Business Overview:

With everyone trying to live a little greener these days, there’s no better time to investigate lucrative and rewarding solar business opportunities. Though there are several environmentally friendly or “green” viable business ideas, you might first consider the solar power business opportunities that are ready to be tapped into. Starting a solar business requires a bit of planning and training, and you need some startup capital ready to invest. However, with a clear solar energy business plan in place you can find yourself in a profitable enterprise that will be strongly supported by many government programs. So here’s how this particular solar business works: The first thing you will need to do is become educated in solar energy (and energy in general) and all the myriad ways it works as a renewable energy source. You will then want to align your business with one of the parent solar companies who lease solar panels for residential use. Then it’s up to you to connect with homeowners and small business owners who are interested in renting the equipment that will enable them to tap into solar power. It’s likely they will have questions and concerns, and it will be up to you to answer them and provide ongoing customer service to your clients. Your teamwork with the parent company enables you to hone your skills as an expert on solar energy without having to own expensive solar equipment and without having to know how to install it yourself. You still turn profits with each one of your clients, and the relationships can continue for many years to come.

A Day in the Life of a Solar Energy Business Owner:

The primary focus of your days in this business will be your customers—existing and potential. Much of your success will come with stellar customer service, so fielding customer calls and emails in a timely fashion and with utmost professionalism will be crucial to your business. Additionally, recruiting new clients via advertising, word-of-mouth, and green campaigns will help your business thrive. Finally, your own education—and those of your employees—will serve you well in this business. Knowing your industry inside and out, and keeping up with all the news in solar energy and renewable sources (as well as government incentives and programs) will benefit your customers and ultimately your business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be those home and small business owners who are interested in investing in the environment and in renewable energy sources. Perhaps they’re interested in the long-term potential to save money on power bills, or they want to cash in on some government incentive programs for those who invest in solar power alternatives. They will likely be savvy enough to realize the potential of what your company has to offer, but they will want a highly trained and knowledgeable salesperson to assist them in their decision to switch to renewable energy.

What You Need to Start:

• Training in the field of energy and solar resources, as well as in government incentive programs and grants
• Association with a solar provider
• Strong interpersonal skills
• A home-office

The Good:

• You can feel good about starting a green business.
• The business is scalable to fit your needs.
• Your business could be subsidized by government programs or grants.
• The industry is poised to continue growing as solar energy becomes more mainstream.

The Bad:

• You will have to invest in your training and home office setup before you begin.
• You might have to work hard for your first customers, who might be slow to sign up for this emerging energy alternative.

Resources:

• American Solar Energy Society
• Solar Energy Industries Association
• International Solar Energy Society
• Wikipedia on Solar Energy

Technorati Tags: solar business opportunities, solar energy business plan, solar power business opportunities, starting a solar business

Business Overview:

Courier service can be such a rewarding and lucrative industry for the entrepreneur that you must consider learning how to start a courier business of your own. This is a solid business idea because, while there are already several internationally recognized courier services available, many small courier businesses can find great success in picking up where the larger chain couriers leave off. This leaves plenty of room for starting a courier business that thrives and that provides a service many individuals and businesses are looking for. Here are some of the details you’ll want to consider in determining how to start a courier service in your area. First, like any business idea worth its weight, you’ll need a concrete courier business plan which should include elements like your business name, the type of vehicle or vehicles your company will use to transport goods, whether or not you need a business license, permit and insurance in your area, and how much you will charge for your service (though there’s usually an accepted rate among courier services, around 50 cents per mile). Then you’ll want to consider business hours and what area you will service—local or long-distance—and if you can or should hire couriers to work for you right away, or if that’s something you’ll consider when your business takes off. Finally, you will want to think about advertising your business and tracking your expenses. On a more personal note, think about the type of business this is; if you’re the courier (at least initially), do you enjoy driving enough to want to do it for extended periods of time? If so, it’s time to start your engine and give FedEx a run for its money! The other alternative is to run a strictly green business and use only bicycles for delivery. With so many people wanting to green up their businesses, this could be a unique marketing angle for you to promote your service.

A Day in the Life of a Courier Business Owner:

Since your vehicles are the bread and butter of your business, you will want to ensure on a very regular basis that yours are up and running efficiently—you will have no room for breakdowns and costly repairs in the courier business. Whether you’re using cars or bicycles—or a mixture of both—they must be well maintained. After tending to that daily task, you will then be checking your assignment log, figuring out which goods need to get to which locations and determining the quickest, cheapest way to get them there. If you have couriers working for you, you will want to keep in contact with them, making sure they’re on time and that the customers are happy with your service. In the beginning, you will want to keep up with your marketing to ensure there’s enough business to keep you going strong, and you will always want to end your day with a check of your finances.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be those individuals or businesses that need goods delivered from one place to another in a timely and economically viable way. Sometimes, the goods might be perishable or require hand-delivery in such a manner that a larger chain courier would not be trusted to deliver, and this is where a more local courier business can really thrive. Customers who use couriers typically expect to pay either a flat fee or pay by distance, but you’ll want to make your pricing and delivery guarantees very clear to all your customers to ensure a smooth move.

What You Need to Start:

• A business name, license, permit and insurance (if required)
• Trustworthy, fuel-efficient vehicles (or bicycles)
• A mobile telephone
• A GPS system
• A delivery log (either paper or electronic)
• A method of advertising your business
• Financial-tracking software

The Good:

• You can start this business with minimal investment save a solid vehicle.
• You can work alone or hire couriers to work for you.
• You can dictate your work hours and locations.
• This is a great business for people who hate desk jobs.
• You can meet a lot of people and discover new places.

The Bad:

• As mentioned, there are large chain couriers who need not advertise to get business. While you will be competing with them, you can provide a very different service to your customers.
• There is a great deal of alone time in this business, especially if you’re the courier who is in transit much of the day (or night).

Resources:

• Messenger Courier Association of America
• National Courier Association (UK)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Messengers and Couriers
• Wikipedia on Couriers

Technorati Tags: courier business plan, how to start a courier business, how to start a courier service, starting a courier business

Business Overview:

If spending time with Mother Nature beats an office job for you any day, consider learning how to start a tree farm business, a fast-growing “green” enterprise. There are many types of trees and services you should consider providing when starting a tree farm business. Since gardening and home improvement has become such a popular pastime for many homeowners, unique and beautiful trees are really in demand. These horticultural products can be quite lucrative, especially if you offer very healthy specimens at competitive prices. You can fill your land with a variety of trees that grow well in your local climate and that seem to be popular choices for gardeners, landscapers, and business owners. If you want to offer more of an experience on your farm, you might consider growing Christmas trees. When learning about how to start a Christmas tree farm, you will want to think about the type of trees that do well in your climate, and be sure to plant those and keep them pruned in the popular triangle shape for the Christmas season. You might also like to offer the “cut-your-own” experience to your customers. This growing trend can bring in many customers who might also purchase other things you offer like concession items, crafts, or plants. No matter which type of tree crops you decide to plant, you can feel good about a business like this. With this business idea, not only are you helping to beautify the world, you’re also doing a good thing for the environment.

A Day in the Life of a Tree Farm Business Owner:

When you’ve got a crop that’s ready for harvest, you will either seek out buyers—wholesalers, retailers, drive-by customers—or you will bring your customers in to cut their Christmas trees and spend some time experiencing your farm. If you’ve done your job well and your trees are thriving, you will want to keep up with your soil, irrigation, pruning, and upkeep on a daily basis in order to keep your business growing in the coming years. You will also want to keep an eye on your finances, and on the ever-tricky weather.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be homeowners and business owners looking to purchase trees to enhance their landscape. If you’ve built a strong reputation, customers will flock to your farm for their horticultural needs. If yours is a Christmas tree farm, your customers might include families looking for their perfect tree for the Christmas season. It’s up to your farm to have a good selection of trees, and to provide a good seasonal experience for them.

What You Need to Start:

• A plot of land as large as you are able to farm
• Basic farming equipment including irrigation capabilities
• A business license
• A pricing schedule for your trees

The Good:

• You can operate a business you truly love.
• You will be providing an environmentally friendly service to your area.
• The business itself can be very profitable.
• There are many ways to hire employees and build your business.

The Bad:

• Your business is at the mercy of Mother Nature.
• This not really a part-time business—your trees will need your care daily.

Resources:

• American Tree Farm System
• National Christmas Tree Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Forest and Conservation Workers
• Wikipedia on Tree Farms

Technorati Tags: how to start a christmas tree farm, how to start a tree farm business, starting a tree farm business

Business Overview:

For a unique business idea, consider starting an ink cartridge refill business—it’s not only environmentally friendly, it’s also lucrative and scalable. The premise of the trade is simple and inexpensive to begin. You collect empty ink cartridges for printers and refill the spent ink with the appropriate type ink that you buy in bulk. When you sell it to your customers, you have the luxury of telling them that they are getting just as fine an ink cartridge as if it were new and they’re helping to save our landfills from more tech-trash. What’s also great about this business idea is that you essentially become an expert at the craft—you will be able to guide your customers to buying the right product for their needs and you’ll be saving them money to boot. With printers as ubiquitous as they are these days, this is an invaluable trade to learn and you can do it in your spare time or you can do it full time. You might also decide to teach others the craft and have them refilling and delivering cartridges while you work on marketing your business and building it to include online and even brick-and-mortar sales. No matter if you’re just skimming the surface or diving in well-deep, the ink cartridge refilling business is a sound and promising online business idea to explore.

A Day in the Life of an Ink Cartridge Refilling Business Owner:

Many owners of this type of business choose to dedicate a set time to refilling cartridges each day so that they free up the rest of their day for marketing, deliveries, or perhaps nothing at all. To follow suit, you will want to ensure you fill enough cartridges each day to build a solid inventory and you will want to fill any customer orders you might already have. If you choose to deliver your sold cartridges, you will want to set aside time to make your daily deliveries. At the end of your day, you will want to take stock of your inventory, review your finances, and prepare for any new orders that come in. Depending on the size of your business, these activities will take a few short hours or they might be a multi-person, day-long event.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be inkjet printer owners who are looking for replacement cartridges for their machines. Perhaps they will use your business because they appreciate the environmentally sound approach, or perhaps they just want to save money over the retail cost of cartridges. Either way, you can ensure lifelong customers by filling their orders promptly and providing excellent customer service.

What You Need to Start:

• A primer on how to refill printer cartridges
• A supply of wholesale printer cartridge ink of varying types
• A business license (if required in your area)
• Receipts and a return policy for your customers
• Marketing techniques and/or a website or storefront
• Financial-tracking software

The Good:

• This business can be run exclusively from your home or it can be run from a retail store.
• You can work as little or as much as you desire.
• You can easily and quickly employ others to work for you.
• It’s a trade you can feel proud of knowing.
• It is doing a small part to help the environment.

The Bad:

• You’ll have to advertise your service otherwise customers might just buy from their usual retail store.
• You might have to convince your customers that the products you sell are just as good as their brand-new counterparts.

Resources:

• National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers
• United Kingdom Cartridge Recyclers Association
• Wikipedia on Ink Cartridges

Technorati Tags: ink cartridge refill business, ink cartridge refilling business

Business Overview:

The battery reconditioning business is an eco-friendly, “green” business with six-figure income potential. This little known niche business is becoming more in demand as consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious. Automobiles have rechargeable lead acid batteries in them. Often when a battery “dies,” the owner buys a new battery. However, by reconditioning their “dead” battery, you can save them 50% of the cost of a new battery and even offer them a warranty. You can also offer to recondition Ni-cd and Ni-mh batteries, expanding your business potential. If you want to help people with their batteries, business will be great for you. The basic skills to run your own battery business consist of learning how to recondition rechargeable batteries, how to rejuvenate dead batteries, how to measure a battery’s charge capacity, how to revert a reversed cell, and understanding why batteries need to be reconditioned. These are all very simple concepts to learn and for just a few hundred dollars you can quickly have your own battery reconditioning business up and running.

A day in the life of a battery reconditioning business owner:

Your day may start out with customers bringing batteries to you in the morning. You will let them know the approximate time they can pick up their reconditioned batteries and what the cost will be. You will then spend your day reconditioning the batteries, or overseeing workers if you hire others to do this work for you. As the day progresses customers will drop by to pick up and pay for their reconditioned batteries. You will perform weekly inventory checks on your supplies to be sure you keep everything in stock that is needed to recondition the batteries.

The Good:

• The start up costs are low.

• It is easy to learn the basics of battery reconditioning.
• This business can be started on a part-time basis and move to full-time gradually.
• This business is easy to operate from your home.
• The overhead is low and the profit margin is high.

The Bad:

• The work is repetitive in nature.

• It can take some patience to build up your client list.

Resources:

• How Batteries Work
• Battery Information

Technorati Tags: batteries business, battery business, battery reconditioning business