Q19 Greening, LLC | www.q19greening.com

Description

Commercial Greening (Cleaning) Service. We service the business community with all janitorial needs, specializing in multi-family apartment turnovers, common area/lobby, office spaces, and post construction greens.

Green Steps Taken

We have been built to be sustainable/conscious/intentional forward thinking business from the ground up. We are very selective in cleaning product selection and purchase and use certifiably all natural, petro-chemical free, non-synthetic products. We respect the dignity of our workforce and provide living wages, 4 day work weeks, and an open, honest workspace. We are a value based company and run every business decision through our triple bottom line.

Currently Working On

We are currently engaged in building a Bakfiets fleet to green spaces by bike.

Surprising Successes

Employee sourcing. The old adage of ‘if you build it, they will come,’ has certainly been true for Q19.

Having Trouble With

Nothing really has been terribly difficult, sourcing good product/ like minded services and business just takes a little more effort.

Growing Your Business

Growing in a sustainable manner, controlling growth so no to lose traction on our quality, building it in a manner that limits transport time and distance.

Giving Back

We do our best to support the green community and built environment by participating in and volunteering at local events (Ecohaus Open House, The BIG Tour, Go Green ‘08, etc.) We are looking to develop an employee volunteer policy in our second year of business that would make volunteering in our community a Q19 requirement. We are going vegetarian for the month of February as a company to investigate the benefits of this life style change and the impact it has on our community and local food production. We recently donated to the Children Cancer Association by sponsoring a small child with cancer and her family for Christmas. We offset our vehicle commissions with monthly donations to the Climate Trust to as! sist with our local and global carbon footprint. We support local businesses and shop locally at every opportunity.

Sustain NW, LLC | www.sustain-nw.com

Description:

Sustainability consultant and carbon coach

Green Steps Taken:

Joined The Natural Step Network, immersed self in sustainable practices, work from home

Currently Working On

Teaching realtors about green home benefits and marketing, working with City of Vancouver on sustainability policy and metrics

Surprising Successes:

Founded Sustainable Clark County networking forum in April 2007 to promote and advance sustainable practices for businesses, government, educators and individuals; which is now developing into a BALLE chapter

Giving Back:

Active volunteer with NWEI; presenter with The Climate Project trained by Al Gore with over two dozen volunteer presentations to date; subscriber and/or contributor to NRDC, UCS, Orion, E-magazine, Worldwatch; shop and promote local, organic, fair trade.

Stephanie Frisch

www.betterlivingshow.org

Description:

Blue Ocean Events produces the Northwest’s largest sustainable lifestyle show. The Energy Trust Better Living Show is here to show the mainstream that ‘green never looked so good.’ We want to build a bigger choir! The power of a show setting is personal interaction–people can explore products, services, and organizations that can help them make better choices to improve their lives (and by extension, the earth) all in one place.

Green Steps Taken:

My business partner and I both operate out of home offices. We only mail one small postcard to our exhibitors each year and last year our show posters were printed on elephant poo paper! We invested in an online system that would allow us to take applications and payments via the internet and eliminate almost all paper in this process. We work with Bonneville Environmental Foundation to secure green tags to offset carbon emissions generated by producing the show. Making the show free has caused us to restructure our business model, since we are now solely dependent on 2 revenue streams (booth sales and sponsorship) to pay for the costs of the show. However, the outpouring of thanks we received from the public for making the show free keeps us continually focused on our commitment to keep it a free show.

Currently Working On

Working on the 2009 show right now. Have partnered with a national leader on sustainability to create high-level business content. This ’solutions summit’ is gaining rapid momentum and we are excited to add this dimension to the national conversation amongst the nation’s business leaders.

Surprising Successes:

Having over 20,000 people attend the inaugural Energy Trust Better Living Show in March of 2008. It was the most successful new consumer show ever launched in Portland.

Having Trouble With:

Greening our daily transportation. While I do focus on grouping my family related errands, our business is still in the stage where much face-to-face interaction is necessary, so lots of meetings! Working from home offices does mean we are usually driving to them.

Growing your Business

For our EXHIBITORS: Continuing to deliver the audience to them so they can introduce new customers to their products/service/information. For sustainable businesses to be sustainable they need more people exposed to their products/services and shows can help do this. For the ATTENDEE: Providing a memorable, entertaining experience that informed and inspired them to take action in their own lives. For OURSELVES: Keep the show healthy by NOT growing too fast, balance what we are giving away (admission, free space to non-profits) with enough income to cover show costs and take a very reasonable salary.

Giving Back:

Our biggest (and scariest) decision was to make the show free to the public. We also donate up to 15% of our show floor space to small non-profits to help them spread their important messages. When sourcing for our few print pieces, we do carefully select recycled papers and soy-based inks. We supported one of our exhibitors for the inaugural show by using his elephant poo paper for our show poster (although our printer wasn’t so fond of the poo dust in his shop!). As a mom of a small child (I thought starting a new business and having a baby at the same time seemed like a very logical thing to do!) I’m not able to volunteer at this time. My business partner, however, is passionate about school gardens and has installed some beautiful projects at area schools. He’s also involved with Oregon Green Schools. We are members of the Portland Sustainable Business Network and The Natural Step.

www.ecoshuttle.net

Description:

I am part owner of a sustainable transportation company in Portland. Care for our environment has always been important to me and affects all that I do. I have a degree in art history from Ohio University and would like to get my masters in sustainable business fairly soon.

Green Steps Taken:

I have been recycling all my life, or for as long as I can remember, I buy green cleaning products for my home and business and have just purchased multiple energy efficient appliances. I also try to make it easier for others to be a little greener by offering them a sustainable transportation option for commuting and entertainment.
I’ve definitely had to rethink the way I shop, where I buy, and reducing the number of trips I make when I drive.

Surprising Successes:

Starting ecoShuttle and convincing the City of Athens to put in more recycling bins in uptown Athens.

Having Trouble With:

I have not been able to volunteer in a very long time and I need some help when it comes to paperless marketing.

Giving Back:

ecoShuttle donates regularly to local charities, organizations, and schools. We also use a local biodiesel producer, who collects his grease locally, as our fuel supplier. We stock our coolers with locally crafted wine and beer and highlight locations that are sustainable. I buy locally produced items when I can (though I need to get better at this) and always buy the green option when available.