Micro Enterprise Solar Harvest

Where is Matt?

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Where is Matt?

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Eco-Entrepreneurship Part 3 (the curriculum)

Whether entrepreneurial training takes days, weeks or even years to complete, "green business" practices should be incorporated and explained as the "make it or break it", factors that they are.  From day one, greening a business, should be as important as good bookkeeping, and the importance of that in today's world cannot be understated.

With dwindling resources and growing populations the major factor for the destruction of the earth's resources has been, rampant, out- of-control consumerism. While new businesses are needed to meet the needs of growing populations, business owners must realize that if their business is to be sustainable they need to look carefully at what is going to happen over the next 10 or 20 years to the raw materials they are using for products and services.

Gas powered cars will not disappear in the next 20 years, but far more people will be using hybrids, electrics, and even cars running on hydrogen or compressed air. So if the entrepreneur plans to go into  the auto industry (engine repair or sales of automotive products), they need to be prepared for a rapidly changing market. This is true of all industries, from nail salons that use petroleum based products to plastic toy manufacturers, the cost of petroleum based products will rise sharply over the next few years and may be a major factor that causes a business to fail.

Four critical areas for consideration in green planning:

1.) The cost of doing business (I.E. brick and mortar VS. Internet based business)

2.) Sustainability of raw materials (I.E. plastic toys VS recycled plastic toys)

3.) Environmental impact (I.E. plastic or paper bags VS bring your own, waste water, & recycling)

4.) Transportation costs, as gas prices continue to rise (I.E. using local vendors VS imported products)

"Green" planning can be a huge economic advantage, from using computer programs for financial record keeping, to the cost savings of having a virtual store instead of a brick and mortar. It is to the benefit of Micro-loans organizations to infuse environmentally sound practices in all training of their budding entrepreneurs. (Not to mention the benefit to the micro loan organization itself, by "going green". Certainly, in this case, leading by example will have its financial rewards.

Eco-micro Enterprise Part 2 (the internet as a tool)

The computer and internet service are probably the two most valuable tools in becoming a profitable green business. Running a business on-line means being able to cut the use of products that are harmful to the envionment by as much as 90%. The dollar savings can be equally high compared to the cost of opening a brick and mortar store.

Opening a virtual store slashes overhead by thousands of dollars in the first year of business, greatly reducing the risks of failure. It remains open 24 hours a day  while the entrepreneur continues to work at their "day jobs" throughout the start-up phase. The virtual store can look expensive and professional for as little as $400.00 per year. Although there are many businesses that require a brick and mortar building such as hair salons, or auto repair shops, for the most part, retail and service businesses can generate significant sales on the internet.

Even those with only the most basic of written language skills can learn to navigate through the process of setting up a virtual store. In addition, the internet reduces the need for English as a Second Language training, by enabling the foreign-born entrepreneurs to work with markets within their native language groups. This is especially true of Spanish speakers.

Here is a short list of eco-advantages of using the internet.

Less paper used for record keeping (saving paper)

Lower transportation costs (gas use and pollution)

Reduction in shipping, storage, and packaging when using drop-ship vendors (lower use of plastic packing material and paper products)

Reduced paper and energy for marketing

Total reduction of ecological costs of a brick and mortar business (gas, electric, cleaning materials etc)

Many of these eco advantages also help to reduce the risks of entrepreneurship since they involve the reduction of costs; marketing, transportation, gas, electricity, storage, furnishings, employees, printing, rent, are just some of the costs of doing business that are either eliminated or significantly reduced.  Many web stores can be purchased for less than $400.00 per year and come with services that manage the money for the entrepreneur such as pay pal or click bank. Losses from theft or damage are greatly aliviated, as are the needs for property and liability insurance. This enables micro enterprise organizations to serve more people with smaller loans.

In addition if the lender purchases and maintains the website the clients are more likely to stay with the organization for longer periods of time. It is also easier to track the success of the businesses and step in to help when the business runs into trouble, since all sales records for internet sales would be available to the lender through the website statistics page and paypal account records.

Eco-Micro Enterprise Part 1 (overview)

The world of commerce today is changing, due in large part to a growing awareness of the condition of the earth's environment. Recognizing the costs of; consumerism, disposable and toxic products, the destruction of forests and pollution of air and water, the business world is taking a second look at their manufacturing processes and the environmental impact of using non-renewable or oil based raw materials.

The rising cost of oil is also a major factor that can cut profits and cause a small business to fail. Rising costs of petroleum based raw materials such as plastics and inflation that is driven by rising oil prices, will take their toll on a fledgling enterprise. These costs can also reduce a client base as people refuse to drive long distances to buy products from rural and many urban businesses.

These trends are not temporary ones. Micro entrepreneurs should be trained and educated to insure the long term success of their businesses with these factors in mind. While micro lending organizations need to be able to make realistic loans that will not fall short as inflation forces their client's customers to be more careful in their spending habits.

Helping budding entrepreneurs to recession proof their businesses, use eco-friendly business practices, and to rethink their markets in these times, is not just a good move for micro enterprise organizations but a necessity, if they expect the loans to be repaid and the micro-businesses to grow and thrive.

Three areas need to be addressed. Environmental practices, costs of raw materials and transportation, and adaptability to changing markets.

At Micro Enterprise Solar Harvest we are looking at these needs and have been addressing them as part of our mission statement. All those who go through our entrepreneurial training are instructed to pay attention to environmental issues as they develop their business plans. From using computer based accounting, marketing, and product development, to using solar power to fuel their home based businesses every step of the planning process looks closely at making sustainable choices.

We also encourage entrepreneurs to resist going directly into businesses that require the purchase or rental of office space. Starting from home keeps overhead low and may reduce child care costs as well as transportation costs. Although the need for additional space may come as the business expands in the beginning we try to help the entrepreneurs to think of the most inexpensive way to start their businesses. Here the miracle of the internet is absolutely invaluable.

Using the internet to market their businesses not only saves money but allows them to create incredibly beautiful stores at a fraction of the cost of rent. A typical website hosting company that offers flash sites with lots of bells and whistles charges a mere $200-$500. Less than one month's rent for a brick and mortar building.

Marketing on the internet not only saves trees (no paper), but also saves on postage and printing costs. While every business owner should have business cards printed, the rest of marketing materials can easily be done on the internet at much lower cost. Email delivery can be free and marketing ads such as Google's Ad Words programs can reach huge markets or be directed locally depending on the nature of the business.

Today, many manufactures will allow entrepreneurs to become drop-ship partners via the Internet, and that reduces the need for storage space for micro-entrepreneurs. Marketing via Youtube.com, my space, facebook or other social networking sites, and photobucket or flickr can be wildly successful and costs nothing except for the time to put the information up on the web. And all of this reduces the carbon footprint of the new business. It is a win /win /win situation. Saving the earth, saving money, and reducing risk both for the entrepreneur and the lenders.

For the poor, many times the choice between paying the utilities and eating or getting medical treatment will cause entrepreneurs to allow their electricity to be shut off for non payment simply because they have no other alternative. If they are running a home based business this may mean that the business suffers. In addition often the phone service may be shut off for non payment a crisis for any American business. Powering the business with small solar units can alleviate the problem.

Having a plan for an environmentally sound business, with low start up costs, and a strong internet presence can create a better opportunity for success for micro-entrepreneurs in an ever changing world. Look for part 2 of Eco-Micro Enterprise as we look at developing training curriculum that addresses these issues.

Solar Cooking Why Bother?

 1. No energy costs (Free heat) 
2. Cool kitchen in Summer
3. Bake, fry, steam, stew, poach, 4 different dishes all at the same time
4. No burnt food
5. no smoke from charcoal fire, save trees
6. no ash clean up and pans wipe clean since food doesn't burn
7. walk away and forget it no need to stir, or check for burning
8. Retains vitamins and nutritional value
9. No fish, liver or cabbage smells in your living room
10. great emergency food prep in disaster areas, cook food with out gas or electric
11. makes drinking water safe with out gas or electric
12. can be used for camping and at the beach where fires are restricted
13. no gas leaks, no flames to burn children or elders, safe cooking
14. great for backyard entertaining

 

California Prisons & Entrepreneurial Training

Can entrepreneurship reduce California's prison population, crime in the community, and prevent young people from engaging in criminal activity?   First lets look at the statistics.

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Budget:	$8.75 billion (2006-2007 Budget Act)
Avg. yearly cost:	per inmate, $35,587; per parolee, $4,338
Staff:	57,641 currently employed including 48,769 in Institutions, 3,338 in Parole, and 5,534 in Administration (32,772 sworn peace officers)
Total offenders under CDCR jurisdiction:	323,203; One year change: +10,932 (3.5%)

These numbers indicate that reducing the prison population by even 5% can produce significant savings to the state of California.

With almost 1/3 of the prison population from Los Angeles county it would seem that this is a good place to start working on the problem. Reducing the prison population by preventing young people from entering a life of crime and providing  work for those leaving the prisons, is a viable solution through entrepreneurial training.  One of the major problems released prisoners face is the fact that few employers will trust a parolee. Regardless of how much job training they receive in prison if they cannot find a job when they get out then they are most likely to return to a life of crime and wind up back in the system.

Many of those who are in prison have already shown entrepreneurial skills. They are risk takers, they may have sold drugs or stolen property in the past and they understand basic entrepreneurial principles; customer service, supply and demand, sales volume, discounting, reinvesting in the business to increase sales, the importance of location, the list goes on. These individuals are also less likely to make good employees. They have had the experience of being the boss, and taking orders is often more difficult for them.

Micro Enterprise & California's Economy

Small business works for California
Most California businesses are small... very small

California is home to more than 2.1 million full-time businesses; one for every 14 men, women and children in the state.
Nearly two-thirds (64 %) of these businesses are operated by sole-proprietors, working without any paid employees.
Virtually all of the remaining businesses are small. Among these "employer firms" (businesses providing full-time jobs to people other than the owners): Ninety-nine out of 100 have fewer than 500 employees.
More than three-quarters (78 %) have fewer than 10 employees.
Most (60 %) have fewer than five employees.
Small Business is California's Biggest Employer and Greatest Job Generator
In addition to providing a livelihood for their own families, California's small-business owners provide more than half of all wage-and-salary jobs in the state's private sector.
From 1991 to 1995, the only size-category of firms to add jobs was firms with fewer than 20 employees.
While their larger competitors were trimming their workforces, small California firms (those with fewer than 100 employees) increased their job roles during the '91-'95 period in the three major sectors of the state's economy.
Small service firms expanded job roles by 4.3 % (v. a 1.1 percent decrease by larger service firms).
Small wholesalers and retailers increased jobs by 1.9 % (v. a 1.6 percent drop among larger members of the wholesale and retail trades).
Small manufacturers grew by a healthy 7.8% (v. a 4.9 percent cut in jobs among larger manufacturers).

Eco-Entrepreneurship a way out of poverty...

Eco-Entrepreneurship
a way out of poverty...
an opportunity to heal California's environment

Poverty in California
California, with 36,000,000 residents has no less than 5,760,000  living in poverty. Los Angeles county alone, has 1,346,000 living below the federal poverty level of $19,000.00 a year for a family of 4. Most are working full time, some even working at 2 or 3 jobs, but cannot afford the most basic necessities.

Pollution in California
With more cars on the road than any other state, and 6 of the top 10 most polluted cities in the nation, California must do more to clear the air and protect her environment. Los Angeles is the # 1 most polluted city in the nation.

Using solar power and other alternative fuels we are helping the working poor to start eco-friendly small businesses. We provide micro loans to finance these enterprises, and solar powered internet technology to help reach a growing global market. We create a means to address both poverty and pollution, improving the lives of the poor and helping our environment, while enhancing the lives of all Californians in many ways.

Benefits to the poor;
Lower utility costs and increased quality of life
A cleaner environment
Greater control of their economic futures
An opportunity to run their own businesses and become the American dream.
Financial independence and freedom from welfare

Benefits to all Californians;
Reduced state taxes as California's poor are better able to care for themselves.
Increased tax revenues as their businesses grow and thrive 
Cleaner air, and cleaner cities, cleaner rural areas
More eco friendly products available locally
A return to rural communities, reducing the burden on urban cities
Reduced crime as troubled teens turn to entrepreneurship as a way out of poverty
Reducing the use of plastic packaging & other waste to reduce landfills

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