• re-nourish (@renourish)
• Sustainable Graphic Design: Tools, Systems and Strategies for Innovative Print Design
• Keeping It Real Green: How to Market Your Efforts in an age of Greenwashing

Do you know of other green resources especially for design and marketing folks? Share them here!

Brian Halligan and David Meerman Scott gave a spirited webinar inspired by the marketing tactics of The Grateful Dead. Having attended a Dead show or two in my day, I found it to be a unique and entertaining take on marketing for small businesses.

Here are a few of my favorite marketing tidbits:

• Be remarkable—make your content interesting/valuable enough that people will want to share it
• Watch your competition, but don’t follow them
• Free content attracts customers—win through familiarity
• Make it easy for people to share your content—create a community of sharing
• Experiment, improvise, take a chance
• Put your loyal customers in the front row—give them perks, first dibs on products or news
• Stay on top of technology in your industry

Next up, PR tips from The Rolling Stones… April Fool’s!

Join Neighborhood Networking next Tuesday to mix and mingle with fellow businesses at Katerina’s (1920 West Irving Park Road).

You can also help us toast Neighborhood Networking’s first anniversary! (can you believe it’s been a year already?)

Buy tickets in advance for $10 ($12 at the door).

Neighborhood Networking is hosted by Lidia Varesco Design and Elizabeth Lulu Miranda of Mercury Organizing Professionals, with BBR Chicago joining us as co-hosts.

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Northcenter businesses: promote your business by donating an item to our raffle! Contact us for a donation form and details.

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We recently created a website for The Law Offices of R.D. Skelton, Ltd. in Geneva, Illinois.

Located just outside of Chicago, the firm, which specializes in business law, estate planning, and probate and trusts, wanted to establish a web presence that would set them apart from other attorneys without being overly complicated and sterile.

With the use of bold graphics and a brown/green palette, we created a website that was understated, yet strong enough to stand out and emphasize the firm’s experience and qualifications.

Below find the tips I found most useful from webinar panelists John Jantsch – Creator of Duct Tape Marketing; Bob Burg – Author, “Endless Referrals”, “The Go-Giver”, “Go-Givers Sell More”; Ivan Misner –  Founder & Chairman of BNI; and Ben McConnell – Principal, Ant’s Eye View.

Referral marketing tips:

• Shift your focus from getting to giving
• it’s not about you, it’s about them – take the focus off yourself
• Add value to others – freely share your knowledge
• Teach your referral partners what to listen for (“I can’t…” or “I need…”) – make it easy for them to give you referrals
• Create visibility and credibility: tell people what you do and show them you are good at it
• Establish relationships with new connections before asking for referrals
  • KNOW -> LIKE -> TRUST
• A great networker enjoys helping others
• Send a handwritten thank you note after receiving a referral
• Make strategic referral alliances with fellow business owners who serve similar clients (wedding vendors are great at this)
• Build relationships and the referrals will follow…

Do you have other great ideas for creating or maintaining a referral marketing program? Share your comments!

A referral campaign should be part of all small business marketing plans. It doesn’t have to be complicated, it can be as simple as asking a client if they know someone else who might benefit from your services.

But it’s not just about getting referrals… we should also focus on returning the favor by giving referrals. Let’s see how easy it is. Grab a pencil and pad of paper. Jot down 5–10 businesses (or retail shops) that you rely on for their top-notch products, reliability, quality work, superb customer service or just overall fabulousness.

Now, here is your chance to sing their praises to the rest of the world: submit your referral to the Make a Referral Week website. It’s an easy way to help fellow small businesses (and perhaps improve your karma). And if you’re lucky, someone will write a nice referral for you too.

By the way, you can continue the referral love by participating in Make a Referral Monday on Twitter. Share your referrals each Monday using the hashtag #marm—or if you need referrals, just follow along.

This Chicago-based organization collects art supplies (new or used in good condition) and donates them to local art teachers in need. The reality is that school budgets don’t always allow for basic art supplies—many teachers pay out of their own pocket for necessary supplies.

Let’s help them out by cleaning up our offices (or kids’ playrooms) and donating our unused art supplies. I have been participating in Creative Pitch for many years now, and I’m always delighted to receive an email from a happy art teacher.

Creative Pitch is currently seeking the following items:

• markers
• crayons
• colored pencils
• paper
• scissors
• stock photo/illustration books

Have items to donate? Email info@creativepitch.org to inform them of your donation items and/or to set up a drop off time. (NO OFFICE SUPPLIES, PLEASE.)

Learn more or make a donation to Creative Pitch here.

I realized this was taking a toll on my health, and I needed an easy way to remind myself to stretch throughout the day. I created a stretch book by making copies of fast and easy stretches I could easily do at my desk. I placed the stretches in sheet protectors and paired it with a cover that would stand out on my bookshelf—making sure I wouldn’t forget to take a break and stretch. It worked!

Another useful tool for good office posture is an ergonomic chair cushion, such as the Fitball Wedge by Ball Dynamics. It can be used as lumbar support or an angled seat cushion that encourages proper posture. (your grade school teacher was right: sit up straight, no slouching!)

And don’t forget to schedule a 30-minute to 1-hour  yoga or stretching session at least once a week. It can help prevent repetitive stress injuries, back pain, and bad posture. Personally, I have found that doing yoga and stretching regularly keeps aches and pains away. Can’t make it to a class? Try a DVD that focuses on upper body and back stretches such as my top picks, the RX: Yoga series and Back Care Yoga by Gaiam. There’s even an online yoga-at-your-desk routine at My Daily Yoga.

No more excuses.. and no more slouching!

And here’s proof that more people are using recycled papers—from the latest New Leaf Paper newsletter:

…the number of leading environmental printing and writing grade papers produced in North America has more than doubled from 97 to 228 in the past 18 months (according to information released today by Canopy, a Vancouver based non-profit organization that works to improve the environmental performance of paper and wood companies, and a Steering Committee member of Environmental Paper Network.) The sharp increase in eco-paper options is the result of large paper buyers demanding more papers with ecological attributes, a growing trend despite recent troubles in the North American paper industry and global economy.

As I’ve been transitioning my line of greeting cards and stationery to 100% PCW recycled paper, I’ve done exhaustive research in this area. I’ve compiled a list of what I consider the best and brightest (literally!) recycled papers easily found in the marketplace now. Many are available in colors, in addition to white and off-white. And many are surprisingly affordable. So now there’s no reason not to think green when choosing paper for your business needs.

100% PCW recycled paper stocks:

(in alphabetical order)

• Mohawk Options – White, Cool White & Cream
• Mohawk Synergy – White, Cool White & Cream
• Mohawk Genesis – select colors
• Mohawk Proterra – select colors
• Neenah Environment – select colors
• Neenah Classic Crest – Bright White & Natural White
• Neenah Sundance – White
• New Leaf Resume/Presentation Paper & Envelopes

A few recycled paper tips:

1. Where can I buy them? recycled paper can be purchased in small quantities from online paper retailers such as The Paper Mill Store, which has a handy page showing all 100% recycled papers at-a-glance. You may also order directly from the paper mills—follow the links above for ordering info.
2. How do I know it’s 100% recycled? Look for “100 PC” in the name or “100% postconsumer waste fiber” in the description
3. Let your clients or customers know! If you’re using 100% PCW recycled paper to print your marketing pieces, you may want to let your customers know by printing the recycled symbol on the piece. This guide from The Paper Mill Store explains the correct way to use the various recycled symbols and provides a link to download the logos.

If I have forgotten any 100% recycled paper stocks, please write a comment and I’ll add to my list. Happy (recycled) printing!