Green Marketing Made Affordable!

We all are recognizing how important it is to do what we can for our delicate environment. Three White Daisies has made some efforts to make your marketing pieces both affordable, but also environmentally friendly. Many small companies believe that green practices are important, but they can't afford them.

As a print broker I work hard to find you the most affordable printing for your projects, but they must also meet the following criteria:

1) Keep it Local! In my search for affordable printing I will never select an option that is further than 2 states away. I believe in keeping it local, but also realize the importance of fuel economy. We might be able to find lower prices if we ordered something that was printed in another country, but then we have such a large "footprint" and the few dollars we might save is not worth it.

2) Soy Ink, really! They really can do anything with soy, it is amazing! All the printers I work with use soy ink. Soy ink is a safe and environmentally friendly ink because of its simple compound compared to petroleum–based ink. Soy ink also makes recycling easier and surprisingly produces even more vibrant colors.

3) Guilt Free Paper! This may sound funny to you, but not all paper companies will get their paper from legitimate sources. The only paper companies we will use paper is produced specifically for paper-making and is not produced from illegally deforested trees.

Working from my home office not only helps me keep my prices low for both design and printing needs, but it saves me from commuting to work every day. One less car on the road is a good thing. In my home office I keep things as green as possible by using environmentally friendly cleaners, turning off light switches, and using energy saving products whenever possible.

If you need some tips on how to make your office green check out this article!

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What Are You Wearing?

Do you still get up and put on the hose and high heels ... do you button up your shirt and wear a tie? What are you wearing to work when you are your own boss?

Most of the time when while working I am hidden behind my 19" monitor in my home office and you can't even see me. If you could see me you would most often find me in flip flops, jeans, and a t-shirt. Since my work is sometimes sporadic and in the rush to get a job done for a client I am working into the wee hours of the morning then I will allow myself to put on my fuzzy slippers and favorite three stripe sweat pants that are so well loved have on two stripes on the left leg.

I have seen ad's suggesting, "work from home and stay in your pj's all day!" When I see those ad's I wonder how they were raised. As a mom, I rarely let my daughter stay in her pajama's all day and it didn't matter that she didn't have a high powered meeting to attend. It is apparent even from ages as early as two that staying in pajama's for a prolonged period of time can encourage lazy behavior and cause one to want to spend too much time on the couch. (At least at my house!)

The other thing for me is that on more than one occasion it will be a day when I didn't have any client meetings set up, but at the last minute a client will need to meet with me. I would hate to not be there for a client because I was still in my pj's and couldn't get ready in time. With a quick change of my shoes and the addition of a cardigan I am ready for a client meeting.

I have a few clients that dress rather formal, but most of my clients are very casual even though they don't work from a home office. I might find them in red converse and shorts or jeans and an Ed Hardy tee.

I guess to sum things up: I think dress codes can be casual, but even if you work from home or in a small business you should get dressed in something that would be presentable in public. I am wondering what you think! Please share your opinions on dress code ... if you have one tell me about it! If you don't please tell me why!

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PS: My favorite tee right now is the Vintage V-Neck T from the Gap!

Home Office Organization Journey

If you work from home or just have a busy family life good organization is ESSENTIAL. This is a lesson that I have learned the hard way and now that I am on the path to becoming more organized in life and business I want to share some of the things I have learned.

I think I learned the most important lesson from my Aunt Tracy when I was young about organization, but it too me a while to implement it. She would preach constantly about cleaning as you go! This is so important because those little piles can get out of hand in no time and when you face the reality of the fact you could have spent 30 minutes cleaning to avoid the situation it is a little depressing.

Sometimes you have to start small! Don't let a big mess overwhelm you, make a list of things you want to accomplish towards getting your home office organized and tackle one thing at a time. It helped me to set a finish goal date.

I also learned (I think from Oprah) that you should only touch mail once. This is so true! Thanks to modern technology there is no need to touch mail more than once and let it clutter up your office. Some tricks I have learned about mail:

Even if you don't intend on paying a bill right away you can enter it into your online bill payer with a post dated option. This lets you file it away immediately instead of letting it clutter up your desk, or get lost and cause you to be late on your payment.

How long do you save your bills? I save mine for one year, but the technical answer varies from bill to bill. With so much available online now, we really don't need to keep them at all, but for quick reference I like to have them on hand for one year. My dream is to own one of these scanners and eventually be rid of paper files.

No matter how pressed you are for space; keep your personal and business documents separate. Personal items are a serious distraction that will limit your efficiency and focus. I have two different file drawers in my desk, to the right I have all our personal files and then to the left I have all my Three White Daisies files. Sometimes personal and business overlap a little and thanks to some tips from Craft Warehouse I have created a stylish way to blend my schedules. I have a white board for all my business needs and one for my personal needs. Two magnetic area's to post recent work or notes, a calendar, and a cork board. The whole project cost me about $55. (Sorry for the fuzzy mobile photo.)

Once you've created an organized home office, take the time to see that it stays that way. Devoting a block of time each week to staying organized (I schedule time to organize each week!) will keep you from getting overwhelmed by the little details that hold chaos at bay!

Get more ideas from an expert! Ines can help you find that perfect starting point if you are overwhelmed. She is a professional organizer and a good person.

What are some of your favorite staying organized tips? We would love to hear from you!

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