I usually opt for the e-version of a business card whenever possible, passing along my contact info via email or twitter, but during conferences and green events where I meet hundreds of people over the course of a day, it’s pretty handy to have a physical card detailing my contact info.

So with my next event (the DC Green Festival) fast approaching, I’m on a search for a green printing company that can make some new cards for my business without trashing the planet in the process.  One company I like thus far is PSPrint. They recycle all of their paper waste, use soy based inks that emit fewer toxic VOCs (volatile organic compounds) than petroleum inks and are therefore easier to recycle, they offer 100% recycled paper for business cards and most of their other products (like holiday cards and brochures), and they have printing facilities on both East and West coasts so I don’t have to worry about shipping my eco-savvy business cards across the country to my location.

I’d love to hear what others are doing about greening their business cards these days.  Got a picture of your card?  Let’s see it!  I’ll be sure to post mine as soon as it’s ready.

Today was just one of those days.  Nothing that I tried to do got done right, and everything that could interrupt my day absolutely happened.  The day started out simple enough, with our kids getting us up before 6am to watch cartoons and scream for milk.  Shortly after that, my wife left for work, and I was left alone with Noah (our newborn) for the day.  this is a normal part of life for us, and I guess the biggest benefit of running a business from home.  It is also the reason why my productivity is lower than it could be.

My sales partner is only 10 weeks old, which sometimes makes it difficult to split up the responsibilities for the day.  I have settled for doing all of the business work and house work, while giving Noah the job of sleeping, eating, pooping, and crying.  If that doesn’t make you understand what is really important, than I don’t know what will.  Running a Green business and working from a home office kind of go together.

I usually spend my days booking speaking gigs, writing(for and ), trying to contact new customers (casinos, cruise lines, casino party companies), sending out proposals and presentations, keeping up with customers/prospects, and doing pr for .  Then feed Noah, change Noah, get spit-up on.  Recently though, I have been lucky to lead a very talented group to develop a sustainable open source standard for Slot Machines (Really….there are about 1 million in US).

Today (which has now taken me 3 days to write), I have been on a conference call and am currently on another one.  I will then get to finish setting up my online trade show booth for The Global Gaming Expo. in Vegas in November.  I get to send out an email blast (please sign up at and also enter for FREE to win the same table that the WSOP Champion will get).  Then Noah will wake up and then I get to BBQ (OH Yeah!).  After dinner there will be baths and showers and bedtime rituals, then I will get to answer some emails and send out a bunch more emails.  Somewhere in there my wife and I will get about 2 minutes and 44 seconds of quality time.

This year as the World series of Poker Main Event Champion is crowned in mid-November from one of the “November Nine,” the poker world will get its 1st look at the EGM Green Eco-Friendly Tournament Table.  This is the 1st time that an Eco-Friendly product has been highlighted by The WSOP, and it makes a lot of sense that it is a poker table.

I had a bit of a tough time at first trying to figure out a connection between Green casinos and Green parenting, but then it just hit me.  During this summer, as my wife and I welcomed our 2nd son, it became pretty clear to me.  The greatest benefit of my Green business is that it allows me to stay at home with my son.

Our table is a point of sale Green initiative, and it allows casinos to start to educate their players on their sustainable intiatives in a way that they can easily understand, and adapt to their own lives.

Is Your Office Eco-Savvy?

Green, paperless, eco-this and that, you can’t get away from the green effort these days.  NOT growing green in your small business seems so much easier.  After all, you’re just a small business, how much damage can you really do?

Regardless of businesses size or type, one fact remains static – the Earth isn’t going anywhere any time soon, but continuing to trash it will make it a hostile environment for every person and every business, no matter how big or small.

This is the realization that came to me as I started Eco-Office Gals.  I spent ten years working as a real world administrative assistant not thinking twice about printing, shredding, filing & storing massive amounts of paper.  Driving 35 miles each way to an office was an inconvenience to me and my wallet, environment was never a factor. Grabbing my turtle mocha cappuccino’s and Chinese take out from one of my many choices on Main Street was common place.  It took reading, learning and willingness to become aware of the impact I had made and what needed to change.  I also learned that taking steps, not leaps, was the only way I could make a difference.

Today is a good day for Eco-Office Gals if I didn’t turn my printer on, if I drank my coffee out of the same cup all day and ate last night’s dinner for lunch.  Today is a great day for business if I succeeded in making another small business paperless, helped someone start an online business, or shared what I learned about making a smaller impact to anyone that is willing to listen, learn and encourage.

Eco-Office Gals strives to have a great day for business everyday.  My mission is to share my green steps, useful information and resources that I find and provide a site where other small businesses can start taking their first green steps and in turn encourage others to do the same.

Jennifer Smith is the owner of Eco-Office Gals, a green virtual assistant service that helps small businesses make an eco-friendly dfference.  Wanna get your business going in a green direction?  Eco-Office Gals are giving away green VA services to help you check that eco-task off of your to-do list.  Check out their blog to enter.

What’s Your IAQ? Even if your house is neat as a pin (we’re obviously not talking about my place here) it’s possible that the stuff inside your house is releasing nasty toxins. Combine this with inadequate ventilation (due to rigorous efforts to go green!) and you get a houseful of trapped pollutants and bad indoor air quality (IAQ).

The Worst Offenders: Formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are the worst offenders to indoor air quality. Unfortunately, these chemicals and gases are emitted from a bunch of stuff around your house, from mattresses to building supplies, paints to mattresses, and even your kid’s toys.

What’s The Problem? Poor indoor air quality can seriously affect your family’s health. The effects of indoor air pollution can range from minor irritations such as runny nose, fatigue, or headache to major illnesses such as lung disease, respiratory infection, lung cancer or asthma.

Improving Your IAQ

Follow these tips to reduce the number and type of chemicals that come into your home so that you and your kids can breathe a little easier:

Buy Green: The best way to improve your indoor air quality is to keep chemicals from coming inside in the first place. Look for non-toxic, green certified products, especially for building materials, paints, dry cleaning, carpets, and furniture. If you do bring home something stinky, be sure to let it air-out outside or near an open window. The bottom line…if a product contains a chemical, or was manufactured with it…that chemical will likely be emitted into the closed quarters of your home.

Clean Green: Are you cleaning your house or loading it with chemicals? Check out these previous posts for more info on green cleaning:

Get A Green Clean

Get A Green Clean Part II

Add Some Green: According to one NASA study, plants can improve indoor air quality, by filtering pollutants, absorbing carbon dioxide, and adding oxygen to the environment. The best plants for improving IAQ are philodendron, spider plants, golden pothos, gerbera daisies, chrysanthemums, peace lily, bamboo palm, and English ivy. (WARNING: If you have a toddler…or an older child who likes to eat everything…steer clear of plants that are considered poisonous if eaten such as philodendron, mums, and English ivy.)

Green Your Green: The chemicals that you use outside of your home (pesticides, fertilizers, de-icers) are likely to make their way inside on shoes and paws. Look for non-toxic versions of these chemicals. (And check out these posts on greening you yard:)

Got Leaves? Get Composting

Heat Things Up with Non-Toxic Antifreeze and De-icers