Optimists meet! Hope abounds!

Can you imagine such a newspaper headline?
Or a talking head on TV saying "Optimists meet! Hope abounds! News at 11."

Well, it indeed happened last night, at a social event held by the Optimists' Tribe, in which a diverse group put names to faces and verbal promises of deeds to accomplish in 2009 that will make world just a little better place.

Sixteen quality people met, each with a view of the present and the future as bright and hopeful, in the spirit of social cause networking.

Join us on the website. It's free, or if you care to make a contribution that's cool too.

Optimism and how to get more of it!

It's easy to be cynical or even downright pessimistic if you read the news: religious leader and mayors arrested for corruption, etc. etc.

I am not advocating suspending your newspapers subscriptions.

But I am suggesting finding optimistic open-minded people to mingle with and enjoy their energy. I am lucky I get to do this a lot.

Today I joined a new green business group sponsored by the local award-winning SCORE chapter. There were so many intelligent and sustainable business ideas in one room!

On Monday I am attending a social gathering of the Optimists' Tribe, a newly formed group that revels in an optimistic view of the present and the future. I am looking forward to an infectious evening of new contacts and positive friends.

I will report back soon.
Optimistically,
Marc

Blog Action Day-Environmental Theme

Tomorrow, October 15th, is Blog Action Day, where blogs can comment on the environmental aspects of what they do.

Simply put, don't mail payments to people or have them mail payments to you! Save the gas, paper, and reduce carbon emissions associated with business as usual for the past 100 years:

1. don't create or mail paper invoices-email them with a link on the email to your website to accept online payment


2. don't create paper checks: pay electronically by creating an ACH (e-check) and crediting the payee-saves postage, time, effort, gas and waste


3. don't make your clients or customers expect that they have to mail you a check-accept payments electronically via e-check or credit card-and you can do that over the phone, e-fax (saves paper over regular fax), by email, or online


4. ask your bank and credit card processor to convert you to electronic statements-you get them faster and without wasting the paper for an envelope or a stamp

That's only 4 ways. There are so many more which we can explore creatively and effectively. Ask us. Challenge us. We will find a way to make payments more environmentally-friendly.