63-second cost cutter: Business Cards May 31, 2008

FRUGAL: Researching how far printing has come, and learning the tricks of that trade to your advantage.
CHEAP: Printing them at home; using a free service that tells everyone how little you had to spend.
The cost cutting? It’s in understanding the print world, and how cheap it’s become for professional results due to advanced technology.

Digital printers have put many conventional press houses out of business. Google the term if you are feeling scholarly, but in a peanutshell, digital printing is to conventional press as the hand-run mimeograph is to a Xerox™ machine.

Online printers abound; I use one particular service that I’ll endorse in a moment. The pricing tends to be much better because the setup has been removed–no more setting up metal plates, inking them with CYMK, changeouts, hand-cutting, proofing, etc. With online printers, you upload your files in the acceptable format (most will give you templates to download), proof the file they email you, watch the status, and track your shipment. I just ordered 1,000 postcards, glossy both sides, full color both sides, 4×6, for under $50 including shipping via UPS. I’ve also ordered 500 full color (both sides), glossy stock business cards for $13 including shipping. No more “These cards were printed FREE with VistaPrint” on the back for you, sir. No more Kinkos, and no more home printing.

My guys? GotPrint.com (just ask me to mail you some of my stuff to see what I mean).

Are You Positive About That? May 31, 2008

The anonymous nature of the Internet frequently empowers those who visit blogs to make more strongly worded statements in a comment section than they would if speaking face-to-face. If you have a blog, you’ve undoubtedly encountered some scathing comments. And in a post at MarketingProfs’ Daily Fix blog, Mark Goren suggests a way to handle this negativity, which usually fall into two general categories:

Free Challenge Inside! You know it’s a good hospital when… May 31, 2008

Recently my fiance had surgery at a local hospital. We could not have been surrounded with a happier, nicer group of staff. This was my (our) first experience with the hospital system here in the Triangle (but then, do you really want many experiences?), but I still did not expect the level of service we received. I expected a name to be called, to be pointed this way or that, brusque demeanors. But instead, as I watched, everyone working there just seemed happy. They smiled even when alone, they cracked jokes, they called out to each other and said things like “Have a great evening!”. A happy staff means happy customers, typically. But in my past hospital experiences, I had not yet encountered it.

Every single person was kind, looked us in the eye, asked questions, made us feel comfortable, and had bedside manners to be rivaled. Before I was even allowed to take him home I thought, goodness, I almost want to sign up for a surgery–so we don’t have to leave! Now, how ironic is that? Not wanting to leave the hospital because you’re having a good time. Yes, it goes against logic; logically I wanted to get us home so I could continue to care for him. But it also got me thinking–

What is a place you received some of the best service? The challenge: it must be a place you never thought you’d have such a good experience.

How to Make Quality Videos for your Site–Fast and Easy. May 28, 2008

As you know, WellthyLifeStyle.com allows members to upload video snippets to their member page to showcase their products, provide tips, or introduce their team. But what are some tips YOU can use to make said videos the best they can be, without breaking the bank or wishing you had never gotten started?

The YouTube craze doesn’t just apply to consumers anymore. Video is rapidly becoming an essential feature on Web sites. Web video is particularly important for small and mid-sized businesses as they represent the largest percentage of online businesses in the US.

But, before a small or mid-size business can successfully dive into the deep end of the video pool, there are a few do’s and don’ts to consider:

Finding Inspiration on the Treadmill May 28, 2008

When your job asks you to brainstorm on regular basis, even a marketing wunderkind will hit the creative wall once in a while. To keep those mental blocks to a minimum, Dr. Amantha Imber recommends aerobic exercise, citing a study by David Blanchette that concludes a little workout pays big dividends in creativity:

• Group 1 did no exercise prior to their creative task. “Lucky them, some of you might be thinking,” says Imber.
• Group 2 participated in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise—such as walking, biking, swimming and running—before undertaking their creative task.
• Group 3 also took 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, but waited for two hours before digging in to their creative task.

Survey: Pick a Favorite Chore. May 28, 2008

For those of you entrepreneurs who may still be going it alone–meaning, you have less than 3 employees–what do you find has been the hardest thing to deal with/overcome up until now? Please comment!

Tag! You’re It! May 28, 2008

According to Tate Linden of the Stokefire blog, “It seems that companies use [taglines] because they’re supposed to have something under their name and above their address on their business cards—but they’re not quite sure what it’s supposed to do.”

Because of this, companies settle for one-size-fits-all taglines that speak in generic terms about turning dreams into reality or making customers number one; alternately, they offer a seemingly ubiquitous three-word combination like “Creativity. Strategy. Execution.” that not only sounds pompous but could apply to any company at all.

Linden says your tagline should:

Reward Me! May 28, 2008

Programs that reward product referrals are a nice perk for consumers. Customers may get a cash reward, a discount on future purchases, or other types of prizes if they recommend a product to someone who eventually buys it.

Before jumping on the rewards bandwagon, though, it’s best to know what tactics work best, based on the latest research. Here are a few tips to consider:

We’re Live! May 28, 2008

The Frugal Marketer blog is officially live and promoted. We welcome your comments!

Must it take a disaster to remind us to be grateful? May 14, 2008

It seems oftentimes that we only really sit and become grateful for what we have when someone else is suffering.

I agree that you can’t appreciate the good without the bad, regardless of who is dealing with it at the time. But I often wonder, must it take a disaster to remind us to be grateful for the good?

Whether it’s an earthquake in China or the news that a friend is ill, it seems that our gratitude can often only be triggered by bad news. I’m guilty of this at times. And then, I feel guilty after feeling gratitute because I don’t think I live in the moment enough.

But I also believe that we should have a purposeful purpose, if you will.