt signed a supply agreement with BMW. 1 "BMW Group signs long-term supply agreement for battery cells with ...

  20. Sustainable business

    A sustainable business, or a green business, is an enterprise that has a minimal negative impact or potentially a positive effect on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy—a business that strives to meet the triple bottom line.They cluster under different groupings and the whole is sometimes referred to as "green capitalism."

  21. How to Start a Profitable Greenhouse Business in 2024

    A business plan also enables potential partners and investors to better understand your company and its vision: ... If you've got a green thumb, a greenhouse business could be a fabulous opportunity for you to follow your passion and make good money at the same time. The greenhouse industry is booming as demand for healthy produce grows in a ...

  22. (PDF) GREEN BUSINESS: CHALLENGES AND PRACTICES

    Business Plan to Pro ts. Entrepreneur Press. 324 p. Green Times, n.d., accessed July 15, 2013, ... The green business transformation process is comprehensive, which requires the active ...

  23. An overview of the key green-related terms

    Greenwashing, green hushing, green botching and greenwishing. These are just a few of the 'green' terms that are quickly becoming everyday language within the world of sustainability. Accordingly, as the economy undergoes sustainable transition, it is highly recommended that leaders on business and sustainability have a thorough ...

  24. How To Write A Basic Business Plan

    Here is what you typically find in a basic business plan: 1. Executive Summary. A snapshot of your business plan as a whole, touching on your company's profile, mission, and the main points of ...

  25. Cathal Friel-chaired green transition firm announces London IPO plan

    European Green Transition (EGT), a company chaired by serial entrepreneur Cathal Friel focused on assets and businesses needed for the green energy transition, has confirmed that it is planning to ...

  26. Electricity upgrade plan includes miles of pylons

    Business editor The UK's electricity network needs almost a further £60bn of upgrades to hit government decarbonisation targets by 2035, according to a new plan.

  27. Advocates hope national school food framework gets green light as plan

    A framework for a national school food program has landed on the desk of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, and with the federal budget just weeks away advocates hope the proposal will get the ...

  28. Europe's green giant is focusing on safer bets

    Ignacio Galán is playing it safe. In Iberdrola's IBE updated three-year business plan, the veteran executive chairman of Europe's largest utility has earmarked 36 billion euros of net investments by 2026. Most of the cash will go into upgrading and expanding ageing power grids, and about a third into the United States.

  29. Family Dollar and Dollar Tree will close 1,000 stores

    Family Dollar, the struggling discount chain that caters to low-income customers predominantly in cities, said Wednesday it will close nearly 1,000 stores.

  30. Apple's Horrible Day, Explained in 60 Seconds

    Apple said in a statement to Business Insider that the suit was "wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it." Meanwhile, it was a bad day for Apple's stock, which was ...