Michelle Anton, blogger for WomenEntrepreneur.com, has awesome taste in greeting cards!

Entrepreneurs Flourish In Austin, Texas

written by Michelle Anton

When I told my daughter that Austin must be doing something right, she said, “Austin Powers?” Once I stopped laughing I was able to share stories about a few new business owners I met in Austin, Texas, and how they possessed a refreshing burst of enthusiasm that I wanted to bring back to Los Angeles.

The first entrepreneur I met when I arrived was Penny of PennysPastries.com. She sells the tastiest chocolate chip cookie mix on the planet from her website. With flavors such as Chocolate Chip Indulgence, Peanut Butter Obsession, Black Magic and Chocolate-Chocolate Cherry, you’ll undoubtedly find something to delight your palette

And I would be remiss if I didn’t send a shout out to one of the entrepreneurs I met when I was leaving. Sue Rostvold of VerySuperCool.com gave me a box of greeting cards. (Yes! They really are cool.) Her tagline for VerySuperCool.com is “Green greeting cards with soul, because every dog has a story.” My friends fell in love with these adorable cards the moment they laid eyes on them. The heart-warming picture as well as the sayings inside each card makes them memorable.

Here are some of the vendors Jeannette Peten, CEO of BiGAustin, had on hand to display their unique products at the BiGAustin Marketplace last month. Read entire article here.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR, MICHELLE ANTON:

Verysupercool cards are prominently featured in the premiere issue of Stationery Trends Magazine, a hip, new trade publication that focuses on greeting cards, gifts, and all things stationery!

Stationery Trends Magazine will be making it’s big debut at the National Stationery Show next week and we’re so excited to be a part of it! Shades of Green, written by editor Sarah Schwartz, focuses on a topic that retailers across the country are yearning to learn more about; green stationery and gifts.

Read entire article below

Shades of Green
Eco-consciousness makes a big splash in stationery.
What role will it play in your store?

By Sarah Schwartz/Editor

These days, it’s impossible to be unaware of what’s become known as the green movement. From cleaning products to cars, consumers are reexamining both what they use and leave behind. It’s easy to wonder, is this another feel-good, election-year trend — or an enduring lifestyle?

“There is no question in my mind that ‘green’ is more than a new buzz word or passing trend,” said Sue Rostvold, founder and owner of Verysupercool. “While it’s on the tipping point of the mainstream right now, I feel people are slowly becoming aware of the wider implications of their actions. As long as we’re still dependent on non-renewable energy sources, there’s no reason a green lifestyle should not be enduring.”

Indeed, the stationery industry embraced the elements of the green movement “long before it was on the tip of everyone’s tongue,” opined Patti Stracher, the National Stationery Show’s (NSS) Show Manager. Most players assumed “it was a given when green became a part of the consciousness, everyone in the industry would be compliant.”

However, manufacturers and retailers didn’t promote their green lines as much as they could or should. “I think the industry is waking up,” she concluded. “Even better, these days green products are refined, indistinguishable from anything else.”

As such, George Little Management has expanded its Best New Product Awards competition at 2008’s NSS, adding an eco-friendly Think Green counterpart to each category. The awards will recognize companies that exemplifying ingenuity with earth-friendly products.

However, the green movement is not all about products — it begins with the business model, pointed out Todd LeVeck, business and environmental director, Eco-Expressions. “We seek to enhance communication between people while creating positive change in the way business is done with respect to the environment. Creating a sustainable business model and [products] that are ecologically intelligent was paramount in our decision to bring them to market.”

But small, socially conscious stationery companies aren’t the only ones getting involved. In February MeadWestvaco Corporation was named to CRO (Corporate Responsibility Officer) Magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2008. MeadWestvaco was recognized for its practices that exemplify a higher level of corporate integrity, accountability and stewardship.

And other lines have literally been green for centuries. Crane & Co. has used cotton paper, making the entire line tree-free, for over 2000 years. Once recycled from rags, now from textile clippings, their paper proves that everything old is new again.

Green v. green-washed
So there’s no shortage of great green paper lines — and vendors have begun highlighting these aspects on product, Web sites and signage with finesse. However, there remains some terminology confusion among many.

This occurs for a few reasons. “Often a company puts the word ‘recycled’ on their product without including percentages because it’s not required by law,” explained Rostvold. These companies are sometimes dubbed “green-washed.

Complicating the situation, LeVeck added, “The EPA uses standards in green labeling that fluctuate with the Washington political winds.” So don’t get hung up on terminology— just remember the common thread is attention to the health and well-being of the end consumer and the resources used in production.

When it comes to the recycled content of the paper itself, 100 percent post-consumer waste (PCW) paper is top-shelf. “We received a custom order using 100 percent recycled paper, and researched it further,” noted Mark Gavin, owner and founder of Ecojot, “We decided products that were 100 percent recycled and made in Canada would be attractive to people. With all the miscommunication today, we wanted to emphasize that our products have 100 percent PCW. With clients from Barnes & Noble to Whole Foods, the response has obviously been quite positive!”

For a given paper to be called recycled, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer content for uncoated papers, and a minimum of 10 percent post-consumer content for coated papers. Other paper types, such as newsprint and corrugated packaging, also require post-consumer content. VerdePaperie, an online venue that literally means green paper store, has a minimum PCW content of 30 percent.

Also look out for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifications. Recently, some U.S. commercial forests have undergone a sustainable harvest certification process overseen by the FSC, a non-profit organization set up to encourage the use of sustainable forestrly practices. Their “Chain of Custody” is followed from the forest to the final product. The FSC certification also pertains to papers with a certain percentage of recycled and post-consumer waste content.

Soy or vegetable-based inks are less harmful to the environment than their petroleum-based counterparts. There are several types of vegetable-based printing inks, including linseed, tung, castor, canola, and safflower. Soy is popular because it is a very stable material with excellent “wetting” properties, enhancing its ability to carry solid pigments.

Amy Holland, co-owner of Eco-Wise, Austin, Texas, looks for lines that succeed on multiple levels. “Historically, finding 100 percent PCW greeting cards has been far from easy. To my surprise, most reps do not seem to know what PCW refers to or about recycled verses recyclable. Verysupercool cards was the first to be promoted as using 100 percent PCW paper while printing a color photograph using soy-based inks! The message from Verysupercool promotes mutual respect for animals, people and the planet in a creative and unique way.”

Some of the most interesting green stationery is not paper at all. Night Owl Paper Goods’ line of sustainably harvested wooden journals, desktop notepads, postcards and A2 cards has been selling around the globe — as far away as Australia. “Everyone has been really receptive to our illustration style paired with the wood,” said Partner Jennifer Tatham.

Packaging, or rather a lack of it, is also paramount. “We like suppliers who reduce their packaging where possible,” opined Scott Walker, co-owner/manager of Greenward, Boston. “This means we prefer no plastic bags on greeting cards. We would like to see more cards packaged just with a paper band, biodegradable cellophane sleeves or other environmentally responsible packaging.“

Loop, of Philadelphia, Penn., packages its product with a slender paper band featuring its tagline, “Happy People, Healthy Planet.” “We design our packaging to be as minimal as possible,” pointed Elissa Brown Barbieri, owner and designer. “We don’t believe one must sacrifice aesthetics for ethics.”

The Eco-luxe Lifestyle
This doesn’t mean that you have to only carry green lines and overhaul your business practices. Rather, consider an eco-luxe line or two as a necessary element in your merchandise repertoire — and realize that it may cost a bit more.

“A few wholesale clients don’t agree that consumers are willing to pay more for an eco product, but the sales of Loop products prove that consumers are eco-savvy and are indeed willing to pay a little extra,” Barbieri commented. “I am constantly re-iterating what makes Loop eco-luxe, versus a card that’s been green-washed by tacking a recycled logo on the back; being eco is more than being recycled or recyclable.”

In a typical boutique not earmarked as green, finding a visually pleasing green line can really please customers, explained Sherry Brown, card buyer, Breed & Co., Austin, Texas, who carries Verysupercool. “Customers love knowing they’re helping the earth and getting a cool card.”

Whatever line you select, talk it up. “Art N Soul, in Encinitas, Calif., has taken an educational approach to selling our products,” said LeVeck. “Each customer is told about the importance of our ecologically intelligent design and social give-back programs.”

Often the best way to educate customers is in narrative form. Such is definitely the case with Copper Willow Paper Studio, started by Jill Velez and Leora Mauck. “Our first movements in the eco-friendly direction were inspired by our families. Our letterpress was in Leora’s home, when her son was 18 months old,” noted Jill, who was also pregnant and operated the press well into her ninth month. “So our first priorities were using soy ink, oiling the machine with food-grade oil and cleaning up with a bio-solvent. Our first line was printed entirely on tree-free papers and premiered at NSS last May.”

Their range includes both a stationery and bridal stationery album. Now they’ve left Leora’s home, and their studio and production space are green too. With bamboo flooring, recycled wallpaper, no-Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paint and refinished antique furniture, their application to be a fully green-seal certified studio is currently up for review.

Walker also finds that small signs are well received. Dan Korman, who owns Park + Vine in Cincinnati, Ohio, agreed. “Little signs next to something makes an impression, we notice that people tend to spend more time in that spot.”

Finally, one under-recognized aspect of earth friendliness involves being friendly to each other, emphasized Shannon Martin, Girl Designer in partnership with Madison Park Greetings. “This has to do with community, who we are in the world, how we treat each other on a daily basis. Yes, recycling is important. But what of our own natural resources? Our humor, our compassion, our curiosity? What could be more earth-friendly than good working relationships, or a business where our success serves our local and business community?”

Starting tomorrow, Verysupercool greeting cards will be available at Ten Thousand Villages in order to help raise funds for local dog organizations. As if they don’t do enough already, this cool store located at 1317 South Congress, has decided to support local non-profits by hosting Benefit Shopping Nights!

Bark for Peace! is sponsoring this great event and your dog will enjoy free samples of their tasty vegan, organic treats that you can eat with your dog! Verysupercool is proud to be included and we hope that lots of Austin dog lovers will come by and shop for fair trade and sustainable goods, see details below:

Stop in any evening starting tomorrow and your purchase between 5pm-9pm will benefit the following organizations!

May 12 – Lucky Mutts Mixed Breed Rescue
May 13 – Chain Free Austin
May 14 – Schrodi Memorial Training Scholarship Fund
May 15 – Austin German Shepherd Dog Rescue

Look for the giant Bonker’s (bulldog cutout) in the store and you’ll find some awesome fair trade and recycled dog gifts from Bark for Peace! as well as our own Verysupercool green greeting cards featuring many local Austin dogs! Below Becky Garcia, one of the volunteer coordinators of the event, is holding Captain, our Verysupercool foster dog! Our colorful dog cards have even caught Captain’s attention!

Be sure to visit Ten Thousand Villages of Austin’s blog to stay up to date on all their events!

STORE HISTORY: Ten Thousand Villages is one of the oldest and largest fair trade organizations in the world. Fair trade organizations connect consumers in North America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand to unemployed and underemployed artisans and farmers in developing countries through fair trade relationships – benefiting people, rather than maximizing their own profits. The artisans’ income helps pay for food, education, health care and housing. Read more about their history…

Thank you Green Printer for ranking Verysupercool #1! We really appreciate being appreciated!

Seven Ways Business is Green-ing Our World: One paper product at a time

The big names cannot help but pump out more sustainable paper products on an almost weekly basis. From biology college textbooks gone green to carbon friendly greeting cards, we’ve rounded up the top seven green papier goods that caught our eye.

1. Verysupercool (yes, that is their real and uber-funky name) teams with CarbonFund.org to create the Greenest Little Greeting Card in Texas. So, even while the mythical paperless office lures us with its green goodness, we still use and love our paper – printed on both sides, thankyouverymuch.

Read the entire article and see the other 6 products listed!

Bonkers, one of our most popular cards, is now larger than life at the Whole Foods Market flagship store!

We are so excited to unveil our new Verysupercool display, which has Bonkers keeping a watch over the freshly groomed and recently expanded pet aisle. Whole Foods has done an amazing job of repackaging the entire store, and now they have more local products than ever! Since we use renewable energy, plant trees, buy carbon offsets, AND use only 100% post consumer waste paper our green greeting cards really fit in with their Whole Philosophy.

My husband and I moved to Austin in the late seventies and we both remember shopping at Safer Way, the pre-Whole Foods store, back when it was in an old house. Since Verysupercool launched in November 2005, our green greeting cards with soul have been featured in both Austin Whole Foods Market locations. We are thrilled to have a vendor relationship with the store that, for decades, has been such a big part of our lives. Thanks again Whole Foods!

P.S. Bonkers’ parents live in downtown Austin and shop here all the time. This is their Whole Foods! They were surprised and are elated that their boy has such a prominent presence in their favorite store.