The message behind green business holiday cards

No, not green as in "red and green" and Christmas colors. Green as in recycled and soy inks and certified paper... all that ecolabeling.

If your company is claiming to be green or earth-minded, the company Christmas cards you send need to be green, too.

Choosing an earth-friendly greeting card says several things to your customers, including:

• Your actions match what you say, so you are a company with integrity.
  
  
• You understand the concept of limited resources and are doing your part to conserve, so you are a company with heart.


• You have taken the time to reach out and share a message with your clients/customers/employees while at the same time not adding to the waste stream, so you are a company that thinks ahead.

Whether you choose a clearly eco-friendly card like the one above (100% recycled and certified) with a green message, or opt for something more subtle, make sure the cards you choose are genuinely green. The positive power of green is nothing compared to the destructive image a greenwashing label will create!

Why business Christmas cards are a great idea in a recession

All across the country, budgets aren't just getting trimmed...they're being chopped down and left in the forest of abandoned ideas and plans of corporate growth.

So in this wasteland of cutbacks and eliminations, why on earth would someone spend good money on business Christmas cards? Surely they can go, right?

Wrong!

The business Christmas card, especially cards sent to clients and business networking contacts, is one of the easiest and most cost efficient ways to connect with the very people who keep your business in business!

Business Christmas cards tell clients you are:

• Still in business
  
• Know who they are
  
• Aware of their business
  
• A business who cares about them
  
• Someone who took the time and invested the money to send them a card

Hand signed business greeting cards to your employees that:

• You know who they are
  
• You think they are worth the effort it takes to sign each card
  
• You value their service

All that from one inexpensive business Christmas card! Wow!

The even better news is that with the emphasis on recycled and affordable business holiday cards this year, it could be even less expensive than last year.

Green business holiday cards

If you're making greener choices in your business, why not carry your commitment through to your business holiday cards?

Now wait...I know what you're thinking! Recycled Christmas cards are brown. And scratchy. And ugly!

Not so!

Paper recycling has come a long way since its early days. Recycled papers are now available in a wide variety of colors including white. They have an elegant look and feel. So recycled Christmas cards no longer look like they're made of old paper grocery bags!

Add natural inks...soy and other plant based inks are safer and recyclable. That makes them ideal for a green office to send.

Once you've decided to buy recycled holiday cards, shop around. Look for cards that are made from at least 20% post consumer waste, with soy or agra-inks. Check out some of the traditional business product sites, including those to the right in the resource list...many of them are now carrying beautiful cards made from recycled paper. Also check to make sure the envelopes are made from recycled paper -- there is little point, from an environmental standpoint, to send recycled cards in a virgin paper envelope lined with foil!