Holidays abound throughout the calendar year, and if your business is only taking advantage of the Christmas holiday season to send greeting cards, then you are missing many opportunities!  Take out your calendar and use other holiday opportunities to reach out to current and potential customers.

There are a few guidelines, however, to ensure you avoid alienating customers during holidays. Although holiday cards should feature your company’s name and logo, you don’t want customers to view your business as using these holidays just to advertise and send them junk mail. You want your greeting cards to remain tasteful, like your business, so customers enjoy receiving these holiday greetings.

• Don’t Sound Like a Commercial – It’s important to use the holiday as an opportunity to wish your current and potential customers good wishes without peppering the sentiment with your company’s name. For instance, writing a 4^th of July message might read, “We wish you a spectacular 4^th of July filled with fireworks, family and fun! Sincerely, Morris Landscaping.” You don’t need to include a company bio and repeatedly insert your company’s name. Less is more when writing holiday cards.

• Individualize Your Greeting Cards – Although most businesses will buy holiday cards in bulk, taking the time to individualize the cards will go a long way with your customers. Obviously, if you have a large mailing list consisting of hundreds or thousands of current and potential customers, choose a select group that you really want to reach out to, whether it’s a new customer or established one. That way, you help promote loyalty among your customers and will impress them because no matter how large your customer base gets, you still remember individual customers.

• Choose Stylish Greeting Cards – Setting a budget for sending holiday cards is expected, but don’t choose a holiday card just because it’s a great deal. Instead, choose the most stylish holiday card that complements your company’s brand and style within your pre-determined budget. This might even mean ordering semi-custom holiday cards, but the end result will be worth it when you get the positive feedback from new and old customers alike.

When you’re sending holiday cards, remember to keep the tone neutral, especially when sending holiday cards during the Christmas season. It’s important to send a general message of “season’s greetings” because this type of message has universal appeal.

Although the economic climate this past year has been a struggle for both consumers and businesses trying to stay afloat, 2011 bodes well, according to newly published reports and several economic changes occurring in 2011.  These reports are good news for businesses and should help lead America to economic recovery.

Proposed Tax Cuts Means More Spending Money

The government instituted tax cuts for 2011, including a cut in employees’ Social Security taxes, meaning consumers will be taking home more money in each paycheck this coming year. More money in consumers’ pockets typically promotes a rise in consumer spending, benefits businesses, and helps the economy recover more swiftly. According to economists, consumers are boosting their spending habits at a faster pace now than compared to the past four years.

Venture Capitalists Have Money to Invest

Although the venture capital dried up like Death Valley after the 2007 financial crisis, a survey conducted by the National Venture Capital Association with the Dow Jones VentureSource claims that venture capitalists will focus their funds in 2011 on tech start-ups. The survey also shows that venture capitalists are positive about economic growth overall, with 51 percent expecting investments to increase for 2011. When investors are willing to back new businesses, this often helps propel economic growth, meaning 2011 is looking up for many industries.

Consumer and Investment Spending Set to Increase

The 2011 economy is set to support increased consumer and investment spending, meaning businesses will benefit from both. The sectors predicted to explode in 2011 include digital and internet media aimed at the consumer, including cloud computing. Stocks are also on the rise, which promotes active investment from both brokers and individual investors, which also helps boost a sagging economy.

How Businesses Benefit

Businesses that take advantage of all the positive changes will likely see growth in 2011. The tax cuts and increased consumer spending, coupled with venture capitalist interest and higher stock prices, should help boost the economy in 2011 – which will help existing grow as well.

Remembering that consumers are starting to spend more, focusing your printed marketing materials on attracting budget-conscious consumers will help grow your business in 2011.

The first step towards advertising your business is to create marketing materials to promote your business. Once this is done, however, what is the next step towards distributing them to the right places for maximum exposure? Here are the top three places to hand out your marketing materials.

Industry Conventions

Attend as many industry conventions that relate to your business that come to your surrounding area, as well as a few national conventions. Industry conventions are perfect for handing out marketing materials because your target demographic will be attending since most conventions are arranged to attract like-minded customers to like-minded businesses.

For example, if you operate a catering business, you’ll want to sign up for hospitality conventions, as well as wedding conventions, because all of those people attending will likely need a caterer at some point. You can also make valuable contacts with other vendors who might complement your business.

You should always be armed with plenty of marketing materials, even at national conventions, because you never know who might need your services or be able to recommend them to a friend who happens to live in your business location. It’s also a great way to expand your clientele base if your business can operate electronically and serve clients remotely.

Sponsor Booths at Local Festivals

Get your community behind your business by purchasing booth space at local festivals. Usually, these fees go towards the community itself or a worthwhile charity, either of which will endear you to the attendees. Festivals attract a wide variety of people, and you can easily hand out your marketing materials along with a coupon and even complementary product samples – which could garner a lot of positive publicity and new business.

Team Up With Other Businesses

Use contacts you make with other vendors at these conventions and festivals and create a team feeling, where complimentary businesses promote each other’s marketing materials to customers. If you team up with two other businesses, for example, your name gets recommended to two additional customer bases. By offering incentives and package deals to customers for using all three businesses, for example, your marketing materials will make it into the hands of more potential customers.

Don’t let your printed marketing materials gather dust! Get out there and hand out your marketing materials in places where your customers are most likely to frequent, and you’ll see your business increase.

Halfway through the year, have your marketing materials lived up to your expectations?  If the results have not been as stellar as you had hoped, try these three ideas to give your marketing materials new life.

• Have a Big Sale – Despite the slow signs of recovery, the soft economy won’t just disappear overnight. This is the time to take advantage of the recession by staging a giant sale using marketing materials. It’s still vital that you don’t position your sale as recession-inspired, but use the excuse of frugality to inspire old and new customers to shop your business. Your marketing materials should be positive and should not mention the recession specifically (because this isn’t being positive). Instead, list the great qualities of your product or service, as well as the big advantage customers have taking advantage of this incredible sale.

• Create or Update Your Website – Don’t let your website falter or become outdated. Most people check out businesses online, so seeing an updated, stylish and informative website increases your chances of securing new clientele for your business. We live in technologically-hyper times, and you need to jump on this bandwagon with both feet. Include your URL on all your marketing materials. You can include short pod casts on your website that inform clients about items related to your business and will help promote your business online. Social media is also taking off, so create a FaceBook page and get on Twitter and watch fans of your business accumulate. You might even develop a short DVD that is informative and entertaining, meaning customers will learn about your business in an innovative and memorable way.

• Spread a Little Sunshine – No matter how dismal the economy and state of the world seems to many people, marketing materials are trending to the positive. People want to see marketing materials that spread a little sunshine during dark times, instead of reminding them about reality. Choosing bold, happy colors and including an upbeat message will go a long way towards securing new business because you’re helping people be positive. When customers feel happy receiving your marketing materials, they are much more likely to continue that happy feeling by purchasing your product or service, which makes you happy too!

Although the recession is real and is affecting businesses everywhere, taking advantage of these three marketing strategies will help your business be recession-proof.

It’s time to set up that big printing job you need for your small business. Where do you turn for the best quality and service?  Of course, you could set up a print job with a leading online printing company, but you have a much better chance of getting the job done right the first time with a local printer. That’s why you should turn to an Orange County printing service.

Southern California printing businesses have all the state-of-the-art tools you need to get the best results for whatever printing job you need. Brochures? Piece of cake. Business cards? Easy. Catalogues? No problem. And though you can also find these services online, here is why you should use a local Orange County printing service:

Hardcopy Proof

With an online service, you can get a screenshot proof, but you still don’t know how the product will actually look or feel. With a Southern California printing service, you can get a proof in hand to make corrections and improvements before the final job is completed.

Costs the Same

Online printing services like to say they will do things cheaper, but do they really? Free business cards aren’t free – not when they come with an unwanted advertisement. And full cost printing and shipping for average orders like business cards or brochures is actually the same cost if you choose a local Orange County printing service.

Better Quality

Your online choices are usually limited, but this is not the case with a local printer. You get the widest choices available for paper quality, ink quality, and the latest printing technology available.

Best Customer Service

Your local Southern California printing company can discuss your printing job with you whenever you want. It’s difficult to get a substitution or a particular addition to your print order when all you have is menu options on a computer screen.

Come in and talk to your local printer. We can help you realize your printing concept, offer advice and suggestions for making your print job the best possible, and provide you with the best customer service not found through a computer.

Your business deserves the most professional looking printed materials. Why put your printing fate in a faceless and unfeeling online printing service? Trust your local Southern California printing company to get the job done right, on your terms, and done with the most professionalism you can find in any printer.

How do your printing projects fit with your carbon footprint reduction? If you are like millions of other Americans, you are taking steps to reduce energy use, reduce the amount of carbon emissions you produce, and reduce the amount of natural resources you use. That is why eco-friendly printing is a good strategy to complement your action-plan to help the environment.

Eco-friendly printing, or “green” printing, encompasses many facets, and one of the main strategies of green printing is using recycled paper. But there are many debates about using recycled paper. Here are some thoughts about why you should use recycled paper.

Using Recycled Paper Does Make a Difference

Many people debate whether using recycled paper is actually helpful for the environment. The fact is that using recycled paper can make a significant impact toward protecting the environment.

Green printing on recycled paper reduces that amount of trees needed to produce new paper stock. This saves our forests, a precious natural resource we need for producing the oxygen we breathe.

Additionally, using recycled paper on your eco-friendly printing projects reduces the amount of energy and waste produced in processing. New paper requires 60 percent more water in the manufacturing process. Using post-consumer materials helps reduce the amount of waste water during the processing, and it reduces the amount of air pollutants by 73 percent. Additionally, recycled paper saves up to 70 percent of the energy needed to manufacture paper from raw materials.

Green printing not only helps the environment during the processing, but it also saves landfill space. Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.

Americans are on a strong road to using recycled paper. By 2007, we recovered 56 percent of all the paper consumed in America, and the paper industry has set a goal of 60 percent by 2012.

Your Customers and Clients Will Notice

People are noticing when recycled paper is used – and decision-makers are also taking note of who uses recycled paper and performing eco-friendly printing. The best way to show your commitment to the environment is to use 100% recycled paper and print a small line on your paper that says so.

Your efforts to perform eco-friendly printing are a big contribution toward improving the environment. Do your part and use recycled paper for all your printing needs.

Businesses like yours need printing jobs performed on a regular basis. And most likely you live in a location with access to a host of local printers. But why should you choose a local printer over online printers? Here are two good reasons for choosing local Southern California printing services.

The Economy

When you buy printing products from a local vendor, you directly help your local economy. The global economic crisis which began in 2007 has affected many small businesses throughout the country. Most likely, your local print shops are locally owned and operated, and they are not immune to the adverse effects of a down economic climate.

It helps your business when your local economy thrives. So why not take the initiative and keep local monies right in your community?

Your local Orange County printing companies are set up to easily perform frequent print jobs, and you may be surprised at how little money you actually save by ordering a frequent print job online.

Business cards are a good example. The cost difference for a box of business cards between an online printer and your local printer is usually offset by the shipping costs. Why not keep that money local, and even save money, by choosing a local Southern California printing company?

The Environment

Employing your local printer means reducing carbon emissions that result from shipping printed goods across the country.  Imagine how many millions of miles and tons of pollution could be eliminated if printing projects were not shipped from New York to California!

In addition, f you look around your local community, you will likely find a printer who employs good and responsible environmental practices. What does an “environmental” printing company do? Here are some examples:

Recycled paper – Paper is a natural resource that is limited.  The good environmental practice is to recycle used and discarded paper so it can be re-used again. A responsible local Orange County printing company will have a large stock of recycled and post-consumer paper to choose from for your printing needs.

Natural products – Besides recycled paper, other environment-saving materials include vegetable-based inks, sugar cane paper, non-toxic toners, chlorine-free paper, and other natural materials.

Reduced carbon footprint – Many Southern California printing companies are engaging in methods that reduce their “carbon footprint.” One way is to use energy-saving devices, and even utilize electricity generated from solar, wind, or water sources.

There are many advantages to using a local Orange County printing company, but helping the economy and the environment are two major benefits. Take these into consideration when you choose your next printing job.