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July 14, 2011

Quick & Easy Printable Pool Party Invitations

Filed under: Seasonal & Special Events Ideas — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Aqua Splash Casual InvitationsSummer time is a great time to get together with friends and family and have a good time. When planning out a full blown pool party you’ll definitely want to have great printable pool party invitations to send out so everyone you know will have the opportunity to get together and enjoy a great time. By having printable invitations you can have full creative control over every part of the process enabling you to make the invitations you want and have them when you want them.

Pool parties are very casual, laid back occasions where fun is the primary purpose. Having very casual invitations that look like fun are a great way to start off the event because it puts everybody in the right mindset. WhilePoolside Casual Invitationspool parties aren’t usually known for a lot of food, having munchies and other comestibles around is expected. Even though it doesn’t really much matter if you have too much food left or even run out a little early, if you want to make sure you’ve got plenty you may want to include a response card in with the printable pool party invitation so you’ll have a good idea of how many people are actually going to be there. That way you’ll know you’ve got enough food and beverages for everyone, plus if someone has any specific dietary needs, such as gluten intolerance, you can accommodate them as well.

Beach Balls Casual InvitationsWith printable pool party invitations, it becomes very easy to get the exact invitations you want. Starting with cool invitation blanks, you download the template for your favorite word processor and half the battle is over. All that remains is to place a graphic or even a photo if you want, set the text with the time, date, location and anything else you want to add to set the theme. Once it looks like what you want on the screen, simply hit the print button and watch as your invitations appear out of your printer. If you’re using fold over invitations, simply fold it up, put a stamp on it and hand it to your mail person and you’re already done.

A pool party doesn’t take a lot of planning or a lot of set up and with printable pool party invitations, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to have a great invitation put together either. Fun is the point to a pool party and putting together the invitations is fun too.

July 12, 2011

Unique Flyer Design Ideas That Compliment Your Message

Filed under: Marketing & Sales Promotion Techniques — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

For Sale Border PaperFlyers can make up the backbone of a very effective marketing campaign if done right. Using a unique flyer design to enhance and power advertising at conventions, trade shows and even parking lot blitzes can push your business into an entirely new level. To make it work though, several things have to work together. Here are a few things you’ll want to consider when putting together a flyer based marketing campaign

–    Flyers give you the opportunity to put a lot of information onto a single sheet of paper. However, keeping that message clear and consistent with all the other parts of your marketing is essential. Make sure other parts of your campaign reinforce and reiterates what is being placed on your flyer.Marquee Border Papers –    Using a graphic or photo to illustrate the message on your flyer is a great way to make it eye-catching and to reinforce your message.
–    While using a slick flyer is a little more expensive, using them as a part of your unique flyer design makes the text and colors pop better.
–    Plan out your design carefully. You’ve got some options on execution, using the entire pages as a single block, breaking up the page into sections or even a combination of both by using both sides.
–    Using both sides of a flyer is a little unconventional. You’ll want to make sure the quality of paper used doesn’t show through one side to the other which can make Wine Glasses Border Papersyour flyer hard to read.
–    Take advantage of “dress up” tools in your word processor. These enable you to make tables for your sections and put borders around them so you’re boxing off sections of text to contain a specific point or thought such as contact information or a product push.
–    When using color flyers, using reverse color/text combinations in a block pulls the eye to that area
–    This same contrast in a black and white flyer (doing white text in a black box) accomplishes the same task

There are a lot of great flyer design ideas out there. Try to remember the last few flyers you’ve received and see what parts of those unique flyer designs made you remember them. This will enable you to bring forward those ideas and concepts to incorporate in your own flyers. Flyers can be extremely effective sales tools so take a look and see how you can take advantage of flyers in your next marketing campaign.

July 11, 2011

Need Inspiration? Try These 10 Creative Business Card Design Tips

Filed under: Designing Your Business Communication — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am
Lighthouse Business CardsHere are some business card design tips that will help you create an attractive, appealing business card that lets others know who you are and what your business is all about:
  1. Use vibrant colors to pique interest or emphasize something but no more than 3-4 different colors
  2. Use colors from your logo or other marketing materials
  3. Only include a photo if it’s a very good one of you and appropriate
  4. Avoid the use of clip art on your business card—use images that are unique to you and your business
  5. Keep the colors, style and language consistent with your website and other marketing materials
  6. Text should be aligned left; centered text is sometimes difficult to read and put text on front of card only
  7. Avoid unusual, difficult-to-read fonts, font that is too small, or more than one or two fonts and avoid light-colored font
  8. Keep the information clean and simple. Avoid visual overload such as maps, multiple locations, appointment information, etc. Folded business cards are an excellent choice when you have a great deal of information to convey.
  9. Make sure your business card design matches the overall theme of your business.
  10. Don’t deviate from the standard size and shape of business cards (3.5 x 2”) so it fits into most wallets, business card holders and business card scanners

If you follow these simple business card design tips, you may notice more

customers and clients coming through your doors.Paper Direct has a full line of business cards and business card holders. Please shop online today at www.paperdirect.com to find all your paper office needs.

July 7, 2011

Cool Teenage Birthday Party Themes

Filed under: Seasonal & Special Events Ideas — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Music Festival Casual InvitationDepending on the person, birthdays can either be the most awesome day in the world, or the most dreaded. For teenagers, it’s a toss-up, but most teens really enjoy having a cool party for their birthdays. While getting together with friends and family and doing the cake and presents thing, throwing a teenage birthday party with a theme takes the totally cool party factor to the next level. And with all the great theme ideas, regardless of the birthday person’s interest, you’ll be able to come up with a cool party that they’ll love.

Having a great theme party is actually quite easy. First, ask what is the teenager’s main interest? Once you know that, then putting together a teenage birthday party based on that theme is going to be a breeze. If they’re into sports then having a party based on the sport is as simple as getting decorations of their favorite sport. Not only can you get Home Plate Casual Invitationpennants for the wall, but there are napkins and plates for all the different sports as well.

Not only that but having a specialty cake made like a football, baseball, golf ball, tennis ball or soccer ball is something bakeries do every day. Even sheet cakes that look like the ball field with the proper goals or nets can be made very easily.

While sports themes are easy to do, so are a lot of other teenage birthday party themes. Music themes with cakes shaped like guitars or other musical instruments and musical note decorations makes for a great party. Other great birthday party themes are those based on favorite video games and TV shows or movies. There are all kinds of totally cool decorations for game and movie based parties available and having a bunch of friends over to play the game or have a movie marathon is an awesome way to make a memorable birthday.At The Movies Casual Invitations

Regardless of what the teenager is into, a great birthday theme party idea is just a step away. With a little planning, sending out some great invitations, especially for a surprise party, and some cool decorations, not only will the birthday honoree have a great time but the guests will too. Themed parties gives everyone a central focus for the party and being able to have a party that everyone gets into, participates in and has a really great time at is definitely going to be a party to remember. Check out all the great themed invitations, decorations and cakes and make the next party the party everyone wants to be at.

July 5, 2011

How to Make Your Own Place Cards

Filed under: How-To Videos — PDWriter @ 2:30 pm


Place cards are a great way to take care of seating arrangements at wedding receptions, birthdays and dinner parties. Being able to make your own place cards enables you to control exactly how many cards you need and to make changes and corrections if needed. Making your own place cards isn’t a difficult prospect at all, especially with all the great tools you have available.

First, you’ll pick out the place card blank you want and with the dozens of great choices available you’ll find ones that will suit any occasion. Once you’ve received your blank cards, you’ll download the template for your favorite word processor which makes laying out the names and table numbers a breeze. After you’ve gotten the text laid out like you want, you’ll simply load the blank place cards into your printer and click the print button. In a matter of minutes you’ll have completed a job that used to be extremely tedious to do or expensive to have done for you and will have an absolutely perfect result.
With all the great blanks and the custom template, you’ll not only save money by making your own place cards, but being able to control the entire process means you can have great looking place cards that are exactly what you want. No more waste, no more waiting and no more concern your place cards won’t be right. Making your own place cards is definitely a great way to take care of one aspect of your wedding, birthday or dinner plans with ease.

Door Hanger Marketing – Does It Work?

Filed under: Marketing & Sales Promotion Techniques — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Brights Door Hangers StockYou know exactly what door hangers are. You’ve come home from work and had one hanging on your door, usually from the local pizza place, maybe from a church inviting you to attend or even from a local store running a sale. Sometimes you get a door hanger that has a sample product in it like cologne or even laundry detergent. Door hanger marketing is a very powerful tool and more and more companies are turning to it to boost their sales.

Door hangers have a lot of potential in a lot of different ways. Aside from the sample packs in hanging bags, simple door hangers can be the most effective marketing tool in your arsenal. Not only can door hangers provide a lot of information about your business, but they can be used to deliver sales incentives as well.Brights Door Hangers Stock

Since door hangers do have two sides, there is a lot of real estate to put information on. Not only can you put the store location, but you can put product information, sales blurbs, or even an invitation to visit the store. For instance, if you’re opening a new business, running a door hanger marketing campaign announcing the grand opening with refreshments, etc. can be a very powerful way to open the doors and get the information to people that a new business is opening.

Using door hangers as sales incentives with coupons or discounts if they bring in the door hanger works in a couple of ways. One way, yoPerfectly Plain Door Hangersu get the person to order product with the coupon which allows you to track how many people are using it or the other way is when they bring in the door hanger, you can count how many you receive back. This gives you a great way to track just how well your marketing campaign is working.

And a campaign like this isn’t expensive either. Door hangers are relatively inexpensive to start with and hiring people to canvass neighborhoods hanging them isn’t terribly expensive either. On the whole, door hanger marketing campaigns are the most cost effective and easiest ways to attract customers and build business.

July 1, 2011

8 Unique and Personal Bridesmaid Gift Ideas

Filed under: DIY Invitation Ideas — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

YouFrame® KitWeddings are a truly special time in a person’s life, whether you’re the bride or you’ve been invited to be a bridesmaid. And while being a bride is definitely a challenge, being a bridesmaid is a challenge as well. Having to help the bride get everything ready, get dressed, throw the bachelorette party, help with the planning and execution of the wedding are all things bridesmaids have to do. This means finding the right gifts for the bridesmaids as tokens of appreciation is important. Bridesmaid gift ideas may seem like a challenge, but there are lots of great ideas that everyone will appreciate.

One thing you’ll want to do is make sure none of the bridesmaids feel that they aren’t getting the same quality of gift as the others. This means the gifts for the bridesmaids all need to be the same. Here are some great ideas for your bridesmaid gifts.

  1. Having jewelry like a necklace or bracelet engraved with the bridesmaids names on Piano Wood Clock by PaperDirectthem make great gifts
  2. One little gift that makes for a cute memento is a wedding snow globe, especially if the wedding is in the winter
  3. Before the wedding, treating all the bridesmaids to a spa day makes for a fantastic get together
  4. Personalized bags and totes filled with a lot of little gifts like perfumes and cosmetics makes for great gifts
  5. Jewelry boxes engraved or etched with the bridesmaid’s names makes for totally cool presents
  6. Picture frames and picture boxes make for great gifts as well
  7. Personalized compacts make for sweet presents for bridesmaids
  8. An engraved pen and pencil set is nice also

There are lots of other ideas and variations on a theme with bridesmaid’s gifts. You’ll be amazed at just how cool some of the gifts are and at how inexpensive some of the coolest bridesmaid gift ideas actually are. Being a bridesmaid is quite an honor and giving them gifts as mementos of the occasion is truly a nice way to express your appreciation for all the help and friendship they provide.

June 29, 2011

Ideas for Student Classroom Rewards

Filed under: Student Recognition Ideas — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Citizenship Award Casual CertificatesOne thing teachers know is that keeping kids motivated can be a real challenge.  While bigger kids are beginning to understand the need for their education and aren’t quite as hard to motivate, little kids can be very difficult to keep in the groove. That’s where having classroom rewards comes into play so the kids have a goal to achieve and something to shoot for. While having perks and little gifts for the whole class helps, having special awards to encourage excellence does a much better job.

Classroom rewards that students know about On The Spot Certificatesare one thing. Having coupons and certificates they can shoot for gives them a goal that they can see and if the coupons can be traded in for product at the school store, that gives them a tangible reward for their efforts. Kids love to see tangible progress towards a goal and having coupons and award certificates that they know they can win or work their way towards is a very powerful tool to help keep them motivated.

However, award certificates that they don’t know about such as awards for excellence are the ones that they appreciate the most and that can be a way to motivate that student to even higher goals. When students receive awards like these, especially in front of the entire school at a PTO meeting or some other group setting, not only do they get the recognition they deserve but everyone gets to see them get that recognition. This will encourage others to try to achieve that level of quality so they can receive awards like that as well.

Science Award Casual CertificatesAward certificates like these are easy to make and are inexpensive as well. As tight as school budgets are, it would seem that a good place to save money would be in a recognition program like this, but being able to have inexpensive awards that fit within even the tightest budget. Simply pick out some great certificate blanks and download the template for your favorite word processor and set up the text and graphics you want. Being able to customize awards for specific achievements enables teachers and administrators to give students the awards they deserve without killing the budget in the process.

Giving kids the recognition and classroom awards they deserve with award certificates and other incentive programs keeps kids engaged and striving for better goals. Not only will the kids appreciate the awards, but the parents will appreciate the fact that they don’t have to push the kids to do homework. Recognition programs in the school can be a motivating factor that works better than any other method.

June 22, 2011

Need A Creative Award? Try A Recognition Lapel Pin

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Employees appreciate being appreciated by the company they work for. While certificate awards are definitely morale boosters and plaques and trophies look great on the wall or shelf, there really isn’t a way an employee can carry it around with them to show others they’ve been honored. However, if you give recognition lapel pins as an award or as an addition to the award they receive, they can put that on their lapel and go anywhere with it.

Recognition awards not only validate the employee and show the company appreciation for them, but anyone who sees the certificate award, plaque or trophy can see that the company does pay attention to how well employees are doing. Whether it’s an award for achievement such as a Five Year Employment Award or an award specifically for appreciation of performance like an Employee Of The Year Shooting Star Above Beyond Pin by PaperDirectAward, employees are inspired to do their jobs better and more effectively because of them. But having a lapel pin that the employee can wear every day keeps that encouragement at a higher level because other employees see that lapel pin and know what it means.

With all kinds of great lapel pin styles available and being able to have custom pins means employees can have a pin for virtually any recognition occasion. From Team Achievement Awards to Service Awards, there are designs that will enable your employee recognition program to go to an entirely new level. As powerful a tool as employee recognition programs are, you want yours to be the best.

VIP Puzzle Piece Pin by PaperDirectEmployee recognition programs serve a dual purpose. They’re designed to show corporate appreciation for employees that deserve to be recognized and they’re designed to help boost morale amongst the other employees as well. Having a recognition program that is capable of using certificate awards, recognition lapel pins, plaques and trophies as well as other incentive based awards gives them a very flexible and powerful tool in keeping employees happy. While a raise is always nice, being shown recognition and appreciation by the company may mean even more to employees.

Seeing all the awesome recognition lapel pins that are available will definitely give you ideas about how to incorporate them into your recognition program. You’ll like how they look, you’ll like what they represent to your company and your employees will love them when they receive them as part of a recognition ceremony. Take your employee recognition program to an entirely new level with lapel pins to drive employee morale.

June 16, 2011

Need Help With Graduation Invitations Wording? Start Here

Filed under: Seasonal & Special Events Ideas — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Graduation Party InvitationsWhen it comes time for graduation, friends and family alike want to be a part of the celebration. Being able to watch your friend or relative walk across the stage at Commencement and receive a diploma is one of the proudest times you’ll ever experience. Having great graduation invitations to send out not only gives the invitees the information they need so they can be present, but with the right invitation wording, it can also show everyone just how happy and proud you are of graduating.

When it comes to putting together that perfect graduation invitation, you’ll want to start with a great invitation blank. Having an invitation you really like gives you a great foundation to work from. Once you download the template for your word processor, you’ll be able to sit down and get the wording and layout exactly how you want. You’ll be able to place graphics or even photos or the school logo and add another level of elegance to your invitation as well.

Baccalaureate Casual InvitationsGetting the invitation wording right is more than putting in the school name, the location where the graduation ceremony will take place, and the time and date. Granted, those are important pieces of information to disseminate, but a graduation invitation means so much more. Here are a few phrases that you can include that show some of the pride and happiness that surrounds a graduation.

–    We the class of 2012 are proud to present John Smith who is graduating from Yale on the fifth of June, two thousand twelve at 7 o’clock in the evening at the stadium.
–    As the proud parents of John Smith, we would like for you to share our happiness of his achievement. He will be graduating from Georgetown High School on June 5th,, 2012 at 7pm in the Georgetown High School auditorium.
–    OFinishing Touch Invitationsn June 5th, 2012 at 7pm at the Georgetown High School Auditorium, we the parents of John Smith would like to have you share the happiness his graduation.

There are lots of other ways to say just how meaningful this occasion is, but being able to have full control over the process means you can change things until you get the wording for your graduation invitation exactly how you want it. Being able to share such an auspicious occasion with friends and family compounds the emotions and happiness of the day, and great invitations eschew just how auspicious that day truly is.

June 15, 2011

Finish Your Certificate Awards Elegantly With Certificate Seals

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas,How to Design Certificates — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Academic Excellence Deluxe Embossed Foil SealsOne way to enhance your employee recognition program is by giving certificates to well deserving employees. With all the great blank certificates available you can give a certificate for virtually any occasion and finishing them off with a certificate seal adds that extra layer of “atta-boy!” and validation to the entire process.  While certificates are great things to receive as an employee, receiving one that has a seal on it are received as being a bit more ‘heartfelt’ by the company as ones that aren’t.

Making certificate awards for achievements and successes is actually an easy and inexpensive way to boost employee morale and show them just how much they’re appreciated. Adding certificate seals to awards you’ve designed and printed on great certificate award blanks makes them look totally professional as well. This means you can use your favorite word processor, download the free template for your certificate award, custom print one for each employee to be honored and apply the seal. Not only will you have an award that the employee will be proud to receive but you’ll save a ton of money in your employee recognition budget as well.

Having certificates made for you can be a laborious and expensive process. You have to Quality Deluxe Embossed Foil Sealshave the employee names and the certificate wording at the print shop weeks in advance of the ceremony in case there are errors that have to be fixed. And you have to rely on the print shop scheduling so you know you’ll have them in time. Also, their certificates, while not any better quality are certainly more expensive. Plus, you’re usually forced to accept whatever design they’ve got available. Keeping the job in-house means you’re not restricted by the limitations of a print shop.

By keeping complete control over how the certificate looks, how it’s worded and being able to control when they’re printed enables you to make sure you’re able to give exactly the certificates you want. If there are errors they can be instantly corrected and having total control over the layout means you can put the certificate seal anywhere you want on it.

Another great thing is being able to put different seals on certificates to enhance differences in them. They can be used to separate achievement from recognition awards, can be used to make certificates different for times of year they’re give or for any other difference that you want.

Star Employee Deluxe Embossed Foil SealsCertificate seals take giving certificate awards to an entire new level. Between enhancing the options you have in giving awards but it adds a new level of appreciation for the recipient. The awards look far more professional and everyone who receives one or that sees it will think they look awesome. Check out all the great blank certificate and certificate seals and see how you can use them in your recognition program.

June 14, 2011

Do Direct Mail Postcard Campaigns Really Work

Filed under: Marketing & Sales Promotion Techniques — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Fresh Tulips PostcardsEvery business is looking for a cost effective direct mail marketing campaigns. But dollar for dollar, regardless of what type of campaign is used, the most cost effective campaign is the direct mail postcard. The great thing about a postcard campaign aside from its inexpensive cost is the fact it’s easy to implement as well.

Postcards are very inexpensive to produce. Even having three color printing on slick postcards is less expensive that almost every other direct mail marketing available. Carnival PostcardsAnother great aspect of postcard marketing is the fact that the post office gives a special rate to postcards. And with bulk rate postage, that expense is even cheaper. Between the cost of the post card and the postage, direct mail postcard campaigns can be less than half the cost of brochures or flyers.

Postcards are easy to layout and design too. There are two areas that are available for ad space: The front and half of the back area. While it is possible to put some things in the address area, it is usually frowned upon by the post office and overlooked by the recipient anyway, so it isn’t suggested. As for the available areas, a lot of information can be put on them, doing something colorful with pictures or graphics on the blank side is a good  approach to take with sales verbiage placed across from the address area.

Luau PostcardsOnce the postcard is printed and ready, either running it through a laser printer or applying labels is a snap. Since they don’t have to be folded or sealed, handling time is at a minimum saving labor cost as well. Hundreds or even thousands of postcards can be processed through in just a few hours depending on the method used.

All in all, postcards are seen as a very powerful marketing tool. Even postcards that people don’t want right off the bat do get looked at since the card is such a simple device. That means your message gets seen and if it’s effective enough, keeping a postcard is as simple as sticking it in a pocket. Take a look and see if a direct mail postcard marketing campaign will work for your business. You’ll be surprised at how effective it is.

June 10, 2011

Wedding Menu Cards Wording Suggestions

Filed under: DIY Wedding Accessories — Tags: , , , , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am
Loops Flat Menu Cards

After the wedding, especially top end weddings, the reception is generally catered. Caterers at these weddings pull out all the stops to provide a wide variety of beverages, meals, and desserts for the guests. Many times there is a full evening including hors d’oeuvres, a three course meal, and dessert afterwards. Guests at receptions of this caliber are generally seated via place cards and are supplied with menu cards so they can select their preferences for the meal. You will want to pay special attention to the wording of your Wedding Menu Cards.

Stylish Flat Menu Cards

Wedding menu wording is relatively simple. At the top are placed the names of the happy couple. The Wedding Menu Card wording can include “Menu for the Wedding of” or something similar and can include the date of the wedding. After that, aside from the headings to separate the different sections of the meal, all that is on a menu are the items offered.

To keep the theme of the wedding consistent, it’s a very good idea to make sure the styling and fonts used on the invitations and the wedding program are carried over to the place cards and the Wedding Menu wording. This adds a touch of class to the entire occasion as every detail matches.

Estate Flat Invitations by PaperDirect

By using blank invitations, wedding programs, place cards, and menu cards, the planner can print your own with a minimum of effort. This gives you a level of control over all aspects of the wedding you won’t have any other way. This means if the caterer has to change an entrée or dessert at the last moment, corrections can be made and new menu cards can be printed with none of the guests the wiser. Templates are available as free downloads for all of these items which makes putting them together a breeze.

Wedding planners, caterers, and all of the other people who are involved in a society wedding have to interact together in a carefully orchestrated dance so your wedding comes off perfectly. Having the wedding menu wording come out perfectly is just one detail in a myriad of others, but an important one, nonetheless.

June 9, 2011

Tips for Hosting a Baby Shower

Filed under: Seasonal & Special Events Ideas — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Serendipity Blue Casual InvitationsBaby showers are a great way to honor the mother to be and to celebrate a new life coming into the world. If you’re in the process of planning a baby shower for a friend or relative, then you know it can be a bit on the confusing side because of all the things that need to be taken care of. While not quite as complex as a wedding, baby showers still takes thorough planning so everything comes off perfectly for the new Mom. And, as with any other well planned affair, you’ll want to start with custom baby shower invitations.

Of course, you’ll sit down and make a list of everyone who should be attending. This will include all the friends and family of the mother to be. You’ll want to discreetly check to see if anyone else needs to be invited as well. Once the guest list is put together, you’ll send out the invitations. Being able to get baby shower invitation blanks to customize means you can make them exactly how you want. Not only can you define the time and Little Ones Casual Invitationsdate and location for the shower, but you can include information as to a gift registry if the mother is registered. This helps guests know what has been purchased for the baby and will give them ideas as to what needs to be purchased.

Once the baby shower invitations have been sent, you’ll want to purchase some type of decorations. While they don’t have to be ostentatious, having streamers and some other baby related decorations definitely adds to the festivities. If the sex of the baby is known then you can use decorations with the appropriate color, pastel blue for a boy, pastel pink for a girl. If the baby’s sex isn’t known, then mixing the pink and blue makes for a very attractive décor.Celestial Casual Invitations

While not totally necessary since most baby showers foods are munchies and soft drinks, when you send out the invitations, you may want to send a response card as well. That way you’ll know exactly how many people are going to show up. Again, this isn’t a requirement, but more of a convenience for the one planning the event so they’ll have an idea of how much food to have on hand, what extra supplies they may need and how many chairs to track down so everyone can be seated. Baby showers are usually very fun and very boisterous times to celebrate the coming of the new baby. Start off the festivities right with great custom baby shower invitations.

June 8, 2011

Always Reward Employees who Consistently Deliver Outstanding Results

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Star Gala Specialty CertificatesAll companies like the good employees, but companies also want to find ways to encourage and uplift all employees to that same level. And in today’s economy, human resource department’s area always trying to find ways to make sure the good employees stay with the company and also find ways to encourage other employees to do better. By having an employee recognition program that rewards employees who are good and motivates other employees to become better, you can “kill two birds with one stone” as it were.

You want to find ways to reward good employees for their efforts. Giving them award Triumph Specialty Certificatescertificates that they can hang on the walls of their office or set on their shelves or credenzas not only reminds them of the recognition they’ve received, but other employees that see them will get the encouragement that they too can receive those same awards. But there are other ways to show appreciation for effort and motivate other employees as well.

Mentions in the corporate newsletter are good ways to boost morale and give recognition. Even verbal mentions during team and corporate meetings are good morale boosters. Thank you cards for a job well done are very positive ways to show employees their efforts are appreciated. And even perks like early Traditional Antique White Parchment Standard Certificateslunch or a preferred parking place are good ways to express appreciation and encourage productivity. There are lots of ways that companies and HR departments can motivate employees and show good employees that their work is appreciated.

The best part of these ideas is the fact that they are relatively inexpensive. With blank certificate templates and a little creativity, not only can you reward employees for good work, but you can also create certificates that motivate as well. “Most Improved” and “Great Progress” certificates encourage employees to continue to build on their gains and helps them to become the great worker all companies need. Building on success with encouraging awards and rewards makes for happier employees as well.

Take a look at all the different ways you can reward good employees and to encourage others to progress. You can develop a very successful employee recognition program that doesn’t have to have a huge budget. You’ll find that employees are happier, more productive and easier to worth with and that’s the kind of results everyone appreciates.

June 3, 2011

Wedding Place Cards Etiquette

Filed under: DIY Wedding Accessories — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Jardin Place CardsAs the day for your wedding comes closer, you’re getting more nervous about how well everything is going to come off. You’ve put hours and hours into planning out every step of the way, trying to make sure that not only is it going to be a memorable day for you, but that all of the guests are going to be happy with the day as well. However, people being people, some simply don’t get along or you’ve got people you want to have sitting together at the reception, but you don’t want to hurt feelings either. So paying attention to wedding place cards etiquette can make sure feathers don’t get ruffled.Inspire Folded Place Cards

The first step to get everything right is to send out invitations with RSVP cards. These are important so you’ll know exactly who is going to come to your wedding and who will be at the reception. By having the RSVP cards, you’ll be able to put together a seating arrangement to minimize conflicts and to enhance interaction and conversation. Once you have your guest list put together, here are a few things to keep in mind when putting together the wedding place cards.

–    Put the person’s full name on the card. This enables people who don’t know each other to be able to break the ice without having to have a long round of introductions.
–    Spouses should be seated at the same table, but apart from each other. This spurs conversation, and alternating males and females at a table is common.
–    Couples that attend the reception that aren’t married are traditionally seated at separate tables.
–    Put the place card at the top of the plate or over the napkin.
–    Bi-fold place cards should have the person’s name on both sides.
–    Place cards are usually the size of a business card.
–    Using the same font on the place cards as you use on the menu and on the wedding program keeps everything thematically correct

Ribbon of My Heart Place CardsWhen going through the planning process, being able to have a tool like place cards means you’ve got control over how things are going to go at the reception. Place cards may seem like a small detail, but following wedding place cards etiquette will mean you’ll be able to be comfortable that your wedding reception is going to be as much of a success as the rest of your wedding.

June 2, 2011

6 Irresistible Baby Shower Invite Ideas

Filed under: Seasonal & Special Events Ideas — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Celestial Casual InvitationsTraditionally, a few months before a baby is born, friends and family will get together and have a baby shower for the prospective mother. The person who is hosting the party is usually the one putting all the details together and sending out the invitations. Having totally cute and irresistible baby shower invitations not only lets people know that the mother is actually having a baby if they didn’t know but also encourages attendance and participation. Here are some cute baby shower invitation ideas that definitely build interest:

1.    Nothing beats traditional graphics like baby bottles and rattles or even a cute little baby drawing to get the point across that it’s an invitation to a baby shower.
2.    Using a crayon scrawl font to set up the text is a neat touch.
3.    If the sex of the baby is known, using the appropriate colors is a great way to let guests know so they can buy gifts for the baby to be.
4.    Don’t forget that stuffed animals look cute on an invitation as well
5.    Of course, there’s the obvious. Since it’s a baby shower invitation, why not have umbrellas on it. It is a shower after all.
6.    Baby shower invites that have the shape of a diaper, a onesie or even a bib makes for a cute way to invite people.

Being able to print your own baby shower invitations means you can put exactly what text you want on it. Aside from the time, date and location of the shower information, if the Mom is registered at a store, you can include that information so guests can check out the registry and see what still needs to be purchased. Plus, if there’s going to be any particular theme to the shower, then you’ll be able to include that information as well. With templates you can download for your word processor, you’ll be able to get it looking perfect without a lot of effort at all.

Serendipity Blue Casual InvitationsBaby showers are a great time to get together with friends and family for a happy occasion that everyone enjoys. Having a neat invitation lets everyone have a smile knowing that a new baby is on the way and gets ideas flowing about what to give for shower gifts. When planning out that great baby shower,  you don’t want to have the same invitations everyone else uses so taking the time to find unique baby shower invitations ideas not only gives the guests something neat as an invite, but the Mom to be will feel extra special because of that extra effort.

June 1, 2011

Consistency is Key for Employee Recognition Programs

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Magnitude Specialty CertificatesWhen it comes to having an effective employee recognition program it is essential to Achievement Specialty Certificates make sure that each time employees are recognized that the quantity and quality of the awards is similar. This ensures that employees feel like they’re all being treated fairly. Nothing undoes the encouragement and morale boosting effects of a good recognition and awards program like inequity in the “prizes” being awarded. So having a plan and sticking to it keeps employees from feeling that the awards they receive are tainted with any kind of favoritism.Achievement Specialty Certificates

Developing a consistent employee recognition program from the start is what will prevent this situation from occurring. Regardless of what you build your program around, whether it’s intangible awards like perks with prime parking places and mentions in the workplace newsletter or more tangible awards and rewards like awards certificates and reward coupons, keeping the awards consistent is the key. There are ways to scale the awards to show levels of accomplishment.

York Standard CertificatesWhatever your recognition program revolves around, having a good program is important for employee morale and encouragement. Employees do appreciate the fact that the company sees them as a person, and that their work and efforts are seen as beneficial by their bosses. Recognizing them for their efforts on a personal level lets them know that they are important to the company. And it doesn’t take an expensive award to do so.

Even something as inexpensive as a thank you card or a note in with their paycheck expressing appreciation for their effort goes a long way in the “feel good” department. As a matter of fact, award certificates, the coupons, the preferred parking place and most other ways to boost morale really don’t cost much at all. Implementing a recognition program that is consistent and that doesn’t break the budget isn’t difficult to do.

From blank certificate templates to blank card stock for congratulation and thank you cards are inexpensive ways to have everything you need on hand to create great recognition and appreciation awards. Being able to be consistent with awards and rewards is easy when you’ve got the ability to create the awards you need. Check out all the great ways you can build your recognition program so everyone feels the motivation and encouragement to be the best employees they can be.

May 31, 2011

Making Booklets – A Starters Guide to Simple Booklets

Filed under: Marketing & Sales Promotion Techniques — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Corporate Make-A-Booklet Program CoversOne effective method of marketing is to get as much information about your products and services into the hands of your customers as possible. Sometimes you only want to concentrate on a single product or service, and others may be better suited as a general overview. Whichever approach you take, one way to deliver this information is by putting together a booklet. While having booklets made can become a major expense, however, making booklets in-house can be a very cost effective marketing tool.

When you think of a booklet, you generally think about a small sized book containing perhaps 20 to 30 pages with some type of cardstock cover. But that’s the easy part. Figuring out how to make a booklet can be the hardest part. Fortunately, there are tools out there that make the job not only less confusing, but a breeze.

First you have to keep in mind how a booklet is laid out. Setting up a template to hold the text can be mind numbingly confusing, so finding a template for a booklet can save you a lot of headaches. The good thing is they are available for your favorite word processing and layout programs. You can also use that template to make the covers for your booklet as well. After you’ve laid out the text and printed it, and printed the covers, you’ve accomplished most of the task. With those parts out of the way, the next challenge becomes making booklets to fit the size you want.

That is accomplished with a paper cutter. You can either use a standard office paper cutter which is capable of dealing with small volumes, or if you need larger numbers of booklets, you can send them out to a printing company to have them cut to size. By cutting them in the middle of an 8 ½ x 11 page you can get 8 booklet pages out of one sheet of paper.

And binding them is the last step of the process. Again, you can use a printing company to bind them there are binding machines available that will work quite well for small volumes of booklets. Not only will this save you money, but customizing booklets becomes a simple process because you do not have to rely on the printing company to handle the process.

Booklets can be very handy marketing devices to show clients a bit more detail about products and services that brochures simply won’t cover. When they’re looking for reasons to buy, booklets can provide those reasons in an economical, and relatively easy to produce way. Take a look at your marketing processes and see if your company can benefit from making booklets for your potential customers so they can be more informed about your offerings.

May 30, 2011

Making the Right Impression with Your Trade Show Display Boards

Filed under: Marketing & Sales Promotion Techniques — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Trade shows and conventions are the place where everyone is looking for something. Being able to connect with people who are interested in what you’re doing or selling makes a trade show a veritable gold mine of contacts. However, if you don’t stand out and your booth isn’t making a good impression, that gold mine will pass you by. One way to make sure you get the attention you deserve is with trade show display boards.

Unlike flyers, brochures and samples, display boards are what catch attention first. Making them stand out is essential to having a successful booth. Whether they’re placed on an easel, hanging on the wall at the back of the booth or on the floor at the ends of the tables, trade show display boards make the first impression and create the atmosphere for the booth.

Regardless of what business you’re in, display boards give you the ability to show off your products, your company and your services to anyone passing by your booth. Using display boards to hook people as they come by is the perfect tool to build your contact base at the trade show. Reach everyone that comes by with great trade show display boards and you’ll have tons of new leads at the end of the show.

And display boards offer endless possibilities on how you work with them. Use them to display pictures of products, services lists, product information, attach document holders and use it as the distribution point for your flyers and brochures and even to display company info. Display boards let you show off anything you want and as large as they are, you can be assured that your messages will be seen.

Next time you’re at a trade show, take a look at how others are using their display boards. Not only will you get some good ideas from them, but you’ll also see what they’re missing. Being creative with display boards, how they’re laid out and what is put on them for display gives you an edge over your competition.  Get the most out of your trade show appearance with great display boards.

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