Green Restaurant Association's Five Steps to Green Status

This process is holistic. The GRA reaches beyond the restaurant to work with local vendors -- such as a waste management company -- and with regional/national suppliers. Its product reviews, endorsements and database of sustainability solutions encompass everything from napkins to appliances.

And what sustainability offers is increased cash flow and margins in a tough industry that averages 5% margins.

"These sustainability solutions hit the bottom line two ways," Oshman says. "They produce cost savings, and they increase revenues. My members are coming to me because their customers are looking to buy from green vendors and because they see how fuel, waste management and water prices continue to escalate. It is a win-win. They save money and make money."

So even if you're not a restaurant entrepreneur, take a look at the GRA's five-step process. It affords your business a path to saving money and selling more to customers looking for green businesses implementing sustainability as a core practice. This grass roots path is wide open to entrepreneurs looking to capture a piece of the emerging $4 trillion "Green Collar Economy."