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May 26, 2011

Tips for Planning a Retirement Party

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

It’s hard sometimes to realize that someone has worked for your company for twenty, thirty, even forty years. When it comes time for them to retire, you want to show them how much their effort, dedication and long service is appreciate, plus give them a great memory to retire on. Planning a great retirement party for them may seem like a challenge, but with the right ideas not only is it easy enough to do, but it will be a very memorable occasion.

Making a retirement party a truly memorable event does involve a little planning. One way to make it truly special is to have the retiree’s friends and family there when the person is honored. Take an opportunity and connect with their spouse so you can get a list of names and addresses. This enables you to send them custom invitations for the party which will give them an opportunity to share in the honor and appreciation. Having a seating arrangement will help as well, especially when the retirement party is centered on a dinner. Utilizing place cards grouping friends and family together as well as people in the retiree’s department will help organize the festivities.

To honor the retiree, especially one that has had a tremendous impact on the company requires showing them just how much they’ve been appreciated over the years. While planning the retirement party taking the ‘gold watch’ approach is always a great way to do so, giving them a certificate of appreciation award that’s framed gives them something they can hang on their wall at home. And a commemorative lapel pin gives them something they can wear on their lapel that shows anyone who looks just how much they are appreciated for their service and dedication to the company.

Retirement is a big step in a person’s life and being able to have things like certificates and lapel pins brings back fond memories of the years at work. You receive a diploma when you graduate high school and college, so receiving a certificate award when you “graduate from work” has a very similar feeling for the retiree. While a party lets friends, family and co-workers express their appreciation either by handshakes or even at the podium, having tangible awards is something that the person who is retiring can take with them to remind them of their years at work and of the retirement party. With all the great retirement gifts available, you’ll be assured that the planned retirement party will be a success.

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May 20, 2011

Elegant Wedding Thank You Quotes

After all is said and done, after all the guests have gone home and after you’ve returned from the honeymoon, you’ll want to send thank you cards to everyone who attended your wedding , all who gave gifts and all who were involved in the process. This can run into hundreds of thank you cards so finding different ways to say “Thank You” becomes not just a matter of being different for everyone, but finding elegant wedding thank you quotes also keeps you from becoming frustrated and bored with the whole thing.

Here are some ways to express your appreciation without becoming too redundant.

– For groomsmen and bridesmaids, you’ll want to express a bit more personal thankyou. For instance “We want to thank you for participating in our special day. Your friendship is something we both cherish forever.” You may want to include a little gift as a token of your appreciation as well.
– Friends and family can have several different thank you phrases since this will be the group you’ll have the most cards to

Cream Roses Photo Notecard

send for. One phrase could go something like “Thank you for being a part of our wedding and sharing in our joy”
–   Another wedding thank you quote to use for family members could be “We are so blessed to have married into such wonderful families. Thank you for being present at our wedding and sharing in our special day.”
–   “Our lives have been enriched by your friendship and your presence at our wedding enriched that special day as well. We thank you for being there and for sharing our happiness.” Is a great phrase for thanking friends.
–   To guests and companions of friends who attended, a thank you card that says “Our wedding day was made that much more special because you were there. Everyone who attended helped to make our dream wedding into a wonderful reality.”

You can use some of the love verses from The Bible as well as famous poems and quotations from celebrities and literary giants. The resources for finding wedding thank you quotes for thank you cards are almost endless, but the ones people will appreciate the most are the ones that come from your heart. The list above should give you some great ideas about what to say, and as you fill out the thank you cards, you’ll have your own feelings that you’ll want to express to each person who attended. Wedding thank you quotes are all about the heart, and you’ll find you’ve got plenty of ways to say “thank you” to everyone in your life.

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May 19, 2011

Themed Birthday Party Ideas for Kids

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

Everybody loves a birthday party regardless of your age. While adults enjoy birthday parties of others more than their own, kids love all birthday parties and wish they could have them every day. While every day would be a bit much, having great birthday parties when they do come around with cakes, presents and games makes that birthday party great. Having a themed birthday party is even more memorable because a themed party makes it much more than just another birthday.

Having a theme party isn’t always about a cartoon character. Here are some ideas about themed birthday parties that you may not have thought of.

–   Have an ice cream party. Instead of a lot of fattening cake and other munchables, have lots of different kinds of ice cream for everyone to enjoy. Explore a wide variety of ice creams as well. Get some different, even esoteric varieties to try since everyone knows chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.
–   Cupcake parties are totally different too. Instead of kids fighting over who gets the biggest slice of cake, cupcakes are all the same size and can be decorated any way you want.
–   Carnival parties with all kinds of animal and clown decorations make for a neat theme for a birthday party. Kids will love games and activities based on the carnival too.
–   Sports themed parties are great for the budding athletes. Decorations and cake designs abound for these kinds of parties and the kids love it
–   “Wrong season” parties make for a hilarious time. If the birthday is during the summer, make it into a Christmas party or during the winter, have a 4th of July celebration. Not only will the kids have a great time, you’ll have a blast setting it up.

Themed birthday parties are always fun to host and to be a part of. Working outside the box with themes means your party won’t be like anyone else’s and the kids will have a more memorable time because of that. While kids love any kind of birthday party, having one stand out in their minds long after the event takes place mean you gave them a really happy memory to hang on to.

Take the time to check out all the great themes you can have for a party. You’ll be surprised how many ideas you can have in just a few minutes that will be fun, easy to set up and enjoyed by everyone who comes. Starting off a great party by having themed invitations enables you to have every part of the process match your theme and will make for an even more anticipated birthday party. Have fun with planning it and you’ll have fun throwing it.

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May 18, 2011

5 Great Memorial Day Party Ideas

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

As a celebration and dedication to the men and women who have served or are serving in our armed services, there is no more important day than Memorial Day. Having a party is a great way to share such an auspicious occasion with those friends and family that are either in the service or have been or are family members of someone who is. As with any party a little planning needs to take place, and the best place to start planning is at the beginning.

Here are some great Memorial Day party ideas to get your planning started:

If you’re having a private get together, then finding patriotic invitations should be at the top of your Memorial Day party ideas.
With invitations, you can either include a phone number, email address or response cards so those who will be coming can let you know that they’ll be attending. This simplifies your planning process since you’ll have a good idea of how much food you’ll need and how much you’ll want to invest in patriotic decorations to set off the party.
Doing a community event at a gymnasium or civic center is a totally different concept. Turning out flyers with a patriotic theme and getting them placed in areas they’ll be seen in a timely manner is definitely a necessity if you don’t want all your great Memorial Day party ideas to go to waste.
Hanging flyers on bulletin boards and posting them in other public areas is a great start but doing a flyer campaign like canvassing a parking lot and putting them under windshield wipers gets the word out as well. With the right amount of effort, your Memorial Day party ideas can add to the excitement of the holiday and the celebration time with neighbors and friends.
Being able to custom design your own patriotic invitations or flyers is a lot easier than you may think. Even if you’re running behind on your planning, you can save time by using the online Print Now feature. This enables you to pick your invitation or flyer style, upload graphics or photos and layout the text exactly how you want. Then using your paper or invitation blanks, you can immediately print off as many invitations or flyers as you need. By using the online tools you can print as few or as many as you need without having to worry about wasting any paper or ink.

Memorial Day is a day where everyone feels the pride for those who serve and even the sadness for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy our freedoms. Get your Memorial Day party ideas together now to ensure your party is fun for all. Celebrate your patriotism with your friends, family and neighbors. Support our troops and to have a good time in the process.

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Raise the Bar: Don’t Accept Poor Employee Performance

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

Each day, when employees come to work, they’ve got choices to make. Most of the time those choices involve doing a good job, getting tasks accomplished and in general being an asset to the company. However, there are times when employees may not feel quite as “plugged in” to the company and its goals. That means their performance may not be quite as positive as the company would like. Finding ways to bring employee performance back to the standards that are expected is essential.

When employee performance slips, many companies would have a tendency to use the stick part of the carrot and stick approach. Reprimanding employees, putting black marks on their performance analysis and even threats of firing aren’t unusual. However, using the carrot part of the carrot and stick method may actually be more beneficial. Employees that may not be hitting the mark may be more interested in an uplifting pat on the back more than they would a reprimand.

That’s where using tools like employee recognition to boost morale and pick up spirits can make a huge difference. Using award certificates to give recognition for meeting and exceeding quotas or completing large jobs shows employees they’re appreciated. Reaching out with thank you cards and notes in their paychecks that express that appreciation go a long way towards boosting morale as well. Even having perks like a preferred parking slot as a reward for a job well done or as the “Employee of the Month”

Rewarding employees with appreciation and recognition means a lot to employees. That shows them that the company is paying attention to them as a person instead of just another employee. Not only that, but when an employee is singled out for recognition, not only does it boost their morale, but other employees see the recognition and realize that they too are being looked at as people. This encourages them to become more productive and better at their jobs as well, perhaps in hopes of being the one being recognized with a certificate or in the newsletter next time.

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May 12, 2011

15 Wedding Anniversary Ideas for Couples

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

Wedding anniversaries are a special time for couples. Even though times may be busy and lives may get complicated, both husbands and wives appreciate being honored by their mate on their anniversary date. We all know the hilarity that situation comedies pull out of husbands forgetting the anniversary, but in reality, those comedic situations don’t happen quite that often. And finding great wedding anniversary ideas for couples isn’t as hard as sitcoms would make out either.

Here are 15 great ideas for any couple that honors the occasion and makes for a great time too.
1.   Following the traditional gift ideas is certainly one way that works. This is the year list that starts with paper for the first year, cotton for the second, etc. This shows that you believe in the traditional values in the marriage.
2.   There is a modern list as well. This starts with the first year being plastic, the second cotton and calico, etc. This shows more modern values for your relationship.
3.   There are alternative gifts as well. The first year is clocks, the second is china, etc. Using this list shows a more expansive view of marriage and relationships.
4.   As well as these gifts, gifts of jewelry also have a yearly designator. For instance the first year is a simple gold piece with a Peridot alternative. Year two is garnet, year three is either pearls or jade, etc. These also show a traditionalist view.
5.   Flowers are also on the yearly list. Pansies are year one, Cosmos for year two, etc. although Roses will go over anytime.
6.   A nice, romantic way to celebrate is to recreate that first date, whether at McDonalds or at the museum, that first date is always special.
7.   Dinner and a movie coupled with the gift makes for a great evening to celebrate.
8.   If you can work out a vacation during the anniversary date then reliving the honeymoon makes for a truly special celebration.
9.   For couples that have kids, hiring a babysitter or having them stay over at a friend’s or relatives so you can have a complete night of peace just for you makes for a great anniversary idea.
10.   When anniversaries start to accumulate, it is nice to make it into a family affair, especially when there are grand and great-grand children.
11.   With life how it can be at times, doing anniversary activities on the right day isn’t always possible. Instead of rushing through things, one anniversary idea is to reschedule to a weekend and make the whole weekend about the anniversary.
12.   Make the anniversary a two day affair. Have one day all about the husband and one day all about the wife, but both days are shared completely. Spa visits, shopping, sports activities, whatever both partners like to do.
13.   If schedules stay tight, one great thing is to put together a picnic at the park or by the lake.
14.   Anniversaries can be a time to do something new. If you met well after high school, make your anniversary a “teenage date night” and go skating, see a drive in movie or watch a high school football game.
15.   Do a romantic evening at home. Fix dinner together, watch a movie cuddled on the couch, have drinks in front of the fireplace and do flower petals and candles in the bedroom. Make it a fantastic evening.

There are lots of great ideas for anniversary ideas to express a couple’s love for each other and to bring the romance up a couple notches. Take a look at this list, think about the times shared and have a great anniversary.

Products shown above are

It’s Your Anniversary Greeting Card

Classic Scroll Vinyl Banner

Jarding Fold up Invitation

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May 9, 2011

Pick the Perfect Font for Any Occasion

Filed under: Designing Your Business Communication — Tags: branding strategy, custom stationery, fonts — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Every day we look at fonts of all types whether we realize it or not. A font is defined as “a complete assortment of type of one style and size”. In other words, a font is the letters you see that make up the words you read. Whether you’re reading a newspaper or book, looking at emails or even the crawl running along the bottom of the screen on ESPN, you’re looking at a font. Choosing the right font for every occasion is important.

Not only does a font deliver information in words, but it also delivers a “feeling” with its style. There are literally tens of thousands of fonts available and choosing the “right” one can be a real challenge. Depending on the purpose of the document or paper, there are a few font styles that work quite well for a variety of uses.

If you want an easy-to-read document, then you’re looking for what’s called a “Sans Serif” font. That means there are no little “tails” off of any of the letters. While they usually aren’t very fancy, they are easy to read and less expensive to print. Samples of this type of font are Calibri, Arial and Berlin Sans. Any font that has “Sans Serif” in its title will be of this style.

For a somewhat more business-like flair, you’ll want to use a font with serifs. These fonts are a tad harder to read, but have a more professional look than the “draft” sans serif styles. Perhaps the best known font of this style is Times New Roman which is the most common closely followed by Courier, unless you’re in banking where Copperplate was also very common.

For formal occasions like weddings and formal party invitations you can expect to see a script or calligraphic style font. These are very flowing, cursive style fonts which add a layer of beauty and grace to the documents. These often get used in logos and letterheads to portray a level of elegance to the business. Fonts like this are MT Script, Monotype Corsiva and Lucinda Calligraphy.

Choosing the right font for the occasion can be just as impactful as the words being used. You don’t want something too formal for casual documents, nor do you want a casual font for a formal or business document. And there are “play” fonts like Comic Sans Serif which you can use to make fun signs and even symbolic fonts like Widgets that you can use for math symbols and even shapes. To have a successful document, whether it’s a business letter or a wedding invitation, using the right font for the job will get it done.

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May 6, 2011

Keep It Simple for the Most Effective Menu Card Design

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

Any wedding where there will be a meal served, whether at the rehearsal or at the reception, having meal options for the guests is a good thing. Some will prefer salads, some chicken, some beef and some may even have dietary restrictions that need to be compensated for. This means having menu card designs that not only match the overall theme of the wedding but offers those choices adds another level of sophistication to the entire wedding process.

While it is easy to get carried away with menu cards, keeping them relatively simple makes for a much more impactful approach. Instead of carrying through with graphics from the wedding theme, simply keeping the colors will be effective enough. This isn’t like the wedding program or invitation packs where you want the theme of the wedding to really come across, menu cards and place cards need to effectively present the menu information.

Keeping the fonts from the invitations is usually fine unless it is a very scripty font. If the font is difficult to read, there may be some guests that will not be able to read it properly. If this is the case them making the font larger or switching to a font that is easier to read, or even using the script font as the headers and a block font for the selections may be more reasonable.

Menu card designs that keep the overall wedding process intact are the key to having great menu cards. They’re not the biggest part of the process, nor are they the most important, but they are definitely a key part of weddings that have meals involved. You’ll appreciate a simple menu card design as its one less difficult decision that has to be made and your guests will appreciate them too. By the time the end of the wedding is reached, they don’t want to have to think very hard either. Enjoy all parts of the wedding and simple menu card design ensures you’ll enjoy that part too.

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May 4, 2011

Customization Templates for Award Certificates

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

As important as customers and clients are to a business, the backbone of any successful business is its employees. Good employees are hard to find and keeping them can be even harder, especially in these economically challenging times when bonuses and raises are few and far between. This gives HR departments an added challenge when it comes to employee retention. One way to boost morale and to encourage employees to stick around is to develop a solid employee recognition program. A popular part of these programs are certificates of appreciation.

Blank certificates are inexpensive and there are FREE certificate of appreciation templates available for download for your favorite word processor. This means that certificates can be printed up in a matter of minutes because all the hard work, layout, and wording have already been completed. All that’s left is to put the person’s name and the date on it, hit the print button and you’re done. Generating several certificates for an awards program can be accomplished in only a few minutes!

There are templates for virtually any occasion you can think of. Appreciation for attendance, excellence, safety, and production are just a few of the dozens out there. And if you’ve got an occasion that requires a certificate of appreciation template that isn’t out there, since they are templates, making changes to cover your needs is a snap. Most templates can be downloaded from the company that makes the blank certificates. The best part is that they have designed the templates to the exact specifications of the paper so there is no chance of error.

And to dress up the entire process, putting the finished certificate in a frame takes only a couple of minutes for each one. Great frames can be purchased for as little as a couple of dollars each. Combined with the minimal cost of the blank certificate, being able to give out certificates of appreciation is one of the least expensive, but most productive ways to implement an employee recognition program. Low cost, ease of production, and flexibility with the certificate of appreciation templates makes presenting those certificates the most beneficial part of your program.

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May 3, 2011

How to Conduct a Mail-In Survey

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

One level of marketing means getting feedback on various aspects of the business. Being able to poll customers about the quality of products and service will enable you to see where areas of improvement are so you can have an even more effective business. But finding the best way to conduct a mail-in survey can be a problem if you’ve not done one before.

The approach to take on a survey like this would be to define what you hope to accomplish. Depending on how much information you want to derive, deciding on what kind of mail out you want to use will also be affected. The best way to ensure you get as much response as possible, it is suggested to do a one page letter explaining the survey, a single page for the survey and also include a stamped, self addressed envelope. Adding the envelope removes the expense of the recipient having to go to the hassle of finding an envelope and the expense of postage.

While you may want to get a lot of data from a survey, limit it to a maximum of 10 to 15 questions, and make the questions answerable with a yes or no checkbox. If a survey is too complex or requires a lot of choices, the recipient will rapidly become bored with it and not complete it. While that may seem like a stingy limitation, consider the surveys you’ve received and why you did or didn’t complete it. That will create a basis for yours.

A lot of information can be delivered from just a few well developed questions as well. One way to refine your survey would be to do a limited test run on a small number of clients. This will show you where possible improvements in the survey can be made. The goal is to have as close to 100% response rate as possible, and having a survey that is easy to complete is key.

There are other ways to encourage survey completion as well. Use an incentive of a discount or of a free product or gift for those who return the surveys. This may seem like a bit of a bribe, and in a way, it is. But there are no real rules on how to conduct a mail-in survey, and the need for the information the customers can give you back will be of far more value than the “bribe”. Check out all your options to get the most from your survey.

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May 2, 2011

Fantastic Newsletter Designs!

Filed under: Designing Your Business Communication — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Use newsletters to communicate to your employees about what is happening from safety to birthdays and anniversaries. Newsletter can also be used to communicate to your customer about product and business information.

Swirly Sun Newsletter

Bright Future Newsletter

Friendly Neighborhood Homes Newsletter

Hands Holding Plant Newsletter

Sunflower Garden Newsletter

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April 28, 2011

Spring Celebration Themes – Golf Party Ideas

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

After the winter the country just went through, everyone is looking forward to spring. Warm weather, green leaves and green grass, no snow and even the flowers and birds will be a welcome sight. And no one is looking forward to a spring celebration more than those who love the sport of golf. Getting out on the links, in the fresh air and sunshine, ready to try out all the things they learned over the winter. Try these golf party ideas to show everyone a good time.

The best way to kick off a new year of enjoying the links is to throw a great spring celebration party. It’s a great excuse to have a friendly get-together, dust off the grill and have an enjoyable time. Since it’s a spring party, and everyone is looking forward to a great game of golf, why not make the main theme of the party a golf theme? It’s easy enough to do and everyone will have a blast.

Having all kinds of spring foods, salads to go with the steaks, and even grass green colored punch sets the background. Getting golf party theme napkins and plates, green or golf party theme table cloths and even golf flag swizzle sticks just adds to the cool factor. There are all kinds of ways to add to the golf theme like having golf magazines all over the place, golf décor and even a banner that says “Happy Golfing!”

Kicking off a new spring with a golf party is a great way to start the season with friendship, good food and good fun. Being able to get all kinds of great golf themed party items and party favors makes everything look great and everyone will get into the golf party atmosphere.

Check out all the golf party ideas and items and make your spring celebration into a golf party that everyone will talk about the whole year. Not only will they have a great time, but you’ll have a great time too. And spring is the best time of year to have that perfect party.

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April 27, 2011

Corporate Award Trophies Help Your Business Celebrate Milestones

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

During a company’s growth, there are lots of times when it reaches a certain level. That first big sale, breaking sales records, reaching new production levels are just a few of the milestones that are well worth celebrating. Marking those milestones with an award trophy gives the company a way to visually keep track of where it’s been and gives new goals to reach.

There are all kinds of awards trophies available that are suitable for every kind of milestone. From inexpensive acrylic awards in the shape of the number 1 which can be etched to commemorate the first year of business all the way through lead crystal championship cups to celebrate some milestone which is truly spectacular like a million dollar sale.

Most awards are inexpensive. Acrylic awards cost in the $10 range but having them etched and mounted by an award company (usually done with a laser engraver) will generally push the cost into the $20 range. Many companies can take online orders and some even offer the capability for you to do the design and set-up online saving costs. There are glass awards available as well. They usually push into the $50 to $100 range depending on the size and type of glass used, but make for very nice awards.

Plaques and the traditional metal trophy cups make great awards as well. Engraving them with the milestone to be honored can either be done on a plate to be affixed to the base of the award or on the plaque or on the side of the trophy itself. This is usually handled by a trophy company on an engraving machine and makes for a very nice award.

Celebrating milestones for your company is important. Not only does it mark an important occasion in the company’s growth, but everyone in the company can look at the trophy or award and know that they had a part in making that happen. An employee that’s proud of their company and their part in it means a lot. It can even mean more than a raise or bonus even, because employees want to be able to see that companies appreciate their efforts. Being able to mark milestones with a tangible award gives all the employees a visible vote of appreciation.

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April 25, 2011

Handwritten Notes Leave A Strong Impression In Today’s Electronic World

Filed under: Designing Your Business Communication — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

With the speed of business in today’s economic world, it seems like every bit of communication going on is either by email, cell phone, Twitter or Facebook. Big business even uses their own in-house instant messaging and collaboration systems to make sure everyone is working off of the newest information possible. This need for speed has relegated the handwritten note to the Post-it note category, and depersonalized virtually everything. But a real live handwritten note can really make a huge impression on whoever receives it.

There are lots of occasions when you want to add that extra level of personal touch to a correspondence. When it comes to reaching out to a potential client, or growing a relationship with an existing one, handwritten correspondence reaches a level that no email or phone call can. By having high quality, personalized stationery to add that special touch, it also means more to the recipient because they know you’ve taken the time and effort to become a bit more personal with your correspondence.

Whether it’s a handwritten thank you note to the HR manager who interviewed you for a potential job, the salesman who wants to add that personal touch to encourage a call or commitment, all the way through the CEO who sends a personal note of congratulations for a job well done, when it comes to making someone feel like they are personally appreciated, nothing shows that as well as a handwritten note. Anyone who receives a handwritten note expressing appreciation and gratitude for who they are and what they do brings a smile to their face.

Making connections in business is everything. Good products and great service are only one part of a much bigger picture and finding the ways and means to create and strengthen those connections is vital to the strength of a business. Handwritten notes can do that in ways that gifts and phone calls just can’t do because people appreciate the fact that a person takes the time to relate to them as a person. You really can’t do that in an email.

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April 21, 2011

Very Cute Baby Shower Invitations!

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

What is more fun than a baby shower? Make this day even more special by using cute baby shower invitations.

Little Feet Casual Invitations

Heaven Sent Casual Invitation

Sweet Dreams Casual Invitation

Pastel Custom Colors Green Casual Invitation

Serendipity Hot Pink Casual Invitation

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April 20, 2011

Free Certificate Templates for Student Awards

Filed under: How to Design Certificates — Tags: template ideas, templates. — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

When it comes to finding ways to encourage students and to boost morale in class, awards and rewards go a long way. But today’s school budgets leave little room for anything but what is needed to help teach your class, let alone anything to show students their efforts are appreciated. And some rewards like candy are being frowned upon because of the health implications. So what can teachers do to help the kids know their work is really good? One inexpensive way to do this is with certificate awards you can make with school certificate templates.

Certificate stock is very inexpensive to buy and the styles vary from the very fancy to specific themes, so finding certificates that will fit your school theme is a “snap.” Plus, certificates make a great award because it gives the student something tangible they can receive during an awards ceremony and/or take home to show their parents, friends, and relatives. Since they are inexpensive, even the tightest budget has enough room for them.

Creating the certificates is a “snap” as well. All you have to do is download our FREE school certificate templates for your blank certificates. These are available for your favorite word processor which makes creating certificates for your class very easy. Once you’ve downloaded the template, simply fill out what the certificate is for, place the graphic for the school on it if desired, put in the child’s name, and print it. It only takes a few minutes to make a great looking certificate that your students will appreciate! Templates also mean making changes is even quicker.

It only takes a little typing and a few mouse clicks–along with our FREE certificate templates–to create certificates of appreciation and congratulations in a few minutes that look great and will make your kids feel great too. Check out all the great school certificate templates available and see which ones your kids will like best. Giving kids the encouragement to continue to progress in their education by studying harder is easy when you’re giving them rewards and awards for their efforts. Certificates created with certificate templates are a great way to do just that.

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April 15, 2011

Wedding Invitations – Response Cards and Their Wording

Filed under: Wedding Wording & Etiquette — Tags: diy wedding invitation ideas, response cards, wedding, wedding invitations, wording — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Weddings take a ton of planning and making changes to plans in order to have the wedding come off exactly the way the bride wants it to. This means attention has to be paid to every detail along the way. Perhaps the most important part of the wedding planning is the invitation because that is often the first indication to potential guests that the couple is getting married. And, a lot of planning is going to be based off of how many people are actually going to show up. That’s where the RSVP, or wedding invitation response cards are vitally important.

Including RSVP cards (RSVP is actually short for the French phrase ‘respondez sil vous plait’ which translates into English as ‘respond if you please’) with the invitation including a self addressed, stamped envelope will give you the knowledge of how many people are going to be at the wedding and reception. This helps planning immensely because you’ll know how many wedding programs you’ll need, how much food to have on hand and how large of a reception hall you’ll need.

In order to have response cards returned, you have to make it as easy as possible for the potential guest to send it back. While there’s not a ‘correct’ way to word a response card, there are lots of ways to determine if the potential guest is coming and how many will be in their party. Any variation of this…

The favor of a reply is requested by July 1, 2011

M____________________

(_) Accepts with pleasure and will have ____ in our party

(_) Declines with regrets

… will work quite well. The date needs to be far enough in the future to give them time to respond comfortably, but leaving plenty of time to finalize plans for food and other accommodations for the guests.

By including the SASE, you’re removing one more barrier that can keep people from responding. It’s easy enough to say “I’ll send it in, but I have to get an envelope and a stamp” and forget to do so. By including the SASE, all they have to do is fill out the card, stick it in the envelope and drop it in the mail.

There are lots of great invitation and matching response card blanks available so you can make your own and word it exactly how you want. With all the great blanks available and the matching templates for your favorite word processor, you can create exactly the invitation you want and the RSVP card as well. Not only will this save you money, but it’ll save you time and help your wedding planning as well. Check out all the great designs available. You’ll definitely find at least one you’ll fall in love with.

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April 13, 2011

Safety Recognition

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

Safety is a concern for all companies, if you’re an office or a manufacturer you will want to keep safety fresh in the minds of your employees.

Safety Border Paper

Safety is a Bright Idea Recognition Pin

Safety Casual Certificate

Safety First Vinyl Banner

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April 11, 2011

Job Interview Thank You Note – Choosing the Right Response

Filed under: Designing Your Business Communication — Tags: resume, wording — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Read on to learn how to write your best job interview thank you note. In today’s tight job market, we have to do everything we can to ensure we’re noticed. Human resource departments are inundated with applications and resumes every time a job opening is available, so doing things to stand out takes a little extra effort. Not only do you need to use high quality paper for your resume and cover letter, but you have to really hit all the bases just right simply to get a job interview. If you’re lucky enough to get that job interview, one way to continue showing that you’ll be an exceptional employee is to respond with a job interview thank you note.

As with the resume and cover letter, you have to be very careful with your thank you response for job interview. While you do want to express gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the job interview, you don’t want to overdo it. Nor do you want to appear too anxious to get some type of response from the prospective employer. Keeping that careful balance between showing appreciation and wanting to become an employee without being overbearing is necessary.

Using phrases like “I appreciate the opportunity of the job interview” and “looking forward to the challenges and opportunities working for your company presents” are good. These show you do appreciate the time and effort they’ve taken during the job interview and that you’re thinking ahead about the job that’s available. But you don’t want to overdo it.

Avoid going overboard with an excessive show of gratitude. While companies know you need a job, coming across with a sycophantic attitude won’t get you the job. Neither will wording that shows you assume you’ve got the job either. Being aggressive or arrogant won’t win you any Brownie points and may actually cost you the job in the process.

Some interviewees won’t bother to send a job interview thank you note at all. While sending one is definitely appropriate, keep in mind that balance has to be the main priority when writing it. A well worded job interview thank you note can be the key to getting that great job. But a thank you note that goes overboard can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Products shown above

Patterned Thank You Rhubarb Note Card

Simplicity Personalized Note Card

Royal Notecard

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April 6, 2011

Plaque Awards Your Employees Will Appreciate

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

Employee recognition has become one of the most useful tools that a human resources departments has in its arsenal to build employee morale and improve employee retention. In today’s economy, bonuses and raises can be a little difficult to build into a budget, so alternative methods for rewarding employees for their efforts and accomplishments have to be put in place. One great way to show employees how much they’re appreciated is with a plaque award.

Plaque awards come in a couple of styles. The first style is a full plaque. These are very nice for special presentations and when the employee needs to have a special honor bestowed on them. The prices for these plaques can be in then $10 to however much money you want to spend range, and makes for a very nice award. However, if you have quite a few employees that need recognition, this can get very expensive, very quickly.

The other type of plaque awards is an expandable one. These have a main plate with the award title on it, such as employee of the month, with space for additional, smaller plates to be added. This means that the plaque can be awarded multiple times and displayed in a prominent location like the reception desk where everyone can see the award. Not only will the employee know they’ve received an award, but everyone who sees it can know that their efforts have been appreciated. Having their name on one of those smaller plates and receiving a certificate or small plaque to go with it gives them a sense of satisfaction on multiple levels.

Finding the ways to let employees know the company does appreciate their work and effort isn’t as easy as it used to be. With bonuses pretty much out of the budgetary question, the alternatives have to be ones that will show that appreciation in an economical manner. Plaque awards are a great way to build employee morale and to boost retention and you don’t have to break the budget to do it. Check out all the great plaques available and see just how they can work into a recognition program in your company.

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