40 Percent of all promotional products are purchased in the last quarter of the year.  With the state of our economy this year, marketing budgets are shrinking for most businesses.  If your business is in the same boat, then the holiday season is your golden opportunity to hold on to the existing customers and gain new customers.  What you can’t afford a marketing budget? Here are a few suggestions, because your business can’t afford NOT to have a marketing budget for the holiday season.

• Plan ahead, start your holiday marketing planing NOW!
• Get creative with what little budget you might have
• Create your own ‘holiday gifts’, coupons, giveaway your own products
• Allocate your holiday budget now
• Place your order before the holiday rush so you’re not paying rush charges

In my years in the promotional business, this situation happens at least 2-3 times in December.  Clients decided they want to send a nice promotional product to their clients 3 weeks before Christmas, and they end up paying ridiculous rush charges.

Few years back we had a client that wanted 25 brass pens engraved  and delivered to their stock holders at the company Christmas party .  Normally this would be an easy job except the party is 72 hours away.  The cost of the pens with the rush charge was around $350 (over $10 a pen already), due to the holidays the manufacture couldn’t get the products in time for the party even with FedEx next day early AM delivery!   For $1,100  we few someone to the manufacturer’s facility, rent a car, pickup the pens and fly right back for delivery.

If your business can afford it great (a waste of your marketing budget), but a little early planing could of saved alot of money and trouble.

As materialistic as this may sound, your clients will appreciate your thoughtfulness.  The next time they’re looking for product or services, they WILL remember you.  Personally I pay extra attention during the holidays, I always remember which vendor takes the time to send me a little thank you note, or that little box of goodies to let me know that they want or appreciate my business.

Stay tune, some of our crew will be posting from now till the start of holiday seasons with great ideas that will give you the best bang for your budget!

A 'cutting edge' kind of business card

Spend a little time brainstorming what kind of message are you trying to project to your clients.  A little creativity can last forever, and this is so often overlooked when it comes to business cards.

I wonder how this creative business card taste?

In my business I give out and receive hundreds of business cards every year.  There’re always a few (not many) that I might not remember the information on it, but I remeber what it looks like and where to look for it when I need it!  If you can get your customers to remeber that little bit of information, then you’re already ahead of your competitions!

Not sure where to go?  Here’re a few more examples of business cards that I considered CREATIVE!!

This is one way to make your customer keep your business card

One way to keep your card OUT of the box of other business cards

Why give just one when you can give out the cards of the whole office staff!

Want some more creative business card ideas?  Or you think your business card is cool?  Drop us a note and share with our viewers

Cure for your common promotional products

The doctor is in!!  Tell us your symptoms, is it the economic blues?  Back to school fevers?  Halloween chills? or the Hurricane dizziness?  If you  think there’re no cure for any of these symptoms, you’re very wrong!!  The cure is everywhere, you just have to use your noggin a little.  You can find a good reason to promote and market you business every month and every season of the year if you just think outside of the box!

Are you client’s wallet being squeezed by the economic blues?  I think everyone’s business and their customers are all effected by it, regardless the size of their business.   What would be a better time to let your clients know you feel the same burden and you’re here to ’save them more money?’, ‘strech their budget‘, ‘ease their financial problems’ or simply to let them know that ‘you’re here for them!’  For a few bucks print up some creative business cards and mail them off with a hand written message, your customers will appricate it more then you think.

What are some cures to help your business through the next few months?  Back to school products, ever seen the credit card booth at the ‘back to school orientation’?  A free shirt or a water bottle can get a student to sign up for potential life-long debts,  imagine what can be achieved with a little more creativity!!

Halloween is right around the corner,  spend a few bucks and get some nice candy bags and stuff them with some sweet treats.  Let your clients know that your business is ‘all treats and no ticks!’   Make sure you send a message with your sweets, attach a business card message, customize a bag with your logo (if you a little budget to spend) or simply design some good looking stickers and stick them to the bag!  Your customer will most likely leave the treats on their desk to share with their friends and co-works and that means more exposure for your business!

Need more ideas? or got ideas to share?  Drop us a note!