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May 23, 2012

Ways to Tell Your Teachers How Much They Mean To You

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Appreciation Border Specialty CertificatesBeing a school teacher is one of the toughest, most admirable professions one can choose. It’s an often thankless job that requires hours and hours of work after the school day is over, evening meetings, event chaperoning, and sometimes even weekend work grading papers and preparing for the following week’s lessons.

If you are a teacher, were a teacher or know a teacher, you understand that teaching is not easy. You have lives in your hands each and every day, and everything you say and do somehow impacts the students in your classroom. If you’re not a teacher but appreciate the work they do, or if your child has told you how much a teacher has meant to them, there are many ways you can show your appreciation for their hard work and dedication. Let’s take a look at some teacher appreciation ideas that are thoughtful and affordable.

Feel free to come up with your own teacher appreciation ideas or use any of these. Teachers will be so thankful that their work has not gone unnoticed. Shop online at PaperDirect for teacher appreciation gifts today!

 

 

 

May 21, 2012

Patriotic Invitations for Memorial Day

Filed under: Seasonal & Special Events Ideas — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Salute Casual InvitationsWith Memorial Day quickly approaching, it’s time to break out the grill, hamburgers and hot dogs, and your most patriotic red, white and blue garb to honor those who have lost their lives in the United States Armed Forces. Memorial Day is considered the kick-off to summer and is a time for friends and family to gather, enjoy a long weekend or travel to a relaxing destination.

If you’re hosting a Memorial Day get together, you will need patriotic invitations to set the tone. PaperDirect has quite a selection of patriotic invitations from which to choose, and the great part is that with July 4th coming soon, you can stock up now and use the invitations again in July (that is, if you’re up to hosting another summer bash!). Here are just a few samples of our patriotic invitations for upcoming American holidays:Patriot Casual Invitations

 

PaperDirect is your online shopping source for party supplies including personalized napkins, place cards, banners, and table tents!

 

 

May 14, 2012

DIY Outdoor Marketing – Designing A Marketing Banner Yourself

Filed under: Marketing & Sales Promotion Techniques — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Pure Light Vinyl BannersYou can custom design your own banner (with a little help from PaperDirect)! Our vinyl banners make great advertising tools for grand openings, special sales, one-day only events, and the like. PaperDirect weather-resistant vinyl banners come in three sizes, and we can print and ship them to your door in just three days! DIY marketing saves money and allows you to create the banner you want.

With spring upon us and summer right around the corner, now is a great time to utilize DIY outdoor marketing techniques, and vibrant banners are a sure-fire way to grab people’s attention! Hang the banners over the entrance to your business or place them strategically around the neighborhood. Ask sister businesses if you can hang a banner on their storefront.Spring Grass Vinyl Banners

Using Banners for DIY Outdoor Marketing at Trade Shows

Your business can’t be a success if people don’t know about, and many people won’t seek out a new business–they’ll wait until they hear about it via word of mouth, some type of advertisement online or in a newspaper or drive by and see some type of eye-catching outdoor advertisement. Of course, the more people that see your advertisement, the more prospective customers you may get. There are numerous ways to promote your business. Participating in trade shows is one effective method of promoting your business, and one where banners from PaperDirect will work as a great advertising tool. When you use banners for advertising, sometimes banner stands are necessary.

Using a banner stand is a great way to keep your banner stationary if it’s a windy day or there’s a lot of foot traffic that may cause the banner to fall. Though banner stands are traditionally seen at mobile events and trade shows, they can be used for a variety of advertising campaigns.

Liberty Bell Vinyl BannerBanner stands are easy to move from event to event and can be taken down and put up in a short period of time. Now, with such strict rules for carry-on and checked luggage at airports,  having a portable banner stand will save you money. Make sure your banners are easy to transport in case you’re on a mobile advertising campaign that requires you to travel.

Looking for some creative DIY outdoor marketing techniques? Try vinyl banners from PaperDirect. You can design your own and PaperDirect will take care of the rest!

May 11, 2012

Invitation Wording for A Christian Wedding

Filed under: Wedding Wording & Etiquette — Tags: , , , , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am
Supreme Black Flat Invitations

Your invitation wording is very important because it must convey the thoughts and feelings that you and your future spouse hold true. Also, the wording on your wedding invitation is something that requires thought regarding your guests because the invitation is the first impression they will have of your wedding, and many people keep the wedding invitation as a souvenir.

If you are planning a Christian wedding, you will want to include wording in your invitations that may not be found in an invitation to a less religious or less traditional wedding. If you are concerned that your guests may be put off by Biblical verses or other Christian-like additions to your wedding invitation, you must remember that this is your day–you and your spouse should have the exact type of wedding ceremony and reception that you have always dreamed about.

Cascade Specialty Folded Invitations

If Christian wedding invitation wording is something that you need help with, you have come to the right place. PaperDirect has some suggestions based on what others Christian brides and grooms have included in their wedding invitations to help get you started.

Your wedding invitations let guests know what to expect at your wedding, including color scheme, theme, and ambiance. Letting prospective guests know that religion will play a  part in your ceremony will help them decide what attire is appropriate, or they may (unfortunately) even decide to not attend your wedding due to their own religious convictions. Your Christian wedding invitation wording should reflect your personalities and your religious beliefs as a couple. One popular way to incorporate your Christianity into your wedding invitation is to include Bible verses.

Dumont Specialty Folded Invitations

Here are some suggestions for do-it-yourself (DIY) Christian wedding invitation wording:

  • Design the front of your invitation by including a meaningful Biblical verse. The Internet provides hundreds of suggestions of Biblical verses that are appropriate for the wording on the front of a Christian wedding invitation or you may add a Bible verse that is a personal favorite.
  • When you write the actual wording include a reference to God such as the following: “Mr. and Mrs. John Doe request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Susan Kay, to Thomas Michael Jones, when they ask God’s blessing on their union and His presence in their new life together as a married couple.”
  • Conclude the invitation with the specific church name, address, date, and time. Close with a Bible verse, if you desire. For example, “A chord of three strands is not quickly torn apart,” Ecclesiastes 4:12 or “This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes,” Psalms 118:23.

If you are in the midst of a DIY wedding, PaperDirect can help– a one-stop online shopping source for several DIY necessities including wedding invitations, reception cards, response cards and thank you notes.

May 9, 2012

Appreciation Quotes: Tips for Expressing Gratitude

Filed under: How to Design Certificates — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am
Thanks NoteCards

If you’re a business owner or manager, it’s important to recognize your employees for a job well done. You can show your appreciation of your staff in a number of ways that don’t cost anything at all. For instance, appreciation quotes posted on their desk or in the break area are a unique inspirational and motivational tool that will let your employees know you value their work and provide incentive to keep doing a great job.

Let’s take a look at some appreciation quotes that can be used for various types of recognition. Some of these sayings can be spoken or written to your employee while others are just inspirational messages about gratitude and appreciation. Use them as you see fit in the workplace, classroom, or even at home.

Rockledge NoteCards

One way they can be used is on an award certificate. PaperDirect has an extensive selection of various certificates that you can order online, but we also have certificate templates that allow you to create your own. Whether you need just one certificate of appreciation or one hundred, PaperDirect has the tools you need to design and print certificates with appreciation quotes. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”– William James
  • “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
  • “Celebrate what you want to see more of.” – Tom Peters
  • “The aim of life is appreciation; there is no sense in not appreciating things; and there is no sense in having more of them if you have less appreciation of them.” – G.K. Chesterton
  • “Appreciate everything your associates do for the business. Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free and worth a fortune.” – Sam Walton
  • “Next to excellence is the appreciation of it.” – William Makepeace Thackeray
  • “Encouraged people achieve the best; dominated people achieve second best; neglected people achieve the least.” – Anonymous
  • “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”- Leo Buscaglia
  •  “I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among men the greatest asset I possess. The way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement.” – Charles Schwab

  • “In every person who comes near you look for what is good and strong.” – John Ruskin

  •  “Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” – Margaret Cousins

If you have not told someone how much you appreciate him or her, why not start today? Shop PaperDirect, your one-stop online source for all types of recognition and motivation certificates and awards, and Thank You Cards

May 2, 2012

Direct Mail Ideas That Work

Filed under: Marketing & Sales Promotion Techniques — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Aqua Splash PostCardsEven in an age where virtually every type of communication is done electronically, there are still direct mail ideas that work to promote your business and get customers to your door or your website. Postcards are an inexpensive, highly effective direct mail idea that has been used for decades. When designed and utilized properly, direct mail postcards can generate quite a bit of business for your company, large or small.

The key to direct mail postcards is to target the right audience–the demographic that you think needs your product or service. If you are new to postcard design and printing, these suggestions can help you make wise choices from the very start, and for you veteran postcard users, consider these tips to enhance your already-successful direct Best Ball Postcardsmail postcard marketing campaign.

  1. Use vibrant, eye-catching colors on your postcards. Dull, lifeless postcards will likely end up in the trash. If you don’t get the recipient’s attention right away, you’ve probably missed your chance at getting a new customer or client. Many advertising experts emphasize the importance of using glossy postcard paper as a matte finish does not allow the graphics to jump off the postcard and catch the viewer’s attention.
  2. Use a company that will not only design your postcard but will also print it. Why make extra work for yourself by having to deal with two firms? Find one that can do it all if you are not able to do it yourself.
  3. Use images on your direct mail postcards. People like to see the product you’re selling, and a postcard with text only is not going to get the attention that images would. Incorporate a reasonable number of images. As with any suggestions, don’t over do it. More is not always better; make sure the images are relevant and applicable to the text that accompanies the graphics.
  4. Include a coupon on the postcard. There is no greater incentive for a prospective customer to do business with you than a discounted price or a buy one get one free offer. The money you may lose in the beginning will pay off in dividends if those customers become regulars. The same philosophy is true with customer loyalty cards. For every ten purchases, offer an eleventh item of equal value free. So you know that it was the postcard that brought the customer in, be sure to indicate on the card that the customer must present the postcard at the time of purchase. Also, if a postcard recipient refers a new customer, reward the postcard holder with a discount, coupon or freebie.
  5. Include a limited-time-offer call to action on the postcard. This will get customers to your door or website quickly because who wants to miss out on a limited time discount of some sort? Be clear about what the offer is and when it ends.
  6. Include a couple of testimonials from actual customers on your direct mailings. Consumers can spot a fake testimonial, so be sure your testimonials are sincere and real.
  7. Offer a money back guarantee if the customer is not satisfied with the product or service you have provided. Trust between consumer and business owner is imperative to success.

Hot Dog PostcardsPaperDirect has postcards in many sizes and styles including over sized postcards and photo postcards. Read these PaperDirect blogs for more great direct mail ideas that work:

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