2010: Green Business Outlook Hopeful

Cross-posted from thegreensuits.com

Will 2010 be the breakout year for green business?

My goodness, I certainly hope so!

Many of us thought that 2009 was going to be the year for green business, because President Obama won his landslide election partly on a pro-green business platform.

But like many things in politics, the Law of Unintended Consequences became an irrepressible force: the official unemployment rate hit 10 percent (while the unofficial out-of-work estimate spiked to 17 percent); thousands of businesses closed and millions of mortgages foreclosed; and the health care debate nearly deadlocked the 111th Congress.

With so many Americans paying singular attention to all the bad news that has been reported, in 2009, the share that identified global warming as a serious threat dropped by nearly half. What is more, President Obama’s approval rating slipped below 50 percent. Understandably so, Americans are jittery and impatient.

Some navel-gazers have already dubbed 2010 “2009.2″ But I am not aligned with such pessimists. I believe 2010 will be the year we pull out of the trough.

Here are some indicators (causal or anecdotal) that may signal a return to economic stability, and most-importantly, the growth of the green business sector:

1. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding for green business has reached very few targeted projects. But I believe ARRA funds will, during the first six months of 2010, flow more-readily to green businesses;
2. More traditional companies and organizations will embrace sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Their budgets for energy efficiency will continue to rise. And the number of professional training and career-development opportunities offered by such companies and organizations will increase, significantly;
3. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has indicated that patent applications for green and clean technology will now be fast-tracked. As a result, more companies will invest many millions of dollars in the development of green and clean intellectual property;
4. Seeking a way to mitigate double-digit unemployment, many states may offer new business development funding for green tech and clean tech enterprises and start-ups. We may even see a bidding war between states vying for renewable energy and conservation technology businesses;
5. Expect a spike in hiring for green industry-focused sales and business development executive talent. GOOD NEWS: that is an indicator I am already seeing. Similarly, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2003 recession, executive recruitment specialists saw spikes in activity that ultimately led to more wide-scale and sustained executive hiring.

For me, 2010 is a glass that is definitely more than half-full. And for all of you eager to embark on an executive career in green business, the future looks very bright.

Here’s wishing you all a Safe and Happy New Year!

2010: BRING IT ON!

Holiday Greetings

Cross-posted to dansmolen.com and thegreensuits.com:

Greetings from the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. where, over the past weekend, the Godzilla of snowstorms (a.k.a. Snowzilla) dumped a record 23 inches of the white stuff on the ground.

While the three days of public school preceding the Christmas break have been cancelled, life is returning to normal.

Mail delivery has resumed. Ample supplies of bread, milk, and toilet paper have returned to the shelves of area supermarkets. And as you can see, there is great joy in the land; the conditions for sledding are truly amazing!

So, how ’bout that global warming?

2009 is a year that most of us would prefer to forget. The job market is still in the tank, and may remain that way for awhile. The official unemployment rate is currently at 10 percent, but really, somewhere between 17 and 20 percent of the nation is “between jobs.”

There is a lot of shared misery. And it takes a lot for us to keep smiles on our faces as we wonder, “will this nightmare ever end?”

Personally, I believe 2010 will be our turnaround year. While the pace of the recovery may seem too slow for most, I do believe that there will be considerable improvement in the overall economy and our fortunes.

Already, there are positive signs: ambitious executives have decided to follow their dreams and become entrepreneurs. Men and women – who suffered downsizing earlier in the year – are using their time (and their nest eggs) wisely to refine their business strategies and marketing plans, and craft unique value propositions that they hope will turn their dreams of running profitable businesses into reality. I am pleased that many are looking to make it big in the green spaces (renewable energy, greentech, cleantech, and other verdant areas), or by helping conventional companies embrace the triple-bottom-line.

Entrepreneurs are key to turning around the economy and creating millions of new green jobs.

Yes, things are about to get better.

During the First Quarter of 2010, my new book – Tailoring the Green Suit: Empowering Yourself for an Executive Career in the New Green Economy - will be published. Currently, the manuscript is in editing and the dust cover is being designed. I am so pleased by the “buzz” this book has created; many of you have written to ask when and where the hardcover and e-book versions may be purchased. Those details are to be determined; however, Sturdy Roots Blog and the new The Green Suits website will provide all the details.

As you and your family gather for the holidays, please recognize that things are going to get better. Resolve that 2010 will be your breakout year – the year that you set the wheels in motion to start that great green business executive career you’ve long wanted.

If you have snow on the ground (like we do here in the Metropolitan D.C. area) then enjoy this highly unusual but wonderful White Christmas season.

Then, let’s all rock in 2010: it is going to be an amazing – and verdant - new year!

Peace.

What About Green Executive Jobs?

Twelve months ago, many of us thought that by now – February 2009 – we’d all be happy as clams discovering new job opportunities for green executive talent, or professionals looking to steer their non-green careers towards green marketing, green/clean tech, and other sustainable business sectors.

In February 2008, I joined other green business types in believing the signs looked oh-so-promising: ratcheted-up interest in green investment amongst venture capitalists; colleges and universities scrambling to develop in-demand green business curriculum and degree programs; and hiring managers discovering that green executives often made the best hires (and quickly adding sustainability and corporate responsibility practices to entice them).

The near future, most of us thought, looked awesome!

But to paraphrase Fred Willard in the movie A Mighty Wind:

Wha’ Happened?

Executive recruiters are often reliable bellwethers of the economy. We sense hiring trends weeks, sometimes months, before the mainstream media make the same discovery.

Unfortunately, the short-term hiring forecasts look pretty bleak. This week alone, I experienced a big spike in phone calls and email from aggrieved executives. In a repeat of what happened last month, I fear the economy is getting ready to shed hundreds of thousands more professionals.

Adding insult to injury, hiring in some business sectors has ground to a halt.

And what about green executive jobs? Have bleak employment forecasts turned green to gray?

To the readers of this blog and all others interested in green executive jobs, I say it’s time to take a deep breath. The plethora of green jobs we thought would be here in 2009 may not materialize until 2010 or 2011.

Meantime – while we strive to stabilize the economy and start hiring, again – we should focus our energies on learning, planning, and…dreaming.

And we’re eager to know how you’d like to empower yourself for your future great green business career. If you don’t mind, please answer these survey questions:

If we missed something, please add a comment to this post. Your interests matter!

We’re going to get through this. I promise!