On The Greener Sign

On the Greener Sign Blog is about recognizing great customer service, green efforts, and great marketing ideas observed.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Conservatives Should Own "Green" then...

Conservatives should own "Green" then...


There is an obvious reason why Conservatives don't own "Green"! Conservatives lack idealism, vision and communication. These attributes and/or values are critical to having Americans react emotionally. Lets face it humans lives are driven by emotion, not logic. I can't think of anyone better at leveraging this than Obama. If you were to pin point his vision, ideals into one word what would it be? The answer is quite obvious "change!" In itself the definition of that word is far from tangible, but was so critical to getting Obama elected! In the end Obama understands people emotionally react to idealism, vision and communication. Although these things alone aren't sustaining they are a crucial piece to ongoing movement and participation from people.

"Green" is an idealism, a vision of a world where humans make no impact on the earth. As a liberal this feels and sounds so good. How can you not be for it? As a conservative and logic based thinker you cannot argue with this idealism. However logically a conservative dissects it. One, its not reality that we won't have an impact on this Earth and two we are of this Earth, so the Earth wouldn't be Earth without our impact. Thus conservatives are the group against "Green."

Although scientifically there is very little evidence of the overwhelming sabotage of our land. The Green idea still makes sense, but has to be tweaked to an idealism conservatives understand. Not only Conservatives, but an idealism everyone can relate too. In the end economic idealism will win out amongst all people. Truth is I have been in the Green business for a little over a year and when push comes to shove with every business, no matter how liberal they are. They take the economic route opposed to the alternative "Green" solution. For example in my industry, the printing industry time and time again when it comes to choosing recycled paper for print, or a particular bleeding pattern, a company will opt out because of cost even though the cost difference is minimal. So the argument needs a fundamental change! Because in the end people do not give a second thought about the current idealism, (this includes liberals) it just doesn't speak to people as individuals.

At the heart of "Green" thinking is a very conservative value, efficiency! If I were to put this into a formula here is how it would translate Least amount of Resources x Max Productivity = Economic Results (i.e hydrogen x 50/mpg = saved $). No matter who you are economic results create a lot of political capital. Economic results are what speaks to every individual. And the dirty little secret conservatives don't know or utilize is Communicated Economic Ideals carry just as much, or more capital than Economic Results. That formula looks like this ideal resources x ideal productivity = ideal money saved. More importantly what does this sound like if we use the same example from above (i.e hydrogen x 50/mpg = saved $)? Here is an example of what they may sound like, "We want to live in a world where it takes no more than a cup of water to drive 100 miles, therefore putting more money back in your families home to do the things you love and care about!" So I ask America, would this ideal be something you can emotionally buy into? Communicating this way inspires the most effective and logical thinkers to produce solutions opposed to saying it logically cannot be done. Conservatives you may really struggle with this because it is so idealistic and far fetched, but Conservatives have the ability to compliment these ideals with fundamental process. I challenge conservative politicians to think and speak like Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech. Here is an example of how it may translate for the health care issue.

"I have a dream we will live in a land where it won't break the bank to get the best doctor in your neighborhood! We as individuals will create a world where all decisions are made between you and your doctor! This world you will live without fear of pre-existing conditions, prescription costs or rationed care! Not one person in this great nation will go without the care they need and deserve!

Conservatives? Wake up and own Green,own health care, own diversity and so on!

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posted by Valhalla Business Solutions at 9:55 PM 0 comments

Monday, July 6, 2009

Dusted Crystal


Dusted Crystal

Adds...

  • Privacy
  • Class
  • Clean look
  • Easy Maintenance

Dusted crystal is...

The 3M Dusted Crystal film has the uniform appearance of etched glass where as the 3M Frosted Crystal film has the uniform appearance of sandblasted glass.

Often a client will have a board room, an office or even a horrible view. In these cases dusted crystal is a great solution. It blocks out any unwanted viewers and allows for fewer distractions in board rooms.

Dusted crystal gives an appearance of etched glass, which is very expensive and cannot be undone. Dusted crystal allows you to change appearance of your workspace without committing forever. This can be critical in lease contracts in which you cannot make permanent changes to the structure of your building.

Dusted crystal is also very easy to keep clean. Alcohol or Windex to keep a long lasting smooth surface.

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posted by Valhalla Business Solutions at 12:08 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Do What's Right For A Customer?


  • Genuinely know your client
  • Be a solutions based business
  • Follow up to ensure the solutions are correct

I am baffled at how often I walk into a customer situation to see a company not providing the right solutions for them. There are ways to ensure you do whats right, but are often skipped by company managers, sales people and execs. Below are some solutions to help you do what is right for your customer. Keep in mind a good organization at its root genuinely care about their customer and doing the right thing every time. If this standard is not at the forefront of your business philosophy, then make it and communicate it to your teams every day.

Genuinely know your client! Get to know what is important to the person or persons you will be working with. Ask simple questions like; What got you started in this field?, What do you like most about working here?, Tell me about your family? If the setting isn't appropriate for those questions, do some research about the company first and ask about a related news story an their opinion on it.

Be a Solutions Based Business! Set the standard with your organization to only make recommendations which makes sense for your customer. To do this appropriately you must profile! For techniques on profiling visit www.valhallabizsolutions.com/blog.html. Once you have a good understanding of what your customer needs, you have a moral obligation to match those needs. This creates loyalty and in turn more cross sell opportunities.

Follow Up! Sounds simple, but always make sure you follow up after any solution is given. If its installing signs, to a large consulting project, inquire about the results and ask if their is anything else they need from you.

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posted by Valhalla Business Solutions at 7:45 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Upgrade Your Store Front Appearance



Backlit signs next time you want to light a sign and draw attention to your building.

On The Greener Sign will come out and listen to the customer printing needs and is dedicated to working with the customer to come up with the best solution to fit your company. Backlit signs can be done many different ways. They can be stuck first surface (which means the graphic is stuck to the front of the plex) (hard acrylic) . You can also choose to go second surface which the graphic is stuck behind the plex to provide a different look and also it provides protection as people are unable to touch the print. There are many different plex colors to choose from. The most common colors chosen are clear and milk. Both colors through a backlit stand out beautifully! Custom boxes are created with a frame look and can be customized to order.

Backlit signs are a great way to advertise your company name in the night and visual during the day.

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posted by Valhalla Business Solutions at 7:41 AM 0 comments

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Save Money on Promotions


  • Removable Vinyl

There are so many different adhesives in the graphic world today but I am always astounded when I come across a client that doesn’t know about removable vinyl.

There are different type of removable vinyl to meet your needs. Some product is better then others, depending on your need will determine which type you will need to use.

Using removable vinyl works best for items that stay up for a couple of months, then change. Using this type of vinyl is beneficial as when you remove it it will not leave adhesive. You can also change locations of your graphic without damaging the wall, or the paint.

This vinyl is inexpensive as it is made for promotional deals that are up for 6 months or shorter. You can also use this vinyl for cars, and store front windows.

You will be taken aback by the amount of money you could save by using this type of material.


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posted by Valhalla Business Solutions at 7:55 AM 0 comments

Friday, May 15, 2009

SIGNS THAT WILL SAVE YOU MONEY



Substrate solution Gator board


First think about how long your signs will be up. Is it something you or your company will be swapping with seasons or promotions through the year? How high will the signs be? Will they be on the wall or hung from the ceiling? Can people touch the graphics? These are all important questions and answers to ask when choosing which substrate to use (as this is what your graphic will be applied to).


If your switching your signs out often think about getting your graphics applied to Gator Board ( 2pcs of cardboard on the outside with a foam middle) this inexpensive material is great for hanging and is rigid enough to not twist or bend around in the air. You can choose from different thicknesses they vary from 3/16” all the way to ¾”.

Gator Board can be damaged if pressed on too hard, so keep that in mind if your signs will be in a high traffic area. This product can save you money as you can apply the Gator Board to your wall with Velcro, (if taken care of ) the graphic can be removed or applied over the top of your next graphics and than can be reattached to the Velcro on the wall.


Gator board is a type of substrate to use. Call today to find out if this product will work for your signs.

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posted by Valhalla Business Solutions at 10:22 AM 0 comments

Monday, May 4, 2009

Establish a Marketing Budget

    • On the Greener does this for free
    • Determine budget from previous year
    • What new communication forums are there?
    • Where can I eliminate ineffective expenditures?
    • Streamline with one company solution

    On the Greener Sign has the luxury of reviewing marketing budgets on a regular basis. Part of our consulting services eliminates unnecessary spending and streamlines your budget to save as much cost as possible.

    Take a look at your budget from last year determine your growth goals. Don't out pace your spending in relation to your revenue. Good rule of thumb is a 10% spread between new costs and growth goals. i.e. market budget increase of 3% and revenue goals of 13% growth.

    Explore Internet, email based solutions to help touch more targeted demographics. For example this year Twitter and Facebook have really accelerated.

    If you measure your marketing results on an annual bases, please eliminate what isn't working. Too often I see companies just do it because they always have.

    Streamline your service needs to one company or sales firm. Having a good relationship with a print company can save you a lot of time and money. Finding the best deal often takes too many man hours. Especially when there are print companies that have a customers best interest in mind.

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posted by Valhalla Business Solutions at 5:05 PM 0 comments

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