Build A Better Business Card

The business card is a "basic" for professionals, despite technology, we share our cards!

What should be on your card?

            Of course your contact information, location and business name....

What Are The Top 10 tips We Suggest?

• Use a tagline or sum up what products or services you offer consumers.
• Do you have core words that describe your value? Consider using those on the card.
• Have a business that lends itself to an icon shape? For example if you own a record store, your cards might be round! If you train dogs, your card might have a bite taken out of the corner with a tagline that says, our dogs don't bite! 
• Avoid using free card templates; business cards should reflect your business not be a stock design.
• Want to include a photo? Make sure it's a current image of you. 
•  Besides avoiding stock card backgrounds, don't use clip art- a "clean card lay out" is better than inserting clip art image.
•  Analogues colors, those colors side by side on the color wheel, create a pleasing appearance. 
• Have a business with tips to offer? Consider adding conversion charts, food purchasing tips for healthy living, or ways to reduce your footprint if you are in an Eco based business. 
• QR Codes were the "rage" a few years back- Use them if you have a video about your business on your website; scan and go to that site from your card.   
• Avoid using too many fonts on your card or crowding the space with too much content; if the consumer has to hunt for your information, they won't use your card! 
  
  We updated our cards earlier this year as part of our 10 year celebration!

What's In A Name?

Getting ready to start a business 10 years ago we were at this exact place. What do we name our business?

We had a long list of names on our list including names that were fun, a play on word- in the end we decided to take a classic approach to what we provided and what we planned to be; a partnership; rather than an e commerce site.

We've taken the steps to become certified in our industry to provide expertise. We are engaged in our community so collaborative meetings that discuss how to reach your target audience include understanding how your campaign will connect your brand story to your audience. At every step of the way, we've consistently provided creativity to our client's marketing and advertising needs.

Borrowing some relevant tips for how to select the name of your business. We look forward to celebrating it's success in 10 years!

Naming A Business? Ask These Questions First You've come up with a brilliant business idea. It's unique. It's original. There's nothing like it in the market. You're ready to establish your company, but there's just one problem—you need a name. Your business partner picked his favorite. Of course, your spouse, your mother and your friends all have their opinions. However, choosing a business name requires some strategic foresight. After all, it's the most visible, marketable aspect of your company. Today, Promotional Consultant Today shares these top seven questions to consider when choosing the perfect name for your next business venture, from freelance writer Lisa Girard's article in Entrepreneur. 1. What do I want a name to accomplish for my company? The most obvious reason for choosing the right name is that it separates you from your competitors and reinforces your niche in the marketplace. Girard uses the example from Steve Manning, founder of Sausalito, California-based Igor, a naming agency that pointed out that Apple chose its name to differentiate itself from corporate sounding names like IBM and NEC. 2. Will the name be too limiting? You don't want your name to be limiting if you want to expand your business into additional services in the future. Otherwise, you could be facing a renaming issue down the road. Girard uses the example of a company called Angelsoft.com, which connected angel investors. Later, the company expanded into other types of investors and had to take on an expensive rebranding to become Gust.com. 3. Does the name make sense for my business? Of course, we've all seen company names that don't mean anything to us until we learn about the business. For most companies, it's best to adopt a name that provides some information about the products and services. It doesn't have to be "cutesy" but it should be meaningful. 4. Is the name easy to remember? According to Girard's article, the shorter the name, the better, such as one to two syllables. Acronyms can also be risky. Focus on simple, straightforward names. It needs to be easy to pronounce with a spelling that everyone will get. Simple is best when resonating with a new market. 5. How will potential customers first encounter your name? As Girard points out, some naming experts believe there are exceptions to the easy-to-spell rule, especially if most people will see your name for the first time in a print or online ad. For example, consider Zulily, the online company offering daily deals for moms, babies and kids. "If you just heard that name, you might not guess how to spell it, but the company's aggressive online ad campaign has meant that most people first see it spelled out," says Chris Johnson, a naming consultant in Seattle and author of The Name Inspector blog, who came up with the name Zulily. "The payoff is that the unusual sound and spelling of the name have helped them create a very distinctive brand. 6. Does your name have marketing power? A name should be reflected in creative ways for your business. Girard gives the example of a PR specialist who named her agency Firetalker PR. The owner took the title of Fire Chief. She called her office The Firehouse, and began offering PR packages such as Inferno, Controlled Burn and The Matchbox. She used a play on words to deliver creative marketing power for her business. 7. Have I conducted a proper trademark search? The most important step in choosing the name is making sure there's not already another business with the same name. You can use resources likeTrademarkia.com or USPTO.gov to do a cursory search to see if the name is already in use. Once you choose a name, be sure to go through the proper steps to register your business name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This will protect you from other businesses trying to use your name. Source: Lisa Girard is a freelance writer who covers topics as diverse as golf, fashion, health and beauty, the hardware industry and small business interests. She also has been senior apparel editor for PGA Magazine for more than a decade. Compiled by Cassandra Johnson; Promotional Consultant Today

A Dollar Goes A Long Way

Consumers love promotional products! Those that are a $1.00 as well as those that cost more.

PPAI research posted on our website clearly demonstrates the power of the advertising medium as the most cost effective way to reach a targeted audience in a tangible, long-lasting and memorable manner. Our companies' 10 year growth is rooted in our collaborative process. While technology is a huge part of our daily lives, interaction with our experts in our showroom setting adds a value that is measurable.

Viral, mobile, highly targeted and inexpensive, promotional products are the only advertising medium capable of engaging all five senses, so on April 24th, we plan to celebrate this medium. Turning your message into a marketing experience with a product that your audience can see, taste, hear, smell and touch creates a hit with the recipient. Our PPAI, Promotional Products WORK! Week showcase will provide you with access to new samples and brand strategies to distinguish your brand from your competition. Are you signed up? 

 Key Points for Use of Promotional Branding Include:

• Promotional products are imprinted items that educate, recruit, highlight safety awareness, support worthy causes, and encourage healthy living and lifestyle choices.
• Promotional products recognize and reward employee achievements and inspire action.
• Promotional products are used to celebrate milestones, sign legislation and reinforce critical messages. 
• As part of our company's on-going commitment to education, our website is a reference rather than an e-commerce site. Our links to promotional heading contain strategies and data, or even informational documents to request!

 A result of collaboration we are an informed and engaged partner! We are engaged in our community and invested in our clients success; therefore we are highlighting some partner relationships at this show. On hand will be students from Apex High School’s award winning Academy of Information Technology program; AOIT! These students will be greeting you as you arrive and helping with our game & photo spot, while building up their soft skills and networking with you at the event. Make sure to ask them about ways your company can assist with job shadowing and internships! 

Also on hand will be Safe Kids Wake County  https://www.safekids.org/coalition/safe-kids-wake-county an organization dedicated to education that can save the lives of children. The Wake County program is part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global organization dedicated to protecting kids from unintentional injuries, which represents the number one cause of death to children in the United States. For every attendee at our show on the 24^th- we will be donating $1.00 to Safe Kids Wake County! Now that is a dollar that goes a long way- and you just have to show up to be part of the impact. What an easy way to support the efforts of this organization! 

Share this link to invite your business contacts to learn how our collaborative, creative and certified lead team is a local source to make their brand #1 on the charts! 

What Makes A Chart Topper?

Product and Marketing Education have been part our mission to our clients since day ONE! We take pride in applying our expertise to generate "Hit after Hit" with ideas that get results! Hits in marketing occurs when your message connects and resonates with your target market.

Why Do Promotional Products Create Hits?

• Promotional products are a tangible representation of your brand

• Promotional products create surprise and delight recipients

• Promotional products are invited into customers’ places, spaces and hands, which impacts (buying) decisions 

• Promotional products have staying power 

• Promotional products are the ultimate permission-based advertisement 

• Promotional products are tangible advertisements people own, keep, share

• Promotional products are purpose-driven 

• Promotional products complement other marketing forms

Don't miss our show on the 24th for trends to send your brand to the top- sign up today to attend! 

Are You A Chart Topper?

Chart Toppers, start with solid partnerships! Promotional Partners started with a solid foundation. 

Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) is the world’s largest and oldest international not for-profit promotional products association with a 114-year history of serving a membership that has grown to more than 14,300 corporate members. Additionally the association advocates for the $21billion promotional products industry it represents comprised of more than 33,600 businesses and more than 500,000 professionals.

Of the more than 33,600 businesses, 96 percent are small businesses! Daily there are more than 500,000 professionals working to deliver the value of promotional products to advertisers and marketers. Advertising specialty businesses like Promotional Partners have a positive impact on the U.S. economy via job creation and community enrichment. Here in Wake County, our owner Olivia strives for her company to provide expertise. Are you aware that she earned her CAS, certified advertising specialist designation back in 2012 and less than 5% of those 500,000 professionals become certified? Mastery, excellence, dedication, knowledge, commitment are a few of the reasons a CAS professional adds additional value! 


At Promotional Partners, we know that consumers love promotional products! We also have PPAI research that clearly demonstrates the power of the advertising medium as the most cost effective way to reach a targeted audience in a tangible, long-lasting and memorable manner posted on our website.

Did you know that 88 percent of consumers can recall the company and brand on their promotional product?

• 50 percent of consumers come in contact with promotional products everyday?
• 83 percent are more likely to do business with the brand they know?
• 47 percent keep promotional items for more than a year?
• Craving more data? Check our website for some of the latest statistics showing why people love promotional products and how effective they are at changing consumer behavior! 

 Better yet, stop reading and collaborate! 

Join us April 24th to celebrate Promotional Products WORK week and learn more about the latest trends with some of our "Greatest Hits Show" featuring 5 of our top suppliers that help us create HITS for your advertising and marketing campaigns! RSVP to be part of the "record day"!

Are You Planting Seeds or Growing Weeds?

You've heard it before, April Shower bring May flowers, but have you every thought about how the showers and seeds grow your business?

Trite as it may sound, if you are not planting seeds and watering what you sow, nothing will sprout....except maybe weeds. Without a plan, "anything and everything" takes hold- aka WEEDS! Marketing, like tending a garden, requires vision and execution. Brand building occurs because of effective storytelling. When your message is clear and consistent the consumer doesn't have to guess what you've planted; they already know what's growing in your garden.

In May our company will turn 10!! 

As we plan for events this year, EDUCATION, INTERACTION, INNOVATION or stated another way, certification, collaborative and creativity will guide our plans. There is an old Chinese proverb which states, "When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people." At Promotional Partners each day we invest in our clients growth & future. Our suggestions are a result of one-on-one interaction & collaboration, which develop the core of your brand.

Product, decoration, and marketing education for our partners combined with an investment in the local community and industry partnerships with proven leaders were seeds we sowed from the start back in 2007. The result? Strong roots! We are known as a place where ideas get results because our partners are able to tap the resources we cultivated, which in turn developed a marketing edge for our partners. 

Are you following our newsletter? Each month we highlight events, education tips and community connections that will grow your knowledge and your brand. In fact, we have some extra special things planned for April and May you will want to add to your calendar!! What's your favorite tip?