It’s no secret that I have fallen in favor of the StudioPress Genesis Theme Framework and child themes over the past year and have been working nearly exclusively with the themes. Eco-Office Gals has been redesigned on the Enterprise Child Theme and I am finally happy – third time IS the charm!

StudioPress has been rolling out several new child themes lately, including the Social Eyes Child Theme.

One of the great benefits of Social Media is the ability to meet people where they are. On Facebook? Over at Twitter? No problem.

Social Eyes is an elegant and easy way to assemble a stunning home for all of your Social Media work, and to expand it with your own unique take on what’s going on.

What could be a better fit for a giveaway on Eco-Office Gals then a perfect merge of paperless outlets to promote your small business – WordPress, StudioPress & Social Media! That’s right! Brian Gardner – Founder of StudioPress – is donating a copy of Social Eyes (or child theme of choice) to one lucky Eco-Office Gals Facebook Fan and upon request, Eco-Office Gals will install it on WordPress for you! If you have been looking to upgrade to a great premium theme, here is your chance!

Eco-Office Gals wants to reach 1,000 FB fans. A tall order? Maybe – but we are talking about winning the best premium theme of 2010 valued at $79.95 plus install.  So, the requirement to win – you MUST be a fan! Go to our the Eco-Office Gals Fan page and “like” us. Then comment here that you did.

Already a Fan? Then you’re one step ahead of the game, just comment here that you are a fan, who you are on FB and you want to win the theme.

Extra entries – Like or share this post on Facebook, recommend the EOG fan page to your friends on FB. Heck, send your twitter followers to our FanPage. No one wins until we hit 1,000 fans – so the more ways you send people to “Like” us the quicker your chance of getting your hands on this theme!

Leave a comment below for everything and anything you do since the winner will be picked from the comments, upon confirmation that you are a FaceBook Fan.

* A few obvious details for the winner, you must have a domain purchased and a self-hosted WordPress.org platform installed. Theme is for personal use only and may not be resold. Theme is installed out of the box free of charge – customization is not included. If you don’t have any of the above upon winning, Eco-Office Gals can assist with the details, but it is not included in the winnings. Good Luck!

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Giveaway: Like Eco-Office Gals Win Studiopress!

Many of you know I recently moved to the StudioPress Enterprise Child Theme and I love it! I’ve also worked on many clients themes on the Genesis Framework as well.  Chris Brogan recently made the move to Genesis and Mashable recently named Genesis the “best of the best” premium WordPress themes.

If you’re looking for a theme you can customize yourself the StudioPress Prose Child Theme may be right up your alley.

Prose is an elegant theme with point-and-click design controls. With Prose, you can easily change things about the appearance of your site (like colors and fonts) without knowing anything about code.

25% Off Coupon Expiring Soon

As the year comes to a close, StudioPress is doing some house cleaning on some of the coupon codes they have out there. This is a great opportunity for you to grab up a fresh theme for your blogsite!

USE code WPSV25 to purchase your StudioPress theme now, it will be expiring on November 30, 2010 and the inside scoop is this may be the last coupon they ever run! BTW, if you have already purchased the StudioPress Genesis Theme Framework for a previous theme, you only need to purchase the Child theme, not both.

New! Black Friday Coupon code. This will be the LAST Coupon Code offered by StudioPress, Ever! Use Code BLACK for 25% off anything on the StudioPress Site, through Tuesday November 30, 2010.

How About Some FREE Stuff?

Want Eco-Office Gals to install WordPress for you for FREE? Use our affiliate link for HostGator or purchase Green Hosting with Eco-Office Gals directly to set up a 130% wind-powered hosting account, upon confirmation we will do a WordPress install FREE! (This only includes the WP install)

How about we make things a little sweeter? After we install WP for free, if you use one of the affiliate links above to purchase a Studiopress theme, we’ll go ahead and get that in there for you, too!

Not a DIY’er? Not a problem. Eco-Office Gals offers several WordPress Design Packages to make your theme pop!

Disclosure: Many of the links in this post are affiliate links, I do receive a percentage of the sales from your purchase.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

StudioPress Theme Discount and some free stuff, too!

The easiest way to reduce office waste is to avoid creating it in the first place. Of course, the advent of electronic communication has helped businesses decrease waste substantially, but there’s always room for improvement.

Stay Up-to-Date

Mailing bulk materials to the wrong address or sending newsletters to people who are no longer customers is a major source of paper waste. Verify customers’ and vendors’ contact information after each transaction will help you stay on top of changes.

Say It Through E-Mail

E-mail and instant messaging make interoffice communications quicker and easier than distributing paper memos. E-mail newsletter distribution means your customers receive information about your business sooner. E-mail is a great way to send coupons as well, since recipients can decide if they want to print them or not. Your company can use social media similarly, by offering promo codes and discounts for mentioning tweets and other messages from your business.

Making Paper Cuts

Print and copy on both sides of the paper whenever possible, and post instructions near the copy machine and printers to eliminate excuses. Or consider making this the default option on office equipment. Use a smaller font to print documents when possible. Reduce junk mail in a variety of ways. Contact Dun & Bradstreet (dnb.com) and Info USA (http://infousa.com/) to be removed from their business marketing lists. Contact individual companies from whom you consistently receive junk mail to find out how to opt out of future offers.

Use It Again

In situations where maintaining your corporate image is not necessary, re-use envelopes. Cover your address with a mailing label, or buy specially designed labels that identify the envelope as “recycled.” This habit may even boost your company’s image as a “green” business. When you receive packages, keep bubble wrap and other packing materials for re-use.

Think Before You Buy

Ask employees to bring in their own mugs instead of stocking the break room with styrofoam cups. Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible, and buy recycled printer ink. Plan carefully when purchasing perishable items, like certain office supplies. Plan similarly when buying kitchen supplies, and even when ordering food for meetings and events. Bulk purchases can save your business money, but wasting supplies is never an efficient use of your company’s funds.

Some of these tips require participation from everyone in the office. Make everyone aware of your company’s efforts to reduce waste, and let them know how they can stay involved on a daily basis. Send an e-mail announcing your plans, and post reminder signs at appropriate places in the office when applicable.

Louise Baker is a freelance writer and blogger who usually does car insurance comparisons over at CarinsuranceComparison.Org. She recently wrote about finding cheap car insurance quotes.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

5 Different Ways to Reduce Waste in an Average Office

Last week I published, Please Kill the Paper Receipt. Thanks to your participation the results are in and they are obvious! People are definitely willing to take the steps to remove paper receipts from their lives. Kudos to Software Advice for posting this poll!

On a related note, when I ran through Walmart over the weekend. I was handed a double sided receipt! It’s a start!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Please Kill the Paper Receipt Results

Matt Silverman, Associate Features Editor at Mashable, offers suggestions on some technology investments that small businesses can take that could result in huge long-term savings and decrease the wasteful use of paper products.

Matt recommends that small businesses consider the following software solutions:

• NitroPDF
• PDF995 Printer Driver
• Fax to E-mail Services
• EchoSign Online Contracts
• Online Backup and Record Keeping

Business owners should also consider using one of the technology based tools available for billing, tracking and collections, like AcceptPay from American Express OPEN. For more information on AcceptPay, visit www.acceptpay.com.

See the full article here.

For all the latest headlines, ideas, and insights from the new OPEN Forum follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/OPENForum

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Guest post: Paperless Office Options

This morning, I was sent a request to read a post on Software Advice. The topic hit spot on with my own values on paperless, so I am more then happy to share this with my readers!

I’m a Whole Foods regular. Not just any Whole Foods, but the flagship World headquarters in Austin, Texas. I live right across the street and every morning I stop in on my walk to work. I pick up two breakfast tacos and a coffee.

I also pick up a useless paper receipt.

I certainly don’t need a paper receipt – I have no desire to return a taco. Paper receipts represent a wasteful vestige of the last millennium. In fact, there is no reason – legal or otherwise – why consumers or retailers need paper receipts. Electronic receipts are completely valid and they are far more efficient.

Moreover, the production of paper receipts do some real damage to our environment. Here are some stunning factoids that I found at AllEtronic, an interesting business that is working to move receipts to digital format.

Read the full article…

Agree, Agree, Agree! Paper receipts are such a HUGE waste, my purse is always over flowing with debit card receipts from every stop I make during the week.  Then when I try to find that one receipt I actually do need for a return, I never find it and get stuck with a store credit instead of the cash I paid! An inefficient system from beginning to end for sure.

So, what can be done?

First, educate!

Please Kill the Paper Receipt taught me that “thermal receipt paper cannot be recycled”…WHAT? So, all the receipts (first checked for any personal information) I have tossed into my paper recycling… what about those?

Next, motivate!

So, what we really need is a strong incentive to move to electronic receipts. We need incentives – primarily monetary – that motivate consumers and retailers to push toward the vision of paperless retail purchases.

Finally, vote and comment!

After taking the time to read Please Kill the Paper Receipt, take a minute to answer their poll and sharing your thoughts on this in the comments, or post the link on FaceBook , Twitter or other social networks.  This way you can educate others as well. Thank you to Software Advice for sharing this post with me this morning, a Green Gem of the Week for sure!

Cheers!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Green Gem of the Week: Please Kill the Paper Receipt

Electronic Publications are taking over these days. With e-books, e-magazines, blogs and gadgets like the Kindle, there really isn’t any excuse if you’re serious about going paperless.  Since I have been working on and with others on publications such as these lately, I thought I would share some of these options.

• Ebooks: Electronic books have become quite mainstream these days, but how can you use them for business? Employee manuals, budgets, handbooks there is really nothing you can’t replace with an e-book to reduce paper.   An example of an e-book I recently completed is the Indie Shopping TV Information Kit.
Open publication - Free publishing - More video

• E-Media Kits: Gone are the days where you have to ship big bulky packages to Media and Publishers to get your information out to the masses. Your Media Kit summary, articles, reviews, logos, etc can all be made available on your site for the public use. Eco-Office Gals worked with Erin at Ely Organics to build her Media Resources page, no shipping required!
• E-Magazines: You can grab almost any popular magazine in it’s electronic form this days. However, you can also get a wealth of great information from the not-so-mainstream.  Smaller publications are taking advantage of electronic resources to get their information out to their readership.  One such publication, A Distinctive Style, was recently introduced to me by the publisher Denise Marie.  This magazine is full of great articles and beautiful artwork & photography.

We invite you to escape, take a new and exciting adventure while reducing your carbon footprint. Join thousands of other readers who have already taken Green to the next level by reading A Distinctive Style Magazine. We’re an interactive, online publication that brings you the latest news and trends in the world of ecology. A Distinctive Style Magazine is your one-stop source to live a greener, healthier and happier life.

Immerse yourself in the pages of our publication and journey through a world of art, fashion and inspiration, while discovering new ways to go green! Find every variety of the newest eco products, functional gifts ideas, recycled products and services, and allow yourself to be swept away by breath-taking art that will stir your soul and reconnect your inner spirit with the beautiful side of life.

Visit ADistinctiveStyle.com and travel through the pages in wonderment – it’s just like a printed publication, only you’re not contributing to the 7,400 thousand tons of paper waste that go into landfills each year* – (that means you’re helping save our planet!) And unlike a printed magazine you can click and shop, crop or clip articles, bookmark links and send feature stories to your buddy list and post them to your social networking pages too.

And with the growing need for sustainable products and services many eco-businesses have already taken advantage of our unbeatable advertising specials. So, for all you Green Businesses out there, live up to your reputation and advertise digital! Right now we are offering 50% off a full-page advertisement. Another great advantage to advertising with us is, we do all the work for you! We don’t just design an ad., we throw in a professionally written story about your company at no extra charge!

As you peruse through the pages of our magazine we know you’ll be amazed at the capabilities to link directly to the digital storefront of the businesses and services we advertise. More than that, you’ll wonder why you didn’t discover this way of reading before and it will definitely change the way you look at magazines forever.

Embrace Life and Enjoy the Journey!
Denise Marie – Publisher

publisher@adistinctivestyle.com

*Source: www.data.un.org

So, spend sometime looking around your work or home office – get inspired – go paperless!
All the best
Jen

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Eco-Options: Electronic Publications

One area of your business that is easy to overlook when growing green is your business cards.  There are so many cheap, or free options these days. I have been quick to slap some images and text on a template and check out without a second thought of what kind of paper or ink is being used or even the shipping method used to have them brought to my door.

As an ecopreneurists, your most ideal option when going paperless in your office is not to have business cards at all.  Personally, I have not ordered business cards for Eco-Office Gals and since I am a 99.9% virtual business, I don’t miss them.  Yet, that .01% of the time that I find myself in the “real world” and someone asks what I do, I could kick myself for not having some to hand out.

So, what are your options when paperless is not an option? Here are a few companies that have been recommended or I have come across with a little background from their site:

PrintingForLess – (Use code RP1D6SEJM for $50 OFF your first order, no expiration) This company seems to have taken great care in covering every aspect of sustainability! Beyond being FSC Certified and 100% Wind Powered (from the site)

• Our paper is milled Elemental Chlorine Free. Trees are a renewable resource, but dioxin (used to bleach paper white) is forever!
• Our inks are vegetable-based, primarily soy, which is both gentle on the environment while producing bright, high-quality images.
• We package our products with biodegradable padding materials instead of those that are annoying and harmful to the environment, such as petroleum-based foam “peanuts.”
• We use water-based aqueous coating to protect your printed pieces. It provides a high-gloss surface that deters dirt and fingerprints and is more friendly to our environment than UV coatings.
• We are focused on reducing waste. By using top-grade paper with highly-trained press operators, we have considerably reduced the number of test or “make-ready” sheets needed to run through the presses as we set up your printing project.
  

Moo.com – Is a fun twist on the business card and they have a 100% Recycled Fiber, Totally recyclable and biodegradable & Totally Chlorine Free (TFC) paper option.

Your business isn’t like anyone elses, so why should your cards be? With MOO, every card can be different, allowing you to show your product range, your portfolio or your full list of services.

US Business Cards – Eco-Office Gals really loves the idea behind these Cereal Box Cards!

Breakfast Cereal Boxes – Precision cut by guillotine paper cutter. Sharp, clean edges. Randomly cut from popular cereal brands such as Wheaties and Cheerios, plus colorful ones like Fruit Loops. Standard size is 2″ x 3.5″. Printing is on the blank side.

So, next time your business card supply runs low, consider some of the above “greener” options.  Additionally,  check out this post from Reencoded for fun ideas and design your own green business cards!

Grow Green!
Jen

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Eco-Options: Business Cards

Last night as I was wandering around the blogosphere and came across a great widget on Pink-Heels.  I followed the badge to the Eco-Safe Website.

A little background on Eco-Safe from the site:

In 1998 a group of international friends thought it would be great to use web technologies to help the environment. For years we’ve been active in making technology more eco safe from our individual locations around the world. Fast forward to 2008 and we’ve enlisted world class talent to take that dream into reality with the development of ECO-SAFE.COM.

It’s a simple little option that is super easy to install on your blog or website. It gives readers easy paperless “printing” options for your post or page.  They can either e-mail a copy to themselves, email a .pdf version, or download a .pdf version.

I love it! I loaded it (see below)! I give it to you!

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Paperless Made Easy!

So, what will your Green Steps be for 2009?  I have the 3 R’s covered for 2009:

• Reduce – buy a reusable coffee filter and reduce paper waste.
• Reuse – Work at remembering my reusable shopping bags when I go to the store!
• Recycle - I would like to try to start a compost pile.  I’d love to have one of those cool expensive tumblers, but I guess I’ll go the old fashion route.

What green steps will you try to make in 2009? Please share by leaving a comment below!  All the best in 2009!

Jen

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Your Green Steps for 2009?