Green is the color of money! Businesses are always looking to increase their profitability and market share. With rising costs of fuel and consumers targeting environmentally-responsible companies to patronize, businesses have jumped on the green initiative and reaped the financial benefits. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Greening Your Business provides the most up-to-date, concrete, and practical steps for readers to follow to get rich by going green. *Solid authors with "green" background *White-hot green market *Comprehensive, practical business approach

The environmental movement and rising awareness of global warming have sparked an interest in green living. People want to know what they can do to live sustainable lives. In this book, you will find an overview of global warming and environmental degradation of air, water, soil; what sustainable living is and how to do it; how to cut down on carbon output (the cause of global warming) with alternative cars and fuels; and environmentally friendly home and lawn care products.

The career opportunities of the future ... Green careers include jobs in which environmentally conscious design, policy, and technology are implemented to improve the environment and provide sustainable living. A growing number of people, whether right out of college or already well established in the workforce, are looking to market themselves and their environmental convictions. It is a promising path to a larger paycheck and healthier environment. *Green-collar jobs are on the rise according to Businessweek magazine *The Green Jobs Act of 2007 anticipates a growing labor need for thousands of green-collar workers with $125 million in annual funding for training and research

In the next few years, energy and carbon restraints will affect every small and medium-sized business owner. This hands-on guide shows entrepreneurs how to save energy, materials, and money by reducing their businesses' impact on the Earth. Unlike any other similar books, this book provides a step-by-step and hands-on approach to analyzing any businesses' operations and developing detailed plans to make those operations much more efficient and energy conscious while increasing the bottom line.

The Green Business Guide is a comprehensive resource designed to help organizations incorporate green practices into their operations. Its content blends strategic conversation at the board level with green planning and program management at the middle-level, and with how-to direction that spells out actions at the shop level.

Green Business Practices For Dummies provides readers with the information they need to reduce the environmental impact of the business with out reducing their bottom line. The practical and expert advice and tips presented in this title benefits business owners at all levels, from large corporations to small, family-run stores.

Everything you need to know to green your business and grow your profit. * The truth about what climate change means for your business * The truth about running lean and green * The truth about future proofing your business Simply the best thinking THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH This book reveals 52 PROVEN GREEN STRATEGIES and bite-size, easy-to-use techniques that get results. "This little book is inspiring in its range and practicality--not just for CEOs, but for every member of the enterprise...an exceptionally useful guide for ''going green'' at any scale of enterprise." CHIP CONLEY, CEO, Joie de Vivre Hospitality "In a world where green business advice is rampant, this is the one resource you need: a field guide that combines insight and inspiration with a solid, actionable path forward." JOEL MAKOWER, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com Introduction ix Part I: The Truth About Green Business TRUTH 1: What is a green business? 1 TRUTH 2: Why green your business? 5 TRUTH 3: How to approach greening your business 9 TRUTH 4: Why now? 13 TRUTH 5: Climate change and your business 17 Part II: The Truth About Green Strategy TRUTH 6: Profit and purpose 23 TRUTH 7: How green is good enough? 27 TRUTH 8: Green regulations 31 Part III: The Truth About Green Operations TRUTH 9: Secrets hiding in plain sight 35 TRUTH 10: Eco-efficiency: Good for business and the environment 39 TRUTH 11: Waste? Not! Eliminating non-product 43 TRUTH 12: EcoAudits can guide your course 47 TRUTH 13: Running lean and green 53 TRUTH 14: Carbon footprinting 57 TRUTH 15: Reducing your carbon footprint 63 Part IV: The Truth About Green Marketing TRUTH 16: Green branding and messaging 67 TRUTH 17: Creating strong EcoLabels 71 TRUTH 18: Green marketing claims 77 TRUTH 19: Reaching conscious consumers 81 Part V: The Truth About Green Products and Services TRUTH 20: What makes a product green? 85 TRUTH 21: Product take-back 89 TRUTH 22: Product to service 93 TRUTH 23: What makes a service green? 97 Part VI: The Truth About Green Design TRUTH 24: Biomimicry-learning from life TRUTH 25: Reducing your product footprints 105 TRUTH 26: Cradle to cradle 109 TRUTH 27: Design with nature 113 TRUTH 28: Innovation is at the heart of greening 117 Part VII: The Truth About Green Procurement TRUTH 29: Environmentally preferable purchasing 121 TRUTH 30: Supply chain management and partnerships 125 TRUTH 31: Supplier scorecards 129 TRUTH 32: Clearing the rising bar 133 Part VIII: The Truth About Green Buildings TRUTH 33: LEED standards for green buildings 137 TRUTH 34: The cost of green building 141 TRUTH 35: Green buildings improve productivity 145 TRUTH 36: Integrative design for green building 149 Part IX: The Truth About Green IT TRUTH 37: Computers and electronics 153 TRUTH 38: Creating more effi cient data centers 157 TRUTH 39: How IT can drive greening 161 Part X: The Truth About Green Management TRUTH 40: Engaging employees 165 TRUTH 41: Engaging stakeholders 169 TRUTH 42: Keeping score 173 TRUTH 43: Employee incentives 177 TRUTH 44: Environmental management systems 181 Part XI: The Truth About Green Finance TRUTH 45: Profit, value, and risk 185 TRUTH 46: Reality-based accounting 189 TRUTH 47: Investing in green and attracting green investment 193 TRUTH 48: Carbon trading and offsets 197 TRUTH 49: Fiduciary duty 201 Part XII: The Truth About Green Futures TRUTH 50: Certainty in the face of uncertainty 207 TRUTH 51: Scenario planning 211 TRUTH 52: Future proofing 215 APPENDIX A: References 219 Acknowledgments 228 About the Author 229 Note: Appendix B is available online at no charge at www.informit.com/title/9780789739407. APPENDIX B: Resources

Discusses the three main global threats--decline in biodiversity, the thinning of the ozone layer, and global warming--and offers ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Managing cash flow, keeping employees happy and productive, complying with employment laws, and fighting back competition are all problems any manager must face daily. Now there is step-by-step help for everything from how to maximize the success of your products to how to solve the problems that sap a business' productivity. Included are anecdotes from the author about his successes in business, the problems he faced, and how he overcame them.

Your company is in your customer’s hands. Essential reading that offers business managers a strategic plan to attract new customers and secure the business of existing ones. Readers will learn important ways of achieving customer loyalty, from developing a customer-driven culture and establishing customer trust to incorporating loyalty initiatives and responding to customer complaints. • Loyalty program membership exceeded a rate of 30% between 2000 and 2003 • The top 20% of a company’s customers account for 80% of sales • Top customers spend 50 times more than casual customers • Frequent flier/shopper programs are more popular than ever