Derek Markham, Author at Ecopreneurist

Derek Markham

lives in southwestern New Mexico and digs bicycles, simple living, organic gardening, sustainable lifestyle design, slacklining, bouldering, and permaculture. He loves good food, with fresh roasted chiles at the top of his list of favorites. Catch up with Derek on Twitter, RebelMouse, Google+, or at his natural parenting site, Natural Papa!

Eco-Opportunity: Water Management Technology to Reduce Virtual Water

January 8, 2015

by Derek Markham

Depending on where you live, the increasing pressure on water supplies may not be immediately obvious, and the effects of water scarcity may not be evident, but in many places around the world, it’s already affecting residents, communities, and businesses. And while it’s certainly wise to conserve water at home, the bulk of our water use globally is for agriculture (70%) and industry (20%), and because we don’t see how much water it takes to grow that apple (70 liters)…

Generation Z Will Influence Your Business in 2015, Says Ford Trend Report

January 7, 2015

by Derek Markham

Generation Z, defined loosely as those born after 1993, will probably influence how your business is run in the coming years, if it hasn’t already, according to the latest Ford Trend Report. Whether you’re planning for the future of your business, planning to start up a business, or just looking to expand your reach in the coming year, it can be very helpful to study up on both the emerging trends in your industry, as well as the trends shaping…

Green Buildings Help Small Businesses Save Money

January 7, 2015

by Derek Markham

Investing a little more money upfront in your buildings and facilities in order to incorporate green building technologies and techniques can end up putting more money back in the small business owner’s pockets. Buildings that are energy and water efficient help to cut down the impacts on resources held in common (our air and water quality, for example) and reduce waste and pollution, both of which may also come with price to business owners, so green buildings can be a…

Green Business Ideas: Electric Bike Shop

January 6, 2015

by Derek Markham

If you’d like to get a piece of the clean transportation action with your green business, one of the exciting new markets is electric bikes, or ebikes, which are getting lighter and more efficient, with longer ranges, every day. Whether you start your own electric bike shop, add electric bicycles to an existing new or used bike shop, or start selling ebikes and accessories as an extension of an existing green business, the future is bright for those passionate about…

When Launching a Startup, Location Matters

December 18, 2014

by Derek Markham

For some types of ventures, the location can make a big difference in their success, and it’s not only relevant in real estate and brick and mortar businesses, but many other kinds of startups as well. Factors such as the tax rate, the cost of living, and the available workforce, among others, can affect how well a startup performs, and while those factors are secondary to the actual business itself, choosing the right location can be an important part of…

Indiegogo Life: Crowdfunding Platform Opens to Personal Fundraising

December 15, 2014

by Derek Markham

Indiegogo now offers free crowdfunding campaigns for personal online fundraising: Indiegogo Life. The bigger crowdfunding platforms have traditionally been used for campaigns centered around a single product, project, or venture, and not those that are open-ended or personal in nature. That type of crowdfunding campaign offers its backers the right level of rewards, or perks, to make it worth the backers’ support, in order to raise the money to fully develop or launch the product, and can essentially function as…

Crowdfunding Tool Uses Big Data for Campaign Research and Optimization

December 11, 2014

by Derek Markham

Crowdfunding is the new fundraising darling of inventors, creators, entrepreneurs, and startups, and with good reason, as it can offer a viable way of bridging the funding gap for some products and companies. However, if all you see in the media are stories about the huge successes made possible with crowdfunding, but not highlighting the background and hard work that went into them, and you never read about the many many crowdfunding campaigns that get nowhere close to their goals,…

50 Ideas Shaping the Emerging EV Market

December 10, 2014

by Derek Markham

The emerging electric vehicle (EV) industry offers some great opportunities for entrepreneurs, not necessarily through building a new kind of EV (although that is one option), but rather by solving any of a number of problems, pain points, or inefficiencies of electric car ownership. Other opportunities can be found in improving or supplying EV components, materials, software or hardware add-ons, either to the builder or as an aftermarket item for EV owners. With more people driving EVs, a market is…