Marketing Your Business

When it comes to marketing a business, many people can become overwhelmed and with good reason. There are so many options available for such an array of costs,  even someone experienced in growing a business can wind up throwing their hands in the air and giving up. At Safeguard, we work to make sure your business image is exactly what you want. It's our priority to help you find exactly what you need for a great public impression. 

When deciding how you want to promote your business, consider the following points.

• Have a uniform appearance. Do your checks, business cards and business stationery give your customer an idea of what products or services you might provide? Are your forms professional, expressing the tone you want your business to convey?

• Outfit your employees so that you are comfortable with how they are representing your business. Whether your company apparel consists of a simple polo shirt with your logo or an entire uniform, it is important to remember that your employees are making an impression. Make sure they stand out in a positive way.

• Choose a promotional item to keep you in your customer’s thoughts. Research shows that almost 72 percent of people who receive promotional items remember the companies for more than 12 months.

• When choosing a promotional item, be sure to consider the usability, reliability and visibility of the product. To be most effective, the product should be something your customer will use often, so that others will see it as well as your company information. If the product is not reliable, your business will not get the maximum benefit.

Contact us at Safeguard today so that we can help you meet and exceed your business goals in 2012.

Keep Your Resolutions

Resolutions.  Everyone makes them, but they're not always the easiest thing to keep.  Some resolutions are unrealistic, such as a massive weight loss in a short time.  Some are unattainable, such as becoming president of the United States. (Especially if it’s not an election year) One thing we can all do, in our business as well as our personal lives, is break things down into manageable tasks.  

Below are a few tips that will help make the resolutions you make more attainable. Following these simple steps in your personal and business life will give you the chance to keep your resolutions this year.

Focus:  It’s important to focus on why you want to accomplish something as much as what you want to accomplish.  If you set an unrealistic goal for yourself and don’t even know why, it’s going to be impossible to complete.  How can you motivate yourself when you don’t even know why you are doing something?  Break your goals down into smaller steps, making them easier to concentrate on.  This will also provide you with a sense of accomplishment, which will in turn motivate you to move forward with your resolutions.

Clean up:  It’s easy to forget what you’re trying to accomplish when your work is buried under piles of tasks.  Though they are all important, clear your desk of everything but what you need to complete the job at hand.

Manage Time:  Voice mail is a wonderful thing.  Though we all instinctively jump for a ringing phone, there are times when it’s best to let calls go to voice mail.  Allowing yourself time to complete a task without interruption will give you the satisfaction of doing it well.

Have a List:   Writing things down will give you something concrete to work from.  Seeing something rather than trying to remember it is always easier, and allows you to prioritize accordingly.

Delegate:   Though it’s easy to try and control every aspect of a task, delegating parts of a job will make it easier to complete in the end.  In addition, allowing others within your organization to help out will make them feel like part of a team.

Have a Beginning and an End:  Start each day by spending a little time planning what needs to be done and how.  At the end of each day spend a little time clearing your desk and putting the finishing touches on what has been completed.  Starting the day with a clean desk is much easier than trying to dig through clutter to see where you left off the day before.

Who Should Consider Promotional Products?

Whether you’re the marketing manager of a large company or the director of a small charity, advertising and promotions are an important part of your business.  Promotional products are a cost effective way to get the best results for your dollar.  Here are a few key points to consider.

• People love presents.  If you choose a product that appeals to the people you are marketing to, you will already have their attention.  If you choose a quality product that will last and is useful, you’ll have their attention for a longer period of time. 
• Make sure it lasts.  Whether a promotional item, such as a pen or a quality piece of apparel, if it’s made well, it will be used and worn.  A pen that runs out of ink in a month will be in the garbage, and a shirt that is thin or tears easily will be headed there as well. 
• Whatever you choose, it doesn’t have to be expensive in order to serve your needs.  There are so many options available when it comes to promotional items, it’s fairly easy to find something to fit your budget.  If you’re not sure of the best way to go, contact someone who knows the industry and let them help you. Despite the ease of shopping on-line, it is often better to let someone who is in the business guide you.  You’ll get more value for your dollar and you’ll find an item that suits your needs.  Over 17 billion dollars (yes, that’s a ‘B’) will be spent on promotional items and apparel this year.  Don’t let your items get lost in the shuffle. 

Remember, three out of four people have some type of promotional item in their work space. (Look around, we bet you have some too!)   People will keep useful things, and use them again and again.  Every time a product you’ve supplied is used, it’s seen, a visual and useful reminder of you and your business.

Cool Stuff

From one of our favorite vendors, take a look at the WineTaster's Journal from Journalbooks.  This classy little number give you everything you need to track your wine experiences with 100 sheets of their special wine tasting filler, where you can document which wines you've tried and rate them.   The journal also features an 8 page section of wine facts.

Put your company logo on the cover of this stylish and beautifully designed journal and make sure your clients have exactly what they need for your next event.   You can be sure they'll keep coming back for more! 

You can see more of the exciting products that Journal Books has to offer at their website, www.journalbooks.com

Cool Stuff

Just for our friends in the medical field,  here's a great product from our friends at Primeline.  This handy little pill case will keep your name at the fingertips of your patients as well as create leads from future clients.

Spin the top to access one of the four compartments which hold daily medications or vitamins, then open the smaller lid and remove what is needed. 

The bright colors and crisp lines make this pill case something different from the 'usual' cases you see, and the imprint area gives you plenty of room to display your company name or logo.

Give your patients a useful 'thank you' for returning to your office, and a reason to tell others about you at the same time.  Contact us today!

How Will You Be Remembered?

How will you be remembered this holiday season?   A sure way to be remembered is with the gift of food. 

Why?

Food is for everyone.  When a business receives a food gift, everyone feels appreciated from the people answering the phone, to the service department, all the way up the ladder to the boss.  It’s important to remember everyone in a business works as a team.  Thank them all with a tasty treat they will remember.  

Smell and taste are the strongest two senses and the more senses applied to something means it will be learned faster and retained longer.   We’ve all experienced this at one time or another.  The smell of baking cookies reminds us of grandma’s house, and we can all relate to the smell of turkey roasting on Thanksgiving!

Giving the gift of food in a reusable container means that even when the food is gone, your container will still be around.  A branded container means that you’re name will still be seen, even after the holidays are over.

Of course food gifts aren’t just for the holidays.  Reward employees for a job well done with a delicious basket.  Drop off a branded jar of treats to a client for the break room.  Every time someone has a snack they’ll be thinking of you.

Why Branding?

Not only is it memorable, it’s fresh. You name on a bar of chocolate means it hasn’t been sitting on a shelf in a warehouse for months, waiting for the holidays to arrive.  Your clients will be able to tell the difference, and they’ll remember you for it!

Don't forget to visit our website for more great ideas to help your business grow.

http://www.ctsafeguard.com/

Cool Stuff!

We love cool stuff...who doesn't?  We also love sharing cool stuff and giving you ideas on how to use it to make your business grow.  Check back often to see what we've found and how you can use it in your business!



We love.... 'The Tangle' from our friends at Prime.

Are you tired of leaning over your desk, searching your computer for an extra hub?  You're sure you saw one, but it's dark in the corner, and hanging upside down is making the blood rush to your head.

Enter...The Tangle.  With a 30 foot cord and four ports that twist 180 degrees, you'll never feel like you're playing twister with your computer again.

Add your logo and give the gift of not having to see a chiropractor to your clients and customers. The Tangle, imprinted with your logo, will be on their desk for all to see.  Great word of mouth and visibility, while providing a useful product..who could ask for anything more?

Imagine how much more productive your employees would be with The Tangle.  Everything they need at their fingertips, and no more work related injuries with heads bumped on desks.   Give 'The Tangle'  to new employees, as awards for great service, or as gifts around the holidays. 

Dont forget to visit our website for more great ideas to make your business grow!

http://www.ctsafeguard.com/