Green Tips for Small Businesses

Green Living Ideas is a website dedicated to helping individuals live a greener life daily. I listened to a radio program hosted by GreenTalk Radio (GreenerLiving.com's radio program) about helping businesses to implement greener practices. Whether you're a small start-up or a large corporation, this podcast is a great way to pick up a few green tips.


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Click here to read the tips in a transcript

The Power of Posting

I, too, was always skeptical of online forums. Posting and chatting online seemed to have such a "nerdy" connotation to it, and furthermore, could it really be that helpful?

As one of my approaches to social marketing, I've been posting and commenting in forums more than ever before. Not only do I respond and offer feedback to other individuals, but I post my own questions and topics as well. Having taken part in online discussions such as Biznik and HOW magazine's online community, I now understand that this type of networking not only can position you as an expert in your field, but it can generate referrals as well.

The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (Or What Would Jane Austen Do?) quotes a designer and small business owner I very much admire, Dani Nordin of the Zen Kitchen. Dani Nordin offers the idea that including your email address, business name, website and other contact information in the signature of your forum post gives people direct access to finding out more about you. If someone is impressed by your post, they're likely to take the time to research who you are and what you're all about. Not only have you gained possible clients, you've also increased your search engine rankings.

Taking the time to post in online forums can be time consuming, but networking and learning from peers is well worth the effort.

my thoughts on Biznik

So... I signed up for a free account on Biznik yesterday. I did the tour, researched how I could best utilize this account, etc. After all is said and done, I'm very impressed. I've already had more interaction with business owners through Biznik than I have in my entire time on LinkedIn.

While the free account can be limiting, I'm loving the features that I have access to. For example, I can easily publish articles and tips, making myself stand out in my community. Other users can post their comments and thoughts on what I've written. And I'll be honest; at first I thought it looked like any other networking site. Sure I could post, but would people actually respond? I've been getting great feedback already.

I've also managed to network with one other professional in my area. Turns out, we may be able to help each other out with work and referrals in the future. In a nutshell, yes, it takes loads of time to sign up for these sites and to use them to their full advantage. But, as I said, I set this thing up yesterday and already am seeing results. I don't think this is a networking opportunity you'd want to miss.

another networking site...

I signed up to receive e-news from Molly Gordon, a career coach who owns the company Authentic Promotion. She offers advice about being an entrepreneur, self-promotion, etc.

Today, I received an email discussing face-to-face networking and how it sucks for most of us. She then went on to speak of online business networks, and to my surprise, bragged up a community called BizNik (isn't LinkedIn supposed to be every online networker's true love?). She convinced me to take the time to check out yet another online networking forum. I figured that if she can convince me, I'd pass it on to you.

Why Your Business Needs a Social Life

Networking. Ugh.

Can I just say that, from the age of 5, I've generally felt that socializing--not to mention networking--was something inferior beings (also known as popular people) turned to for lack of better things to do with their time?

I'm much better now (thank you), and I still find the idea of networking less than appealing. It conjures up images of shaking hands with someone who is looking past your right shoulder to see if there is someone more important they should be talking to.

Besides, I couldn't think of a worse way to promote my work than trying to interest a stranger in what I did while hoping there wasn't spinach in my teeth and wondering if his glazed look indicated over-medication or simple boredom.

The Internet changed that for a lot of folks. We discovered that we could listen and respond to others from the privacy and safety of our offices and homes, building connections through cyberspace that were every bit as real and supportive as those that more socially adept folks forged in meeting rooms.

Even so, for a many years online social networking was largely a matter of coming together in shared interest groups. Then sites like Myspace took online socializing to a whole new level.

A level apparently populated by 13 year olds, gamers, and other aliens.


No Great Expectations

In spite of the culture gap, social networking and small business seemed headed on a collision course. As ringside seats were cheap, I signed up at all the major social networking sites and some of the lesser known ones. I published my profile several times in this ezine, and a few of you invited me in to your networks (Hey, thanks. It felt great to be included.)

After 5-6 weeks, I decided to drop Plaxo (too invasive), made Linked-In my big pond of choice, and adopted a wait and see attitude toward the rest.

But then career coach Heather Mundell invited me to join her network at Biznik.

From the first I felt that Biznik was different. For one thing, you gotta love the tagline, "Business networking that doesn't suck." Then there is the way the site is organized. I could actually see at a glance what they had to offer. And it doesn't hurt that they are using one of my favorite greens in the logo.

Biznik felt like a place where an individual could make an impression without a lot of fuss and bother. So I joined. I even ponied up real money to be a paid member (which is strictly optional).

What This Means to You
There are three reasons why it's worth your time to finish this article and then pop on over to Biznik for a look-see.

1. To find out if you like what you see.

2. To observe what it is you like or don't like.

3. To put what you observe to work in your business.

Are We Having Fun Yet?
How much time, energy, and money have you spent trying to build your business doing things you don't like to do? Signs of this include piles of expensive marketing programs gathering dust, stacks of brochures decorating your shelves, and a Web site that has been "in development" so long you can't remember the name of your Web designer.

Visit Biznik and find out if there is anything there you like. Do it as a research project into what kind of social life your business needs.

Does your company have the right logo?

What’s the point of having a logo and why do designers and marketers place so much importance on them?

A logo isn’t just a pretty little doodle next to your company name. It’s what people will remember your business by. We’ve all heard that humans are very visual creatures – they respond to images much more than to just plain text. That’s why it’s standard practice to have a logo – think of it as the icon or stamp that sets the tone of your company. So in truth, it really is a big deal and a lot of time should be spent creating the right logo.

Many companies think that any logo will do. Not true. While having any logo is a good start, it actually can be detrimental to your business should you have one the misrepresents your company. A logo should convey the service you provide, the age of the audience you’re targeting and the cost of your services. How does this work?



In looking at the example, we’ll pretend that a small gift and flower shop is opening up. It’s target market is middle-aged women and while it’s a fun and classy joint, it’s not overly priced. The logo at the top is very inappropriate for this business. The letters are all uppercase and feel rigid and too overbearing – this font does not at all represent the organic nature of plants. Furthermore, the letters are blue – plants are green... Catch my drift?

The leaves are nice, as they suggest what the business does, but they’re too prominent. The black “the” in lowercase at the top of the logo sits funny. It feels like it was plopped there simply because the designer didn’t know where to put it.

Let’s look at the bottom example (please note that this took me five minutes for demonstration purposes only – this is not a great logo, by any means). The soft “the” in brown shows that the designer thought about how to incorporate the word into the logo while giving it its own place. The retro-styled lettering of “greenhouse” is slightly playful but also very “vine-like” in feeling. The small touch of the leaves on the end of the “e” give just enough of an afterthought to relate the logo even more to plants without rubbing it in the viewer's face. The overall look of the logo is feminine while elegant. A much more fitting choice.

So, with this I ask you... Does your logo fit your business? Can you tell what products or services you provide by looking at your logo? Does it feel expensive or cheap? Does it look appropriate for the age of your audience? If the answer to any of these items isn’t what it should be, you could be loosing sales and customers. While redoing your logo on your own is a great way to save some cash, hiring a professional to help you get started and to solve these problems is sure to be helpful in the long run.

Getting Permission for Email Marketing

So... yesterday I gave my little ten minute spiel at my PWN meeting. It went so-so. I flew through it in six minutes, strangely. As I practiced before, I kept going over ten. I got up there and kept thinking, "hurry, hurry!" I honestly was suffocating myself in front my peers - I was forgetting to breathe, then my voice started shaking and I think I looked really nervous. This all coming from a girl that spoke at her high school graduation in front of 5,000. Crap. I need more practice.

Okay, so what does this have to do with email marketing. Everything - I just needed to vent for a minute. While I was giving my presentation, shaky voice and all, I decided to pass out an email signup sheet. Not only did I print this right at the top of the sheet, but I also explained that my emails were sent out only once a month. Furthermore, their info was not going to be shared with any the party. Making these points are very important, I feel. People get way too many emails a day already - make sure they know you're not going to SPAM them all day, everyday.

Next, I explained what my emails were all about. They're not stating tid-bits of news such as "Angela just got a new client." No one cares. Instead, I provided the crowd with the idea that my emails are actually do-it-yourself tips on business and self-promotion. You actually gain insight from reading them (hopefully) and I'm out to share my knowledge with you.

Wanna know what happened? I got a full sign up list. In all honesty, this has never happened before. Usually I get one or two email addresses and a lot of "no way" faces. But I actually took the time to talk to people about this and they cared AND responded. Awesome.

One last video...

I have to post one more video. I found this so interesting... and sad. A few people did a "Jay-Walking" type interview with random folks from the streets of Australia. Find out what these people really think about graphic design.

Funny Graphic Designer Video

I was sent a link to this graphic design video on You Tube... so true, except for the super hero part. ;)

The Graphic Avenger - Trust Your Graphic Designer


Technorati Tags: [graphic design][freelance][self promotion][networking][You Tube Video]

Elevator Speech

I have to make a mini-presentation to my local PWN network on Thursday evening. I say mini because I only have 10 minutes to talk about my business, what I offer and how I can help business owners.

I've been told to practice my elevator speech for this little talk - have a brief summary about 13thirtyone ready as if I were next to someone in an elevator for a few minutes, making small talk about what I do. Ten minutes would be a long elevator ride...

Obviously I'll give a little bit of background about my business (which no one will really care to hear) and then begin to discuss the different facets of design that I can provide. But here's my question - ten minutes can go either very fast or very slow, right? So how should one best present their company's services without rambling in a ten minute window?

I was thinking a bit of show and tell might be helpful. I could pass around a few samples while chatting about the different services. But that would only take about two minutes. So what should the rest of the time be dedicated to? A preaching sermon about why a business needs graphic design?

I need a little advice here - what would you chat about for 10 minutes, when the initial business intro only takes about three?