Business Card Do's and Don'ts

Business cards play a fundamental role in making your business presence felt. Your business card can be turned into an effective communication tool, if you know exactly what to do and what not to do with it. In fact, there is a complete list of etiquette for using a business card that can boost your business to any size. So, here goes a list of do’s and don’ts for a business card you carry and intend to use.

Keep it Simple
Keeping your business card simple for its effectiveness in promoting your business. Never use many different fonts or present too much information in your card. Include all the vital information and avoid adding all the unnecessary information. Keeping the business card simple makes it’s easy to read and remember. The focus on the card should be on the company’s name, phone number, address and sales slogan if any.

Use a Clearly Readable Font
For an effective business card, do make sure to have a readable font. The font should be such that can be read well both by a young person as well as by an older person. Try to highlight the most important information like address and phone number in your business card with the proper font.

Always list your Email Address and Website URL
Not having a website or an email address shuts a door to many clients in the Internet age, when everything is available with a simple mouse click. So, if you don’t have your own website, then its time to have one to promote your business. You can increase your clientele by just having a small website and mentioning it in your business card. Similarly including your email address will allow people to directly contact you with ease.

Never Use Free Business Cards
Being human beings, we are always tempted by free offers, but such free offers when utilized for tools like business cards can end up ruining your whole business image. In other words, never go for cheap or free business cards that are offered by some online sites. The worst thing about such cards is that on the backside you will find an ad for the supplier of the “free” cards.

Never use Cards with Outdated Information
Sometimes to save money, we tend to use business cards with outdated information. Take for instance, cards with crossed out phone numbers and new numbers written with black marker. Such cards can degrade the business reputation. It tells people you don’t have enough business to buy new cards. So, don’t be a miser by giving away cards with outdated information.

Let MI Printing help you with your next business card. Call  us at 623.582.1302

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Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
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Made In The USA – Awl for All

C. A. Myers Company, a division of The Line Group, Inc. has been in business since 1903 when the Myers Famous Lock Stitch Sewing Awl, the "Awl for All" was originally invented and patented. Over the years the uses for this handy tool have changed considerably but the "Awl for All" is still manufactured in the USA of only the highest quality materials.

The "Awl for All" is an indispensable tool to keep in anyone's tool chest. It's a must have for the handyman around the home and the workshop; it's a very useful tool for the agricultural community not only for the equipment but for the livestock as well.

The "Awl for All" is used to mend sporting equipment, especially hockey pads and gloves, baseball gloves, equipment bags and cleats/shoes. Additional special applications include luggage and shoe repair, camping and outdoor equipment, marine and sail repair, pool cover repair, saddle and tack manufacture and repair, motorcycle saddle bags, and virtually any other application where you need a strong needle and thread to sew through heavier garments such as leather, vinyl and canvas.

Industrial applications include repair of conveyor belts, forklift seats, strapping for material handling purposes and any number of other industrial applications.

The "Awl for All" is also a great way to have fun with the children with leather crafting projects. Previously we only offered the triple strand polyester thread in black, brown and white. We are pleased to announce that we have added eight new vibrant and brilliant colors to our product line.

Location: 539 West Algonquin Road - Arlington Heights, IL - 60005 - 847.593.1651

Website: http://www.awlforall.com

Do you want your business printing made in the U.S.A.?  Then please contact MI Printing and tell us about your printing needs.  We are ready to listen and help.

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MI Printing, LLC
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
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MI Printing Special: Color Printed Envelopes

500 #10 regular 24# white wove  printed 1 side in COLOR  $140.00  plus sales tax if applicable

customer supplied art    Must have 3/16 white boarder on all 4 sides. To receive discount please mention this ad. Offer expires April 30, 2013.

Many times the first impression a person will have with your company is to handle and open correspondence that arrives in your company envelope.  There’s something about receiving a custom printed business envelope. You can feel the importance and significance of any document with the help of logo, printing and the quality of the paper.  In fact, correct envelope printing adds greatly to the image and credibility of a company.

While your letterheads are standards for businesses and companies, the envelopes that carry that important document can not be a poor quality product.

Business envelope printing is crucial because it contributes to the image of professionalism and reliability that a company projects. The image of a company can be picked up from the documents that they produce and use in communications with the public.

Your company's formality and credibility is also reflected in your envelopes.  Envelopes in fact, have the power to affect a response from the recipients whether its favorable or not.  Depending on the look, appearance, color and quality, your envelope can greatly influence the way your recipients think about you and your company's message.

Contact Matt or Paula at MI Printing for help with your professional quality business envelopes. 623-582-1302

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Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

What Targeted Ads Really Say

If you have seen the new Microsoft Windows 8 television ads that are currently running you could draw the conclusion that everyone using Windows 8 is under thirty (much under) and in college or working in an ad agency.

When you craft an ad that uses visuals you need to consider the message you are trying to convey.  If everyone in the ad is young that better be your target audience since that is the message you are sending.  If the ad also contains fast paced music and lots of dance moves you are supporting the age group you are selling to.

You need to ask yourself “is that your true message?”  Does your product “only” fit or will be used by a limited age group.  Did you start out to target a very narrow market?

A local restaurant can target a population that is in a relatively small geographic area.  It could even have a menu that is just a certain type of food that will further limit the prospective audience.  It could replicate itself all over the country and those franchises could still be successful.

But I can’t imagine an international company would try to limit a new product to a limited audience.  Computer operating systems have, in the past, prided themselves on being the “easiest” to use and work with the most number of different computers.

Over the years many companies have learned the lesson of being too cutting edge, being too modern in design, being too focused to serve a large and viable population.  Today your total marketing communication needs to target your whole audience.  If your product and company can survive and grow based on a limited market or target audience go for it.

For the best results and greatest growth try not to throw away a large part of the population.  People will try, all by themselves, to chose just what they like and don’t need the companies help to be cast aside.

You can see one of the Microsoft ads here; http://youtu.be/U7UlE-o8DQQ

Let MI Printing help you with your marketing communication materials! We are ready to help you with all of your everyday commercial and business printing needs.

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Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Protect Your Business From Counterfeiters

With the new $100 dollar bill just a few months away it seems like a good time to remind business that accept cash (mostly brick and mortar stores) to check most of the currency they handle.

Normally business check bills of $20 dollars and over.  Some business will not accept denominations over $20 dollars.  That can be as much about keeping change on hand a well as security.

The U.S. government estimates that less than 1/100 of 1 percent (that is, 0.01%), of U.S. paper currency in circulation is counterfeit. Considering recent advances in printing technology and the obviously vast incentive to counterfeit bills, that is a small number. In part, that's because the U.S. Secret Service thoroughly investigates all reported counterfeiting cases, and because there are criminal penalties for counterfeiting or passing fake bills. Perhaps more than anything, though, counterfeiting is difficult because of the bills' security features, which are hard to reproduce but easy to use to verify your money's authenticity.

The Secret Service and U.S. Treasury do not recommend relying solely on a counterfeit-detection pen of the kind that you often see clerks use in stores. These pens can only indicate whether the note is printed on the wrong kind of paper (they simply react to the presence of starch). As such, they will catch some counterfeits, but they won't detect more sophisticated fakes and will give false-negatives on real money that is been through the wash.

Modern bills are imprinted with overt (or visible) security features that help identify counterfeit money.  The most prominent is the color shifting ink used on bills produced after 2006.  To identify the color shifting ink look at the lower-right hand corner of the bill's face.  Notice the printed numeral and tilt the bill back and forth.  Depending on the angle at which you view the bill the color will shift from grey to green and back again.  This is the first step in identifying fake money.  Color shifting ink is very difficult to replicate and usually cannot be done on a laser printer.

U.S. Currency uses Intaglio printing. This printing uses intricately carved plates and extremely heavy printing presses to "imprint" the currency.  Imprinting means to physically alter the surface of the paper the money is printed on.  This creates a distinctive raised or ruff feeling to the currency that you won’t find on currency printed without intaglio printing. Look at the image of Benjamin Franklin on the $100 dollar bill.  The very fine detail along his eye and face as well as around the oval surrounding his face are nearly impossible for a laser printer to replicate.  Of course, that is a good spot to rub your finger or thumb along the bill to feel the "raised ridges" that result from intaglio printing.

Looking for quality business printing to help you get you message across in one of many styles of printed brochures.  We can get you started with a simple phone cal to 623.582.1302.  Ask about our current specials.

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MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Marketing Changes After The Boston Bombings

The tragic events of Monday April 15th have disrupted the lives of the victims, the city of Boston and the nation. Many business have changed their marketing as a result. Many events postponements and entertainment program changes have happened.

Decent human beings, watching the tragic images from the bombings in Boston last week, reacted with sadness and concern for the victims. But others viewed the same images and immediately thought, “I can make money from this.”

“Tragedies inspire people to give,” Art Taylor, president and chief executive of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, said in a blog by Kelsey Owen, communications and marketing coordinator for the Council of Better Business Bureaus.  But, as Taylor said, “tragedies – whether natural disasters or man-made catastrophes – also inspire scammers to take advantage of that generosity.”

Many companies have realized the need to be sensitive in the tone and content of advertisements and even the products being sold.  Others have provided services to all that were affected by these horrific acts.

Charities and donation avenues have been started or redirected to the needs of victims of this terrorist act.  Many traditional services of the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and many others have stepped up their services as well.

As with any event there will always be businesses who rush in with tourist based products that are more about profits than public good.  Many crooks also move in to found criminal charity scams that steal money from the public wrapped in the guise of helping victims.

Natural disasters and tragedies like what we saw in Boston breed charity scams, identity theft schemes and attempts to infect computers with malware, often with a link promising “exclusive” news or video of the incident, reports CNNMoney.

Small businesses all over the country have added Boston Marathon Donation Jars to their counters so they can raise money that will be sent to legitimate charities serving the bombing victims.

Restaurants have added specials to their menus that place a donation of part or all of the money earmarked to bombing victims.  At locations all of the U.S. T-shirts are being produced with the same goals for remembrance and donation sources.

Has your business had to make changes as the result of the Boston Bombings?

At MI Printing we look forward to working with you and your business printing needs. Give us a call at 623.582.1302 and let’s talk.

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MI Printing, LLC 
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
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Made In The USA - Gat Creek Furniture

Gat Caperton grew up in West Virginia. He lived in a contemporary home surrounded by tall trees and mountains. He and his brother spent many days playing along a small creek that wound through the valley behind their house. Gat was a year older and four inches taller than his brother, and he saw the creek first and quickly proclaimed ownership. His brother protested; Gat boasted. Giving in to the fatigue created by chasing two boys under the age of five, their parents simply relented, “Okay, it’s Gat’s Creek.” The name stuck and actually appears on maps now. His brother eventually and kindly forgave him. Today, Gat Creek lives in their minds as a home of youth, nature and discovery, the essence of furniture they make.

Gat CapertonI began designing furniture in 1996 after purchasing a small furniture manufacturing company. The company, located in his home state, has built beautiful antique reproductions for over 40 years. Believing that great craftsmanship need not be limited to traditional furniture. While the furniture bears his name, it really comes from the dedicated work of over 175 people that share a passion for woodworking, nature and home.

They build Gat Creek furniture specifically for each customer. They don’t import, and they don’t run an assembly line. Each piece is hand-made from solid Appalachian Cherry and personally signed by the person who builds it.

Over the past five years they have won a number of design, environmental and workplace safety awards. The award they cherish most is our customers’ trust. They hold home sacred and hope to have the opportunity to share some of their craft with their customers and their customers' home.

Location: 5270 Valley Road    Berkeley Springs, WV 25411 • 304-258-2818

Website: http://www.gatcreek.com/

Do you want your business printing made in the U.S.A.?  Then please contact MI Printing and tell us about your printing needs.  We are ready to listen and help.

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MI Printing, LLC
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

MI Printing Special: 20% Off Door Hangers

20% off 1000 Door Hangers - 4¼ X 11 - 14 pt Stock - UV Coated - Full Color - One Side (4/0) From customer provided camera ready art - Additional $30 if Layout and Creation is needed. To receive discount please mention this ad when calling. Special expires April 30, 2013.

Door hangers are the one of the least expensive and most effective of the print media.

The key to an effective door hanger promotion is the right design and the right call to action. Your design must reflect your company’s personality and your message has to induce the customer to take action now.

“On Door” Advertising: Because your advertising message is displayed on your prospect’s door, it is likely to be carried into your prospect’s home. The door hanger typically stands alone without competition. With a correct design, your message is very likely to be read.

Buy Now & Later: Most door hangers include a call to action such as a special promotion, limited time offer or coupon. Because they are printed on a heavier weight stock, they are perceived as less disposable than a text-weight flyer. Not only is the customer prompted to buy now, he will keep the door hanger to take advantage of your offer later. Your message will be on-hand the next time your prospect is in need of your product.

Neighborly Effect: Door hangers also act as a personal calling card. To leave a door hanger on your prospect’s door, you had to have visited them first. Door hangers demonstrate your knowledge of the prospect’s presence while making him aware of your presence in his neighborhood as well.

Additional Uses: Door hangers are not limited to promotional advertising. They can be used to spread information, build name recognition, service reminders, even to let your customer know you paid them a visit. As a direct marketing tool, door hangers also offer a unique opportunity at very personalized messages. Some of our customers have directed their messages to specific neighborhoods and apartment complexes, calling them out by name on the door hanger. The customer reached their target and created the perception that the offer was special and exclusive to their target.

We are ready to help just give us a call at 623.582.1302 for our current special pricing.

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MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

A Rose By Any Other Name

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.  
From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1600

Meaning
What matters is what something is, not what it is called.

Well, not so fast there.  In today’s fast placed market place the name of your product or business is very important with both customer recognition and a successful search.  We aren’t just talking “Google” here.  Your customer may search for your business or service in many different ways and your name becomes very important.  The last thing you want is for word-of-mouth to stall with,  “They were great but I just can’t remember their name.”

Worse yet, is for the word-of-mouth to remember the wrong name and that potential business to go to your competitor due to better name recognition and remembrance.

If you repair lawnmowers you may think that John’s Repair Service would do just fine.  But you could get many calls for other repairs and still have no business and many disappointed potential customers.  So if we try something like Honda Lawnmower Repair Service you might be in trouble with Honda and miss out on repairs on all the other brands.  So All Brands Lawnmower Service may be better.  

Yes, many times you may find that someone has gotten there before you and the very best name seems to be gone.  You can think them of a geographic name addition or a superlative addition, like Best All Brands Lawnmower Repair.  In some cases a state registered name is protected from the addition of a single word modifier.  

In cases like that you can use a brand slogan to enhance your name recognition.

John’s Lawnmower Repair
“We Service All Brands” or “Factory Trained For All Brands”  For this to work you must use the slogan every time you use the business name. The slogan needs to become part of the business name.  That slogan needs to be printed on all of your business materials and even used when answering the phone or a simple email signature. 

So, if you want your business to smell as sweet as a Rose you need to do your “Name” research carefully.  Use the best name you can use when you have MI Printing doing all of your business printing needs.

At MI Printing we look forward to working on your business printing needs.  We look forward to working with your business.  Give us a call at 623.582.1302 and let’s talk.

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MI Printing, LLC 
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Using Visual Advertisements

"Words are easily forgotten, but pictures stay in our minds."
Paul Lester

For thousands of years people have tried to entice consumers to buy their products. From dish detergent to potato chips, the use of visual advertising has been employed. So what makes an advertisement convincing? Well, some basic guidelines for effective advertising are:

· The product must be reliable. 
· The product must be something that the consumer deems as a necessity. 
· The product must be priced correctly. 
· The product must save labor or be deemed by the consumer as important. 
· The product should be helpful 
· The product should be stylish and attractive 
· The product should be repeatedly advertised.

Your choice of the type of advertisements is up to you, TV, brochures or flyers.  Using images to help tell you story is the very best way to help your audience remember your message.

"Before McDonald's or EuroDisney, there was Coca-Cola. No export served as a more potent symbol of the American way of life than Coke."  Richard Pells.

Coca-Cola has used many different types of advertisements throughout the years.  Is it easy for you to visualize their product ads?  Do the Santa ads or the polar bears come to mind.  They are very easy images to remember.  No matter the media they use it carries an iconic Coca-Cola image.

"We are becoming a visually mediated society. For many, understanding of the world is being accomplished, not through reading words, but by viewing images." Unkown

Certain visual preferences have been observed through analysis of various studies as well as observations of established theories and rules used for the creation of visual art. It is difficult to determine reasons for all of the preferences, so the causation is discussed elsewhere (in the neuroscience of aesthetics and visual perception sections). The various areas of art in which visual preference was found include color, composition, balance, and shape or form. Several compositions are rooted in aesthetic preference. It has also been found that subject matter and style play important roles in one's visual preferences during the aesthetic experience of art. Studies of these different areas have been analyzed in order to provide proof that visual aesthetic preferences do exist and to show what some of those preferences are.

Let MI Printing help you get you message across in one of many styles of printed brochures or flyers.  We can get started with a simple phone call to 623.582.1302.  Ask about our current specials.

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MI Printing 
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Small Business Marketing Basics

In order to successfully grow your business, you’ll need to attract and then work to retain your base of satisfied customers. Marketing emphasizes the value of the customer to the business, and has two guiding principles:

All company policies and activities should be directed toward satisfying customer needs.

Profitable sales volume is more important than maximum sales volume. 

To best use these principles:

Marketing programs, though widely varied, are all aimed at convincing people to try out or keep using particular products or services. Business owners should carefully plan their marketing strategies and performance to keep their market presence strong. 

Conducting Market Research
Successful marketing requires timely and relevant market information. An inexpensive research program, based on questionnaires given to current or prospective customers, can often uncover dissatisfaction or possible new products or services.

Market research will also identify trends that affect sales and profitability. Population shifts, legal developments, and the local economic situation should be monitored to quickly identify problems and opportunities. It is also important to keep up with competitors' market strategies.

Creating a Marketing Strategy
A marketing strategy identifies customer groups which a particular business can better serve than its target competitors, and tailors product offerings, prices, distribution, promotional efforts and services toward those segments. Ideally, the strategy should address unmet customer needs that offer adequate potential profitability. A good strategy helps a business focus on the target markets it can serve best.

Target Marketing
Most small businesses don’t have unlimited resources to devote to marketing; however, the SBA wants you to know that you can still see excellent returns while sticking to your budget if you focus on target marketing. By concentrating your efforts on one or a few key market segments, you’ll reap the most from small investments. There are two methods used to segment a market:

Customer segmentation: Identifying those people most likely to buy the product or service and targeting those groups.

Want help with your small business marketing and printing needs?  Call MI Printing 623.582.1302 and lets us help you promote your small business.

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MI Printing, LLC 
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Made In The USA – Hubbell Tankless Water Heaters

Hubbell Electric Tankless Water Heaters lead the home electric tankless water heater industry with unsurpassed electric water heater quality, the highest energy efficiency for home electric tankless water heaters and outstanding home energy savings. Hubbell Water Heaters has been in the water heater business since 1920 and all of our electric tankless water heaters are 100% manufactured in the United States and are designed to the highest environmental, water and energy conservation levels for home electric tankless water heaters.

The Hubbell Tankless Electric Water Heater is 99% efficient making it your best option for water heating. Unlike storage tanks which are constantly working to maintain a tank full of 140°F water which is then mixed with cold water when delivered to your fixture, the Hubbell Tankless unit heats water on demand and precisely to your desired temperature (typically 105°F or 40°C). When you replace a tank water heater with a Hubbell Tankless you eliminate 365 days of “standby heat loss” and save energy by delivering hot water more efficiently to the point of use. The end result is a savings of up to 40% on the water heating portion of your utility bill.

The advantages of eliminating your large storage tank water heater are obvious…gain space, reduce your energy consumption and lower your operating cost. Now Hubbell makes it easier than ever to install this revolutionary device. This compact water heater, not much larger than a phone book, mounts easily to the wall and frees up significant space in your utility room, closet or basement and features an all stainless steel exterior providing a durable, long lasting and corrosion free product. The Hubbell Tankless easily connects to your plumbing with our Shark-bite connections which “push-fit” onto bare 3/4" copper or PEX tubing eliminating the need for soldering at the unit. Switching to Tankless has never been easier or more rewarding. You need an advantage, “The Tankless Advantage” by Hubbell.

The Hubbell product line, as stated on NASA's own website, will reduce your hot water heating costs by up to 50%, while providing an endless supply of hot water. Unlike your existing tank-type hot water heater, the materials used in its construction resist corrosion so you won't experience water leaks from ruptured tanks that can ruin carpets, baseboards, drywall, etc. You reclaim the space once occupied by your outdated conventional tank-type hot water heater, because the Hubbell unit mounts on the wall. The Hubbell Electronic Tankless Water Heater is controlled using an advanced electronic temperature controller which utilizes a precisely calibrated flow meter to ensure consistent hot water outlet temperatures as low as 0.2 GPM. This design, with the assistance of NASA engineers, is the worlds most advanced system for controlling a tankless water heater.

Location:  45 Seymour Street  Stratford, CT 06615  877-649-8589

Website:  http://www.buytankless.com/

Do you want your business printing made in the U.S.A.?  Then please contact MI Printing and tell us about your printing needs.  We are ready to listen and help.

Presented By
MI Printing, LLC
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

MI Printing Special: Color Printed Envelopes

500 #10 regular 24# white wove  printed 1 side in COLOR  $140.00  plus sales tax if applicable

customer supplied art    Must have 3/16 white boarder on all 4 sides. To receive discount please mention this ad. Offer expires April 30, 2013.

Many times the first impression a person will have with your company is to handle and open correspondence that arrives in your company envelope.  There’s something about receiving a custom printed business envelope. You can feel the importance and significance of any document with the help of logo, printing and the quality of the paper.  In fact, correct envelope printing adds greatly to the image and credibility of a company.

While your letterheads are standards for businesses and companies, the envelopes that carry that important document can not be a poor quality product.

Business envelope printing is crucial because it contributes to the image of professionalism and reliability that a company projects. The image of a company can be picked up from the documents that they produce and use in communications with the public.

Your company's formality and credibility is also reflected in your envelopes.  Envelopes in fact, have the power to affect a response from the recipients whether its favorable or not.  Depending on the look, appearance, color and quality, your envelope can greatly influence the way your recipients think about you and your company's message.

Contact Matt or Paula at MI Printing for help with your professional quality business envelopes. 623-582-1302

Presented By
MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Where Do Your Customers Come From?

How effective are your marketing efforts?  What marketing methods is most effective at bringing in a new customer or bringing back an existing buyer?  If you don’t know, how will you choose what marketing to do next?

You must track the results of your marketing efforts.  How do you do that?

If you have a business that has customer traffic you can simply ask the customer, “Is this your first visit?”  If the answer is yes, and after a friendly welcome, you can inquire, “How did you hear about us?”  Their answer can tell you volumes about how effectively your marketing efforts are.  This can and should also be tied to all incoming phone calls from new customers.  “How did you hear about us?” should always be applied to new customers contact of any kind.

Keep a note book and record your customer responses.  That will make sure that the answers don’t become skewed by time and memory.  Keep in mind that there are no wrong answers.  Even if they mention an ad you never ran or a news story that never happened it is their perception.  A common answer maybe “A friend mentioned you.”  Word-of-mouth is never a bad way to grow your business reputation.

Tracking the results of your marketing can and should go well beyond just small talk with a potential buyer.  Tracking can be pre-planned and built into a marketing program.  

You can distribute coupons by print ads, store promos, and many other methods but the real test is keeping track of how many coupons are actually used.  You can do in-store surveys and ask your customers why they are shopping with you.

You can run a promo that uses a different phone number and then when that is the origin of the contact you know what triggered the inquiry or sale.  In the past it was expensive to dedicate a single phone number for market testing.  Today with disposable cell phones it is a simple matter of a $20 dollar purchase and $20 to $50 to buy air time whenever you want to test a promotion.

There is a new service, a smart phone app actually, called “Burner” that is even cheaper to get a dedicated phone number for market testing.  While this use isn’t the primary focus of the Burner App, think bad dates and Craigslist sales, $5 dollars will get you a new phone number, 60 days of use, 75 minutes of talk time and 225 text messages.  You can restart (with a new phone number) or extend as a current one as needed.  A primary iPhone or Android phone is required.

With Burner you can record your own custom voicemail greeting. The custom greeting is specific to each number, so you can record a custom greeting for the burner you use for business and keep a different message for the other burners you use for other communications.  http://burnerapp.com

Of course MI Printing can help with all of your printed marketing materials.  Give us a call at 623.582.1302.

Presented By
MI Printing 
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Employees Are A Lot Like Batteries

We can all agree that a brand new employee is a lot like a new battery.  They are charged up and ready to go and after a while they seem to slow down a bit.  After a period of rest (like a weekend off) they recover some and run harder for a short period of time.  If your batteries are rechargeable you can recover their performance with a recharge.  Employees are no different and they require recharging every so often.

Sometimes that recharge (for the employee) comes in the form of retraining, new incentives or even a vacation.  These “recharges” are a necessary part of getting the most out of the average employee.  Yes, there are some exceptions and you will find an employee who is self motivated and seems to run forever with out any other incentives than the regular paycheck or compensation.

Those employees are few and far between and a company is lucky to find them.  Most companies try their hardest to keep the employees who they consider “worth their weight in gold.”

Does your company recognize and reward employees that are working about the standard?  How do you try to motivate those employees who need help reaching or exceeding your companies expectations?  Do you have a plan in place to retrain and motivate your average employee.

Some management styles lean toward yelling and threats as motivating techniques and that seldom is effective at all.  Normally that management style leads to high employee turnover.  I know that it can be easily missed but happy customers tend to be a reflection of happy and motivated employees. You do want happy customers?

If your company can have an incentive program that shows you care about making both the customer and the employee happy you should see a nice improvement in the bottom line.   Putting customers needs first is always a great way to improve sales without needing to be a low price leader.

In most cases products are getting more complex rather than simpler.  Your customer may need more support and education to fully appreciate and enjoy using their new item.  Your employee is the first line of defense to help both the business and the customer.  The last thing you want is an employee who is running low on charge and just getting by.

While you may not be able to hire the Eveready Bunny for your staff you can work with MI Printing to work on your business printing needs.  Give us a call at 623.582.1302 and let’s talk.

Presented By
MI Printing 
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

When Opportunity Knocks or the Wind Blows

Opportunity Knocks But Once - "When you see an opportunity to improve your lot, act quickly and resolutely - you may never get another chance. The proverb dates to ancient times, around 8 A.D. The early fifteenth-century French 'Il n'est chance qui ne retourne' ('There is no opportunity which comes back again') is very similar in meaning.  Well does that old saying apply to today’s business climate?

If you were in the Valley yesterday (April 8th 2013) you know that a sudden spring storm can do lots of damage.  If you have a service business that deals with storm related clean-up or emergency storm repair (think broken windows and fallen trees) you need to remind your customer base as well as new customers what you can do for them.

Does social media jump to mind, yes, and  it should.  But you could also hand out flyers and brochures at high traffic locations.  Some would say you could put out business cards in shopping center parking lots.

The primary objective is to remind existing customers and inform new customers of the storm related services that your business offers.  The big question is did you do it?

It is hard to plan, when a storm comes out of nowhere.  You need to make up your marketing materials before the storm happens so you are ready.  So you have to be ready ahead of time so that when the opportunity does happen you are one up on your competition and ready to do your business marketing.

If your customers don’t hear from you or about you, someone else may get their phone call and not you.  Staying top of mind is essential in today’s  economy.  You could also give out frig-magnets with your information.  Even making sure your business cards are done in magnetic versions can help.

What you don’t want to do is read this and plan to follow-up on response based marketing materials and then forget to do so. So before that next storm or event happens get your ducks in a row.  Have MI Printing do flyers, brochures and business cards ready for opportunity knocking!

If you are looking for the business printer for all of your commercial printing needs, we ask you to consider MI Printing.  Where happy customers are our number one project.  Give us a call at 623.582.1302 and let us help you with your printing needs. 

Presented By
MI Printing, LLC 
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Made In The USA – Towle Silversmiths

Although Towle Silversmiths was not founded until 1857, its progenitors included several members of the Moulton family, whose silversmiths dynasty is claimed to have the longest continuous span of silversmithing of any American family. From father to son, this family produced silversmiths for two hundred years.

In 1637, William Moulton came together with his two brothers John and Thomas from Ormesby, Norfolk, England, and settled on Winnacunnet Road in Hampton, New Hampshire.

In 1664 his son William Moulton II was born. In 1682 at the age of 18, William Moulton II left the family farm in Hampton and settled near the Merrimack River in a section of Newbury, Massachusetts that would later become Newburyport. By some accounts, he was the first in six generations of silversmiths. While he did buy and sell silver goods, he was basically a general trader.

Joseph Moulton, the fourth in line, worked from about 1764 to 1810 as a silversmith in Newburyport, with home and shop on State Street. He had four sons that were silversmiths. His son William Moulton IV was the fifth in line of the Moulton chain.  He worked from 1795 to 1845 as a silversmith in Newburyport, Massachusetts. In addition to supplying well-crafted church silver and other vessels, he made jewelry in his shop on Merrimack Street.

His son, Joseph Moulton, the sixth and final in line, was the one that sold the silver business he inherited, to his father’s two apprentices, Anthony Francis Towle and William P. Jones, in 1857 to form Towle & Jones, Co. In 1873, the son of Anthony Francis Towle, Edward Bass Towle, was added to the business, and the name was changed to A.F. Towle & Son. It was in business through 1902, at which point their dies were purchased by Rogers, Lunt and Bowlen, to become Lunt Silversmiths.

In 1882, Anthony Francis Towle, while still owning A.F. Towle & Son, established the Towle Manufacturing Co.  In 1890, the company adopted the trademark of a large script "T" enclosed by a lion. Richard Dimes, an English silversmith who had immigrated to the U.S. in 1881, started Towle's hollowware line.

Over the years, Towle has created numerous sterling silver flatware patterns in the United States: including the "Candlelight" in 1934, the "Marie Louise" in 1939 which became the official sterling silver pattern for U.S. embassies worldwide, "Old Master" in 1942, now considered by some to be the company’s flagship pattern, and the "Contour" in 1950 which was the first American sterling pattern to manifest post-World War II organic modernist design and the only production-line American flatware included in the Museum of Modern Art's Good Design exhibitions.

Location: Lifetime Brands, Inc.  PO Box 21379  York, PA 17402  800-264-0758

Website: http://www.towlesilver.com/

Do you want your business printing made in the U.S.A.?  Then please contact MI Printing and tell us about your printing needs.  We are ready to listen and help.

Presented By
MI Printing, LLC
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

MI Printing: Special Custom Carbonless Forms

At MI Printing we can take care of all of your carbonless needs far beyond just carbonless forms.  These can be used for employment applications, order forms, job tickets, invoices, estimates or proposals. If needed, backside printing is available.

Please let us know what type of padding you expect for your forms.  For best results a PDF file is required for the customer supplied artwork.

Need to know more about all the uses for carbonless forms contact us at MI Printing. 

We are ready to help just give us a call at 623.582.1302 for our current special pricing on carbonless forms.


Presented By
MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com

Simple Idea – Simple Message

Get the word out about your business is what marketing is all about.  Many people will tell you that marketing is too expensive and not cost effective for a small business.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

If you don’t market your small business you won’t get customers.  If you have a brick and mortar business the act of opening your doors is the simplest form of marketing.  Putting a sign on the building advertising that business is the second step.  Putting the hours of operation and a contact method on the front door is next.  Marketing is just that simple.  If you use advertising to help market your business so much the better.  

In large markets like the Phoenix metro area print, radio and television advertisements can be quite expensive.  Some small businesses believe that that form of marketing is beyond their budgets.

Just because you can’t run expensive advertising campaigns odesn’t mean you can market your business.

Printed flyers have a good marketing record.  While the labor to hand them out can be expensive if looked at on a cost per person basis, they do work.  The message is what ultimately determines their success.

But a simple message can be very effective.  Do sell a service?  No matter what it is a flyer can be very effective.

The photo sample is a great example.  Now in some cases that could be consider littering so check with your local officials to see if it is allowed.  But this can be adapted to bulletin boards  or other display areas.

Can you carry this simple message to other forms of communication?  Your imagination and the sky is the only limit.

Want help with your next print advertisement?  Call MI Printing 623.582.1302 and lets us show you what we can do to help your business efforts..

Presented By
MI Printing, LLC
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Is Your Marketing Plan The Same This Year?

If your business was less than you wanted last year then maybe your marketing plan needs attention.  Even if you loved how your business did last year you should consider reviewing this year’s marketing plan.

Why does a marketing plan need to be reviewed yearly.  In some cases a marketing plan may need changed even more often.  You need to review your marketing plan because the market changes. People change.  Products change.  New ways to buy things come and go.  Trends, fashion and fads enter into the marketing mix.

If your company sells electronics you know what I’m talking about as this market changes more than most.  If you sell anything related to the automotive industry you have a built in yearly change.  Does your marketing need to change as well?  Some principles of marketing are fairly constant.  But as your customers have shifted from being reached by newspapers, TV and radio advertisements to online, social media and mobile devices your marketing needed to change as well.

What worked in an arm length newspaper ad doesn’t work the same in a 5 inch smart phone.  When your potential customer has the power of price comparison at the touch of a button you need to make sure you get a chance to tell your side of that story.

QR codes give you a chance to expand your message when you hand out or use any type of printed media.  Using their smart phone the viewer can be tied directly to a web page or video message.  Is the use of QR codes part of your marketing efforts this year?  If not why not?

Even if it is the latest dessert offering at a local restaurant, can your message be better presented and have a greater local reach?  Do you sell a service (think dry cleaning) out of a brick and mortar location?  How have you reached out to new customers and retained existing ones?  Just price based special offers?  Or did you use new “greener” processes?  Did you tell your customers about that?  Always make your message special.

What is a Marketing Plan?
A marketing plan serves as your roadmap when it comes to your marketing initiatives. It details the success route that you will need to follow to get your small business noticed by potential customers.

A detailed marketing plan will show you what to do and help you understand why you are doing it. It will also help you navigate away from the marketing and business mistakes that will cost you money, time and future growth potential.

As a small business owner equipped with a marketing plan, you will feel more organized, have more confidence and a clear vision when it comes to your marketing goals.

Planning to add QR codes to your business printing? When you are ready for your next business printing job call MI Printing at 623.582.1302.  Serving the Phoenix Metro area.

Presented By
MI Printing, LLC
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Hot Spring Marketing Ideas

Wake up your customer source with multiple forms of marketing materials that push the same products or services with the same message. Postcards, posters, catalogs, banners, brochures, rack cards, table tents, and other print marketing materials can all be used in conjunction with one another as well as television and radio spots, magazine and newspaper advertisements, and your online and social marketing.

The Early Bird Gets The Worm

Market early and often. Repeat. Often the first one out of the gate is the one that sticks with customers, and the one they’ll respond to. The average paying customer will have to be exposed to your message several times before they buy. Focus on your audience, beat your competition to the punch, and reinforce with continual marketing to optimize profits.

Spring Cleaning 

It's still a tradition in many households, and can become a thing in others with the right push. Your exact broadcast will depend on what you sell. Retail can focus on cleaning supplies. Restaurants can offer easy take-out for between-cleaning fortification. Any business could hold a before-and-after photo contest to sell pretty much anything.

Track and Understand Your Responses

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a marketer is to neglect to include a way to measure your response rate, conversion rate, customer demographics and return on investment. The more you know about how your customers respond, the easier it will be to understand your marketing strategy with predictable and successful results.

Share Your Load

You don’t have to be the only person working on your project. Out source your graphic design, business printing, and mailing to save time and money. You’ll be able to focus on what you do best while being confident knowing your marketing materials are being carefully produced and delivered by marketing experts.

For more attention getting ideas for your next printed advertising piece give MI Printing a call at 623.582.1302 and lets talk about next your printed items.

Presented By
MI Printing, LLC
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Made In The USA – Briggs & Stratton Corporation

Briggs & Stratton Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the world’s largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. Its wholly owned subsidiary Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group LLC is North America’s number one manufacturer of portable generators and pressure washers, and is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of standby generators, along with lawn and garden and turf care through its Simplicity®, Snapper®, Ferris® and Murray® brands. Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in over 100 countries on six continents.

In 1908, an informal partnership was formed between inventor Stephen F. Briggs and investor Harold M. Stratton. This partnership eventually developed into Briggs & Stratton as it is known today.

Briggs & Stratton was able to provide power for innumerable applications including agricultural and military applications. In 1953, the Company revolutionized the lawn and garden industry by developing the first lightweight aluminum engine.

The lawn and garden market grew as a result of rapid growth of suburbs. Mowers powered by Briggs & Stratton engines became an integral part of suburban life. A period of product innovations followed, including Easy-Spin® starting, lo-tone mufflers, and an automatic choke.

The entry of moderately priced premium Japanese engines to the market as well as the demand by mass retailers for lower prices presented a critical challenge to the Company. Briggs & Stratton responded by reorganizing into product-focused divisions, expanding product lines to include the industrial and Vanguard® engine lines, as well as expanding its presence in lucrative foreign markets.

New Briggs & Stratton President and CEO Todd Teske, along with outgoing CEO John Shiely, continued carving out a future of maintained success for the Company. This future includes the entry into the end-products business.

In 2000, Briggs & Stratton purchased Generac Portable Products Systems, which produced pressure washers, generators, pumps, and other home products. In 2004, the Company acquired Simplicity Manufacturing, a leading designer and marketer of a broad range of premium outdoor power equipment used in both consumer and commercial lawn and garden applications. Included in this acquisition were the Snapper, Snapper-Pro, Giant-Vac, and Ferris brands.

Briggs & Stratton President is carving out a future of continued success for the Company. The goal is to fully integrate all of our locations with our Powerful Solutions Strategy, moving forward. They maintain our environmental commitment and recognize the need to make further improvements.

Location:  12301 W. Wirth Street, Wauwatosa, WI, 53222  414-259-5333

Website:  http://www.basco.com

Do you want your business printing made in the U.S.A.?  Then please contact MI Printing and tell us about your printing needs.  We are ready to listen and help.

Presented By
MI Printing, LLC
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com