What's so good about going green?

I've been hearing a lot both for and against the green economy. From the positive side of the aisle, the green economy aims to bring better energy efficiency and environmental stewardship into the consciousness of the American people. The country lags far behind the efforts of many other industrialized nations, and the green economy represents one of the areas in which the United States has all the financial, human, educational, and natural resources required to lead in almost all areas of green economics: clean energy, sustainable buildings, smart grids, sustainable agriculture, and closed-loop waste management.

From the negative side, the green hype frustrates many citizens. They don't know what to believe as public information and outreach use manipulated scientific data and half truths to tell only part of the story. Furthermore, accounts of green-washing furthers the frustration, leading individuals and groups to strengthen their opposition to green economy efforts. They don't want their tax dollars spent on initiatives in which don't have complete confidence.

The reality of the green economy cannot be avoided. Clean tech and sustainable industries have reached the tipping point, and that means that clean tech is here to stay. Whether you're an environmentalist on the forefront of green innovation or a climate change skeptic, many gains can be realized in the business world from the rise of the green economy:

• It's good for long-term growth. The green economy's focus on efficiency and sustainability employs practices of accountability and consciousness that all businesses can use as we reshape our economy. Shady business practices of the past show themselves quickly to the transparent environment fueled by the information age, and inefficiencies will cripple any poorly-run business. The conservation of resources and a focus on sustainability means that businesses have the tools and resources needed to make long-term plans for growth and viability. The focus on short term gains is no longer enough to build confidence in the success and brand promises of an organization.
• It's good for jobs and economic development. When regions focus on sustainability, its inhabitants receive clean air, fresh drinking water, renewable energy sources, reliable transportation, and overall prosperity. The rise in clean technologies, innovations, and practices brings new opportunities as the economy shifts from industrial age to information age, resulting in replacement of lost jobs due to dramatic changes in flailing or failing industry sectors. Our workplaces require healthy, well-educated citizens to meet the demand of changing jobs. Else, we will have to rely on imported and outsourced workforces to supply our workforce need.
• It's good for the environment. Yes, the environment is still important in all this. Former President Teddy Roosevelt first established Pelican Island in Florida as a national wildlife refuge, and the United States still leads the world in a great wealth of environmental diversity and beauty that can be found in few other places of the world (except potentially Russia). By protecting these natural resources, we have a viable asset for future generations to leverage and enjoy, unspoiled and minimally impacted through conservation and preservation that results from sustainable governance in all the ways we live, work, and play.
  
• It's good for health. With cancer and obesity rates out of control and on the rise, the American people can use as much help as it can get to improve health. I have four friends under the age of 40 going through chemo right now. I'm not going to fight against better-quality food, air, and water to keep our citizens healthy. Good health keeps people productive and happy. With healthy citizens, the green economy focuses our resources on supporting health and well-being instead of reactive social programs and overburdened, under-performing health care systems. We need a populace that contributes to, not drains, our national prosperity.
  

Going green is good for our businesses, our communities, and our environment. With businesses focused on long-term growth, economic development, clean environments, and healthy citizens, we can expect increased opportunities and more profitable businesses. The shift to a green economy affords real opportunities for new and existing businesses and individuals. More opportunities mean increased employment, lower violence rates, healthier communities, and a vibrant tax base. Whether you're pro-green or a green-skeptic, the green economy is here, and it's now up to smart leaders and business owners to dig through the hype to find the best opportunities to survive and thrive.

Rebuild Haiti and Your Career with Shameless You!

I usually don't talk much about our Shameless You! personal development program on the TsuluViews blog, but the current situation both at home and in Haiti demands that I do something. As I see what's happening in the current job market and with the tremendous suffering in Haiti, I realize that it's tough to have confidence when you don't have the basic tools needed for survival.

To help our unemployed and underemployed thrive at home, and to help the people of Haiti, I am donating a portion of all Shameless You! product sales to the American Red Cross.

For each order of our popular Shameless Self Promotion Audio CD and Workbook combination, we will send $5 to the American Red Cross. If you order the products separately, we will donate $2 for each Workbook or Audio CD purchase.

And shipping on all three options is free.

Just place your order by 2/1/2010, and you can:

• Toot your own horn with confidence and integrity.
• Overcome intimidation in your personal and professional life.
• Craft an elevator pitch so that employers and clients get it.
  
• Rebuild your career with actionable tools.
  
• Help the people of Haiti get the resources they need to rebuild their lives.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to rebuild both at home and abroad.

Order now at www.tsuluwerks.com/shamelessstore.

Start the New Year with New Revenues

As we've seen throughout 2009, our current economic climate has encouraged organizations to get creative. In my program The Profit Wrangler: Wrangling New Profits from Existing Assets, organizations identify their Golden Nuggets and the Action Lassos they need to generate new revenue streams. Golden Nuggets are the assets within an organization that have the potential to realize revenue for the organization. Many organizations develop process and acquire assets during the course of doing business every day and don't even realize it. They develop a new system or hire a specialized group of people to fill an immediate need. Without realizing it, they have uncovered Golden Nuggets. Until someone helps them mine and refine the discovery, the organization might never tap into these profit centers.

All organizations possess one or more of six Golden Nuggets:

• Products. Most folks think of products when they think of assets. They look at the inventory they have on hand and think about how to move those products and turn them into dollars. What companies overlook is using those products in ways not outlined in their business plans. As the market changes, a company has to be ready to think of new ways to leverage the products that they create or have in inventory. Through new uses, existing products can bring in dollars from new market segments.
  
• Services. Services are another part that folks don't always think of as a potential revenue source. Of course, service-based businesses have a core service that they provide for a fee. There might also be ways that product-based businesses can replicate their customer service or fulfillment system for other manufacturers. Or a service business might have value-added services that they have previously offered for free or almost intuitively. Those additional services can be transformed into a new source of revenue for an enterprising organization.
  
• Talent. Many organizations attract a very specific talent pool. This talent either fits with their culture or they possess unique skills and ways of thinking that apply specifically to their product or service offering. That group of highly specialized architects might be able to leverage their skills to do more than design assisted living facilities. They might be able to serve as consultants to design firms without that level of expertise. They might also directly advise existing assisted living facilities to realize new ways to translate their skills into organizational revenue.
  
• Processes. What distinguishes a business from a hobby is the development of replicable, transferrable systems and processes. All organizations have processes that they use to deliver on services and give themselves an edge over their competition. When times get tough, sharing the secret sauce (for a fee, of course) can provide a platform for clients and competitors to do it themselves and minimize additional investments in human resources for sustained growth.
  
• Capital (Real and Financial). Capital can be easy to measure, since it usually takes on the form of a physical item or a balance in an account. When that item is not being used or that account balance is not gaining interest, it is being underutilized. This goes beyond subleasing unused office space. Organizations can change how they invest their financial capital and use physical assets by getting creative and creating their own microcosms of capital outsourcing.The costs to access this capital, either as a lease, loan, or other use fee, can create new ways for an organization to bring new wealth to stagnant resources.
  
• Intellectual Property (IP). IP is the most often overlooked Golden Nugget within most organizations. When I surveyed an audience of diverse small business, nonprofit, and corporate leaders, only 15% had heard the term "IP". Like processes, content and information can be leveraged for a cost. If an organization is known as the leader in providing information, content, and resources in an area, most likely, folks will pay for structured access. It saves them time and resources, and the organization has created a new level for demand to help fuel its future endeavors.
  

I constantly refer to "organizations' in this article because these tenets are not just for businesses. Nonprofits, governments, and chambers of commerce can tap into their Golden Nuggets to offset a potential drop in tax revenue, membership, and donations as their stakeholders go into survival mode. On our web site, we have two examples of organizations who are leveraging their Golden Nuggets to generate new revenue streams: a nonprofit research organization and a for-profit financial services organization. Each is leveraging its services, talent, and processes to help member organizations gain access to the resources it needs.

Wrangling new profits from existing assets does not require years of strategic planning and a 10-year rollout plan. You might already have Golden Nuggets like under served talent, fallow capital, unharnessed IP, unique processes, intuitive services, and multipurpose products available within your organization. By getting a little creative, you can start developing new revenue streams from what you already have. Don't let this inspirational period in our economic history go to waste.