Before it was cool to be green, there was Twisted Limb Paperworks.
Since 1998, Sheryl Woodhouse-Keese has been crafting and selling 100% recycled, eco-friendly paper bowls, stationery, holiday cards, announcements, invitations and fundraising products for schools. However, Sheryl does not do this alone. She also employs a team of 6 in her production studio that help produce the unique products her company is recognized for.
While the economy has had an effect on Sheryl’s business, she continues to work for the success of her company.
What inspired you to launch Twisted Limb Paperworks?
I moved to Bloomington, Indiana as an unemployed environmentalist and former park ranger with a papermaking hobby and calligraphy skills. I had been thinking on and off for several years that I would enjoy creating a business that merged my environmentalism and artistic abilities, and my inability to find work in my field created the perfect opportunity and motivation.
How has your business grown since its launch in 1998?
I started out as an individual show artist making paper bowls, stationery and journals, and now Twisted Limb Paperworks is a production art studio of six with a couple of independent contractors. We have over a hundred page website, and in addition to wedding and bar/bat mitzvah wedding invitations, we offer birth and graduation announcements, business promotions, holiday greeting cards, memorial cards, and school fundraising products.
What separates you from the competition?
I think a couple of things separate us from our competition. The first is our eleven year commitment to producing a 100% recycled product and operating our business according to extremely high standards of sustainability. Environmental ethics are not a trend to us, but have been a core principle behind our business since day one. The second is that as an art studio, we offer vibrantly colored recycled handmade paper and myriad options to create truly one of a kind invitations and notes. Recycled paper doesn’t have to be natural earth-tones. We have turquoise, violet, red and orange invitations! With the numerous handmade paper, envelope, bow, thread and printing colors, invitation styles, fonts and graphics to choose from, the number of combinations actually reaches over 4 trillion, which is mind-blowing to us, too.
As an eco-friendly business, what are some of the things your company does to make it as green as possible?
*Our handmade paper is 100% recycled using used colored office paper, grocery bags, cardboard boxes, and grass cuttings from our field.
*No dyes are used to tint Twisted Limb’s handmade paper. Colors are obtained directly from the materials being recycled.
* We organically grow and ethically harvest from our woods the ferns going into our papers.
*Envelopes, reply cards, and cardstock invitations are 100% PCW recycled and Processed Chlorine Free, and most are manufactured carbon neutral.
*Of course, all office paper and envelopes, file folders, toilet paper, and facial tissue used at Twisted Limb are 100% recycled. We try to ethically source other things we use like natural sponges, eco-friendly laundry detergent and dryer sheets, recycled pens, fair trade coffee, etc.
*Twisted Limb is carbon neutral. We offset 100% of the carbon dioxide created by running our facility, shipping activities,
employee commuting and business travel by investing in renewable energy through Native Energy.
*Energy is conserved with the use of a programmable thermostat.
*Water used in the paper making process is recycled from our studio’s dehumidifers and air conditioner whenever possible to conserve this essential resource.
*Twisted Limb cultivates a culture of quality, conservation, respect, positive thinking, humor, and mutual responsibility in our workplace. Our employees earn fair/living wages and generous paid time off benefits. We also have an organic company garden.
*22% of our profits are donated in cash and in-kind contributions to environmental conservation efforts and community groups each year.
What occasions do you have cards available for?
We make Thanksgiving and holiday greeting cards, funeral cards, invitations for weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, landmark birthdays and anniversaries, and business events.
Where would you like to see happen with your business during the next year or two?
I plan for us to begin growing 100% of the hydrangeas and ferns going into our handmade papers, would like to increase our birth announcement, fundraising, and memorial card sales, and to add quinceanera invitations and letterpress printing directly on our handmade paper. My big dream is to get a windmill by the end of 2010.
Did you always plan to become an entrepreneur or is this a road that you stumbled upon by accident?
I didn’t always know that I would become an entrepreneur, but it wasn’t an accident either. I made a very conscious decision to pursue this livelihood when the timing was right, and it turned out to be a good choice. I’ve been very happy in this role, and it suits my talents, personality, and the lifestyle I want perfectly.
What have you been able to take from your experiences as an entrepreneur and apply to your day-to-day life?
Nothing has changed my life for the better as becoming an entrepreneur. It has completely changed my outlook on the world. It taught me that I have the power to create my life. Visualizing what you want, setting and meeting goals, being disciplined, being decisive, accepting change, adapting quickly, moving past failure, always keeping a positive attitude, and knowing that you can do anything you set your mind to are only a few of the skills being an entrepreneur teaches.
What, if any, effect as the recession had on your company? How have you adjusted?
This is the first year that we have not had an increase in sales, and have actually seen them drop. We’ve adjusted with a four day/32 hour week, and unfortunately, I had to lay one person off, which was extremely difficult. I do think the recession is teaching me to be a better business woman. We’ve been a lot more careful with inventory and managing costs, which is saving us. We also managed to significantly reduce our energy bills, even though prices have gone up. We are finding more free or inexpensive ways to promote the business, and are spending a lot of time communicating with our current customers through anniversary cards, e-newsletters, facebook, and free giveaways.
What advice do you have for someone that might be interested in starting their own business?
Learn discipline and how to keep control of your mind. Stay positive, focused, don’t give into your fears or others’ negativity, learn to visualize what you want, and how to manage your time. Write your manual from day one. Test, measure, and record everything, and then act accordingly. Be good to everyone you deal with–employees, customers, vendors, the community. Read as much as you can and get a business coach. Above all, stick to your values!