June is here, bringing us some beautiful weather-go out and enjoy it!

June Tax Due Dates

BUSINESS TIPS OF THE MONTH

Going GREEN! From one of the ladies in my bookkeeper discussion group, this is a pretty long list for those of us trying to go "Green," but some of these are pretty good ideas...

Green Office Checklist

1. Furnish mugs and glasses to all employees for coffee and water. Keep a few extra mugs for guests. If you must have disposable cups, use paper, not Styrofoam.
2. Drink tap water, and avoid bottled water. Buy a filter if desired. Tap water is much safer and more regulated than bottled water.
3. Change all of your light bulbs to CFLs and energy-saving solutions.
4. Turn off and unplug all computers and electronic devices after hours. Even when these devices are turned off, they will continue to use electricity unless you unplug the power cord to keep them from charging all night.
5. Unplug coffee machines and other appliances at work when they are not in use so they don't pull electricity all day.
6. You can use a SmartStrip in lieu of unplugging everything. A SmartStrip is a combination power strip and energy-saving device that will turn off your electronics when not in use.
7. Use environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies and insist that your housekeeping crew do the same.
8. Use recycled products. Look for products with a high percentage of postconsumer recycled content, reduced chemical content, and biodegradable or compostable components.
9. Reuse file folders, boxes and all other office supplies before buying new ones.
10. Recycle all equipment you wish to retire. The U.S. Postal Service announced in March 2008 that it will provide free postage and already-addressed envelopes for people who wish to recycle their old iPods, Blackberries, MP3 players, small inkjet cartridges, and digital cartridges. For computers and accessories, consider programs like Dell's recycling and donation program (http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_recycling?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs). Or donate to a charity through a group like the National Cristina Foundation, http://www.cristina.org.  
11. Question your suppliers about their environmental policies, and switch, if necessary. Buy local, if at all possible, to reduce trucking and shipping costs. Support supplier and vendors that use less packaging material and green shipping policies.
12. If you ship items, use biodegradable brown paper as packing material instead of non-biodegradable material such as Styrofoam popcorn.
13. Avoid individual packaging by buying items such as coffee, sugar, and creamer in bulk.
14. Whenever possible, use digital delivery methods such as email or internal fax to avoid postage, printing, ink, and paper use.
15. Copy frugally. Post a sign at the photocopier that says, "Do you really need to make a copy?"
16. Add a line at the end of your email signature that says, "Please consider the environment before printing this email."
17. Cut out junk mail and paper subscriptions to newspapers and magazines. As an example, I read the Wall Street Journal online every morning.
18. Practice onscreen editing to save printing.
19. When you must print, view your document first in Print Preview before printing to save printing mistakes.
20. When you must print, print double-sided documents.
21. Purchase software online and download it to avoid packaging and shipping costs and materials.
22. Recycle all office trash. Give each employee two trash cans: one for recycled materials and one for landfill items. Call your city street or sanitation department or recycling program coordinator to find out how to maximize your recycling.
23. Use native, local plants that require less water when landscaping and decorating.
24. Offer rebate or reimbursement vouchers for employees who use public transit, carpool, or drive hybrid cars to work. Better yet, work at home.
25. Support right turn technology for professional drivers. Used in route planning, right turn technology minimizes the use of left turns which take longer and cause the vehicle to idle longer, wasting fuel.
26. Encourage all employees to keep a mug and a bowl with a lid in their cars. When they go to Starbucks, they can use the mug for their drink. Using the bowl as a to-go box for restaurant lunch leftovers will save many Styrofoam containers from going into the landfill.
27. Keep this list electronically and help it grow. Add more green ideas from employees, clients, and vendors here.

ORGANIZATIONS-PERSONAL TIDBITS

Well, I DID IT! 100 Miles on June 2nd. What a stunning ride! The weather was just perfect. It wasn't too hot or too cold. We started our ride at 5:45 a.m. Saw the sun come up and watch the day unfold to a beautiful, peaceful ride. Almost everyone I know has been to Lake Tahoe at some point. However, to ride around it and have the luxury to stop at any time to take a look, or a picture, is wonderful. You miss quite a bit in a car. To see the Lake just after sunrise and smell the pine is a unique experience. At one point we stopped for a break. The view was just breathtaking. Below us were pine trees; looking beyond that was the lake, and then in the distance, snow capped mountains. It was like standing on top of the world.

While the ride was not easy, the training I had done paid off. The phrase "Train hard, ride easy" came to fruition here. Other than having a head cold at altitude, I think I did pretty well. Here are some of the stats our Head Coach logged for us: 99.35 miles, 9:05:07 total time, 10.9 mph avg. speed, 52.4 mph max. speed, (I hit 38.8 mph) 7852 calories burned, 4793' ascent.

I was on my bike for 8 hrs 45 minutes. Total time for the ride was just under 10 hours. The really cool part was that I wasn't sore or as tired as I thought I would be. One amazing thing I did see... one woman did this ride with only one leg. So for those of us who think we are physically challenged, try to visualize that. 100 miles with one leg. (I stopped complaining about my cold.)

Once again I thank all of you who donated to support me. In the past four months, 1800 cyclists raised over $7.5 million. We are collectively saving lives and working towards a cure for blood cancers! Thank you for your support!

GROWING MY BUSINESS

This month I am looking for small business owners who need to get 2008 receipts entered and processed. Don't wait until the last minute. June and July are a little slower for my business and so a great time for me to help you get set up (or caught up). I am happy to be of help.

VIRTUAL JEANNIE VIRTUAL SPOTLIGHT

This month's spotlight is on Julie Halpin who is a Certified Nutrition Consultant. Her company is FoodWorks. She is a fabulous person to work with. She is very energetic and loves what she does. Here's her info:

Julie Halpin received her AB (Advanced Bachelor's) from Occidental College in Los Angeles. After graduating, she worked in marketing for the specialty food industry, most recently at Ghirardelli Chocolate Company as a Brand Manager. Over the years, she added a passion for nutrition to her existing love of good food and cooking. In 2002, she returned to school and completed a 2 year Nutrition Consulting program at Bauman College, where she has since been a faculty member.

Julie has a private practice in Sebastopol, and is a practitioner with the Bauman Nutrition Group. She specializes in weight management, detoxification, and gastro-intestinal health. Her approach is holistic in nature, therefore she considers not just her clients' diet, but also their entire lifestyle: their mental and emotional as well as physical profile. Julie then works with her clients to customize nutrition programs around both diet and lifestyle changes and uses high-quality dietary supplements when appropriate.

This year she has begun leading 4-week group cleansing programs. Some of the positive results participants have experienced are: weight loss, fewer migraines, improvement in mood swings, reduction of PMS symptoms, improved bowel regularity, and clearer skin and eyes. The next cleansing group will begin in July in Sebastopol.

Julie's keys to success are her passion for what she does, and her deep desire to support people in reaching their goals.

Please contact Julie at (707) 396-057; email: julie@thefoodworks.com; website: www.thefoodworks.com.