Target Markets

How To Save When Buying Promotional Products

Everyone loves to get free stuff in the form of promo items and products.  Usually these come in the form of mostly useless trinkets that get thrown away a few weeks after being gifted.  So many promos miss the mark and end up carrying the wrong message with either bad quality or bad implementation.  One of the biggest obstacles is cost.  Most of the new crop of goods comes from southeast Asia and with fuel prices soaring vendors either had to raise prices or lower quality.   What that means is you can get some real junk if you are not careful.  So how do you find quality promo items?

Look for name brands like Leeds or Gemline if you are buying business accessories, Bic for pens, Antigua, Ashworth, Nike, Ultraclub, Hanes and similar brands if you are buying clothing.   Do not buy from a vendor that refuses to give you the real part number.  What do I mean by real part number?  Take for instance the Gemline Regatta Race Tote which is listed on the PromoManagers site as SKU 1283.   If you visit the manufacturers site you will find this actual product number.  Try that with another online provider and what you will find is that they obsfucate the product numbers.  Why would they do this?  In most cases to make price comparisons difficult.  In some cases providers may substitute a lesser quality item or generic with the old saying being applied here of buyer beware.  To further illustrate the point I have seen the Gemline Hampton Insulated Tote advertised as at least three different products and sku numbers.  You can go directly to the Gemline website and use it to verify what you are buying is authentic.

Many do the same with Leeds items like the Leeds Enzo 18" Duffel.  In almost all cases the product sku is hidden and that may leave you wondering what you are buying.  When in doubt ask the people you are buying from and ask them who is going to do the decoration.   Many online stores will try to skimp and decorate items locally.  What this does is perhaps cut costs but you will be forced to agree to a certain percentage of damaged or misprinted goods.   If you buy from a provider that uses the factory for printing you are usually guaranteed to pay for only items that are of good quality.

Another trend is jacking the customer on shipping charges.  Get a firm quote prior to ordering and make the seller put it in writing.  Better yet use someone offering promotional items with free shipping which gives you peace of mind you won't be paying a high shipping fee.  We will be highlighting some additional ways to save money and strategies to buy promo items at a discount this weekend.

Protecting Your Business From Gas Prices

With the news today of record gas prices coming to a neighborhood near you soon there are steps your business can take to deflect some of these costs.  With all of the mitigating factors to growth in the economy from high fuel prices to diminishing home equity and tight credit standards many are looking for ways to save money.

First and foremost do not rush out to fill your tanks.  Not only does this have a potential negative effect on supplies it adds weight to your vehicle which decreases economy.  Whenever possible run your take half full which can save up to .5% depending on the vehicle.  This may not sound like much but at $4 per gallon it and at 15k miles a year you'll have enough money to buy an extra pair of shoes by year end.  Next make sure your air filter is clean and in good working condition.   Air filters should be replaced every 10-15k miles and allow your car to take in air and increase the efficiency of the fuel burn.   By keeping this filter clean your engine produces the maximum amount of horsepower which in turn allows you to get up to speed without consuming as much gas.   Air filters are cheap and most can replace it themselves in under five minutes but as always consult your manual.

Perhaps the most important factors in increasing your fuel efficiency deals with your tires.  First make sure they are properly inflated.  Next make sure they are properly aligned.  Properly inflated and aligned tires can gain over 5% mileage versus those under inflated or pulling to one side or another.   A few years ago at $1 per gallon the costs of an alignment were often much higher than any potential gains from increased efficiency.   At $3 and $4 per gallon the cost of an automated four wheel alignment will often be much less than the costs of not aligning your wheels.  Figure a vehicle getting 25 miles per gallon versus one getting 27.5 per gallon with all of these fixes in place driving 20,000 miles per year.  At 25 miles per gallon the vehicle would consume 800 gallons or $3200 in fuel at $4 per gallon.   At 27.5 mpg the same vehicle would consume 727 gallons or $2900 in fuel.  For five minutes spent inflating tires and perhaps $10 in fuel filters you could end up saving $300 on an already fuel efficient vehicle.  Now run the same numbers on a gas guzzler getting 15 and 16.5 per gallon.   At 15mpg the vehicle consumes 1,333 gallons or $5,333 in fuel.  At 17.5 the same vehicle consumes 1142 or $4571 in fuel for a total savings of almost $800!   

The moral of the story is that even a modest ten percent gain in fuel economy for your work trucks spread out over 10 or 15 vehicles can save close to 10k in an average year at these fuel prices.   Take a minute on the next warm day to check your tire pressures and by year end you'll have put some money back in your pocket.

We'll be writing about additional ways to save time and money for your small business and how to help gain new customers in the coming days.  Welcome to our blog!