Busy professionals give and receive business cards every day, and it’s usually the first impression someone has of us. And we don’t just hand cards to people directly; we staple, paperclip, tape, or toss into envelopes in ways that either cause the card to be destroyed when removed or be lost. Card-It has a solution. They offer a simple card punch that creates die-cut slits into which the corners of a business card are inserted. The punch is approximately 8.5×3.5″ and is a necessary addition to your office for only $29.95. Next time you send a potential client a brochure, flyer, thank-you card, proposal, contract, or invitation, be sure your card is securely attached and prominently displayed.
Blog
Expressionery.com supplies personalized stationery for everyday use
Expressionery.com offers unique stationery for every occasion. For everyday use, casual, seasonal, formal and fun notecards, paper, stamps, labels, and more, Expressionery.com left no stone unturned when designing their product line.
It’s more important than ever to send a note of thanks to friends and colleagues for a job well done. Now it can be sent in style, with a notecard that is sure to draw attention.
During the holidays and beyond December, a photo notecard capturing a fun moment is always a welcome sight among bills stacked in the mailbox.
Their monogrammed stationery is perfect for formal notes to colleagues and business professionals. Consider a set of notecards, stamp and labels.
Additionally, Expressionery.com has included accessories like book plates, calling cards, embossed napkins, and gift sets.
Having an event, shower, or party? They’ve made planning for business or otherwise fool proof by providing perfectly matched themes for impressing your guests.
Their website is fun and colorful, and easy to navigate. Be sure to check out their tips for writing thank yous or bereavement notes, how to teach kids to write cards and proper postal requirements. And personalizing your new stationery is a snap with dozens of patterns, images and fonts to choose from.
Promote the health of your brand and the environment
Earth Day, April 22, is observed in 175 countries and is celebrated by more than a half billion people every year. Earth Day is considered a day of action for changing human behavior and provoking policy changes.
Arbor Day, celebrated every year on the last Friday in April, encourages everyone to plant and care for trees. The customary observance is to plant a tree.
What does this mean for your business?
You can help encourage people to conserve and save our planet with eco-friendly giveaways. Many companies produce environment-friendly promotional products made of recycleable material that you can customize with your name and logo. Use these items as tradeshow giveaways or customer gifts.
Several promo product companies supply strictly environmentally responsible merchandise guaranteed to project your environmental goals.
Need ideas for products on which to emblazen your logo?
Pens and other traditionally plastic items made with biodegradable corn or recycled paper
Water bottles or travel mugs made from BPA-free plastic
Recycled paper notepads or Post-its
Toys like wooden yo-yos, recycled plastic flying discs, globe stressballs
Solar powered gadgets and chargers
Organic tote bags
Apparel made from organic cotton or bamboo, or recycled materials
Most promotional item companies will help you make decisions on environmental products that help communicate your choices and goals. Just be sure your logo is provided in the proper file format, usually as a vector file, so as not to incur additional setup fees from the promo company. If you’re not sure about your logo’s format, contact a graphic designer to review the proper file type with you.
What does Spot Color, Pantone and CMYK printing mean?
Clients frequently ask for a definition of Spot Color, PMS inks, and CMYK printing.
A spot color is a special premixed ink that is used in printing in addition to CMYK process inks, and requires its own plate on a printing press. Spot colors are used when only a few colors are necessary in a design and can accurately reproduce colors that are outside the gamut of process colors. They are not determined by altered color values or by color management, and follow a spot color matching system such as Pantone, Inc. Each spot color used will generate an additional spot color printing plate for a printing press, increasing printing costs. If you think your design may require more than four colors, consider printing the document using process colors (CMYK).
Pantone®, Pantone Matching System and PMS are Pantone, Inc’s standard trademarks for color standards, color data, color reproduction and color reproduction materials, and other color related products and services, meeting its specifications, control and quality requirements. Using Pantone colors will produce consistent color from more than one printer/supplier. Colors are normally referred to by a corresponding number on the Pantone palette.
CMYK stands for the ink colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, used in process color printing. CMYK is the standard color model used in offset printing full-color documents. When using the inks of these four basic colors, certain percentages of these colors can be added and subtracted to yield a variety of new colors. Combining 100% of all four colors together will yield black, while subtracting all the colors will yield white, or the color of the paper stock.
Keep your audience in mind when designing a logo
If you’re considering a new logo for your business or new product, keep your audience in mind. Often a business owner tries to choose a logo that is based on a private experience or personal preference, without giving mind to who they are marketing their services too.
Your logo design must be appealing to your target audience. Therefore, you must take some time to consider who your target audience is with the logo design. If you are targeting upper middle class business people, your logo design will be vastly different from a company that targets teenagers who like to skateboard. If your logo design fails to catch the attention of your target group, your business will likely be passed over for the competition.
But most importantly, the finished logo design is meaningless until your company can communicate to consumers, through marketing and networking, what its underlying associations are. It is a trigger that leads consumers to identify with and become loyal to your brand. But building that mental bridge takes time and money. The story of the Nike swoosh, an otherwise meaningless symbol, has been told through saavy marking and has transformed the logo into a symbol for an athletic lifestyle.
Designing is an intuitive process and interpreting a client’s vision can be a fun challenge. A graphic designer’s line of questions and method of consultation is designed to enhance the creative process and determine who you are targeting and how to tell your story.
Need inspiration for a memorable business card?
Ever wonder if your business card will stand out in a crowd? Check out these amazing business card designs incorporating clever layout ideas with customized shapes and paper choices.
Some cards are strictly novelty, but they all command your attention and it’s likely you’ll hang onto a card like this rather than send it to the circular file.
Small business first quarter marketing checklist
1) Define your marketing focus and vision for your business.
2) Develop an marketing plan that incorporates strategies for advertising, marketing and public relations.
3) Define your target market.
4) Define your marketing objectives and strategies.
5) Develop a unique selling proposition, compelling message and valuable offer to your target market.
6) Develop a contact management system.
7) Implement a system to track your marketing efforts.
8) Use the power of referrals as part of your marketing efforts.
9) Seek advice from a marketing consultant and business coach.
Clean, streamlined designs really make an impression
A business card, brochure, postcard, website, promotional items: What does each tell you about a business? Is there a common theme, and recognizable logo on each item? Does a professional, uncomplicated look help you decide where would you rather shop and which business you’re more likely to trust?
When customers trust your business, they believe you are more likely to deliver products and services with honesty and integrity, and they believe they will have an overall pleasant experience. They will likely tell a friend about that experience.
The mission of your logo, stationery, website, and marketing materials is to express credibility. Your customers need to feel they are choosing an established company who they can believe in and rely on. Your professional, clean, coordinated look should appear on everything a prospective customer sees.
If your materials appear too cluttered with mixed messages, disconnected by using too many colors and fonts, or unbalanced, it’s time to hire a designer to create a professional look for your business. Create a reason to believe in your company by paying closer attention to your company’s appearance, and your customers will have an easier time deciding who to trust.
Seacoastonline.com running FREE classified ads
Seacoastonline.com website has two FREE classified ad options for items for sale. This could be great for a someone who is moving, spring cleaning, etc.
Follow the link below to place your free ad. In the lower right in the category Everything Else, click on For Sale/Free
http://marketplaceonline.com/smg/
They have two free options – one for selling items under $100, and one for selling items under $500. Both run in the paper and list online. What a great deal!