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!

Why Am I Sad About Hollywood Video?

Seriously, I am kind of sad when I see all the Hollywood Video's closing down. Not sad enough to get up and go into the video store, however. I like to think if it were a local owned by some residents who knew me by name when I walked in I would still go to a video store, but I haven't seen one of those in years...at least not near my house.

I feel a loss, it is an era ending... I am thinking that my daughter may never know what it is like to go into a video store and argue in front of total strangers over the choice between a romantic chick flick or a shoot 'em up and then eventually settle on a comedy you can both agree on. Not even seven years old when she wants to watch a movie she asks me to download it or get it on demand.

As a small business owner I wonder what this means . . . It's not just Hollywood Video, but lots of long time well established businesses are unable to keep their doors open in this economy. Without such large overhead, maybe this is time for the small business to thrive!

I read some great tips online recently about operating in a difficult economy. To sum it up:

1) Reassess your business model: A simple reassessment can oftentimes lead to increased efficiency and revenue.

2) Invest in marketing, it may be even more important now!

3) Find ways to cut back the budget, there is almost always something that can go.

4) Keep positive!

Read the whole article!

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Meet One of the Most Interesting Men in Vancouver

Today I got to visit Reo’s Coffee & Hot Dog Emporium, located in the Uptown Village part of Vancouver, WA. Reo's combines two American passions, coffee & hot dog's. Sitting right next door to another shop that boasts about it's hot dogs from the window, I wondered what could this place have to offer that is so different? With a quite impressive menu including everything from "awful waffles" to "fabulous hot dogs" and an amazing barista I was surprised to find I was most impressed by the man behind the counter, Chuck Leidy.

Not only is he charming with great customer service, but he has a plethora of intriguing stories to tell. If you are a fan of that little movie Twilight he could tell you about his ON SET experiences when they were filming! Yes, ladies ... Chuck was on set! If you have an interest in small business he is overflowing with tips and interesting stories ... even about how Nike got it's start back when Converse were selling for only $3 a pair!

So if you are looking for a great cup of coffee, a truly kosher hot dog, or just an interesting chat Reo's should be your destination! Personally, I am looking forward to working with him and getting to know both him and his wife Gina!

Adventures in Vancouver ... (Part 1)

Today, I got out from behind my desk and got to enjoy the beautiful sunny day in the Northwest! I spent the day walking the streets of Uptown Village in Vancouver, WA! I introduced myself to many local business owners, heard some great stories, and enjoyed a few wonderful treats ... overall, it was a really great day and I was impressed to find that it looks like Vancouver is getting very cool!

The first place I stopped was Hopeless Ink, admittedly I was a little intimidated before I walked in. Not only is this the first time I have gone out to promote my business, but through the window I could see four men around the counter. It was daunting, but I took a deep breath and went in. Inside, I was immediately impressed with how nice the studio was with tasteful design and very private tattoo areas. The staff was also quite impressive not only for their obvious talent, but for how friendly they were ... my nerves were put to ease very quickly. Based on my experience and the reviews I have read online I say if you are in the market for a tattoo this might be a good place to visit before making your final decision.

I walked into many great businesses today, but I don't think anything really impressed me as much as Pop Culture on Main Street in Uptown Village. I have driven by many times in the past year and half since the business was given it's rebirth, but I had no idea what was really going on inside. Walking through the doors you are surrounded by awesome decor, some cool kids strumming on their guitar, and a wall of pop like I have never seen-truly a flavor and brand for every taste! I learned that they offer amazing entertainment for music and comedy lovers of all ages which is such a treat and a real gem for the residents of this great suburban city!

The icing on the cake, literally, was my final stop to Je T'aime Bakery. Walking up to the counter I saw the owner really putting the t'aime or love into her home made bread. The staff at this bakery is very friendly and everything looks absolutely divine. Now, I have always been very proud of my brownie recipe but when I saw the gooey, powder covered brownies they had on display I could not resist .... I suppose I should hang my head in shame because my brownies really could not compare to the scrumptious flavor Je T'aime is serving up!

I have lived in and loved Vancouver for more than 12 years, but never spent so much time walking around getting to know the area. Next, I will be cruising the Downtown neighborhood and can't wait to see what I find!

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New website is going to be coming soon .... www.threewhitedaisies.com

Take Advantage of FREE Marketing Tools: A Simple Guide To Getting Started With Facebook

Most social media marketing is free if you know how to use it. I have set this up with some basic tips that will allow you to harness the power of the social media for your business. Let's start with Facebook, tips for Twitter coming soon!

Do you already have a personal Facebook account? If not, set one up today for free! Not only is it a great way to connect with friends and family members it can do wonders for your business.

Once you have a Facebook account you are ready to begin setting up a page for your business. You can learn a lot about the best practices by a quick visit to Facebook Pages.

Now we are ready to get started with your new Facebook Page. You will need to decide what category you are in from Local Business to Public Figure, this will appear under your business name when people do a search on Facebook. Now you get to name your page , click on "Create Official Page" and you are done!



Once you have taken a moment to fill out information about your business and upload some photos start inviting people to be a fan of your page. This can be done quite simply choosing the "Suggest to Friends" option on the upper right hand corner. While this method will allow you to very quickly share a link to anyone you are already friends with on Facebook you might be surprised by how many people will choose to "ignore" this request. A personal message through Facebook with a link to your new page can be a lot more effective.

If you have at least 25 people who "like" your page you can customize the name of the page so the link isn't filled with a bunch of random numbers and spaces. For example, I changed the name of my page so the link was simply: http://www.facebook.com/threewhitedaisies. Naming your Facebook page isn't exactly intuitive, but once you know what to do it is very simple. Facebook has a page, of course, that will allow you to change your username.


Now you are really ready to do some marketing! Facebook has ways to advertise right on the site and it can be fairly affordable. Make sure you start adding links to your new Facebook page to your blog, Tweet about it, and add it to your signature line in your e-mail!

Post a link to your new Facebook page here as a comment and I will "like" it .. help you get enough fans!

Best of luck!

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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Summer 10/10 Special

This summer you can save on on your graphic design & printing needs with our Summer 10/10 Special! Save 10% off ANY print job from business cards to wedding invitations. Also, if you need custom graphic design save $10 off our low price fee!

Offer good June 21 through September 10, 2010. Must mention the postcard or this blog post to receive discount. Stay up to date on discounts follow this blog or be a fan on facebook!

http://www.threewhitedaisies.com/
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What's In A Name?

The most common question I get regarding my business isn't about the services I offer or rates I charge. Nope. What people most often want to know is the story behind the name, why daisies, why three, and why white?

One reason I can give is that I feel daisies, especially white daisies, are fresh and vibrant. They are such beautiful flowers and grow with a passion. I have always felt that translates well to what my business stands for.

While that is a good reason it doesn't explain the three so let me tell you where the name really started. According to the local florist in my home town, a daisy is the flower that represents loyal love. When I was graduating high school I had 3 very special friends who I wanted to somehow be connected to on graduation night and the rest of my life. We couldn't all march together so I had to find another thing that could connect us in the crowd. That is when I came up with each of us marching in to the high school gym wearing cap and gown and carrying one white daisy each.

When I started my business I knew I wanted to incorporate the fresh and vibrant feeling of the daisies in my name and in a nostalgic moment I decided it should be THREE WHITE DAISIES. I still love all three of those girls very much and it makes me happy every time I see my logo and think of them.

Now you know ....