The Green Umbrella: Green Business Opportunities Dr. Karel J. Samsom, a specialist in environmental and sustainable entrepreneurship and author of Spirit of Entrepreneurship told Entrepreneur magazine that green business is “… a highly underrated opportunity for small business.” What are the opportunities for small businesses that want to “go green”? Every industry, every hobby, every action can have a shade of green. Broadly, green means either improving the planet or improving its people or both. Any process, product or service that saves natural resources or re-uses these resources is considered green. Any effort to help people live healthier lives is green. The green umbrella also includes the growing field of social entrepreneurship — a business which sets out to solve a social problem while at the same time making money. Are people really buying green? The answer is yes -– although many green businesses find it helps to sell quality and price first, and green bona fides second. Some 63 million American consumers are classified as LOHAS (those with “lifestyles of health and sustainability.”) According to the Natural Marketing Institute, this means that they “have a profound sense of environmental and social responsibility … these consumers are also the most likely of the segments to buy environmentally and socially responsible products.” These are the customers who, according to Fast Company magazine, “… have proven themselves willing to spend up to an astounding 20% premium on clean, green products ….” Add to that another 38% of consumers who “are less resolute in their LOHAS attitudes, though still show moderate levels of related concern and select LOHAS behaviors (such as recycling, among others), and you have an incredible consumer base which at the very least open to green ideas and products.
So where are the best opportunities for entrepreneurs? READ FULL STORY DISCUSS THIS TOPIC | | Keeping the Lights on is Underrated – An Interview with David E. Talbert Playwright and film maker David E. Talbert says the ability to sustain the most basic necessities of life is his greatest professional accomplishment. In his opinion, an entrepreneur is someone who is driven simply by their penchant for food and shelter. “Entrepreneurship,” he says, “is mostly driven by fear and fear tends to be that fuel that you put into the car that gets you going.” These days, Talbert’s car has been eating up major highway. To date, he has penned and staged twelve gospel soul-inspired plays, written four books, and is preparing for his third film. When asked about the one trait necessary for doing business in Hollywood, Talbert responded, “integrity.” He likens the maneuvering to a marathon, with a Hollywood businessperson acting as either a tortoise or a hare. “Your level of integrity,” he states, “will determine how you finish the race. Possess little integrity and you will surely sprint to a quick finish.” He points out that Hollywood circles are much smaller than most people think and it’s so much about who you know, but instead, who knows you and what they might have to say about you. READ FULL STORY DISCUSS THIS TOPIC | TOP 10 Top 10 Diverse Student Bodies
Diversity matters at college, and we're not just talking about racial diversity. Attending a school with students from a variety of different social and ethnic backgrounds will help broaden your child's perspective on many issues and enhance the overall learning experience both inside and outside of the classroom. The Princeton Review's survey of 120,000 college students for the Best 366 Colleges: 2008 Edition revealed the top ten schools with the most diverse student populations. READ FULL STORY
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| Seven Reasons Urban Employers Should Address Domestic Violence
Employers who address domestic violence can provide real help to victims and reduce the associated risks.
What affects employees affects their employers. With nearly one in three women reporting abuse at some time in their lives, domestic violence is likely to affect almost every workplace. The good news is that employers who address it can provide real help to victims and reduce the associated risks.
Employers face numerous human resource concerns, with limited time and money. Often a decision to focus on a specific problem is not made until the problem becomes significant and costly. Historically, problems with a social stigma are less likely to receive attention, as both employers and employees may be reluctant to acknowledge that these problems exist. READ FULL STORY DISCUSS THIS TOPIC | Uli Maybach - Using Extreme Wealth to Make an Extreme Difference Upon hearing the Maybach name, many will think of luxury vehicles and an opulent lifestyle. However, behind the name is an individual rich in heart who is committed to using his wealth to enrich the lives of others. Ulrich Schmid-Maybach, also know as Uli, is the great-grandson of Dr. Wilhelm Maybach, who with business partner Gottlieb Daimler, developed the first Mercedes augomobile. Uli's grandfather, Dr. Karl maybach, founded the Maybach Motorenbau Company, which produced the most luxurious European motor cars of the 1920's and 1930's. In the early 2000's, Mercedes-Benz revived the Maybach brand witht the Maybach 57 and Maybach 62 models. While Uli Maybach remains closely involved in the family's pioneering automotive tradition and acts as Maybach brand ambassador, he is also a devoted and spirited philanthorpist. READ FULL STORY DISCUSS THIS TOPIC | HEALTHY LIVING
Heart Disease – The Not So Silent Killer
Heart disease is the leading killer across most racial and ethnic minority communities in the United States, accounting for 28 percent of all deaths in 2003.
African Americans are 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic whites. This occurs despite the fact that only 9.5 percent of African Americans have heart disease vs. 12.3 percent of whites. Some 29.7 percent of African Americans have hypertension compared to 21.5 percent of whites.
Mexican Americans, who make up the largest share of the U.S. Hispanic population, suffer in greater percentages than whites from overweight and obesity, two of the leading risk factors for heart disease. Premature death was higher for Hispanics (we.5 percent) than non-Hispanics (16.5 percent). In the Asian and Pacific Islander community, 25.3 percent of deaths are caused by heart disease. In 2001, the number of premature deaths among people under 65 years old from heart disease was greatest among American Indians or Alaska natives (36 percent) and lowest among whites. READ FULL STORY DISCUSS THIS TOPIC |
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