How do we promote small businesses?
Hi all.
After getting involved in Pickens Plan site and meeting lots of people, I joined forces with 3 others and started up a company with a goal of getting new technologies into production. We're doing this in phases, with simple renewable sales funding bigger projects which will then fund some manufacturing.
In doing this, we've identified some critical problems with the money game that's available to all the little startups being discussed here. There seems to be virtually unlimited money available now (recently pulled from the market, I assume) for large projects but they come with so many strings that unless you have a long track record in utility scale projects AND are working with time proven technologies, you can't play in their game.
For the small guys, there is no money available from any source that we can see. We have researched business loans, grants, investments, private loans and many others. Solve this problem and this industry, and by extension, the whole economy, will take off like wildfire.
To lead the discussion off, I would suggest the only way is to combine small investments from passionate individuals in some way to raise the small funds that these companies need to get on their feet.
After getting involved in Pickens Plan site and meeting lots of people, I joined forces with 3 others and started up a company with a goal of getting new technologies into production. We're doing this in phases, with simple renewable sales funding bigger projects which will then fund some manufacturing.
In doing this, we've identified some critical problems with the money game that's available to all the little startups being discussed here. There seems to be virtually unlimited money available now (recently pulled from the market, I assume) for large projects but they come with so many strings that unless you have a long track record in utility scale projects AND are working with time proven technologies, you can't play in their game.
For the small guys, there is no money available from any source that we can see. We have researched business loans, grants, investments, private loans and many others. Solve this problem and this industry, and by extension, the whole economy, will take off like wildfire.
To lead the discussion off, I would suggest the only way is to combine small investments from passionate individuals in some way to raise the small funds that these companies need to get on their feet.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael Shawn Kendall on -
Hi Todd,
Thanks for starting a discussion! I am going to forward you a power point that someone else sent me. I'd like your opinions on it.
Best Regards,
Mike Kendall
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Permalink Reply by Todd McKissick on -
Sounds good, Mike.
Talk about fast response. I was just privately informed that www.go2greenusa.org is a non-profit that is set up specifically for helping all the small scale aspects of this little green revolution we're undertaking. I especially liked a snippet of the comment that accompanied it:
"So if you know anyone who has an actual income and pays too much income tax, then please encourage them to send a 100% tax deductable donation..."
I guess that may be the next problem - finding someone who has an actual income!
Is this something that would be worth supporting?
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Permalink Reply by jesse kucinski on -
If the goal is to get off foreign oil, for every CNG vehicle it is 100% reduction. Elsewhere in the world, CNG transportation is common. Iran is converting 20,000 vehicles a month to CNG and saving their oil supplies to sell to USA. But, there is not any gove support out there, just talk, to appease the citizens who might get angry and take a stand. My business wants to cause that 100% impact to happen in everyday lives and we subsidize our work and keep on trying to get people's attention.
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Permalink Reply by Todd McKissick on
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Jesse,
What is your company and what does it do? How, specifically, does it achieve the goals you mention?
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Permalink Reply by South Dakota Wind Energy on -
I have recently (today) met another PP member that may have a solution to some of the finance problems.
I will invite him to join us here and perhaps he can add some insite into the issue.
Monty and Debbie
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Permalink Reply by Todd McKissick on
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Ok, People. We have a pretty large group with a wide field of experience. Let's get some feedback on this topic, can we? Surely there's lots of you with ideas on how to get these companies off the ground. Is the non-profit I referred to above a good enough solution? If so, how much involvement can we get going? Is there a better way you know of? Maybe you're all still under the impression that the government programs will make a significant difference. If so, let's discuss it.
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Permalink Reply by allen bauman on -
Hi Todd
I had a feeling that funding small business especially in the green arena would be as difficult as it was before the economy crapped out. I wrote a post on the forum about a week ago called the Green Machine in which I postulated that we could actually accumulate and provide funding for renewable energy projects from within the Pickens Plan structure.It would be very inexpensive for each member to contribute as little as $10 to create a fund for these ventures. The structure could be a venture fund or more likely a mutual fund. Naturally there are startup costs and legal fees, etc. and I would hope that Mr. Pickens could provide the seed capital for that. Naturally he would be reimbursed. Take a look at the post and let me know what you think. In the mean time I'm going to invite you to be my friend. That way we can toss around some ideas until something sticks---allen---THE GREEN WARRIOR
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Permalink Reply by Henry Schlatman on -
Why someone involved in Government is going to have to explain how a Co-Op works, I do believe know that our grandparents enssured that "We the People" could use these types of Non-Profit Community Based Companies to meet Americas' Basic Needs if the Corporation Barons refused to pass on the Keys of Power. And why I do realize that these types of adventures are still governed by Americas' Democratic and Republican Civil, Political, and Religious Leaders. I do believe that a group like Focus Hope could sponser local and regional members that see the value of investing in a Zero Emission Power Plant for their Home and Business use.
Yes, I do believe that President Obama and the 111th Congress would have no problem allowing the Power Grid of the Future to permit Individuals to upload the excess electricity produced by their Zero Emission Power Plant. However, provided they would limit how close that Power Plant has to be in relationship to their building I do believe that the Co-op could demonstrate that over time a Viable New Workforce would be created in America with a new source of Income. For why I am unable to say if Private Ownership and Commerce can co-exist in the same place at the same time. I do believe that given a smart enough Power Grid in the 21st Century that a Member of an Electric Co-op of Tomorrow can enjoy the pleasure of owning a Personal Zero Emission Power Plant and the convince of allowing the Skilled Management and Labor of Society deal with the Government Demands and Desires.
For can the Focus of Hope take the lead in building a Renewable Electric Metwork across America one member at a time?
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Permalink Reply by Walter Killeen on -
I represent one such company. We have the next major home appliance. A device that should solve the chicken and egg problem regarding CNG cars. The XQF-50 delivers near gasoline station fill speeds. See the web site NewGas.Biz Together we can get it done but currently funding hasn't happened.
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