And I hope you don't get them to make coffee for you or run over to Starbucks to get a doubleshot espresso for you . . . But there are three reasons for getting interns: Get more work done. In this economic climate, people are forced to step up, learn new skills, and tap their other talents, previously gone unnoticed. But because there's so much work to do, they've been working long hours to get work done. Solution? Get interns--not to get coffee for you or to pick up your dry cleaning but to help out with real work. Share the knowledge. Isn't it nice to take part in molding young minds? Consider it your company's legacy to give back and contribute to the knowledge pool--internships are the easiest way to do that. On-the-job training gives them a taste of what it's like in a real workplace, where deadlines are the order of the day and one needs to keep learning new strokes to stay afloat. One day, when one of your interns becomes a hotshot marketing/sales maven, she'll look back and thank your company for the education. Learn from them. Who says learning is a one-way street? Interacting with young minds helps you ...

Kripalu yoga instructor Abby Lentz was searching for a local printer that offered personalized journals with corporate logos. Based in Austin, Texas, Lentz runs Heartfelt Yoga, which has wellness programs for the heavyweight. Not finding a good supplier in her locality, Lentz half-heartedly decided to take her search online. Like most consumers, Lentz admits to being nervous about doing business on the Internet. “I worry that I wouldn’t be happy with my purchase, or that the timing and product wouldn’t be right. I also worry that if things went wrong, I’d be stuck, or that there were hidden costs somehow,” Lentz explains. Her online search brought her to Branders.com, where she came upon journals that would make perfect giveaways. Some of the notebooks were for her yoga students to record their individual progress in. A number were for the women’s retreats she conducted, while some were to be sold online at her Web site. “I was told giving gifts away at workshops is very old school and nobody does it anymore,” Lentz says. “I wanted my students to feel that I appreciated them by giving them journals. I wanted them to have a useful memento of our time together,” she reveals. First impressions The first thing that attracted ...

As much as I try my best to be as environment-friendly as I can, as someone who writes and works with ideas, I just cannot seem to give up paper products. I absolutely cannot have enough notebooks! To give you an idea of the extent of my notebook addiction, imagine this: I have a lined Moleskine leather journal, a pocket-size reporter notebook for story ideas, a Kraft-cover pocket-size cahier, a mini lined notebook for my grocery lists and other reminders, and a slightly used Rhodia notebook for those times when I just feel like using it. I know, it's extravagant and, oh, very un-green. Will I ever stop using paper to pursue the sustainable lifestyle? I don't have to, thanks to these promotional recycled notebooks and notepads to assuage my paper-addicted self. Yes, Virginia. You can have your custom notebooks and write on them while pursuing the eco-friendly lifestyle. Here are some nature-loving, creativity-sparking custom paper products that lets you go green: Promotional Post-its made with recycled paper (30% post-consumer content) let you stick reminders everywhere sans the guilt. It's a great giveaway that's a must-have both at home and in the office. A 4x6-inch version comes in white, canary, yellow, or spring green. This ...

National Teachers Day happens in May and World Teachers Day in October, but showing teacher appreciation is something we should do any time of the year. Teaching is one of the most noble jobs there are. Teachers have big shoes to fill: They stand as our children's parents away from home. Our kids trust them and look up to them. They have a part in molding our children's lives. As a parent myself, it takes a lot courage to entrust my child's education and formation to someone I barely know. I can only trust that my child will come out a better person with this person's guidance in school. There's a serious lack of teachers in America right now. Teaching isn't exactly the most glamorous job there is: long hours, poor facilities, high teacher-student ratio, poor pay--these are enough to discourage people who want to become teachers not to pursue the profession. One has to start somewhere: possibly a little more support from government in terms of compensation, education grants (our teachers need to keep learning to know more), better facilities and access to advanced teaching tools. You can do your share in keeping teachers in school by showing appreciation for all their hard ...

It's lovely to watch the world around you when seasons change, colors shift, and brightness dims. In cosmopolitan cities like New York and Paris, it's interesting to watch how wardrobe changes as well. I love fall! I love the colors it brings, and I enjoy watching greens shift to orange then brown. (I can't help but remember this line from a favorite movie: "If I knew your name and address, I'd send you a bouquet of sharpened pencils.") I love long walks, hikes, picnics, and just plain being outdoors. I'm sure a lot of people do too. It's the last chance to see the world in color before everything is enveloped in white. So take advantage of this season with promotional offerings that will get your logo noticed outdoors amidst the color: Fall weekends are the best time for family picnics. These waterproof promotional picnic blankets come in just the right size. Made of polyester fleece, these custom blankets are foam-lined and PVC-backed. They wrap up with a hook-and-loop tape and a handle for easy carrying. Take reading outdoors with grab-and-go promotional chairs. Remember, however, that taking in nature is one thing, but having time to play with the kids is equally important. Encourage outdoor ...

People are coming up with new ways to make life easier for everyone. Some of those inventions and gadgets are simple. Like a promotional wristwatch or a promotional stress ball. Little things can make a big difference when it comes to making a day at home or work easier and more enjoyable. The promotional USB flash drive is for everyone, because everyone in this time period has used a computer at least once. Those of you who have a flash drive or multiple flash drives know that they are small (easy to carry with you), portable, reliable, tough, and have a lot of room for storing information. These incredible gadgets can be used in your work life and personal life as well. They make the lives of students, teachers, businessmen and women, IT workers and other professions a lot more relaxed and carefree. So using this product as a way to advertise, expose, and expand your business is a logical idea.

Business relationships are very much like friendships. Stick around more often and customers will get irritated. Don't keep in touch and they forget about you. Whatever size your business is, you need to set aside some time to develop and sustain customer relationships. How do you do that? Newsletters - Whether you're sending a holiday greeting or information about a new product, newsletters do the work of keeping you in your customers' line of vision. "There are no hard and fast rules on e-mail marketing, but sending less than once a month won't likely make any impression, says Mark Brownlow of E-mail Marketing Reports. If you're sending more than once a week, there better be a justification for it: "The more 'current' and 'perishable' the information, the more frequently you'll need to publish," he explains. Calls - Do you call too often? Do you call every other hour? It's best to ask a customer in advance how he or she would like to be reached. If they're online frequently, a short e-mail will do the trick, but if their jobs require frequent client meetings, your calls will certainly annoy them. Personally, I'd prefer to be reached by e-mail because I find ...

Tired of the usual promotional pens, custom shirts, and personalized mugs? Here's a desktop giveaway anybody would love to display for all to see. Not only is this promotional airplane-shaped desk clock a good conversation piece, it's a timeless present that'll make sure your logo will be exposed for years to come. Your one-color logo can be laser engraved on this corporate gift. Each piece can go as low as $15.

Today is World Environment Day! Have you made some environment-friendly resolutions? Are you ready to abandon your careless, eco-destructive ways and go green? It's difficult to start a nature-friendly campaign alone, so why not get the rest of the team to join you? Here are some corporate team-building activities you and the rest of the team can do for the environment: 1. Plant a seedling. Trees help reduce soil erosion and absorb carbon dioxide, the major culprit for global warming. In addition, forests provide a natural habitat for flora and fauna, especially those that are approaching extinction. 2. Go paperless. I know it's so hard to do so. Well, here's a confession for you: I've done away with printing in the office (but writing on my Moleskine will always be a hard habit to break), and I must tell you how DIFFICULT it is for me not to print anything especially when I have tons of documents to study! But we all must sacrifice. Besides, no pain, no gain, agree? 3. Set one day a week as a bike-to-work day. Biking has environment, economical, and health benefits. You not only save on gas and lessen your contribution to global warming, but you also get ...

Corn plastic is increasingly becoming a green alternative to petroleum-based plastic, a ubiquitous but not a very eco-friendly material, which makes up the bulk of consumer products around us. The idea of using corn as a filler or base for new products is nothing new. Many decades back, it is said, Henry Ford's conceptual Model U car had tires from corn-based filler and a fabric roof from corn fiber. If you're intent on bringing green into your marketing, you'd be happy to know that Branders has some eco-friendly promotional items in its inventory: corn plastic luggage tags, corn plastic notepad and holders, corn screwdrivers, corn mugs, corn pens, corn letter openers, corn ice scrapers, and even corn golf tees! It's an exciting line-up, and we can't wait to share it with you! We're featuring some of our newest corn-based (and very earth-friendly) promotional items in this blog, so we hope you keep visiting the blog. BUT if you can't wait, why not call our account managers and ask for some advice about our newest eco-friendly promotional items. They'll be so happy to help.