Oh Soy!

On occasion I have been known to pick up on trends and one that has made it on to my radar recently is the rage over Soy. Its popularity in grocery store products are a testament to the health benefits of Soy based products and the fact that you hear coffee fanatics requesting it as part of their Latte order shows quite clearly that people have become fans of the stuff. So when I started to see information about Soy in reference to printing, it caught my attention.

After some investigation into this new topic, I feel the need to share what I have unearthed about this new printing trend. Based on the numerous articles and printing sites I perused, it is clear that the use of Soy in printing is not a totally new thing. There are quite a few commercial printers that have been using Soy based ink for quite some time laying the ground work for these latest developments. In fact, one statistic I encountered shared that 95% of American daily newspapers print with Soy based ink.

I suspect you are now asking yourself, “What is this new development?” Drum roll, please…. Soy based ink toner for personal printers! Now, before you think, “big deal”, and stop reading consider one thing that makes this a big deal. Originally Soy based ink was only able to be used in a commercial forum because it required a longer time to dry. This feature made it unsuccessful as a toner for personal printers because we all know that in today’s world one needs to print and go! No time to waste waiting for the ink to dry. With this drying issue resolved, Soy based ink toner can be produced for the personal printers of the world allowing users to support environmental efforts while also receiving a few other benefits. Below are some of the bonuses of using Soy based toner:

• Lower levels of VOC’s (volatile organic compounds)

• Soy ink makes paper recycling easier

• Soy is a renewable resource – unlike petroleum which is the base for most standard inks

• Use of Soy ink promotes farming

• Proponents of Soy ink believe the ink is actually brighter than the standard petroleum based ink

• Some reports indicate that Soy based ink requires use of less ink for printing

As this trend picks up momentum, there are likely to be many options for purchasing these products. Although I fully support a competitive market, please consider that there is a SoySeal Mark (sample graphic below) already in use to note Soy based ink products that meet a basic quality requirement. Be sure that the products you purchase have this seal to ensure that what goes into your printer is intended to produce the results you seek.

http://www.soygrowers.com/resources/soyink.htm

Death and Taxes

Since it is rare that conversations about death hold great benefits for maintaining a healthy business, I will skip this portion of the title's implied topic and dive straight into everyone's favorite... taxes! Not to worry. I have no intention of droning about the specifics of certain forms or the pro's and con's of doing your own taxes versus hiring a professional to assist you. I bring up this topic as more of a public service message.

Since EGP offers a vast array of business forms and products designed to help companies with the necessities of doing business, it is only natural that we have begun the process of updating our inventory with the tax forms needed in the coming months. In an attempt to ensure my well-rounded knowledge of this product, I began a little research. After reviewing the many available tax forms on our store site I hopped over to the IRS website. After a few clicks it became apparent to me that they offer a large number of forms in a digital download format which caused me to ask the obvious question... why would our customers purchase these forms from us if the government will share them for free? With a few additional clicks of my trusted research assistant (aka: computer mouse) I discovered the answer to my question.

A good portion of the forms offered on the IRS site are labeled as "information only" forms. What does this mean to you and your tax filing preparation? The download version of these forms is available to you, but as a sort of practice test copy. Should you accidentally use one of these "information only" forms to file your taxes, not only will it halt the filing process you could end up with a new best friend compliments of the IRS. Quite a few of the tax forms necessary to the filing process must be purchased (not downloaded) for a simple and practical reason. They are printed on special paper, and in some cases with special ink, to create a "machine readable" form. Additionally there are strict specifications of each form making it highly unlikely that you would be able to print your own at home and meet the government requirements.

The message of today's tax related post? In the stress of tax season beware the temptation of free forms - they may cost you in time and fines later in the process! As with most things government related, the standard option is usually the safest one. Skirting the system may only lead to friendships you can't shake! If you decide to use some of the no cost tax forms, PLEASE be sure to read the fine print and be certain they are not "information only" forms.

PS - Here is a short list of several information only forms:

Form W-2 (series, excepting Form W-2G)

Form W-3 (series, excepting Form W-3(C)PR)

Form 1096

Form 1098 (series)

Form 1099 (series)

Form 5498 (series)

Form 5500 (series)

Form 8109-B

Green for Green!

I read an article this morning about proposed legislation affecting the printing industry and it got my brain working overtime. The premise of the legislation allows purchasers of printed material to recoup some of their money via a sales tax refund on any print pieces utilizing environmentally sustainable methods. Passing this legislation is obviously helpful to the print industry as people may be more included to order those extra products if they feel that the items are eco-friendly and save them some money. I just wonder how helpful it is to the small business that does not have massive quantity orders of printed products. In an effort to be fair in my final leaning on this topic, I took a closer look at the type of printed items that a small business might purchase and which of these might qualify for the tax refund. I fully expected to find that it would only save a little money – which is still a good thing since every dollar counts in a small company – but was pleasantly surprised to find that with a few small adjustments to purchasing decisions, this could be helpful to businesses of all sizes.

Let me explain my thought process… I started the evaluation process with the business basics – company letterhead, envelopes and business cards. A quick search revealed that all of these items are readily available in a variety of styles and sizes allowing the use of eco-friendly paper goods which qualifies them for this type of credit. Not to mention that these items are highly consumable products which means you will likely need to reorder them throughout the year. Do some quick math to see how many of these items you usually use during a year of business and then calculate the sales tax you have been paying… it is probably a nice little bundle of refund potential!

Since I am always thinking about ways to maximize company expenditures, as well as refunds, I started thinking beyond the basics. Most companies – regardless of size – also purchase marketing materials that involved the addition of their business information… which means they are a printed item! Consider items such as holiday cards, wall calendars, pocket calendars and pens. There are eco-friendly versions of all these products available for purchase which means you get the bonus of making a green purchase decision for items you would likely purchase anyway along with the potential tax credit. Add the calculation of the sales tax for these types of items onto the number you came up with for your standard business products and I suspect the final tally might get you a little more excited about this legislation being put into effect.

Calling Card

If you have ever watched a movie with a more historical setting you might recall the use of calling cards when someone came to visit. A simple card listing the caller’s name, this tiny formality was the first step in making and introduction or social call. Although I have not done the formal research to validate my assumption, my guess is that what we know today as the business card directly descended from these calling cards. This connection got me thinking… if these little cards have been around for so long does that mean they are successful at accomplishing their mission or just a habit we hold onto? With recent developments in technology making is super simple to exchange contact information, why would you continue to use business cards?

After some thought, I found out that there are actually quite a few reasons that I still choose to use business cards. Here are my top rationalizations:

1. Networking Events. There are certain customs and traditions built into most networking events and the majority revolves around the exchange of business cards. The one that springs to the front of my mind is sitting around a luncheon table where everyone grabs a stack of their cards and passes them to the left. As the stack makes its way around the table, each attendee takes a card for their networking stash until everyone has a card from all the other attendees. This process usually helps to jump start conversation at the table and the networking begins. Imagine if you did not have cards to participate in this process? After everyone gave you strange looks, you would still have to figure out how to get your information to your table mates without being the rude attendee that interrupted the start of networking conversation.

2. People are visual creatures. If you have designed a colorful and eye-catching business card handing it to a new contact is sure to elicit a quick response. For most people, accepting a new contact’s card translates into some version of information storage. Some people scan the information while others keep neatly sorted card files for later reference. Whatever the method, at some point your card will be seen again and with a great design it is sure to stand out putting your information back at the top of their mind. Digital contact lists may eliminate this visual prompt as their efficiency is based on storing all information in the same format.

3. Snail Mail. Although most “mail” is sent electronically these days, there are still occasions for which traditional methods are used. In these situations, it never hurts to have a business card on hand to drop in a note just to reiterate your contact information to the recipient. 

These are, of course, just a few of the reasons I use to justify my continued use of business cards. Feel free to contribute yours to continue the conversation!

For some additional perspective and thoughts, check out this article! (updated March 7, 2011)

Giving Thanks!

I have noticed that since the economy started slumming it businesses are scrambling for ways to maintain their customer base. Some have resorted to more frequent sales and coupons focusing on the budget factor of the buyer’s decision process. Others seem to be focusing on appreciation initiatives such as frequent shopper cards and such. While these are all great options, they tend to work better for standard retail companies rather than service oriented businesses. So, the question becomes – how does a service based company show their appreciation to their customers without blowing their marketing budget? The simple answer… go back to the basics. Back before email and text messaging the primary lines of communication were the telephone and letters – the basics.

There have been a lot of articles published lately on ways to boost your marketing initiatives without spending loads of money. Each article contains suggestions and helpful hints, but the common thread between them all is that if you are unable to invest your money into marketing, you must invest your time. Think of it as sweat equity for your business. There are, of course, multitudes of low cost ways in which you can reach out and connect with your customers. I would ask you to consider, however, the impact of each option before you settle on a course of action. Email is cheap and likely to reach your customer quickly allowing them to know within seconds that you appreciate their business. If you are connected on Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites you might also send a quick message of thanks through these mediums. Although these options are all valid during this day and age, I still suggest considering the added impact of a telephone call or a thank you note received in the mail.

Let’s think of it another way. If you received gifts from several of your friends for your birthday and one was a gift card that could be purchased at any convenient store, another was an item you enjoy obviously purchased on line and wrapped by the store, and the third was something you know took thought and time to purchase… which one would you appreciate more? I think most people would appreciate the gift that took a little more time because it shows that you are important enough to them that they took time from their schedule to get you the perfect gift. For me, telephone calls and thank you notes fall into this category.

In a fast paced business world demands on your time are high. Finding that extra few minutes to chat can feel like an impossible thing to accomplish. Same goes for the additional time it takes to write, address and stamp a card when you could just as easily sent an email. I encourage you to resist the lure of efficiency in the interest of standing out to your customer. Add the extra impact to your gratitude by spending a little more time on the delivery. A telephone call is an opportunity to build a stronger personal connection with that customer. Sending a thank you note is the ultimate personal touch as it obviously took a little more of your time to complete. Of course, a company logo or slogan pre-printed on the card itself can’t hurt your marketing efforts either.

Just a thought….