By Leah Edwards •
August 5, 2008
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In my last post I talked about the pitch-to-pitch, that is, how to even get a potential investor to listen to your pitch for funding your green business. In this post, I’m going to assume you have a good plan for networking and outreach to venture capital firms and/or angel investors. The next question is how to 
distill all of the supporting points for your tremendous chances for success into one paragraph or a brief conversation.
If you are like most entrepreneurs, you are living and breathing your new business or business idea, and everything seems important. And truly it all is. However, you need to step outside of all of that for a moment and extract a few uber-important points.
Look at your business from the point of view of a potential investor. The investor wants high returns with low risk. And if you are reading this blog, you probably have a green venture and will be reaching out to double-bottom line investors, so you need to have a forecast for an impressive environment impact as well.
Four Points to Fit into Your Green Business Elevator Pitch
Editor’s note: Many investors see clean technology as a smart bet these days… but how do you get your cleantech business plan in front of the people with the money? Lead Edwards at Ecopreneurist points to one source of advice for clean/green entrepreneurs: universities… and some of this advice is free. This post was originally published on Monday, March 31, 2008.
If you are a scientist or researcher with a great idea for a green business, you should check out what universities have to offer you (even if you are not in school).
As an example of the types of programs available, consider UC Davis’s Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy (GTEA), which provides a free, week-long intensive for science and engineering researchers. Yes, I did say free, and it’s held at Lake Tahoe, Nevada in July—a very nice plus.
According to UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship Assistant Director, Nicole Starsinic, the GTEA combines classroom learning with a team project, which pairs scientists with business school students and professionals. A number of venture capital firms, law firms, and other professionals, which are listed in the Academy’s schedule, devote time in the hope of discovering the cleantech Google.
How does a business go from an idea in your head to a functioning venture that runs smoothly and turns a profit? It helps to get your ideas on paper, and this is where a business plan comes in. A business plan is essential for materializing your business and getting on the road to success.
I’ll admit, I’m a bit intimidated by the thought of sitting down to write a 10-page document about my business dreams. Don’t even get me started on the thought of crunching numbers and making projections about profitability. For most right-brained creative types, the thought of writing a business plan, complete with all that financial analysis, is daunting. But it doesn’t have to be.
By Julie Sammons •
March 4, 2008
You’re an ideas person. It’s why running your own business appeals to you, and it’s the reason why you see solutions where others see problems. Turn those ideas into exposure this summer by entering the Re:Connect urban design competition.
A 200-word essay, a clever solution, and a $25 fee secure your entry into this international competition that seeks to build sustainable urban communities. Re:Connect encourages ecopreneurs to consider the role of technology in urban environments, the localization of key services, and biomimetic neighborhood design.
Register for the competition by June 1st and submit your innovative entry by June 15th for consideration. Prizes include $2,000 in cash, media promotion, and the opportunity to sustainably transform an urban landscape. While on the Re:Connect site, be sure to browse additional competitions and resources including:
