I never think about the light bill, until I have to pay it. 3 computers, 2 fridges, 1 satellite radio, 7 rooms and 2 electric heaters (not by choice!) can really run up your bill. My addiction to all things bright was sucking my earnings.

So when my light bill hit $268.00, and they wouldn`t take my right arm as payment, I decided I was going to go green. Why give away my money to them when I truly didn`t have to?? Here are 8 ways to cut that bill.

1. Let your PC sleep- Your pc comes equipped to utilize energy in an efficient way, It`s called sleep mode. Many debates have been sprung on the subject, whether or not sleep mode affects performance. In my humble view, it doesn`t!! If you do maintenance defragmentation as you should on your pc, it will work for you as it should. Engineers added it to pcs because they knew it could handle it! If you still feel you don`t want to set your computer to sleep, then shut it off.
2. Your computer`s friends need sleep too!-That`s right, that huge printer, scanner, monitor, wireless network and everything else you connect to your pc and an outlet will pull energy. I have those in a separate power surge protector and I disconnect that from the wall.
3. Disconnect your cable box from the wall- Deemed an “energy vampire” because even in its idle state it can suck more than 60 watts of electricity (I don`t have the exact figure for this one, I believe it`s twice that amount). The bill became lower in May when we started doing that. It was probably the one thing that got us hooked on being greenies.
   

   The figures don`t lie.

4. Change the light bulbs-After switching from incandescent light bulbs to energy efficient light bulbs the bill dropped dramatically in May. They are bright, and last up to 10,000 hours. Incandescent 100 watt bulbs have a life of 750 hours. You may pay more but you get more light out of the bulb, plus a lower bill.
   
5. Energy vampires are lurking!!-If you are not using it, disconnect it completely. Appliances in its “off” state will suck up to 60 watts or more in electricity.
6. Buy HE appliances-I don`t mean Manly! I mean “High Efficiency.” I couldn`t afford to buy ALL high efficiency appliances, but I started the process.  You may want to take a look at the chart. Between April and June, I used the local Laundry mat to see how much I could save. Then I tried washing them out and drying them home from July to August. Summer ended and I rather do my laundry at home, so I gave myself a high efficiency washer on September. It remained low.
7. Let the sunshine in!- I open up the window shades and let the sunshine in. Besides being a natural mood enhancers, sunshined rooms in my home a toastier than my darker rooms. My studio is now in a room that catches the morning sunlight and the other side gets the afternoon light.
8. Check your local company for greener energy sources-In the 90`s, Pennsylvania participated in a program that allowed you to choose what green energy company would provide your energy and you could even cost compare. Make the call or visit their respective websites.

Of couse no technology is perfect. When it comes to light bulbs, I am perfectly aware of the warnings on the box. Until we(Americans) manufacture our own energy efficient ligh bulbs, then I will switch. Oh, and if you don`t believe, that`s my bill and I will send it to you so you can pay it.

Resources

• Incandesent light bulbs will be banned by 2010 in EU
• Energy Vampires Watts Chart
• New Technology
• DUH!! The smartest are usually the dumbest
  
• Vampire Appliences suck 3 billions a year
  
• Low standby energy appliances
  
• Energy Star Website
  
• Electricity Saving Calculator
  

One of my loves is paper and I print quite a bit. After seeing the rising cost of paper, I started wondering if paper was cheaper and what quality was available, if I bought recycled paper vs. virgin paper (all new wood fibers).

First I found that there are some “qualifications” to what you would call recycled or earth friendly papers.

• Recycled content paper-paper milled with a percentage of recycled paper, calculated from 10% to 100% of pre-consumer (paper not disposed by consumers) or post-consumer (paper recycled after purchased, used and disposed of by the consumer)
• Forest Stewardship Council paper-”managed” forest have a few trees cut down to avoid overgrowth and used in the paper industry, producing “virgin” paper.
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative paper-Same as above
• Paper produced carbon neutral-These companies reduce and offset (reduction through energy diversification) their carbon emissions.
• Paper produced using wind power-Paper mill is powered using wind power.
  

  Carbon Neutral Resource Energy

• Tree Free content paper-Alternative fiber source is used in the paper
• Elemental Chlorine Free paper-Adding chlorine in the paper making is done to brighten pulp, resulting in brighter, whiter paper.

Okay that was a mouthful! Now is that helping in any way the forests? Here is what I found:

• Space is saved in our landfills when we recycle paper products more than any other materials and each piece of paper can be recycled up to five times before the fibers become too weak . 1(Yesterday I watched a show that said seven times)
• 44 million newspapers are disposed of each day here in the U.S. Sadly it`s  like throwing 500,000 trees into a landfill each week. 2
• Recycling one ton of paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil and 7000 gallons of water! 3
• If  one person was to reuse a paper grocery bag for just one trip to the store, we would save 60,000 trees. 4 Imagine the trees we could be save if we all chose reusable cloth shopping bags instead! (Cited in part-Leah Thorpe)

The bottom line-$$$

Virgin Paper Prices 

Recycled Paper Prices- BTW, It`s $99.85 for 2500 sheets of recycled paper to $144 or virgin paper, same quantity.

Quality

I only could tell the recycled from the virgin when it hit my wallet. There was not quality difference.

When you are better informed, you can make better decisions. Having an ecofriendly business can cut cost drastically and relieve some of your monthly expenses. I really dislike a stuffy sales person who undermines the possibility I have researched this prior to purchasing paper. Just for fun, play dumb and cross check what information you get. You just might surprise yourself!

In my next article, I will show you how went from having a 260 dollar monthly light bill to a 60 dollar light bill-Pretty impressive huh??

Resources

• Buy Eco Friendly
• Trees as a renewable resource
• Hybrid Trees
• Trees and Paper
• They still think recycling doesn`t save trees
• Wind Power isn`t perfect

Many new business owners are clueless as to all the web business involves. They fail to see the value on having someone that knows the web give you advice. At worst, you have the new website owner holding onto the web designer like the floor is on fire. What to do?

Business Coaches are trained not just to tell you what you need, but to give you direction and even a plan on what to do in case of an emergency. Here are 5 cool things a business coach brings you and your business,

1. Sift through the rubble-Had an emotional setback? Trying to make it after a major failure? Coaches will work with you to sift through the ruins and pick up what is valuable. No failure is ever final and she can be the one to help you get it together. Getting out of your rut can mean you are giving your business fresh momentum to start again!
2. Business road map to success-Regardless of how good you think you are doing, you could be doing better. No one expects you to know it all but having a coach will shed some light on what you need to know and how its application in your business will create profit.
3. Find the McGiver in you-Getting creative with your talents is hard! The best way that I can put it is how McGiver would break out of jail with a paper clip and a piece of string. He would diversify, reinvent and strategize to accomplish whatever goal he had to accomplish that day. Unless you are that bright all on your own, then you need a coach.
4. Keeping your eye on the prize-Sometimes people forget that working at home, may mean actually working. Or that being your own boss, is not about self abuse but more about commitment and taking your business seriously. After all, if there is no goal to achieve, then why are you doing this?
5. The proof is in the $$$- Oh yes, the measure of profitable success! Implementing your coach`s advice will in fact make you profitable and more apt to take on bigger and better challenges. Your confidence will grow and you will be able to build a career on your accomplishments. If your coach`s advice does not yield greenbacks, then what are you doing?? Are you implementing her advice? Then, obviously, you don`t need a coach. You also don`t need to be your own boss.

Business coaches see what you can`t. From slacking on the job to lack of commitment, they can guide you out of your rut. I can honestly say, my coach Michelle from Women Who WOW, has been the one to pull me out of many funks and whine and cheese parties. I have implemented many of her suggestion, only to see my business triple.

After visiting this blog, I was actually surprised to see that a big company would consider purchasing stock art versus original art. What happens when they do? Your branding gets diluted and loses value. But don`t take my word for it. A picture in this case is worth a thousand words, and quite possibly a few thousand bucks.

Both multimillion dollar companies used the same graphics. This faux pas depreciates their brand.

Don`t get me wrong, from a designer`s perspective, it`s great to see your stuff in print. But mass producing illustrations depreciates your value as artist and even more so to their branding.

Crikey!!

Companies can grow overnight, becoming multimillion dollar giants and their tenure will be short lived when at least part of that sale depends on the branding already established. If a sale is commenced, the symbol that represents that company better be as valuable as the company itself.

This is a lot like the guy who goes out with dirty and ripped undies and he has an accident. I am almost sure that the nurses won`t laugh at the holes and stains- that much.

I wonder if any plastic surgeons have thought of using the McDonald`s logo for their breast enhancement practice. McDoctors! I thought of other ones and they were not proper.

Plastic surgery anyone??

Having your own web site can be pretty exciting. It`s your home on the web. If you are an e-tailer, then it becomes your virtual brick and mortar on the web. However, most web site owners don`t realize what owning a site entails. Specially if you are doing it ALL yourself.

So here are 8 things you need to be (or learn how to do) to maintain your website successfully. (Notice I didn`t say “hire.” You could, however these are things you can learn easily.)

1. e-Marketing Expert-More than just defining your market target and advertising campaigns, you will need to learn how to e-market to your audience that is already on the web.  An example of a great campaign was president elect`s Barack Obama. He used all venues of communication available to him, from Twitter to YouTube, to communicate his message. The result? A successful worldwide campaign that will forever be registered in history. Should you do it? Yes, the quicker the better!
2. Accountant-This one is SOOO easy. Well, software will do this for you! Bypassing your accountant is actually possible if you use software like Intuit`s Quickbooks to keep track of sales, expenses and even payroll. Of course, I would have an accountant double check it, but this is certainly doable.
3. Data Entry-Probably the one I hate most, without data entry, there will be nothing on your site. This encompasses product entry, site and blog content entry and upkeep. Besides being time consuming, it`s boring and tidious. Someone`s got to do it and it might as well be you.
4. Shipping Department-I absolute love that commercial where a new employee is taught how to ship online and his excuse not to do it is “Yeah, I have an M.B.” There are two things you have to worry about in this department. One, presentation. When the client opens that box are they going to say “WOW! I am ordering from them again!” or “What is that oil stain from?” Two, affordability. After seeing many stores adjust their shipping fees so people will purchase their items, you have to wonder how they are doing it. Hint: The bigger the company shipping your item, the likeliness they will treat your precious shipment like, well, it`s not so precious.
   

   Package your goods so well, that they could be photographed for a magazine.

5. Purchasing Manager/Trend Researcher-If you are offering a service, trend researcher would apply to you. Keeping up with the competition means keeping a sharp eye out for all of those things that may sway markets one way over the other, not just what the competition is selling. Even being eco conscious will mean that perhaps your luxurious imported wrapping paper will be not so popular. Another example,-studied a few years back when snow boarding suddenly grew in popularity (I always thought it was popular!):)-was that accessories for a particular sport would be hot selling items if the sport`s popularity grew. Once the niche reached its saturation point, the “extras” were no longer hot and sales dwindled.
6. Social Networker- It`s a little like marketing for Web 2.0. Whether you know what Web 2.0 is or not, this is a definite most do for anyone who wants to BRAND themselves to the masses or to a niche. Networking creates your presence on the web will deter anyone wishing to “soil your good name.” This is not just an extra step, and there are many virtual assistants that offer this service.
7. SEO Expert-Search engine optimization is very important. Getting creative when writing your keywords and keeping up with the search engine algorithms can be exhausting. It`s so important, many companies offering the same service, will step on MY TOES after I set up my clients. Their downfall? I have already warned my clients about THEM!! Their latest? My client tells me they said:”Your browser title tags has 72 characters when only 70 is the maximum.” Really??? Does “information age” mean anything to anyone? When it comes to this, I would pay for someone to teach me, not to do it for me. It`s so easy, my poodle can do it. Get the info right from the source and not from a company who calls you at work (or home).


Browser Title Tags Guidelines as of Nov. 2008 Cited from Planet Ocean. "DUH!!! Your title tags are awful long! Like by two characters!"

8. Copywriter-This would be beneficial, if you can`t write to hire someone to do that for you. But if you can, copywriting is the life of your site. Content is king and you need this as much as you need oxygen. Just keep in mind that if you do decide to hire a copywriter, give her your keywords.

Honorary Mention-Photographer. If window shopping could be done on the web, it would be through your photographs. Buying a light box and being able to retouch them will allow you to have gorgeous pics without a photographer.

After the site, logo and blog is all made to match, you`d think that would be enough to solidify your identity on the web. Not really. Now that you have a logo to brand you, it should be short of tattooed on everyone and decreed that it is committed to memory by everyone who has working eyes.

But because obviously that is not realistic, here are 10 tips to “spread the word” on your logo,

1. Iconize that- Yep everywhere you go, you are asked to upload a picture or an icon to your profile. So why not a mini version of your logo? It`s the simplest way to go when telling people your brand rocks.
2. Be your own avatar- A little different than an icon, an avatar is a mini YOU. So if you had an illustration made to your likeness, you may want to grace the pages of your facebook with you,  illustrated.
   

   Ruta Fox, owner of Divine Diamonds NY makes an illustrated appearance with her sexy and sassy avatar

3. Master (or mistress) of your MySpace-Regardless of the social network you have chosen to deck out in your “business attire”, business pages always look better branded with your logo and graphics that match your site. When consistency is key, make sure ALL of your graphics at least have the same theme.
   

   My MySpace page all decked out.

4. Email me pretty-Yes, even your email can have all the wrappings of your site and more. Why send a plain email? You could be sending links to your store, blog and even social network pages inviting them to further interact with you. The very action of emailing your identity within your email, establishes rapport with your receiver, thus creating branding and clearing the way for a possible sale!
5. Show me your badge!- Have you ever gotten a glittery badge wishing you a happy day? Why not have one with your LOGO? This is just another way in which you can send someone a nice sentiment, branded with your logo.
6. Adorn your Sign up box-That`s right! if you`ve got the right designer, he or she will know how to make your sign up more that pretty, but so cute everyone will want to sign up.
   

   Please enter your name- You know you want to!!

7. You are my Fave!- Favicons are another way to make that branding stick. They come in a variety of styles from animated to scrolling with text. Pick a style and brand!
8. Background graphics- That background may not be the same one in your site, but it surely can carry your message. I love Old Navy`s background repetition of their initials. It`s a bit subliminal, yet effective at delivering what they intended, their branding into your head.
9. Your e-John Hancock please-Okay besides what you may be thinking, I really mean your signature. Forums and networks allow users to create sigs, an image with your information and hyperlinked to your site. Do I have to say what you could be doing with it??? I think you get the idea.:D
10. A different kind of Icon- From RSS feeds to email me graphics, these can all have a little something that makes it feel like they belong to your site. They are easily recognizable and maintain that much needed continuity.

I apologize for being repetitious, but if there is something you must do when creating branding, is trying to keep as much consistency within all the pages that have your name. Happy branding!

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… C: wait… SD: wait…

Any one with 10 fingers and a decent computer can create a graphic. (Have you seen the guy that can create the Mona Lisa in MS Paint?) Logos, however, are a bit more complicated. Even some of the most skilled designers will hit a dud. But more than skilled, they have vision, able to transcend the indecisiveness and confusion of the client.

Your Logo will represent YOUR perceived value and quality of your product or service and persuading the masses to buy, thus creating branding, a by-product of your logo. If a logo is not well designed, the opposite happens.

But before you fork out any cash to any designer, here are some things to keep in mind and questions to ask your chosen designer;

1. Font sample anyone?- Just like the cheese sampler plate at the supermarket gets everyone`s hands in it, so will a free font. Whether you are paying $35 or $2500, if the font used was free, you might as well get that logo free too. Fonts alone can make the logo! They communicate feeling just like a picture can. Make sure that if anyone else wants to “borrow” inspiration from your branding, your designer has, at least made it hard enough for them to try. I have been known to splurge on fonts, but even before I spring the cash for fonts, I make sure no one is giving the chosen font away free.


A gorgeous logo achieved through simplicity.

2. You got PMS?-Although most printing companies have accommodated digital printing, specialized type printing still go CMYK. Even more than CMYK, PMS, the Pantone Matching System is the leading color system for the printing industry. What does this mean to you? As long as your graphic designer used the proper software, this should not be a problem. Other wise, be prepared to pay someone else to decipher the colors.
3. Vector, Pixels and you- The way your logo (or illustration) is made really does matter. Just like the difference between whole wheat and white bread, there is a difference between vector and pixel based graphics. Vector graphics can be resized without loss of resolution, whereas pixel(bitmap) base graphics will not resize as gracefully. 300 dpi is the norm for printing, 350 is better. Web resolution is best between 72 to 92 dpi. Once again, as long as your graphic designer used the proper software, this should not be a problem. If your logo is in bitmap format, it will have to be rasterized.
4. License to what?- This one can be tricky, specially with illustrations. I rarely place restrictions on logos, and only do so if they have an elaborate graphic. Regardless of restrictions, the client must always be free to brand themselves with the logo. If your designer used a graphic from a stock company, you`ve got more than a trick to deal with. Most stock companies place costly printing and distribution restrictions on their graphics to be able to resell them. Branding yourself with them will be near impossible, not to mention your new look will be shared with a few hundred thousand people. So ALWAYS ask the designers, Do you draw your own graphics or use stock companies??
5. Something borrowed, something stolen?-Michael de Meng has the following to say about creativity: “In my view, creativity is a rampant thievery mixed with reinterpretation . . . I see the act [of creativity] as being like a martini shaker, in which you add all those ingredients that you like or admire.  Three parts Picasso, two parts Joseph Cornell, seven parts Mexican Folk Art, a splash of abstract expressionism, and garnish with a twist of Daidism.”[C1] I couldn`t agree more, and would like to add the following, “If you are not creative enough to reinterpret someone`s idea and make it your own, then perhaps you are in the wrong business.” Many have been the times I have found my designs mangled into someone`s idea of a site. Taking a bunch of ideas and creating your own design is a gift. Photoshopping someone else`s work and selling it as your own, it`s plagiarism in the new millennium.


Asking someone to respect your copyright is one thing, telling them not to be "inspired" by your work is ridiculous. There is a right and a wrong way to interpret ideas.

6. Research for Dummies- Before you go to a tattoo parlor, you know exactly what you want on your skin. After all tattoos are a lifetime commitment. Well, so it`s a logo. Very few companies change their logo radically, for fear they will lose their already established branding. So before you go to the designer, research what your target market is and start from there. Oh, and for those who after giving the designer all the information, still research more and hand that to the designer after they started drawing, that is equivalent to you saying, “hey wait, I think I want a red heart instead of a green dragon” after the tattoo guy has started inking you green.
7. Will you Jump off the bridge, if everyone else does?- When following a trend, always ask yourself, is everyone doing it? If so, to what extent? I know that to some degree, in order to attract the masses you may have to accommodate a less-than-appealing-to-you design. Compromising your style for the sake of maintaining yourself in the competition, may mean you will be vying for attention in a already saturated market. What to do? If girly is what you like and it`s your style, go for it. If contemporary is more like it, knock yourself out. Make sure you are doing this and giving it your own flavor and communicating that to your designer. Being yourself may mean the difference between getting a beautiful logo or getting a copy of a better logo.
8. Speak now or forever hold your peace- Always let the designer know whether they are on the right track or not. It`s a little like playing hot potato with the vision in your head. If you are not able to speak the picture, draw it, collage it, do anything you need to do to get the design out of your head and to your designer.
9. Keep it simple- I love frill just as much as the next girl, but a logo that is more like an illustration will go out of style faster than one that is simple. Usually the rule is, if it can be sized up or down and still be identified and if it looks good in grayscale. I also like to see if taking out all color and just leaving it black and white will make it change in any way for me. It just my little quirk, I`m sure other designers have theirs.



10. Hire a surgeon for surgery- Designers go to school and learn the art of communicating with graphics, just like any professional in their field. Better than education, experience based on that education will show in the quality of the work. So when choosing a designer, a) See how many companies are still in business and using their graphics, (here is one of my first logos) b)Who do they prefer to work with, sole proprietors, small businesses or corporations. This will give you an idea on how to create rapport with the designer. c)How accessible are they? Phone? Email? d) Above all, make sure you are given a contract you can understand. If you can`t understand it, ask for their short version! I have one!

C1-The Abundance Blog

Regardless of what business you are in, giving your graphics that girly flavor brings a different spin to an old and tired concept. Girly design is always trendy and can revive your business.

Whether you are starting out from scratch, redesigning or creating your stationery, girly design lends itself to many options. You don`t have to paint everything Pink, color is just one of the many choices you have.

From elegant patterns to fun, colorful backgrounds, putting your girly design together can be your opportunity create something truly special.

Here is a “to do” list before you hire a designer.

1. After selecting your business name you should buy a domain. The best place to go is godaddy.com. However if you have purchased your domain else where you do not have to transfer it.
   
2. Do not buy .net or .biz! Buy a .com. Example www.mybusinessname.com
3. Hosting is your next step. Keep in mind that just because you may be paying 2 or 3 dollars for hosting, they will not have the scripts and databases to run your site.You may consider gatorhost.com or hostmonster, or bluehost.
4. How are you accepting payment? Do you have paypal? 2checkout.com? Propay? Talk with your designer to help you select a provider that is compatible.
5. When you think of your logo, if you are saying to yourself “I will know when I see it,” you are not ready for a designer. Comeback when you have a clear idea of the concept you are after.
   
6. eBay can offer a place for exposure, it`s like paid advertising. You can use the traffic that comes to eBay by redirecting it to your site. DO NOT OPEN A STORE! Just have auctions one every 10 days to start out with and add more as you may need more. Also host your images on your own server-or site, you save money that way. Also having a template with an animation keeps your customer longer on your page rather than browsing and leaving.

Logos

A girly logo is a simple mark, monogram or design that is made to be recognized quickly, thus creating a brand for you.

The Benefits?

Many! Girly logos create your identity! A simple graphic can create a brand that is not just unforgettable but always recognized. It always be associated with you and your product or service. Print your girly logo everywhere! From postcards to t-shirts, it is yours to brand as you wish!

Girly Characters

A girly character can be equally as important as your logo. It can be used alone, or along with a logo and illustration. The best part about it, is that the character is you on the web. Your boutique rep selling to customers when you are not there. They can be made to resemble you or in the likeness of whoever you want.

The Benefits?

Just as a logo, a hip character is easily recognizable. Branding is the name of the game here and a trendy girl character will make you a winner. It creates a quick association to you and your product or service! Adding simple text will make it a girly logo. The best part is that she is yours to brand, brand, brand! Use her on your promotional items, store signage and girly stationery.

Hip and Girly Boutique Illustration

La creme de la creme! These hip and girly boutique illustrations can set you apart and the only limit is your imagination. These include patterns, furniture, rugs, wall decor, curtains… Everything you could possibly need inside your boutique on the web! I love these because you can go crazy showing off the style you love best. You can add a few girly characters and show of your family or business partner.

The Benefits?

There are no limits to the benefits! These make gorgeous postcards that only YOU have. The elements inside can decorate your website, further branding you and reiterating your identity, not just on the web, but in the real world. These hip and girly boutique illustrations are so custom, that every detail is a luxury.  It adds value to your project and sets you apart from the competition.