Economic Advice for CCSE

There's no denying the fact that America is facing difficult and troubling economic times. Everyone is affected in one way or another; there is no choice but to be conscious of each of your economic decisions.

With CCSE being a "Green" company, parts of Obama's new stimulus plan speaks directly to you. My advice would be to review his plan carefully and take advantage of it. Maximize funding opportunities as they become available and seek brand new opportunities. Obama has shown his interest and dedication to instilling a green future, even on the day the stimulus deal was signed, "The signing ceremony was heavily loaded with solar symbolism: Mr. Obama signed the bill after touring the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which has solar panels on its roof." There is obviously a lot of new attention surrounding the idea of a sustainable and green future, which is exactly what CCSE has been trying to do since the day it was opened.

“It’s an investment that will double the amount of renewable energy produced over the next three years” -- Obama, on the stimulus package

Another piece of advice that I believe will help CCSE stay ahead in tough economic times is to increase marketing and PR efforts to take advantage of the public's heightened interest in alternative energy, renewable resources, and conservation. The public interest is there, they just need to know who to go to. Creating more of a social stir will only help to advance your company to its ultimate goal, creating a sustainable future. There are so many ways to draw attention to CCSE. Using social networking sites and social media opportunities as a low-cost marketing tool will help maximize exposure at little to no cost. More and more companies are beginning to use sites such as Twitter to draw more attention to the company itself and bring a larger crowd to events and fundraisers.

In the past few months of interning at CCSE, I've heard interviewees and volunteers say many times that they want to work here because they hope for a green future and they know that "California is the front runner in green energy". "Not coincidentally, three-quarters of the nation’s demand for solar comes from residents and companies in California. California is poised to be both the world’s next big solar market and its entrepreneurial center." You should take advantage of this and put your name out there even more. Let people know that California is the leader of greening America, and CCSE is the leader of California. While many people do know of your company and what it offers, not enough people do. Position yourselves as the authority of clean energy by continuing to offer the public free resources, supplies, education, etc.

One final way to increase productivity while lowering operating costs is by utilizing AMAZING student interns who will work for school credit and no benefits.

Kate Galbraith, The New York Times, Obama Signs Stimulus Packed With Clean Energy Provisions, Accessed 22 March 2009.

Matt Richtel & John Markoff, The New York Times, A Green Industry Takes Root In California, Accessed 22 March 2009.