New York SBDC Research Network

We’re big believers in  green businesses  and the notion that making money and being eco-conscious are not mutually exclusive. In honor of the upcoming Earth Day on April 22, we’d like to outline some great ideas to “green” your business – ranging from ways to lessen your company’s carbon footprint to dealing with EPA regulations. These tips underscore the idea that going green is a great business strategy. For starters, make sure your facility is as energy-efficient as possible, something that benefits you and the environment. Once you’ve done that,  you may also want to consider renewable energy .

The Onondaga SBDC, in co-operation with some partners, has initiated a program called the Green Core Company certification, which "provides a blueprint for businesses working to achieve green operations through reduced environmental and social impacts, and recognizes businesses that make a substantial effort to develop a culture of sustainability within their organization; while challenging the offence of 'greenwashing' - the unregulated and improper use of the term and methodology of 'green' for marketing advantage." In other words, it is NOT a self-certification program that allows someone to pay some money to get a sticker for the store logo. The program is currently designed for businesses in the central New York (Syracuse) area, a participatory process involving SBDC clients who want to save money while doing better for the environment.

In their third annual survey to measure and monitor consumer behaviors that have an impact on the environment, the National Geographic Society and the international polling firm GlobeScan have found that environmentally friendly behavior among consumers in 10 out of 17 countries has increased over the past year. The survey results show that environmentally friendly consumer behavior, as measured by the Greendex, has now increased from 2008 levels in all but one of the 14 countries polled in both 2008 and 2010. By environmentally friendly consumer behavior, we mean people’s transportation patterns, household energy and resource use, consumption of food and everyday consumer goods, and what consumers are doing to minimize the impact these activities have on the environment. Greendex 2010: Consumer Choice and the Environment — A Worldwide Tracking Survey is a comprehensive measure of consumer behavior in 65 areas relating to housing, transportation, food and consumer goods. Greendex 2010...

The Earth Day Green Business Guide is a document from Business.gov , the official business link to the U.S. Government. The guide is intended to help "small business owners save money while protecting the environment. From changing a light bulb and using recyclable products to installing energy efficient equipment and systems, every business can make simple changes that save energy costs and natural resources." Small businesses can learn how to: * Develop an Environmental Management Plan * Comply with Environmental Regulations * Develop Green Products * Market and Grow Your Green Business * Reuse, Reduce and Recycle Waste * Explore Green Commuting Options * Learn about Successful Green Businesses In addition, the following Small Business Guides also available through Business.gov include special highlights to help you green your business: * Starting a Green Business - Start an Eco-Friendly Business * Advertising and Marketing - How to Ma...

If you like maps, I'd recommend checking of the Department of Environmental Conservation's page of Interactive Online Maps . The DEC offers a variety of mapping tools, including the following: State Lands Interactive Mapper for customized recreational trail maps New York Nature Explorer , a gateway to biodiversity information The Geodata Map Viewer , which allows you to layer a number of geographic features There are also maps for Chronic Wasting Disease, environmental resources, mineral resources, and environmental facilities.

"What was once known colloquially as Cash for Clunkers has been given the official government name of CARS – Car Allowance Rebate System . As soon as President Obama signed the bill, scammers were already thinking up ways to take advantage of the system. Here’s an explanation of how the new law works and how you can take advantage of it legally." Also From the official website - primary color, not shockingly, is green. While the CARS Act makes transactions on and after July 1 potentially eligible for credits under the CARS program, interested dealers and consumers may want to wait until all of the detailed issues that must be addressed in the implementing regulations are resolved and the final rule is issued. Issuance will occur around July 23. Important Things to Know *Your vehicle must be less than 25 years old on the trade-in date *Only purchase or lease of new vehicles qualify *Generally, trade-in vehicles must get 18 or less MPG (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo...

There was an article in the April 2, 2009 Wall Street Journal entitled What Do Labels Really Tell You? - As Eco-Seals Proliferate, So Do Doubts by Gwendolyn Bounds. From the article: As green marketing has proliferated, so has the number of "eco-labels" competing to be the environmental equivalent of a Good Housekeeping seal of approval. According to the Web site ecolabelling.org, there are more than 300 such labels putting a green stamp on everything from cosmetics and seafood to bird-friendly coffee... Some label programs...require independent verification of product manufacturers' green claims. But many others don't, partly because of cost and manpower, they say. The result: increasing confusion among consumers about the veracity of green marketing promises and a growing sense that the federal government may need to take a stronger role in shaping standards people widely recognize and trust... Some advocating a federal role point to organic food as a potential mod...

Are you doing great things for the environment? Would $10,000 help you do more good? The “ Green Heroes Grant Program ” might be for you. Green Works natural cleaners is giving away five $10,000 dollar grants to recipients working to green their communities. You can nominate yourself or someone else. (On a side note – Green Works is a product line from Clorox, and according to TreeHugger , the line has been “snagging a 42% share of the market. What's even more interesting is that this has happened without eroding cleaning product sales for smaller green-product companies like Method and Seventh Generation. Instead, the products seem to be luring customers away from traditional cleaning products .”

Years ago I received a call from a director, looking for models from other communities regarding the conversion of dilapidated or depressed parts of towns. I thought of that immediately when I heard of a new website, called SustainLane . I wished this was around back then. Here's how it describes itself (from their home page): "Our open-source knowledge base speeds discovery, research and networking with more than 105 best practice documents and a secure directory of participating government officials from over 400 cities, counties and states." This "knowledge base" is searchable by a number of categories. Many of them focus on environmental issues, but there is a distinct category called "Economic Development". If you click on this, as of today the first document you'll see is a description of San Diego's "Abandoned Property Rehabilitation Program". Again, this would have been handy to have a few years ago. There are many others. Ke...