Best Branded Promotional Items

by Jonas Altman , author of “ Shapers: Reinvent the Way You Work and Change the Future “ He was the mastermind that helped sell 72,000 units of Beyonce’s Heat perfume in an hour. This was back in 2010 and the man behind the scenes working his magic was Marcus Collins. Today, he’s an executive at a Motor City advertising firm and a marketing professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business where he teaches a new generation about social engagement. Collins is a better academic because he’s a practitioner and vice versa. The thread that ties his careers together is in an unrelenting curiosity and desire to understand people. ‘All I want is dopeness,’ is what Collins says when I ask about his unrelenting drive. Whether gracing the stage at conferences, scooping up advertising awards, supporting students, raising his kid, completing his doctorate, or helping out his church, pursuing dopeness is the guiding principle for his life. Achieving Dopeness. Achieving ‘dopenes...

If you are considering taking a job at a startup, there are several things to keep in mind. It is often a particular personality type that thrives in the startup environment, so you may want to determine if it sounds like something you would enjoy. While startups can be a great way to get experience fast, they can also be a recipe for burnout. Many people find they prefer the more predictable, if slightly duller, aspect of traditional employment. Refinance Your Student Loans. Before making the jump to an unpredictable work environment, you may want to consider refinancing your student loans. Refinancing can help you out in several ways. Combining multiple student loans into one refinance allows you to have all of your student loan debt in one payment. You can save money on interest and lower your monthly payment . Extending repayment options can remove some of the stress that comes along with the uncertainty that comes with working at a startup. Understand the Finances. When you ...

by Scott Greenberg, author of “ The Wealthy Franchisee: Game-Changing Steps to Becoming a Thriving Franchise Superstar “ During the 10 years I ran my Edible Arrangements franchises, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my stores’ performance. I monitored my numbers. I analyzed the market. I constantly checked in with my employees. I wanted to understand everything impacting my business. Whether it was the cost of wholesale fruit, new competition or even my own attitude, I wanted stay on top of every element making a difference. I realized I could separate all important factors into three different categories: Circumstances, Operations and Humanity. Circumstances are the larger, outside issues impacting a business. They’re the landscape where we operate. Circumstances include the economy, government regulation, the weather and other factors we don’t control. Often business owners blame them for poor performance. It’s an easy way to skirt responsibility. These factors are real and can ...

Starting a business is a time that’s filled with an equal mix of trepidation and excitement (especially if it’s your first business venture). There are many things to overcome, such as developing a USP and gaining the required funds to start your company. Today, we’re going to cover some ways in which you could gain the competitive edge over other businesses in your industry so that your venture will thrive where others may get left behind. It is also important to note, that first and foremost you need to ensure your business is complying fully with the law, as otherwise issues could arise and put your company in jeopardy further down the line. Contracts need to be precise, safety measures must be dynamic, as well as many other factors that need to be following the right protocol. You must prepare for every possible eventuality – if in doubt, click here for business legal services . Now, let’s see how to gain that competitive edge in business. Pay attention to leads (not just sales...

When it comes to monetizing your account on Instagram, the first thing you need to look at the number of followers you currently have, if you haven’t even got a thousand followers then there is no point in thinking about monetizing your account until you get to a decent number. But how do you go about getting more followers and do more followers really translate into money? Here we find out more. How to Get More Followers. Before you even consider trying to monetize your account, you need to think about how you can get more followers. You can spend hours following and unfollowing other accounts in your target market, trying to grow it on your own. Whilst this approach is beneficial as it grows your account organically, it takes up a lot of time and effort. Another approach you can take to garner the same results is by using a growth service. Growth services are an exceptional tool that can help you grow your following and it gives you the freedom to do what you do best and that i...

Carpets are a ubiquitous part of commercial and residential locations across the land and the need for top-notch cleaning services to keep these carpets in perfect conditions and lasting their full-service life is important. Clean well-maintained carpets are essential to an inviting environment and good presentation. If you have been considering opening a profession to cater to this need, you have the entrepreneurial itch and could soon be taking home your slice of a $5 Billion pie that is only growing in size and value. So how to get started in the carpet cleaning industry? Actually, it is a lot like getting started in any industry. Assemble your business strategy, secure financing, register your business and make sure all the foundational steps are completed first. Then, you will have to move on to some steps that are exclusive to the carpet cleaning industry. For example, collecting the necessary equipment, obtaining certification or accreditation with regulatory boards, taking ...

by Pablo Listingart, Founder and Executive Director of ComIT To begin again, to start anew, to have a fresh, blank slate — the corporate advantages of hiring entry level employees, strong professionals at their career beginnings, seem self-explanatory. But for many companies, it’s a source of stress, and an area too often overlooked. Onboarding at the entry level can be resource intensive. New employees require proper training, supervision, and the time and space it takes to navigate the learning curve of a novel corporate landscape. In any economy, successful entry-level hiring is a crucial aspect of corporate success. New employees bring refreshing perspectives, creative sparks, energized work ethic, and a future orientation. Never have the aforementioned qualities held such importance than in the moment of the COVID-19 market. Today, a company’s ability to innovate, to pivot overnight, to take creative risks and to bet correctly determines their long-term viability. In this era, ...

The value of your ecommerce business matters most when you intend to sell your business. In order to set a fair price for your business, you need to know how much your business is worth. Buyers will also want to know the value before they consider committing to a purchase. Whether you plan to sell your business now or later, you need to know how much it’s worth. It’s not just about revenue. While revenue is taken into consideration, there are more components involved in valuing a business.  The only way to get an accurate value estimation is to hire a business broker to perform a business valuation . When you have a professional value your business, you’ll get a detailed report explaining how the value was derived. This detailed information will be important to potential buyers. Are you selling your business? Whether you’ve gotten an official valuation or not, here’s how you can increase the value of your ecommerce business. 1. Increase your email subscriber list. Businesses...

The concept of “thinking outside the box” is derided by many as a sort of meaningless business buzzphrase. But despite what cynics may say, entrepreneurs should always seek to challenge traditional approaches in order to find new solutions that boost growth and profit – it’s a surefire way to ensure that your brand stands out from the crowd. These three tips will push your personal and professional boundaries and encourage you to think outside the box when it comes to your business. 1. Try something new. Experimentation is a great way to find new approaches to common issues. Try something with your business you might never have considered before – it could be something small like a discount or promotion, or a more significant move, such as a celebratory event via Zoom that invites your customers to join you, for instance for a company anniversary. Your first baby-step outside of the box doesn’t have to be overly adventurous – just test the waters to see what works! 2. Actively...

For a startup, the first goal is to invest in the advertisement of your business to get customers. Digital marketing is the latest strategy of advertising your business, promoting it to the next level. For this purpose, affiliate marketing is used by which you can advertise your products by letting a publisher website post information about it. In this strategy, the affiliate link to your website is placed in the promotional content, and by clicking the link, it will lead to your website. The publisher can be any blogger or entrepreneur website that earns a commission by advertising your products. You can maximize your sales by using this sales strategy. Here are some tips that can help you when utilizing affiliate marketing for your startup. Bloggers Play a Part In Influencing The Public. These days many people are inspired by their favourite bloggers. When they post about a specific product that they benefited from, their followers most likely purchase it because they trust them....

by Ruth King , president of Business Ventures Corporation and the author of “ Profit or Wealth?: Simple Rules for Sustainable Business Growth ” A colleague was helping a business owner look for funding for his business. He introduced him to a potential investor at lunch. The next day the investor called my colleague and told him that the person was nice but he would never invest in his business. My colleague asked why. The investor said that he had the “Mercedes Benz syndrome”. “What’s that?” asked my colleague. The investor explained that during the conversation at lunch he found out that this person was funding a $2200 Porsche lease through the business. He appeared interested in having the business pay for his personal lifestyle. The investor explained to my colleague that his money was not going to pay for a car lease. His investments were supposed to help grow the business; not the owner’s personal “finer things of life”. He went on to explain that he called this the “Mercedes...

Regardless of niche or industry, several businesses need to find, connect, and gain new customers. Some marketing methods tend to be quite effective for certain businesses. One particular technique that may come to mind is engagement marketing. What Is Engagement Marketing? As its name implies, engagement marketing, also called experiential or event marketing, uses well-thought, resourceful methods to engage with targeted audiences. The interactions created may present numerous opportunities to various companies, both large and small. Engagement marketing practices tend to deal with both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) audiences. However, various companies may prefer B2C engagements to B2B. Here are some examples of engagement marketing techniques: Creating a social media page and interacting with new and existing followers Promoting athletic wear while offering health and fitness classes Publishing videos that help solve specific issues for a targete...

by Stephanie Fatta, founder of BeautyBrite.com Whether you are an expert on frugal living or you have an affinity for coming up with healthy recipes, you may be looking to share your expertise with the masses. Since most people are online nowadays, launching and maintaining a lifestyle blog is an efficient avenue for promoting your insight to a vast audience. Starting a lifestyle blog is also a creative way to hone your craft and meet others who share your hobby. If you’re ready to start your own lifestyle blog, here are the main fundamentals to keep in mind. Be Flexible and Open to Change. Through my journey with my lifestyle & beauty blog,  Beauty Brite , I have found that it is so pertinent to not be rigid and stuck in your ways. The blogging industry is always evolving, so you must be ready to adapt to any changes that come up. These changes can be new blogging technologies, layout trends, and more. In addition, rather than having a firm schedule of posts you want to ...

As the owner of a startup, it’s important to make sure that your team works cohesively. After all, the growth of your business will depend on the performance and the contributions that each member is capable of exerting, even if your team is still growing. When it comes to navigating the dynamic business landscape, success is still possible, no matter how small your organization is. Launching your startup should also involve setting up with the necessary tools and systems for ensuring better productivity. At the end of the day, everyone in the startup gets to reap the benefits of working hard without using up a large amount of time and resources. This guide should give you a few important ideas that will surely help your startup team improve their productivity. 1. Set relevant targets. Any young entrepreneur should set specific targets that influence the development of a business strategy. Managing a startup involves handling various aspects, from marketing to talent acquisition ...