Calling All Eco-Entrepreneurs!

I am thrilled to be a part of the HuffPo... Woo Hoo!

Alright, it's time to get down to biz. And, when I say biz, I actually do mean business!

Starting a new business is often referred to as the "American Dream," but it's not always so dreamy for many entrepreneurs. The phrase "9 out of 10 new businesses fail in the first 5 years" is all too true, for most. Getting bogged down with payroll, workers' comp, taxes and legal issues are the harsh realities for anyone launching their own business. Now, imagine the uphill battle for eco-innovators who are creating environmental and sustainable products and services to compete with mainstream business... in a country that's just beginning to see the value of "green."

Who would be crazy enough to try and start something under such tough parameters? Allow me to introduce you to the eco-entrepreneur.

The eco-entrepreneur is a rare bird that believes "making money" and "doing good" are not mutually exclusive. This is a person whose goals are to provide better products, services or innovations while leaving a minimal footprint on the environment. Eco-entrepreneurs live today, to green the world of tomorrow.

How do I know so much about the plight of the eco-entrepreneur? My husband, Marty Metro, and I started the earth-friendly company UsedCardboardBoxes.com so I've had a first hand look at the craziness that it takes to make a green business successful.

I figured, if I'm interested in greenovators, what they've gone through to get where they are, their lessons learned and all that crapola, then you probably are, too! So, that's what I'll be doing here on the HuffPo... I'll be introducing you to some great green innovators. We'll be looking at the good, the bad and the ugly, but you can rest assure that they'll all be do-gooders who are going green to make green.

If you know of any eco-entrepreneurs who should be highlighted here, please leave a remark below or contact me a tracymetro.com.

Comments

[MCMilker]

Wonderful to see ecopreneurs featured on The Huffington Post!

We’ve been able to contribute articles from time to time, but your focus on this topic will bring much needed attention to the greening of entrepreneurship. Ecopreneurs face many of the same challenges as any one involved in a start-up business, but the manner in which they solve them …can often vary from the norm!

Great start on a topic about which we love to read!

MC Milker
Lead Writer, Ecopreneurist.com

[Tim Berry - Huffpost Blogger]

Welcome aboard, Tracy, but to be fair, saying that the eco-entrepreneur is the rare bird that believes making money and doing good are not mutually exclusive is perhaps taking too much credit for one small view of the elephant.
Combining making money and doing good is essentially what drives most of the people who start businesses, any businesses, eco friendly or not. You don't think the restauranteur believes her food makes people happy, and that making people happy is good? Or that the software entrepreneur believes her application is good for the people who use it? Or the taxi driver, or graphic artist, or butcher, baker, and even the candlestick maker? Not to mention recycling, clean energy tutoring, documentaries, debt counseling, and so many others.
The best book out there on starting a business, Guy Kawasaki's 'The Art of the Start,' emphasizes "make meaning" and "be a mensch. " As you get into real business, small business, entrepreneurial business, most people need to believe in it in order to do it well.
So combining making money and doing good has been around for a very long time.
So what's exciting here, to me, is that the world has opened a market window for eco friendly entrepreneurship, so that eco friendly has some market power, people care, will choose eco friendly over eco-neutral or eco-exploitative, and will even pay more for eco friendly.
Good luck with that cardboard business and welcome aboard.