Bill Stankiewicz Copy Gcs Business Section Meeting 5 14 2010

Green Business

5/14/2010

Section Meeting

Today’s Agenda

• 8:00 – 8:05 Welcome and introductions

• 8:05 – 8:15 Presentation by our host Recycletronics… at Tommy Nobis Center

• 8:15 – 8:30 Tour of facility with opportunities for Q&A

• 8:30 – 9:05 Updates from Section Committees

• 9:05 – 9:20 Presentation by Verus Carbon Neutral

• 9:20 – 9:30 Q&A

• Adjourn

Welcome –Green Business Section

Sections

• Member forum of GCS

• Guiding principles:

–Create Value for Members

–Create Value for the Section

–Create Value for the Chamber

Section / Committee Structure

Membership

Andrea Paulinelli

Gail Edwards

Events

Eric Taub

Gus Cueto

Resources

Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe

Eileen Nebhut

Collaboration

Beth Bond

David Warren

Incubator

Nic Mulliez

Dan Bramblett

Green

Business

Real

Estate

Clean

Tech

RESOURCES

Committee Members

• Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe

• Bria Sativa Aguayo

• Tracy Yount

• Drew Mathias

• Linda Doherty

• Eileen Nebhut

Current state

• Survey completed

• 10 articles submitted

• Articles reviewed based on guidelines

Guidelines

• Must be authored by you or referenced appropriately

• Must be Informative

• Not an advertisement

• Not pornographic / Racial etc.

• Must include: Author, Title, SME

Next Steps

• Create a process for ongoing submissions

• Adjust the website to accommodate a robust Resource Section

MEMBERSHIP

Membership Committee

Members

• Andrea Paulinelli

• Greg Cantrell

• Gail Edwards

• Christopher Johnson

• Chris Brake (Staff Assistance)

Action Plan Q3

• Identify membership goals per company segment

• Develop target list of companies and contacts

• Develop collateral to support member recruitment

• Map out the process

• Create an welcoming and retention function (Ambassadors)

Membership Goals

By 4/2010 Add:

• 100 companies with annual revenues under $5,000,000

• 25 Companies with annual revenues of $5,000,000 - $25,000,000

• 5 Fortune 500

How you can help

New member recruitment

An increase in memberships adds value to you by

– increasing visibility (i.e. on the web),

– Increasing your network

– Adding credibility

– Providing more opportunities for business

– Connections

– And more

Testimonials

Send us you testimonies ! Why are YOU a member?

Roundtables

Eric Taub – Verus Carbon Neutral

Vice-Chair, Green Business Section

Concept

• 10-12 people invitation only

• Members of the Chamber would be in charge of moderating the event.

– two clients, who may or may not be members

– other invitees would include potential members and existing members who have an interest in a small, frank, discourse about the topic.

• Video recorded and then edited down for the website.

– 1 hour meeting and create a 5 minute video.

– Charge to access the video at the end of the series (create a highlight reel)

• Hold two to three roundtable events in 2010

16

Some ideas

• Solar panel provider would moderate and invite two clients who have put up panels.

– Potential buyers of solar panels

– lawyers/accountants who can speak to grants/tax incentives,

– REC/offset people who could speak to other sources of revenue.

• High Return on Investment Energy Savings

– Ways to reduce energy costs for your business.

– Specialist in Energy Reduction Strategy (1-2)

– Paying for Changes (1-2)

– Valuing Reductions

– Beneficiary/Experience 17

GREENHOUSE PROCESS

GREENHOUSE PROCESS II –CASE STUDY

The Green Chamber of the South –Nurturing Green

What do Entrepreneurs need?

1. Money

a) VC

b) Angel Investment

c) Traditional banking

d) Gov’t grants

2. Regulatory Advice

3. Pilot testing idea

4. Prospects

5. Marketing advice

6. Opportunities to get in front of potential customers

7. Opportunities to get in front of potential strategic partners

The Process - Example

Next Steps

Meetings with Business and Civic Leaders

Targeted Meetings

Publicity

Strategy Session

Meeting with Leadership

Members Provide Feedback

Formal Presentation to Section

Initial Screening

Questionnaire

Step I: Identification

Galit is out strolling around GA Tech’s campus one day and can’t help but notice how amazing the flowers and trees seem to look this year as compared to previous years.

She must know why this is and she seeks out groundskeeper Ofra to find out.

Grounds keeper Ofra remarks that GA Tech has been buying its soil from a new vegetable compost company and this has really improved the quality of vegetation.

Step I: Identification (Cont.)

• Galit schedules a meeting with Sally Soilloverto learn about her company company and discovers that they are a small, new soil startup called Dirt Bag Compost and Soil, LLC

• They are very interested in growing but aren’t sure how;

• They are interested in sustainability and they work in a sustainable way

• Galit talks to them about the Green Chamber of the South’s Greenhouse Process and they would like to participate.

Step II: Screening

Greenhouse committee is made aware of this company’s interest and asks them to fill out the application

Galit and the Greenhouse committee reach out to the Real Estate Section and ask section members to form a screening committee to determine if this company will be invited to undergo the Greenhouse process

Step II: Screening (Cont.)

Members step up to the plate and the following members sit on the screening committee:

• Gary Childs: Commercial Real Estate Owner

• Gwenneth Ciarelli: Works for bank in SBA dept.

• Gweedo Cooperstien: Accountant

• Gilda Czalowski: Owns a landscaping company

• Guy Cessler: Prof. at GA Tech - land management

• Galit Cevitin: Lawyer – Real Estate and EPA Regulatory experience;

• Gustov Chambers: Marketing Consultant and owns a PR firm

• Garudi Chaturvedi: Was a real estate mogul until the crash – now she spends her time gardening

Step II: Screening (Cont.)

Let’s look at Dirt Bag, LLC’s application:

Step II: Screening (Cont.)

• Gary Childs: “My main concern is keeping my O&M budget manageable. If their product raises costs they don’t have a chance.”

• Gwenneth Ciarelli: “They’re in pretty big debt. But they have a good concept. They stand a chance of getting funding.”

• Gweedo Cooperstien: “If others like the concept, they may be able to do really well if they can get their books in tact. Right now it’s a mess.”

• Gilda Czalowski: “There is definitely growing demand in my industry for better soil producers and local products.”

• Guy Cessler: “Interesting company. I am not sure that they are far enough along in expanding their focus. And I’m pretty sure that rubber chickens and socks don’t compost.”

• Galit Cevitin: “Have they accounted for the tough regulatory environment in soil production?”

• Gustov Chambers: “there are great branding opportunities for a company like this. I think that we can create demand for their product. Their strategic plan has good bones.”

• Garudi Chaturvedi:”The world is changing and looking for new types of companies. I think that they are worth trying.”

Step II: Screening- the response

Thank you for applying to the Green Chamber of the South’s Greenhouse process. We were impressed by your company and feel that you would be a good match for the Greenhouse process. However, we do not feel that Dirt Bag is in a position to optimally benefit from this process until it takes the following actions:

• Stop composting rubber chickens and dirty socks – it is not good for your product

• Try to assess the value of your current land holdings

• Provide breakout numbers for your current expenditures

• Provide clearer sense of where you want to be in 5 years

We will revisit your candidacy on August 1, 2010 and make a final decision at that time.

Step III: Entering the Process

On August 1, 2010, the Screening committee revisits Dirt Bag’s candidacy and determines that they are ready for the process.

They are assigned a mentor, Garudi, who has been asked by the chamber’s greenhouse committee and the screening committee to oversee Dirt Bag’s navigation through the process.

This mentor-company relationship is the key to a successful process.

Step III: The Presentation

Garudi arranges for Dirt Bag, LLC to be invited to deliver a 15 minute presentation on the company to the Real Estate Section.

Subsequent to the presentation, the section goes around the table and different members of the section offer ideas, suggestions, and possible commitments for follow up help.

Jerome says: “I will put them in touch with some landscape

architects I work with;”

Kelly says: “They may want to explore working with different nitrogen/carbon combinations for soil optimization.”

Gary says: ”I’d like to let them do a full pilot using just their soil on one of my properties’ green roofs.”

Step III Cont.: Recapping with Garudi

• Garudi and the company have a discussion about the presentation:– 1) What went well?

– 2) What needed change or improvement?

– 3) What feedback was helpful?

– 4) What does the company need to do to move to the next level?

Who will assist and How?

Member and non-member Companies can provide assistance on three levels

• Network Builders– Provide contact and connection

• Alliance Partners - Contribute their time and work, mentoring, or providing professional services

• Financial partners - Offer loans or grants

Step IV: Calling on the Chamber

• Garudi reaches out to some of her colleagues from the chamber and calls on them to provide some ideas and basic resources:– Gwenneth: Help them position themselves to go out

and ask for loans; (Financial Partners)

– Gustov: Help them understand how they can structure a marketing campaign and who they should work with; (Alliance Partners)

– Gilda: Help them expand their industry contacts; (Network Builder)

Step IV: Calling on the Chamber

• Garudi reaches out to some of her colleagues from the chamber and calls on them to provide some ideas and basic resources:– Gwenneth: Help them position themselves to go out

and ask for loans; (Financial Partners)

– Gustov: Help them understand how they can structure a marketing campaign and who they should work with; (Alliance Partners)

– Gilda: Help them expand their industry contacts; (Network Builder)

Step V: Meeting with Chamber leadership

Sally and Kyle meet with the leadership of the Chamber to review their goals and to go over goals for the process and to discuss, with the leadership, what they hope to achieve and how the leadership can help.

The board is impressed with Kyle and Sally and begin to discuss potential resources that they can concentrate for the company.

1. Committee members from Atlanta Beltline

2. Botanical Gardens Planners

3. VCs who will probably not lend them money but will advise them on how to raise money

Step VI: Strategy Session

Strategy Session

Garudi sits with the Chamber leadership to review where the

Dirt Bag has gotten to that point.

Garudi sits with Sally and Kyle to review what the process

has achieved to that point and brings the following comments

from chapter leadership and the section members:

1) “They need to keep their focus on soil and forget biodiesel until they

generate good revenue from the soil”

2) “Their presentation should focus as much on how easy it is to do

business with them as it does on their soil.”

3) They need money soon or they will sink.

4) They need better branding.

Step VI: Strategy Session

Based on these comments, and the follow up commitments

from Chamber leadership and Section members, Garudi,

Sally, and Kyle consolidate a strategic plan for completing

the incubator.

They focused on achieving 3 main goals:

1) Raise capital

2) Generate a consolidated marketing and branding strategy

3) Develop a plan for expanding the company’s production capability

Step VII: Publicity

Green Chamber of the South and DirtBag

Soil Co. are excited to announce

DirtBag’s new Community Dirt Initiative.

DirtBag is an exciting and innovative local

soil producer which focuses on providing

clean, environmental product and

personal customer service…………

Step VIII: Targeted Meetings

Sally and Kyle will begin to engage in “targeted meetings” – meetings

pre-arranged by Garudi and other Chamber members/leaders in the

framework of the incubator. These meetings are specifically tied to

the strategic plan:

1) Meeting with colleagues of Gustov to get mentored on branding and

marketing – these colleagues even help them design a survey

2) Meet with local VC, Gil Charles, who helps them understand different

options for recruiting capital and directs them to resources and ideas

for consolidating a clear business plan;

3) Meet with Chamber board member who can assist the company to

qualify for EPA funding;

Final Steps in the Process

Next Steps

Meetings with Business and Civic Leaders and Deliver revised presentation on the company –

spend time delivering more than simply an elevator pitch

Targeted Meetings

Outcomes

1) Sally and Kyle have recently branded DirtBag, LLC and have a newsletter which regularly is emailed to a growing list of members (currently approx. 500) – the newsletter is called Dirty Talk

2) The company leads workshops for residential gardeners in home-composting and has been asked to set up composting bins for homeowners.

3) Georgia Green Loans is in discussions with DirtBag to help finance a large company expansion in order to meet growing demand for its locally produced soil;

4) The Green Chamber benefits from active involvement of DirtBag, and with their growing fan base and customer base, more and more people are becoming aware of the Chamber;

5) DirtBag earns enough revenue to hire an accountant

The End….but not really

Questions?

MEMBER PRESENTATION

www.Verus-CO2.com

800.275.1847