Who Are These Ecopreneurs?
Ecopreneurs come in all shapes and styles. Big thinkers and lifestyle advocates satisfied with a small business; poor and rich; opportunists seeing a hot trend and sustainability advocates just looking to do something good with their career. What do they have in common? What background do they have? Did they think about what it takes to be an ecopreneur before they just jumped right in?
We all know a successful ecopreneur or two (or ten). What characteristics unify ecopreneurs? Are they all young? Are they all progressive? Are they all spending quality time with their organic gardens to get away from it all?
In conducting the research for Build a Green Small Business: Profitable Ways to Become an Ecopreneur, I interviewed hundreds of ecopreneurs to find out just what made them tick. 
I asked ecopreneurs about their business, hoping to learn what made them greener than their conventional counterparts, and what might help others succeed. I was amazed to find out how willing ecopreneurs were to share their business secrets with someone who was going to write a book about it. The main finding, therefore, is that this ‘ecopreneur personality’, if there is one, is selfless and committed to the betterment of society.
But we probably suspected that. What other trends are there?
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I also asked them a host of other questions, including demographics. Who starts green businesses? Retirees with savings? Young idealists? Men? Women? Progressives? Conservatives?
Now, I will preface this analysis by saying that this is less than a scientific study. I interviewed well over 200 ecopreneurs, but had incomplete data from many for one reason or another. Research continues… But without further adieu:
Ecopreneurs tend to be relatively new to their trade. Most had been in business less than 4 years, and the average was right about 2.2.
Ecopreneurs tend to be men. By about 60/40, the gender balance favored men.
Ecopreneurs have no particular average age. This stat was all over the map, with an age range from 21 to 72, and a wide and random distribution throughout.
Ecopreneurs tend to be educated. Most (over 90%) had a college degree, and many (over 40%) had a M.S. or greater.
Ecopreneurs lean left politically. On a scale of Far Left, Left, Center, Right, and Far Right, most (>85%) ecopreneurs were either Left or Far Left. None reported being Far Right or Right.
Interesting figures, will put a link on my blog!
I’m guessing your data on gender got skewed based off the population that you chose to interview.
There are lots of green businesses that are smaller and easier to miss in the economy that are run by women. Lots of the entrepreneurs on sites like etsy.com are very green in their construction methods and materials choices and also happen to be female. The female “ecopreneurs” I know are also extremely locality minded, and don’t have websites because they make their business run off of the local, self-sustaining economy.
I’m guessing, however, that the rest of your results are probably quite accurate for the larger population.
Interesting book - I’ll have to pick it up when I next get paid.
Scott interviewed me for his book. I have two businesses in there that apparently met his test for ecopreneur-ship: http://www.drysdales123.com, and
http://www.carpet-cleaning-business.com. With regard to the categories above I was
1. New to the trade (entering floor services; exiting urban planning)
2. Male
3. I was 49 years of age when I made the switch.
4. Education; Bachelors degree (Boston College) in
economics; and Master’s degree (URI) in urban planning
(guess you could definitely call it a career change)
5.politics. Probably a little to the left of center. I believe that government has a greater role to play than just policing the streets and sending out the Army.