123Print's Tips for Your Small Business

08Aug 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Small Business Spotlight – Pink Zebra Consultant Carlene Desautell

Small Business Info, Small Business Spotlight

This week, 123Print is shining its Small Business Spotlight on ... Pink Zebra Consultant Carlene Desautell Fragrances touch all of our senses, even evoking memories and stimulating our mood. Think about it ... does the smell of fresh baked cookies evoke happy memories of baking with your grandmother? This foundation, fragrance, is what Pink Zebra is all about and what they enjoy bringing each and every one of their customers in their candles and home fragrances. All of their products are produced in the U.S. and are made of soft soy wax sprinkles. Make some new memories today! [caption id="attachment_4687" align="aligncenter" width="271"] © Pink Zebra[/caption] (more…)

07Aug 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

The 411 on the Employee 1:1

Human Resources, Small Business Info, Workplace

One-on-one meetings are a valuable, yet often overlooked contribution to investing in your employees where you allow for adequate time to meet on an individual, ongoing basis. While there are some common pitfalls, you can avoid them by following these 10 easy tips! 1. Schedule it. Getting your mentoring sessions on the calendar on a consistent basis shows a long-term commitment to your employee and provides structure. Structure and stability are essential when building a trustworthy partnership! 2. Respect their time. Now that you’re booked, be cognizant that time is one of the most valuable resources in the modern workplace. Canceling or rescheduling (especially at the last minute) can damage your credibility, so avoid it whenever possible. Be on time, or if you can’t avoid being late, attempt to be…

06Aug 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Cards and a Contest

123Print News, All Other, Customer Acquisition, Customer Retention, Marketing, Products and Services, Small Business Info

Have you noticed that stores and websites are already starting to make the shift toward holiday sales? According to our “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” infographic, more than 13% of major online retailers have started to mention Christmas/Holiday in their marketing emails. The reason? It’s been proven that customers respond to early shopping offers! Actually, according to the National Retail Federation, nearly 40% of shoppers will start their Holiday shopping before Halloween. [caption id="attachment_8018" align="aligncenter" width="604"] Check out our Business Holiday Infographic![/caption] So how can your small business use this knowledge to take your Holiday marketing a step further? Why not impress clients, vendors, employees and prospects by sending them a personalized Holiday Greeting Card! Recent studies suggest that certain kinds of business greeting cards can lead to…

04Aug 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

What Kind of Customers Will YOU Attract?

Customer Acquisition, Marketing, Monday Marketing Minutes, Small Business Info

Your company’s brand values, marketing strategy and communication techniques all play a part in determining the kinds of customers you’re likely to attract, right? Well, this process is a two-way street. To attract a specific target audience, it is important that you establish the right brand values, using the right communication channels, in order to get that audience on your side. Get it wrong and your company can easily end up attracting the ‘wrong’ types of customers — those that cost you a lot of time and money, while doing little to help your business progress and grow. The effects of attracting these 'wrong' types can be: Customers make one-off purchases and never return, or purchase very infrequently You have few conversions (proportion of actual sales to something like your website…

01Aug 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Small Business Spotlight – Adore Designer Resale Boutique

Small Business Info, Small Business Spotlight

This week, 123Print is shining its Small Business Spotlight on … Adore Designer Resale Boutique! Adore Designer Resale Boutique is a high-end designer consignment and resale boutique with locations in Cary and Raleigh, NC. Adore is the place where designer and high-end consignment, samples and new overstocks reside in a glamorous and hip atmosphere. This small business wants you to enjoy fashion, shopping, and a great bargain as much as they do! Adore offers their consignors, suppliers, and customers the utmost in services. You can come into a Cary or Raleigh, NC store location to browse their merchandise, and they will soon be offering some of their unique vintage, designer, and couture pieces and jewelry in an online shop. Check out Adore Designer Retail Boutique's website. Like Adore Designer Retail Boutique on Facebook. Here at 123Print, we love…

31Jul 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

The Key to Effective Communication and Better Company Meetings

Marketing, Planning, Small Business Info, Workplace

Communication is one of the keys to small business success. Communication impacts execution, profitability, and most importantly, growth. As a leader, it’s imperative that you share updates about the current state of the business, and lay out the direction/vision of where you see your business going. Over the years, I have found transparency to be the best approach for me. It allows me to converse openly on all fronts — the good, the bad, the ugly. This way you can cut to the chase and address any misperceptions, clarify recently asked questions, and/or ground the team back to the basics. One way that I’ve tried to share our company’s performance in a group setting is to host a monthly meeting. I know what you may be thinking, “Another meeting. Great,…

29Jul 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

What Kind of Color Profile Should you Use for Printing?

Design, Marketing, Small Business Info

Your business card or logo might look great online, but if you're not working with a printing expert, it might not translate well into print. This graphic gives you insight into the world of color and printing methods so you can make sure your marketing materials looks as sharp as you want them to. [caption id="attachment_7930" align="aligncenter" width="604"] Click through to see the entire infographic from The Logo Company![/caption] Here are the three color types explained in the infographic above: (more…)

28Jul 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

How to Become a Master at Negotiating

Marketing, Monday Marketing Minutes, Small Business Info

There's a lot of bad advice out there regarding the best way to approach a negotiation. That's because so many negotiators see it as a competition or a battle. With this approach, though you may win the immediate deal, you can damage long-term relationships, which leads to diminished results long term. There is a better way to master the art of negotiations. Here are some tips that can help you close the best possible deal. Value the other person. In order to negotiate effectively, you need to understand the other person, their wants, needs, motivations and emotions. This is a critical step. Ask questions, and let them know that you care about finding out about them. Try to connect on a human level. If you can establish some level of bond,…

25Jul 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Small Business Spotlight – Betsy Samsel, Jamberry Nails Independent Consultant

Small Business Info, Small Business Spotlight

This week, 123Print is shining its Small Business Spotlight on ... Betsy Samsel, a Jamberry Nails Independent Consultant! Jamberry Nails are an adhesive vinyl wrap that are heat activated and pressure sealed to your nails! They come in over 300 designs and will not damage your natural nails. These wraps are sure to accent your wardrobe and make your confidence soar! Betsy offers online parties in addition to home and catalog parties so that a wider range of ladies can experience Jamberry for themselves. Signature style at your fingertips! (more…)

24Jul 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Evaluating Your Processes (Without Making People Mad)

Small Business Info, Workplace

Every company has processes, right? We’d like to assume that, but you would be surprised at the number of employees in the company that really know how or why they were put in place. Usually you find out about processes when you find yourself starting a new role, either within your existing company or somewhere new. You are excited to be able to “make a difference” and “change the world,” and you ask the simple question, “why do we do ‘this’ like that?” That’s when you hear this familiar phrase: “because we’ve always done it that way.” Hmm … sounds like an opportunity is knocking here. But, your approach to how you make changes, can greatly affect the outcome. We’ve all done it slightly differently, but there are definitely ways…