If You're Planning or Sponsoring a Trick or Treat Event We Want to Talk to You!

Your Imprint on the Back of the Bag
A Pumpkin Face and Safety Tips on the Front

Halloween celebrations have gone from the traditional (beggars night) to community focused events held in church parking lots, pumpkin patches and corn mazes. Events like Boo at the Zoo, trunk or treat, hayrides and other Fall festivities are aimed at families and they are happening in many communities across the country.

If you're planning a trick-or-treating event, consider offering sponsorships to local business owners. Allow them to place their imprint on Halloween bags to promote safety and reach potential customers while everyone enjoys family friendly fun.

If you're a business owner why not buy some bags, have them imprinted and either fill them with goodies and hand them out from your office or donate them to a local organization that is having an event. 

Halloween bags are currently on sale, making them very affordable.  They have reinforced handles and

Perfect for a Scary
Halloween Movie Night

are available in orange, white and yellow plastic and silver and gold metallic materials.  Soft handle bags like the one shown (and all our bags) are available with a large imprint area for your message. Some of them have a space at the bottom that allows for a coupon that can be redeemed later (online or in person, the choice is yours) for added value and additional web or foot traffic.

Our bags are currently on sale, order early (before October 12, 2013 for the best selection. Rush shipment and production will be needed to deliver orders placed after October 12, 2013. Download our Halloween sale flyer.

Imprinted bags will allow parents and grandparents to remember your company after the event and the kids will have festive bags to carry all the goodies.  It's a win-win for all!

Contact us for help with your next project! Stay in touch on Google+, Facebook and Twitter: Visit our website and Request a Quote.

Grab the Attention of Parents, Grandparents and Children this Halloween

Halloween is approaching and we wanted to give you a few tips on how you can use promotional items to gain exposure for your company. Learn why Halloween is a holiday that you don't want to miss.

Fall is the busiest time of year for most companies as everyone gear up for back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is also October, and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month as well as many other anniversaries, recognitions and reasons to create and support health and wellness. There are fall festivals, haunted houses, and plenty of other family friendly, events that you can use to create goodwill in the community and spread the word about your promotions.

Information is available online from trade associations, non profit organizations, the government and other web based resources have a wealth of information about your target audience and current trends. For example, we looked online and found that according to the National Retail Federation, Halloween is second only to Christmas as the biggest spending holiday, with over 170 million people estimated to participate in activities in 2012.

Spending for 2012 was projected to reach 8 billion on costumes, candy and decorations for adults, children and pets. If consumers are spending that much on Halloween, it would be wise to get in on the action with your own Halloween promotion, even if your business has absolutely nothing to do with Halloween. More than likely, some of your customers may be part of the 170 million people that anticipated participation in Halloween activities.

You can use this information to promote your business by expanding on what people normally do for Halloween.  We know that the average family will buy costumes for the kids, adults and even pets. They will also decorate and buy candy and treats. They will be frequenting fall festivals, hayrides, haunted houses, amusement parks, zoos and more. If you're one of those businesses, you'll want to have items to advertise sales, exclusive perks and special offers.

With the popularity of Halloween and Fall, your customers may also participate in family friendly activities sponsored by churches and youth organizations.  Have your advertising message distributed on a Halloween related items to grab their attention at a time when they are in the mood to receive it. 

Contact us for help with your next project! Stay in touch on Google+, Facebook and Twitter: Visit our website and Request a Quote.

Why You Should Use Promotional Items, Especially Today

In  today's competitive market everyone wants more value. Consumers are watching their spending and tend to gravitate toward anything that will help their money go further.  Companies are doing more with fewer employees, and customers are dealing with rising expenses and wages that are at best staying the same. 

Companies have held the line on spending and their marketing and advertising budgets are frozen in fear.  The "necessities" have been paid at the expense of anything that has to do with frivolous things like marketing until things turn around.  I'm just being sarcastic, but some people have been waiting for a turn around in the economy since 2008, and they won't spend another dime for advertising and marketing, until things are better long term.

How To Use Promotional Items to
Make Things Better

Believe it or not, now it's more important than ever to promote your business.  If you're not advertising and actively promoting your business, you are probably losing some of your loyal customers who are hearing nothing but the news that ranges from bad to cautiously optimistic, which in turn makes them more leery of spending.

To counter this information, you will need to find ideas that will give these customers a message that motivates them to do business with you.  Coupons, two for one specials, buy 10 get the 11th one free, manufacturer's specials, a contest or something creative that will bring these customers out of hiding so that you don't lose loyal customers. If not they may not return after things get better.  Even worse they may find another resource for your products and services.

By not advertising, you are also missing opportunities to capture new customers who are doing well and may be looking for someone who does what you do.  Additionally, while your competition is not spending on advertising, it presents a great opportunity for you to obtain a larger share of the market. Going down to zero expenditures for marketing and advertising is a recipe for disaster for any business.

Promotional items are powerful marketing tools that have a low cost per impression. According to research conducted by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) promotional items are in about 80% of homes in the U.S.  They travel well at home and in the office.  If you're on the fence regarding the power of these great marketing tools, please view this video and contact us for help with your next order. If you can't view the video here, please use this link.

Contact us for help with your next project! Stay in touch on Google+, Facebook and Twitter: Visit our website and Request a Quote.

Your Logo: 5 Reasons to Invest in a Professional Design

This is where we talk about one of the critical tools used to brand  your business, the logo. We’re starting with a discussion on logos because it’s not one of the tools that you can drop into an envelope and send to your customers by itself.  For a start up,  it’s a building block that when combined with all the other marketing tools will set about doing the job of branding your company.

When used effectively, it becomes is the most highly recognized part of your marketing and advertising efforts.  The thought is that this branding will translate to increased sales and growth for your business. It’s a tried and true method used by companies large and small with tremendous success.

There’s always a question of when and how it should be created.  Some experts feel that you should invest in a professional logo design from day one.  Others think you should wait until your business is established to invest in a logo.  Here are some things to consider regarding how much you should invest in the logo whenever you decide to create your design.

Here’s a common scenario… You’re just starting out, maybe your budget is tight and you’re not sure if you should invest in graphic design services for your logo.  You have no graphic design experience, but how hard could it be, right? With all the off the shelf graphic design programs and royalty free clip images, you get the idea that you can use your computer to create a logo for your business.  Problem solved. Right?  Well…maybe not.  Before opting for this do it yourself (DIY) choice, please take a moment to think about your business, and your long term goals.

A poorly designed, low quality image may send the wrong message to potential customers.  There are a number of things to consider beyond the image itself.  Think of the impact your logo will have on your ability to do the kind of business you want to do, as well as the kinds of relationships that will be impacted by your logo design: 

1. First Impressions Last - Have you ever received a business card that was printed on the family ink jet computer? Think about how that made you feel when you saw it, versus how you’ve felt when you received a professionally printed business card.  Low quality, home printed materials are a good indicator that you’re a rookie who may not have the resources to obtain quality items.

It creates doubt in the minds of your customers. They think that if you don’t have the resources for professional printing, what else is missing?  It’s important to present a professional image and highlight your strengths to build confidence with your customers.  Remove as many doubts, blaring red flags and fears as possible about your business and your ability to handle the job.
A professional marketing package will take you a long way to reaching that goal.  Therefore your logo, coming out of the gate should be polished to present the best possible image for your company. Remember the saying: You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.

In essence, your logo will play a major role in setting the tone for your business and it should speak to the character, values and quality of the products and services you’re offering, as well as the audience you want to attract.  For example, if your business theme is happy, fun and carefree, that should be reflected in your logo.  If your logo design unintentionally sends the opposite message, you may miss the audience and the business opportunities you’re looking for.

2. The Long Haul - Over the life of your business, your logo will be placed on every marketing piece, every piece of letterhead, invoices, business cards, advertising, signs, billboards, apparel, proposals, business plans, your website and so much more. This is your brand, the icon used to identify your company.  It’s a unique combination of symbols, colors, and shapes that your customers, employees, the general public, and even your competitors will associate with the great experiences they have (or will have) with your company.  You want it to represent you well over the long haul.

3. Credibility – Even though money may be tight in the beginning, investing in a professional looking image  will go a long way toward seeing your business recognized and taken seriously by investors and those you intend to do business with.  Changing logos can be devastating for any business. Once your customers get used to seeing your logo and they make the connection between the symbol and your business, there’s no turning back.  Change the colors, change the background, but when you change the logo, you’re forcing your customers make the transition to learning what that represents all over again. In some ways, it’s like starting from square one.  When was the last time you saw a major brand change their logo?  You won’t see it much unless there is some catastrophe that is associated with a brand that makes it virtually useless.  Brands become intangible assets that companies spend a ton of money to maintain.

4. Pride… Not Embarrassment -  Think of how you feel (what descriptive words come to mind) when you see the logos of popular brands.  When I’m out riding in the car with my three year old grandson, he already recognizes “Toys R Us” from viewing their signage.  It brings a reaction that usually results in his asking me or his parents to visit the store.  This is  branding at its best.
Think of how you want your customers to feel when they see at your logo.  How will your employees feel wearing your logo or handing out their card with your logo imprinted on it?  When they look at your marketing materials, what feelings do you want them to have? Pride or anxiety? You certainly don’t want them to give out marketing materials with a low quality clip art design, do you?

Think of your business, and what you hope will come to mind when potential customers, investors and prospects receive your materials? Do you want them to think of descriptions like excitement, strength, integrity, stability, happiness, style, class, fun, tranquility, energy etc.  Or do you want them to anxiously smile and say something like, don’t call us, we’ll call you?  If you want to be recognized for the image you’re trying to project, consider these factors when selecting the method for creating your logo.  A great logo will work well to promote your business and will eventually stand on its own.  A low quality logo can make the most knowledgeable person seem lack luster.


5. Print-ability- When you think of how your logo will be designed (DIY or graphic designer) keep in mind that a professional designer will (or should) provide you with camera ready, color separated art files that can be taken to any printer that will handle your marketing materials.  This means that your logo will be created in a vector based program like Illustrator and ready for high quality printing.  Raster based programs will create images that result are low quality and when enlarged, will result in a stair step, pixel based image that has blurred, distorted edges.  Printing companies, including promotional product manufacturers will charge more to convert your files to a vector based format.

All things considered, that simple little symbol, shape or combination thereof along with colors, word choices, and fonts; when pulled together, says a lot about your business.  Make sure it says the right thing, and will illicit the responses you want from your customers when they see it.  Once you have a prototype, ask your team members, friends and family for feedback.  Ask them how they feel or for words that describe how they feel when they look at your logo. If there’s a match between your intentions and their impressions, you’re on the right track.

I can’t think of any instance where you would want to send a  message that says low quality, cheap or amateur if you’re trying to build and grow your business.  You don’t have to spend a fortune on your logo but you should invest time in finding a professional to create your design.  You should also have a general idea of the theme, color, fonts etc that you might want to use.  And by all means, consider the factors above before crafting this very important business tool.

Contact us for help with your next project! Stay in touch on Google+, Facebook and Twitter: Visit our website and Request a Quote.

Using Promotional Items to Gain More Leads at Trade Shows

How Promotional Items Work at Trade Shows

Promotional items are a wonderful addition to your trade show exhibit.  They work best when they are combined with other marketing activities to reach your target audience.

They work to hold your marketing message and keep it front and center in the minds of perspective buyers after the event ends.

Keep in mind that the best promotional items are ones that your prospects can use and see on a daily basis. for example, items that sit on desks, hang on walls and stick to refrigerators and file cabinets.  Items that hold family photos like magnets, picture frames, and clips work well for this.  If you need ideas, we can help!

Trade shows will be in full swing during the Spring and summer months. Use these tips to learn more about your customers, have fun and book more appointments.

1.Learn something about your potential customers. Ever had a burning question you always want to know about potential customers? Give away a promotional gift that is imprinted with your company brand in exchange for completing a survey. Make the survey available online for convenience and provide the ability to share the survey with colleagues. Give respondents an email confirmation when they complete the online survey. They can show you the email to receive the promotional gift when they visit your booth.

2. Keep it lighthearted. Make a promotional product part of a game or other fun activity that draws attention to your booth.  Nothing hard,complicated or unsafe, but make it fun and profitable at the same time. For example miniature golf, some form of bingo or trivia that ties into your product or industry.  

3. Make an Appointment. Give out promotional items to each person that schedules a free sales consultation.

4. Create a Sneak Peek. Offer a free sample to each visitor with a promotional item that has information on how to order the full sized product.

Contact us for help with your next project! Stay in touch on Google+, Facebook and Twitter: Visit our website and Request a Quote.

The Value of Goodwill in the Office and In Your Community

How Can You Get Involved?

Opportunities, in many instances are missed because the primary focus tends to be on enhanced relationships with customers only.  The focus has to shift to take advantage of opportunities to boost trust and goodwill with employees, suppliers, and others who make major contributions.  How much better could your organization be if you developed and fostered excellent working relationships with both internal and external customers?

Did you know that promoting goodwill can not only boost your organization’s likeability factor and overall image in the community, but it can also translate to additional earning power? There is no definite formula for success when it comes to fostering good relationships, but here are some easy steps you can take that will set you in the right direction.

1. Be an engaged, active participant in all your business relationships. Successful business relationships, like friendships require involvement from both parties.  Make it a habit to establish regular conversations and two way dialog with your employees, suppliers, vendors and other external resources, not just when you need an additional commitment from them.  Become a great listener and take action on items that need improvement.  
2. Don’t call on colleagues only when you need something.  Engage in goodwill by establishing a  two way dialog with colleagues by calling, having lunch or sending a card or note just to check in.
3. Offer positive feedback and compliments to those who exceed goals. If your employees have exceeded goals and made major contributions to your company's success, it’s customary to compliment and reward them on a job well done.  A kind word goes a long way boost the feeling of goodwill in the office that spills out beyond.  The opposite is also true. If everything is negative, that transcends the office as well.  Periodically express your gratitude for your employee’s hard work with an award or promotional gift. Promotional items like apparel, household items and electronics are popular gift items that say thank you for all you do!
4. Actively participate in community events. For example, here are some quick ways to make it happen: (a) Local elementary and high school sports programs regularly request and seek sponsors. Lots of sports programs have experienced funding cuts.  Contact them, they are likely to need your help. (b)The arts are also a popular choice and there are opportunities to sponsor plays, dance groups, art exhibits. as a way to build goodwill. (c) Look to add local artists’ work to the walls in your facility. Lobby areas can provide excellent backdrop and exposure for local artists.  (d) Health organizations also provide opportunities for participation in events that lead to improved health.   

Each time you participate in community events and your advertising is heard on local radio stations and seen on t-shirts, local bulletin boards, bumper stickers, signs, websites and public places, you are building goodwill.  Over time, customers become your best sales force, because they believe in your  company, not just in your products or services.  Partner with other small businesses to help with events. Local coffee shops, bakeries and music stores will often share event costs in exchange for being added to the advertising. 
Stay in touch on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. Visit our website and Request a Quote.

Salon Marketing Tip #2

Do You Love Your Customers?
Here are 10 Ways to Show It

February 14th is Valentine's Day, a holiday that celebrates love and is observed by exchanging flowers, cards, candy and gifts. It also presents an opportunity to reach out to customers and further enrich their experience with your company.

So, what are you doing to commemorate this holiday? How can you show your salon and spa customers that they are important? Here are some ideas that you can quickly implement that will make points with your customers and get potential customers into the door. If you need help, please contact us for more information.

Pick the best way to reach your customers,and choose a rock-solid message and promotional items (custom signs, novelty items, napkins, cups) that will polish the look of your facility and give customers a way to remember you after the event.

During the month of February consider these ten suggestions. You might combine these or partner with complimentary service providers to make the event even more spectacular!

1. Limited Offer - Have a time limited offer for day, week long or month events that include a special with a Valentine's Day theme.  Maybe a different special each week.  Offer print coupons in the shop and offer online specials on your website and/or Facebook page.

2. Promotional Giveaways - Visit our site and order heart shaped promotional items, or t-shirts in red with your logo to give each customer. Package the items in a nice bag or box. Give this special gift to customers.

3. Spotlight Couples - Highlight services for newly engaged couples and their wedding parties. Planning is in full swing for 2012 engagements. Spring and summer are popular for weddings. Services for couples could result in double the business.

4. Have Open House - Have an open house with free hair, manicure, make up and spa demonstrations or mini seminars on beauty and wellness tips. Provide a computer on site that allows customers to register for future events and provide their email address so that you can follow up with them.

5. Offer Free Samples - Provide free product samples, keepsake gifts and promotional items to your customers. Remember, that effective marketing means your prospects will remember your name and know where to find you after the event is over

6. Raffle or Giveaway - Hosting a Valentine's Day raffle or contest where you give away a dinner, a spa service, movie or event tickets and gift card or even a pamper gift basket.

7. Kid Friendly Giveaways - If you provide services for kids, include a kid friendly special or give away.

8. Complimentary Beverages and Snacks - Free refreshments hot and cold beverages, snacks, appetizers and hor dourves. Order custom napkins, drinkware and/or promotional items to give your customers.

9. Share the love! Offer free luxury services, or other specials and discounts for couples, or groups when members book services together on the same day. Great to attract offices, churches, teams, neighboring establishments etc.  Offer a group massage or service for your employees to recognize their hard work all year long.

10. Event By Design - This event should be designed to reward your best customers as well as customers that bring in great deal of referral business. An invitation only meet and greet event can provide a first glimpse for new products and services. An event that provides access free services that are different from the norm will make them feel special and possibly result in additional sales down the road. No matter what you decide on the reward, make it worth their while. Include plenty of freebies and/or free or reduced price items.

If the event is a success, you might consider doing it on an annual basis with some minor tweaks to keep it fresh and interesting. Ask for feedback from your customers on how the event went and things they would like to see in the future. If you haven’t begun already, start planning a Valentine's Day promotion with an incentive for existing customers to share the positive experience they had in your shop.

Video: How to Write a Business Plan

Have You Reviewed Your
 Business Plan Lately?

Business plans are your own personal road map that helps in decision making and in obtaining outside funding.  Once thought to be a one time deal, they are really an ever changing, ever evolving "living" document that makes it easier to navigate your business through the early years. If you haven't reviewed your business plan lately, or you think the process is too time consuming, the short video below from the SBA can help you get started.

If you wrote a plan to get your business started years ago and placed it on a shelf, it's time to dust it off and use it to set new goals and make improvements to your business. If you're just starting out, drafting a plan will help position your business for success. 

From a marketing perspective, you should put pen to paper to answer questions that indicate whether you have reached the sales and marketing goals set previously.  How can you improve this year? Are you using your resources in the most effective way? What are you doing to promote your business? Is your marketing effective? If not, what can you do to improve? What has changed in your business?  How's your competition doing? Are you using technology? If so, how has technology changed? How can you use it to automate and grow your business?

Here's a link to the SBA's Build Your Business Plan guided tool. This tool will allow you to look at all aspects of your business and allows you to save your plan and come back to it.  A business plan will be a great asset if you plan to approach investors and other funding sources.  No matter whether you've been in business for years or you're just starting out, it's a good idea to place an appointment on your calendar to revisit your business plan at least once a year, more often if possible.  

7 Tips to Keep Customers Motivated After the Holidays

Be Creative to Bring In
Customers After the Holidays

This article is written for salons and spas, but the concepts apply to any other industry that experiences a slump after the holidays.  

The New Year is full of promise and adventure for most people. Full of  resolutions and good intentions. Everyone is optimistic about the future.  

At the same time, the bills from the holidays have started to roll in and the reality of holiday spending has started to sink in. The new year can inspire salon customers to cut back on spending. Salon services may be seen as an not needed, especially in comparison to food, housing and gasoline. 

If they don't cut it out altogether, there may be a tendency to do it themselves (DIY) or spread the frequency of services out over a longer time. With these challenges, what's a salon owner to do? This is the time to do some planning and answer some initial questions that will help you balance out the peaks and valleys in sales. So the first question is what opportunities are available after the holidays that will bring in customers, that could be offered, even in December to make this time less stressful? Starting to think of the slow time before it happens will increase the likelihood that the slump will be a thing of the past.  

Here are some ideas to get you started: 

The month of January can provide some opportunities that may not be obvious.  There are always opportunities to connect with your customers each time they walk in the door. You can provide them with incentives that will ensure a steady stream of customers during this down time.  

1. Offer your customers a referral bonus for spreading the word to friends and family. If the person comes in for service, reward your customer.  For example, give them a promotional items like the ones shown in the picture that have the discounted service and a promo code on them. When a new customer refers the promo code they will receive the discount and so will the person who referred them. Tie it to a specific time frame that coincides with a slow time for your business.
2. January has New Year's Eve, which is a time that people want to look good. Offer a new year's eve special for everyone that comes in to obtain services during the last week of December. This will energize sales and set the stage for January.
3. January is also National Thank You Month and what better time to say thank you to your customers for their business! Saying thank you goes a long way toward gaining more business. Give out a promotional item as a thank you. The promotional items in perfect over other items because it doesn't double duty. It reminds customers of your business for brand recognition, and it's a great way to say thank you. As an added incentive, you could give a larger gift (grand prize) to the customer who brings in the most referrals.
4. It's also Book Blitz Month, and the perfect time (if your customers are into books), to have a Book of the Month, kind of like Oprah's Book Club where you have discussions about the book on certain days of the week.  Those activities can draw additional customers to the shop where they can be serviced while discussing the book.
5. February is a big month for couples with Valentines Day. Start planning your Valentine's Day specials. Maybe you want to offer specials for men and women.  Offer discounts if couples receive service on the same day. 
6. February is also American Heart Month, February 1 is National Wear Red Day. Order red t-shirts or heart shaped promotional items to give away to promote awareness. Sponsor a fundraising page and take pictures to post on your sponsor website. Have all your stylists wear red t-shirts with your own message and take pictures to post online.   Takes the Go Red for Women Challenge and forward the proceeds to the American Heart Association.
7. There are many weddings planned for Spring. In March, offer packages for the bridal party and mother of the bride... And the list goes on.

Advertise specials, events in social media like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  If possible take reservations, registrations or check ins on social media to provide a way to track your results.  Give customers a discount for "liking" your Facebook page. Use signs and posters inside your shop to advertise as well.

Once the new customers arrive, make sure to keep them motivated to return over the long term. Customers are trying to make the most of their moneyand if you keep this in mind and find ways to reach out to them, making it convenient for them to reach back you will never have a serious shortage of customers.

There are plenty of other opportunities to make a connection with customers during this down time. Use incentives like loyalty cards, gift certificates, and promotional giveaways. For more information please review our article Using Events to Market Your Business. 

Stay in touch on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or visit t our website and Request a Quote. 

Using Events to Market Your Business

Napkins, Cups and Signs are
Important Additions to Any Event

What better way to connect with customers than an in person event? Events can be hosted offsite or at your facility. They provide an opportunity to educate, interact, demonstrate and obtain feedback from your target audience. Remember, that effective marketing means your prospects will remember your name and know where to find you. Not only should you pick the right way to reach your customers, but you need to have a rock-solid message too. 

Ideas include using the event to kick off a marketing campaign or a product launch to gain even more mileage. Once you determine the event type that will work best for your campaign, you can begin planning. Choose an event that is open to the public or an invitation-only event for your VIP customers. Events are an excellent way to distinguish your business from the competition with a theme and message that packs a powerful punch. 

Examples of possible events include open houses, grand openings, product launches, holiday and occasion inspired gatherings, mini seminars, lunch and learn and live demonstrations, shopping parties, there are many ways to attract your customers to an event. Customer events, when geared towards education and appreciation, can pay off in terms of strengthening your ties to existing customers while uncovering new ones. 

To help you make the most of your event marketing efforts, here are a few things to consider:

Before the Event:
• Invitations: Mail or hand out invitations to customers and foot traffic. Include a direct marketing piece that will remind them of the event. Create an email invitation that can be sent and accessed by all email and social media followers. Servces like Mail Chimp provides templates that can be used to make creation and distribution easier. Using sites like eVite to send free invitations to all the folks on your email list can make things easier. Guest replies are tracked automatically, providing an accurate headcount. eVite also allows guests to invite more people to the event. 

• Build Excitement: By using targeted tweets, posts and social media methods to build anticipation. Consider developing special newsletters dedicated to the event and spotlighting key speakers, feature employees, highlight exciting news and presentations. Be sure your content addresses the entire event, not just your participation in it. 

• Order Promotional Items: Make a lasting impression after the event with plenty of promotional items, business cards, brochures and other printed materials that guests can take with them. Order items 6-8 weeks prior to your event. Allow more time during peak seasons and holidays.
        • Cups, Napkins and Plates: If you’re serving food and beverages at your event order printed cups, napkins and plates that displays the name of your company, how to reach you and the name of the event if wanted. 
        • Signs and Banners: Order banners and signs to advertise your event. To provide practical, tangible items that remind guests of the event, use thoughtfully selected promotional items in the colors that tie them to your theme.
• Sales and Discounts: Consider having a sale during the event. Offer discounts say for the first so many guests through the door. Print the sale information on brochures, cards, and brochures. Send offers via social media. 

During the Event:
• Registration: Allow tech savvy guests to use mobile check-in technology to eliminate snaking registration lines. Have staff available to handle check in and distribution for of any items you want each guest to receive. 

Tumblers, Wine Glasses and Cups

• Publicity: Use social media during the event, take pictures use posts to social media (Instagram and Pinterest for example) to provide visuals and capture video snippets for sharing on You Tube. Mobile check-in also allows you to connect with attendees during the event to let them know of breaking news, schedule changes and other show activities. Remember to make this an option for your attendees, as opposed to texting them without their consent. 

• Keepsakes: During the event, hand out promotional keepsakes that will remind your guests of the event and how they can reach you in the future. When selecting items use your knowledge of the target audience and relate to your theme. Choose items are tied to your business, for example a spa related item a promotional item like something for grooming, lotions, massagers, for a spa or think of things that will tie to your theme. Items that are useable after the event will contribute significantly to brand recognition and spreading the word to family, friends and more.

Plan to Recession-Proof Your Small Business

According to a report from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), 62% of small businesses are generating revenue (annual receipts) of less than $25,000.00 per year. That’s $25,000.00 in gross revenue, not profit.  Once expenses for overhead and other costs are deducted, the remaining profit can be as low as $9,000.00.  This means that more than half of all small business owners may not make enough to make ends meet. No wonder small business failure rates in the U.S. increased by 40% from 2007 to 2010.

There is no doubt that the recession has affected everyone in one way or another.  For many small business owners, the first reaction to dwindling sales is fear.  Fear has stunted growth in the economy resulting in limited hiring and expansion in some areas.  Fear and frustration has also caused some small business owners to throw in the towel.  It’s troubling because according to the SBA, small businesses employ more than half of the private sector worker force.  What has become painfully evident is that when small businesses fail, we all fail.

This is probably not the vision you had when you started your business.  But… you’re still here, you’ve survived, and while that’s a great accomplishment, it doesn’t resolve many of the issues that will improve your bottom line and ensure continued success.   

The big question is how has the recession affected your business?  Have you assessed any damage that may have occurred?  If your business was negatively impacted, do you have a plan to move from merely hanging in there to thriving and growing? What are you doing to promote your business and move it forward?  Do you think that marketing is important?

We specialize in helping companies with marketing and branding, as well as planning events, implementing programs and solving business problems with promotional items. 

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SMART Goal Setting for 2013

Business Card Magnets

As another year comes to an end, it's time to dust off your goals for 2012 and determine whether you reached the goals that were set. If you accomplished most of your goals, hat's off! That's a major accomplishment. If you didn't reach your goals, please look at why they weren't accomplished. And if they are still relevant for this year, put another plan in place to ensure that you will reach them this year. Another question to answer is what are you planning to do in 2013 that will make it better than 2012?

Goal setting has been described as the process of deciding what you want to accomplish and devising a plan to achieve the results you desire.

Many business owners would rather not participate in this part of planning. It requires taking a look at previous year's results and coming up with ways to improve. Most are good at coming up with ideas in their head but not putting pen to paper and going deeper. It also takes a lot of effort to keep track of your goals as the year progresses... unless of course you have a system that allows them to stay in front of you on a daily basis. 

It's easy to say for example, that you want your business to grow next year. Maybe you want to make more money, or gain new customers. Those are great aspirations, but how will you go about achieving them? How much is "more", or what kinds" of new customers would you like to gain? Do you have a plan? What about data from last year's sales? How will you know if you've done better from the previous year/quarter/month?

The hardest part of establishing meaningful goals in making them SMART.  If you haven't heard of smart goals, using this method is a great way to ensure that you will accomplish the goals you set. The other part of making sure you reach your goals is in making sure you review them on a regular basis.

The acronym stands for:

• Specific - instead of making general goals, be as specific as possible.
• Measurable - in the example of more customers, quantify the number of new customers you want to reach next year. 
• Attainable - make sure the goals are reasonable, something that is possible.
• Relevant - make sure the goals are relevant to what is happening now or at least within the time frame set.
• Time-Bound - set a deadline or time frame for reaching your goals. 

For example if you're a local mechanic, for the goal above, you might say I want to gain new customers in 2013.  To make it a SMART goal, you would say I want to service 50 new car owners that are between the ages of 30 - 50 that live within 10 miles of my business by first quarter, 3/31/13. 

Think of ways that you can improve your business during the coming year. Then get busy writing down your goals and incorporating them into a plan or process that will ensure that they will be met.  

What will make your company stand out among the rest? Will it be improvements to customer service, new products or services, new marketing methods, more interaction in the community?  

An idea for keeping your goals front and center throughout the year could be to place them on business card sized magnets like the one shown in the picture above. Placing the magnets on metal surfaces like desks, refrigerators, filing cabinets etc. will make sure that the message never leaves your mind.  You can also plan meetings to discuss goals with key staff throughout the year, at least once per quarter to make sure you stay on track. 

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