Think of your town and the places you like to shop. Did you think of any small, local businesses? Owned and run by our neighbors, friends, and family, small businesses help color our lives and neighborhood. Unfortunately, one-fifth of all US small businesses close within a year due to a lack of funds and support. Obstacles are more ubiquitous for diverse-owned businesses, including BIPOC-owned ..read more

In the crooning voices of the Beach Boys: Let’s go surfing now, everybody’s learning how. It’s summer and the world beckons, from surfing to gardening and campfires to fitness. Whatever your favorite sunny day pastimes, though, it’s important to apply your green living experience and consider things like waste, carbon footprint, toxic chemicals, and more. Fortunately, Green Business Network ..read more

Now is the time to break up with your megabank. Find a community development bank or credit union on our Get a Better Bank map.  What if you found out the money in your bank account was being used to fuel fires and floods, leading to contaminated water from fracking or coal mining, or air pollution where you live?  If you bank with one of the large Wall Street megabanks, that’s… Climate, Finance, Green Business ..read more

Instead of passing the buck on to the rest of us and our most vulnerable citizens, big insurance companies must use their leverage and clout to push the energy transition to a more sustainable future. Cathy Cowan Becker, Guest columnist This column was originally published by the Des Moines Register on May 23, 2024. As the planet warms, the insurance industry finds ..read more

Do you want the tea? Organic tea, that is! Then it’s time to take a trip to Arkansas and visit The Green Corner Store’s Tea Bar—or you can visit their website, of course.  Treated like a sustainable crop, organic tea is made without chemicals like herbicides or chemical fertilizer and grown with regenerative practices like crop rotation.  Loose leaf, matcha, oolong, iced—tea has ..read more

This is a guest blog from Green Business Network member Longwave Financial. Tax season is often a time of year that can bring complexity and stress to even the most spirted and seasoned entrepreneurs. Yet, amid the pressure and seemingly endless paperwork, there’s an opportunity to turn challenges into strategic advantages, especially for those committed to sustainability. There are specific ..read more

Women’s business acumen is nothing new—evidence shows women as early as the times of Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, and Sparta involved in trading, owning property, and running shops. Currently in the United States, women entrepreneurship is on the rise, but women business owners still make up less than half of all business owners, and the disparities increase for Black, Indigenous and women of ..read more

In 2022, Patagonia made headline news when its owners, Yvon Chouinard, his wife, and two adult children, transferred their ownership of the company – valued at $3 billion – to a special purpose trust and nonprofit organization. The idea was to preserve Patagonia’s independence as a for-profit company while ensuring its profits – about $100 million per year – are used in perpetuity to fight ..read more

This is a guest blog from Green Business Network member Longwave Financial. Love is in the air, and while hearts flutter, finances can often be a cause of stress and concern for couples in all stages of life. As Valentine’s Day approaches, I can share a personal reflection on the intersection of love, money, and values. Recently engaged myself, my partner Taylor and I have embarked on an ..read more

It’s a new year and excitement is high for what’s ahead—what we all wish to accomplish, to experience, to pursue as we prepare for another orbit around the sun. One area to think about in a world that demands us to consume is shopping. These ethical shopping resolutions can help anyone become a more conscientious consumer, even in the faces of capitalism and greed.  Learn Greenwashing ..read more