Last Minute Gift Ideas- No Worries, We Have You Covered!

You've been busy. You've put it off. But now (more like yesterday!) you need to find a special gift for your top customers, or maybe you're sending a thank you gift to your donors. Take a deep breath and don't panic. Sure, there are tons of options but if you keep this one thing mind, you'll end up with something that's sure to be appreciated and remembered. Good news, we partner with suppliers that can deliver like our friends at PCNA- Leeds!

 

Keep It Useful

Since it's last minute, you don't have time to time to get creative and think outside the corporate gift giving box. Just think about the things that you like to use everyday. This will quickly help you narrow down the choices. Remember, it doesn't have to be an over-the-top glamorous, sparkly, whatever. It just has to be well-made, useful and send the right message for your brand or your organization.

Take another deep breath, here are some gift ideas that put a big check in the "useful column": Things like blankets, umbrellas, drinkware, backpacks. Check out our holiday store

Follow our newsletter on Saturday for tips and trends- our facebook page has an exclusive blanket special - a blanket the folds into a pillow! 

Governor Cooper Signs Executive Order 25 for NC HUB Business

On Thursday November 2, I was on hand to represent Promotional Partners as a witness to Governor Cooper signing executive order 25. The order is in support of NC HUB status businesses like our company; woman owned.

Governor Cooper hosted a large group of professionals that represent the diversity of the face of business in North Carolina. Represented were businesses of all sizes that are either minority owned or woman owned who have taken the steps to partner with the state and become HUB; historically underutilized business certified.

What is HUB status and what does that mean for you as the consumer? A previous blog post explores this topic.

At the core, what's in this order? See the general overview below:

Promotional Partners has been a HUB status company since it's start back in 2007! Check your corporate relationship guidelines, you might be surprised to your business values relationships with HUB status companies. In fact, we can even partner with other HUB status companies to fulfill your orders!

Confused by the POWER In Your Power Bank?

 Milliamp Hour, Standby Time, Output Current, Input Current- I don't know about you, but these terms don't mean much to me. My concern is will the power bank in my purse charge my phone when it's running low on power and how long will it take to get "powered up". A few years back I started purchasing the more expensive power banks for my kids with as "Tim Taylor- Tool Time" would grunt, "more power". They commented that these devices charged faster and stayed ready to charge longer than what they had previously been using.

Looking for a way to explain the terms, I found our buddies and Leed's created this document to explain the terminology. 

 The best I can come up with to explain how fast the charger works is to think about light bulbs. The wattage ranges from around 15 watts to 150 watts. The lower watt bulbs do not produce a very bright light compared to the higher wattage bulbs; that' because they don't pull as much "juice" from the outlet to light up the filament. Your power bank is similar, the output and input control how quickly the charger will work.

Ask your consultant to send you a copy of this information. 

Looking for a power bank? Compare your choices

How Safe Is Your Battery Powered Device?

You've seen the headlines - electronic battery powered items catching on fire, in turn creating concern among consumers. Safety is important to our company so we take great care to partner with suppliers that we can trust. 

At the top of the promotional request list for many of our clients is a power bank. Power banks keep busy professionals up and running during the day, while easily crossing over all demographics with for a functional branded item.

To insure rechargeable batteries are safe, they need to be properly tested and adhere to quality control. We select partners like Leed's that adhere to rigorous safety tests on electronic devices!   

According to our experts at Leed's- product safety begins at the factory with an evaluation process that includes verification of proper internal quality protocols.

They reinforce quality control procedures by:

• Providing detailed product specs to factories.
• Working with a quality-assurance team on site in China.
• Rejecting substandard purchase orders.

What about product testing?

Leed's product testing includes both internal testing and testing by independent third parties. There are no mandatory standards, but our internal testing exceeds accepted industry standards. Their products have been tested by independent organizations like UL and Intertek, which offer certifications that more and more customers are requesting. 

The testing conducted by Leed's experts accounts for three areas:

1. Functional testing to make sure products perform safely and as expected.
2. Situational testing to make sure product will not malfunction if overused or dropped.
3. Cosmetic and packaging evaluation for overall appearance, workmanship and logo

 Would you like to know more about power bank product safety? 

There are so many styles of power banks, which one is right for your needs or distribution? What determines the speed a power bank charges? Look for answers in our next blog post.