Monthly Archives: April 2014

Key Tips to Extend the Reach of Promotional Products

It’s no secret that promotional products have proven themselves to be traditional marketing resources that truly yield results. While other traditional marketing tools have become obsolete in the wake of online marketing and modern advertising methods, custom promotional products have maintained a place of distinction in virtually any marketing mix for one pertinent reason: they work. From pens and tote bags to tech gadgets and apparel, promotional products offer tangible value that keeps your brand in front of potential customers long after initial contact. Business owners in every industry, and running an organization of every size and scope, can customize these promotional items with relevant corporate information, hand them out to the masses, and effectively broaden the reach of their brand.

How to Maximize Brand Exposure with Promotional Products

Of course, as with any marketing method, strategic and systematic calculations prove necessary to ensure optimal return on investment (ROI). With Windfall, businesses can enjoy cost savings on promotional products. If you’re thinking about incorporating promotional products into your marketing strategy, these essential tips can help your team design a campaign that maximizes impact and delivers measurable results.

1. Choose Promotional Products That Are Easy to Transport

First and foremost, brainstorm with your team items that are easy to transport to guarantee that your promotional products find themselves any and everywhere. While everyone loves a free handout, no one wants a giveaway that proves too bulky and heavy — it’s a surefire recipe for transforming a takeaway into a throwaway. Look around your office or personal desk space for ideas on what travels fastest in the workplace. Pens, coffee mugs, water bottles, lunch bags and beverage insulators can all prove ideal ways to improve the promotional effectiveness of your chosen items.

2. Leverage Branded Apparel

Yes, easy to carry items can extend the breadth of your marketing campaign; however, easy to wear items can prove even more effective. Not only do branded garment items, such as hats and t-shirts, get multiple uses, but they also get seen in a wide range of environments. Work, school, the gym, and even just out and about in town running errands, your items have an extensive opportunity to be seen by the masses on any given outing.

3. Ensure Audience Relevance

Another way to guarantee your promotional products will deliver maximum marketing return on investment? Make sure they prove relevant to your targeted consumer demographic. Do your consumer and market research in advance to know your prospective clientele as well as you possibly can – it will make it easier for you to pinpoint an item that they will find both fun and functional as well as something they will want to use.

4. Maximize Promotional Product Distribution Opportunities

Finally, when attempting to broaden the reach of your promotional products, it’s important to hand them out as often as you possibly can. Ensure your employees have access to these items and encourage them to bring them with them whenever they may encounter prospective clients. Industry conventions, trade shows, job fairs, college campuses and recruiting events all make great forums to get your items into the hands of the masses. Additionally, look for ways to incorporate your handouts with online campaigns to yield further results. Giving handouts away through contests on your corporate website and/or through your social media pages can instantly help generate a little positive business buzz with long-term marketing results.

Take Your Marketing to the Next Level

Promotional products are a powerful way to amplify your brand and connect with your audience. To simplify your campaign planning and unlock savings on high-quality promotional items, reach out to Windfall. Our team can guide you in selecting, customizing, and distributing products that drive engagement and deliver measurable results.

4 Promotional Products for Medical Offices That Deliver Results

If your firm is like most medical practices, your top priority is to help promote health and healing among your patients. Thinking about marketing yourself as a business entity often takes a backseat to the more pressing need of providing the healthcare services that your patients require. But, there is an easy way to promote your practice amongst your targeted patient demographic, working with a professional provider for promotional items for medical offices can quickly get (and keep) you on the patient radar.

Which Promotional Items For Medical Offices Yield Best Results?

When working with a distributor to source the best promotional items for medical offices, it’s important to know what to look for in an effective giveaway. There are a few key factors to consider when brainstorming which promotional items for medical offices will garner the most traction for your practice and deliver the best, most sustainable results. When choosing items, ask yourself the following questions to guarantee that you’re on the right track for picking a product that will work best with your patients (and family/friends of your patients):

• Is it easy to transport?
• Will my patients find it useful?
• Is my brand easy to identify?
• Can this item offer multiple uses?

Based on these questions, there are four promotional items for medical offices that have proven that they can deliver extensive and long-term results to patients in virtually any type of healthcare practice

1. T-shirts/hats: Garments make an ideal promotional product for virtually any industry, and with good reason; items like t-shirts and hats help business owners satisfy all of the above requirements…and more. Offering your patients shirts and hats emblazoned with your business practice name gives them a useful (who can’t use a free shirt and/or hat?), easy to transport (aka wear) item with your corporate name prominently displayed each and every time they are worn.

2. Office items: Using office products as promotional items for medical offices can also deliver optimal return on investment. Workplace items offer universal appeal, no matter what industry your patients work in. Pens, mouse pads, lunch bags and the like can all help your organization broaden the reach of your brand. Bonus perk? Even if your client doesn’t have an office job, he or she will still find a multitude of ways to get use (and exposure) out of your promotional products.

3. Beverage products: Another genre of promotional items for medical offices that yield results? Beverage items. Coffee mugs, travel cups, water bottles and even drink insulators can provide a perfect way for you to broaden the breadth of your practice with far reaching results.

4. Tote bags: Customized tote bags and carries embellished with a healthcare provider’s business name also proves one of the most effective promotional items for medical offices. You’ll be able to find a wide range of sizes, in various price points to ensure your maximize results, all while minimizing costs.

Top Reasons Why Marketing With Promotional Products Delivers Long Term Results

When it comes to marketing any business, it’s critical to stay ahead of the promotional trend curve. Incorporating some of the very latest marketing methods can help your organization look fresh and relevant, all while edging out the competition for your share of the marketplace. By maintaining a marketing mix full of innovative new promotional approaches, business owners of every size and scope can easily compete with even the biggest corporate giants in their industry.

Marketing With Promotional Products Can Yield Impressive Results And Benefits

While new advertising tactics certainly warrant major consideration in any marketing arsenal, it’s imperative to not overlook the value of traditional promotional methods. Yes, professional marketers regard some traditional tactics as industry dinosaurs. However, there are several tried and true traditional marketing tactics that have proven their ability to yield results that rivals those of their new marketing counterparts. Case in point? Customized promotional items.

By definition, promotional items are various products emblazoned with brand specific information (think company name, logo, specific color scheme, graphics, motto, etc.). Merchandise such as water bottles, coffee mugs, pens and other products can be personalized with your company’s brand with one primary purpose: to broaden the breadth of your brand exposure to anyone it comes in contact with.

Knowing some of the many benefits that customized promotional items can offer to your business can help demonstrate just how effective these giveaways truly can be. Marketing with promotional products offers:

Instant attention

It’s no secret that everyone loves a freebie. Handing out promotional items sans charge to prospective customers at trade shows, conferences and conventions proves a great way to instantly command attention from recipients, making them more likely to check out your website and/or social media pages to learn more about what your organization has to offer.

Easy transport

The best type of promotion item is one that is easy to transport and likely to travel quickly. Pens, mugs, stress balls…all of these items can quickly circulate around an office building, increasing your business brand exposure with everyone who sees it.

Audience personalization

Unlike static flyers and brochures that offer flat advertisement, promotional products come in a virtually endless range of options. You and your team can easily brainstorm the best items that will most resonate with your specific targeted audience. Finding something that complements your company’s services, such as using a customized mouse pad to promote an IT consulting firm, will deliver a marketing message that your audience is more likely to remember (because it’s something they can actually use).

Affordability

Best of all, marketing with promotional products delivers unparalleled affordability when compared to other marketing methods. Various items available for customization will come in a wide range of price points so you can easily find an option that will work with your business budget. Additionally, many promotional item firms offer discounts for bulk orders, making these products an even better value.

5 Essential Supplies You Need When Opening Your First Office

The decision to open your first office can be one of the most complex and unfamiliar decisions that you’ll ever make. But it’s also one of the most exciting decisions.  Besides figuring out where your office will be located, you also need to think about office supplies and other essentials to keep your business operations running as smoothly as possible.

So what are those basic office supplies that you’ll need?  Here are five essential supplies you’ll need when opening your first office:

Desk supplies

These are some of the most basic things you’ll need for your office.  Things like pens, tape, highlighters, paper clips, scissors and a stapler. are all essential when opening your first office.  We take them for granted, but we need them to get the job done. They’ll help you take notes, be creative and go about your normal daily business.

Paper

When opening a new office, you’ll need plenty of paper to write and print on.  Stock up on supplies like notebooks, sticky notes, notepads and paper for your printer and copier.  Also, make sure your printer and copier have plenty of ink and toner so you don’t run out when you really need to print an important document.

Organization supplies

Staying organized is essential, so make sure you have a stapler and plenty of paper clips handy to keep your documents and printouts together.  Add some folders to the mix so you don’t lose important paperwork, such as employee files or legal documents.

Technology

Even if you have a tablet or mobile phone, having a laptop or desktop computer will make running your business much easier.  Sure, you can manage your bank accounts and marketing campaigns from the palm of your hand, but if you’re looking to do any advanced work, you’ll need a computer. Having a computer will help you increase your functionality and productivity, and you’ll have a place to store important documents.  While on the topic of technology, don’t forget to pick up a printer and wireless router to keep all of your devices connected.

Office furniture

Where will you sit? Where will you store all of these other office supplies?  Whether you need a full set of furniture or just a couple of desks, don’t forget to pick up office furniture for your new office.  Remember to buy storage pieces to store your other office supplies. Having storage pieces will help give your office a professional feel and help you work more effectively.

5 Eco-Friendly Office Supplies for Eco-Conscious Businesses

It takes a lot of supplies to run a company. Computers, desks, printers, papers, pen, staples, pen, and things you may not even think of. As an eco-conscious business you do your best to reduce the impact that your business has on the environment. You promote emailing documents as opposed to faxing, you make sure lights that are not being used are turned off, and strive to keep printing at a minimum. Even with all your efforts, chances are you will need to use at least some supplies in your day-to-day operations. By using eco-friendly office supplies, you to get the job done, just greener! Here are four of our favorite eco-friendly office supplies:

Paper Products

Even paperless offices find themselves needing to use paper products at some point in time. By using recycled manila folders, recycled desk calendars, eco-friendly facial tissue and even recycled boxes for storage or shipping, you can easily reduce waste both for your operations and when the time comes for the paper to be disposed of.

Cleaning Supplies

Even if you hire an outside company to keep your office clean, you and your staff find yourself using cleaning products to wipe up small spills and during other miscellaneous cleanings throughout the day. Fill your bathrooms, break rooms, kitchens, and stock rooms with cleaners that are certified to be low or free in harsh chemicals. Greener brands create everything from foaming hand soap, window spray, and general all-purpose spray. Couple these supplies with paper towels made from recycled material and you’ve just reduced your company’s eco-impact.

Promotional Products

If you’ve taken the stand to become a more eco-friendly business, you can safely bet that your customers are doing the same thing. Show them that you care about the environment by giving them promotional products that speak that language. Here are some of our personal favorites:

•       Colorful Koozies
•       Fountain Drink Tumblers with your brand
•       Branded Cotton Shopping Totes
•       Cubed Sticky Notes

Should Your New Hire Be a W-2 or a 1099 Contract?

You started your business because you found a way to do what you love while making a profit. While naming, finding a logo, and a location may have seemed like the most difficult tasks you’d face, you learned that filing for and maintaining all the correct city, state, and federal required documentations is at times confusing and stressful. Making sure that you’re following all the laws and regulations is difficult, but a vital part of operating a successful business. Once you’re all set and open, it’s all smooth sailing until it’s time to hire your first employee. Knowing whether or not to classify your new hire as a true employee “W-2” or a contractor from the beginning will save you a lot of headache and from having to pay fines. Here are the basics that you need to know regarding correctly classifying your new hires:

Employees – W2

According to the IRS, “In general, something who performs services for you is your employee if you can control what will be done and how it will be done.” This means:

•       They perform duties dictated or controlled by others. (i.e. you or a manager)
•       They are provided training for the work that they will be doing for.
•       They only work for one employer.
•       Are typically offered benefits (i.e., paid sick leave, vacation, health insurance, retirement plans)
•       They are on the company’s payroll and receives a W-2 form at tax time. As the employer, you are responsible for with holding both federal and state taxes as well as Social Security and Medicare tax. 

Contractors – 1099

Contractors can save businesses up to 40% on labor costs, which is why many small businesses favor this type of hire. It’s important that in order for a 1099 contractor to be correctly classified unlike a W-2 employee they must:

•       Have their own tools and set their own hours.
•       Invoices the company for any work that they completed.
•       Can be working for multiple companies at the same time.
•       Are responsible for paying their own taxes to the IRS and state departments.
•       Companies generally do not withhold any taxes on their behalf from their pay, and they receive a 1099-MISC form at tax time.
•       They are not entitled to any additional company benefits.

The IRS estimates that between 10-60% of their employees as contactors, resulting in millions of dollars worth of fines and have recently begun a strong crackdown on the business that misclassify their employees. Misclassifying your workers could result in owing back payroll taxes, interest, and steep penalties. It is possible that you business will operate with both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors depending on the type of work being done.

As you begin to expand, don’t become liable for the consequences of misclassified workers, hire a payroll service to help you not only set up a new hire correctly, but to ensure that you’re following all state and federals regulations through out the year.

Small Business Owner’s Guide to Merchant Accounts

Think about the last purchase you made, now the one before that. What did you use to make your payment? Chances are if you’re like the majority of consumers, you used either your credit or debit card. Now, consider your customers. The vast majority of your customers and prospects will pay for their purchases both online and in-person by using their cards as well. As a business owner, the process of securing and offering credit card processing is daunting. Knowing the basics about how credit card processing works for companies will help you find the best payment solutions for your small business!

Nearly every credit card transactions made both online and in person, will be processed through a merchant account. Here are three of the most frequently asked questions regarding merchant accounts and how they effect your company:

What is a Merchant Account?

Merchant accounts are a certain type of banking account arrangement that are made with a bank or clearing house that gives you the ability to accept and process credit card payments through it – this account is your “merchant account”. Once the payment passes through online authorization company and approved, it will be deposited into your account.

How Does it Work?

Processing a credit card payment from the swipe to the final receipt of the payments involves several steps. The first part is the initial payment, whether it’s typed in online or swiped through a machine. Before the payment can be withdrawn and deposited, the card must first verified to check that is it not in fact stolen or expired. Verification of the card also includes checking that the card has sufficient funds to complete the payment. Once a card payment has passed the verification and security checks, your merchant account provider then passes the payment on to their processors whom debit the credit card account and then deposits it to your own. 

Why Use a Merchant Account?

While there are other options to accepting credit cards, merchant accounts have proven to be the most cost effective and safest way for small business to accept digital payments.

You know the value that accepting credit card payments will bring to your company. By offering credit card processing you’ll no longer have to turn customers away because they only have cash or checks, losing a sale. This is most important on e-commerce (internet) based businesses – since computers have yet to evolve the ability to accept cash payments for online orders! If the idea of securing and setting up your own credit card processing sounds like way more than you’re willing to take on, there are companies out there that offer excellent services to help you establish and process your credit cards! One of the most well-known and respected credit card processing companies is First Data – they proudly offer First Data Small Business Solutions – designed to meet the needs of today’s fastest growing merchant segment!

4 Clever Ways to Manage Your Office Supply Budget

Running a business is expensive. Taxes, payroll, leasing costs, maintenance, technology, and snacks for your hungry staff – the expenses can quickly add up. While you know that you ultimately must spend money to make money, watching your cash flow slow can be very concerning. While most business expenses are set, you can easily reduce your cost of operations by paying attention to the little details.

Office supplies are an area where small savings can make a big difference over time.  Making sure lights are being shut off in rooms that are empty, not leaving the air conditioner during non-working hours, and managing your office supply budget are all great ways to trim up the costs of doing business. We’ve found four clever ways that can help reduce the cost of your office supplies. As for how to get your staff to eat less, you’re on your own!

Tips to Stretch Your Office Supplies Budget

We’ve found four clever ways that can help reduce the cost of your office supplies so you can manage your budget more effectively. As for how to get your staff to eat less, you’re on your own!

1. Store All Your Office Supplies in One Location

This one might seem obvious, but if you have a large office it’s tempting to store small amounts of each type of your most popular supplies throughout the office. While this does make it easier for your staff to get pens, paperclips, and sticky notes as they need them, it also makes it easy for office supplies to be misplaced, miscounted and forgotten about. If a box of labels gets hidden behind another in one place, you could find yourself purchasing twice the amount of supplies you actually need!

2. Use a Discount Service to Purchase Your Office Supplies

One of the easiest ways to make sure that your office supply budget doesn’t get out of control is to use a discount service through a professional membership. These organizations negotiate discounted pricings, special offers, and even entire savings programs for their members with the biggest names in the office supply industry. By associating with a group purchasing program like Windfall, your cash flow will benefit from the reduced pricing. The best part is that there are programs you can join that are at no cost to you!

3. Keep a Detailed Inventory of Your Office Supplies

No, you’re not a teacher and you shouldn’t have to track down every pen but having a detailed and up-to-date inventory of your office supplies has its benefits. Not only does it allow you to replenish supplies with correct amount but also gives you insight into which supplies your business doesn’t actually use! Giant lime green sticky notepads seemed like a great idea at the time, but since the entire case is still in your supply closet, it’s a good indicator that they are not popular in your office.

4. Switch to an Internet Fax Service

It appears that the trend for the future does not include fax machines. While it may still be a few years out that they become obsolete, the reality is that most small business offices manage without one. If your office still relies heavily on sending and receiving faxes, you could say by switching from a traditional machine and phone line to an Internet-based service. This would reduce your paper, ink & toner costs, and eliminate the need for a designated phone line. All of these equal more office supply savings.

Exclusive Office Supply Savings with Windfall

Windfall is a group purchasing organization that is proud to have partnered with office supply company, Office Depot. We’ve done the hard work for you and have negotiated the best member-only pricing on office supplies that your office uses the most! From everyday essentials like paper, pens, and toner to technology and breakroom items, our partnership ensures your office gets quality products at prices that make your budget go further. Contact us to learn more.