10 Time Management Tips That Work

Time. It’s all we have, yet we never have enough. Chances are good that, at some time in your life, you've taken a time management class, read about it in books, and tried to use an electronic or paper-based day planner to organize, prioritize and schedule your day. "Why, with this knowledge and these gadgets," you may ask, "do I still feel like I can't get everything done I need to?" 

The answer is simple. Everything you ever learned about managing time is a complete waste of time because it doesn't work. 

There are only three ways to spend time: thoughts, conversations and actions. Regardless of the type of business you own, your work will be composed of those three items.

Practice the following techniques to become the master of your own time:

1. Carry a schedule and record all your thoughts, conversations and activities for a week. This will help you understand how much you can get done during the course of a day and where your precious moments are going. You'll see how much time is actually spent producing results and how much time is wasted on unproductive thoughts, conversations and actions.

2. Any activity or conversation that's important to your success should have a time assigned to it. To-do lists get longer and longer to the point where they're unworkable. Appointment books work. Schedule appointments with yourself and create time blocks for high-priority thoughts, conversations, and actions. Schedule when they will begin and end. Have the discipline to keep these appointments.

3. Plan to spend at least 50 percent of your time engaged in the thoughts, activities and conversations that produce most of your results.

4. Schedule time for interruptions. Plan time to be pulled away from what you're doing. Take, for instance, the concept of having "office hours." Isn't "office hours" another way of saying "planned interruptions?"

5. Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day. Don't start your day until you complete your time plan. The most important time of your day is the time you schedule to schedule time.

6. Take five minutes before every call and task to decide what result you want to attain. This will help you know what success looks like before you start. And it will also slow time down. Take five minutes after each call and activity to determine whether your desired result was achieved. If not, what was missing? How do you put what's missing in your next call or activity.

7. Put up a "Do not disturb" sign when you absolutely have to get work done.

8. Practice not answering the phone just because it's ringing and e-mails just because they show up. Disconnect instant messaging. Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely crucial in your business to offer an immediate human response. Instead, schedule a time to answer email and return phone calls.

9. Block out other distractions like Facebook and other forms of social media unless you use these tools to generate business.

10. Time. It’s all we have, yet we never have enough. Chances are good that, at some time in your life, you've taken a time management class, read about it in books, and tried to use an electronic or paper-based day planner to organize, prioritize and schedule your day. "Why, with this knowledge and these gadgets," you may ask, "do I still feel like I can't get everything done I need to?" The answer is simple. Everything you ever learned about managing time is a complete waste of time because it doesn't work. There are only three ways to spend time: thoughts, conversations and actions. Regardless of the type of business you own, your work will be composed of those three items.Remember that it's impossible to get everything done. Also remember that odds are good that 20 percent of your thoughts, conversations and activities produce 80 percent of your results.

As an entrepreneur, you may be frequently interrupted or pulled in different directions. While you cannot eliminate interruptions, you do get a say on how much time you will spend on them and how much time you will spend on the thoughts, conversations and actions that will lead you to success. 

With that said, please allow us to buy you some time by letting us handle timely and reliably all your Printing, Banners and Large Graphics projects so you never have to miss a deadline. View our website www.marketinkgroup.com or Call us at 877.990.1616

 source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219553

14 Essential Tips for Meeting a Deadline

Regardless of your job title, meeting deadlines is crucial. If you don’t meet them your boss gets mad, the client gets mad, someone somewhere is unhappy.

Your reputation is pretty much the only thing you have to go on -- your bread and butter. And your reputation is generally based on two things: the quality of your work, and how well you meet deadlines.

Today, we'll focus on meeting deadlines. Sure, you can do great work, but if you don't turn your projects in on time, you won't get many repeat customers.

1. Care about deadlines. This is the first step, as many people are very lax about deadlines. You have to be very serious about meeting them, and make them a priority. And make breaking a deadline a cardinal sin in your book. Once you've done this step, the rest is just logistics.

2. Keep a list of projects & deadlines. If you care about deadlines, you'll write them down, and have one place that you check often to make sure you know what's due and when. I use a simple online list, but you could use paper. Which tool you use doesn't matter, as long as you use it.

3. Communicate a clear deadline. Be sure that you and the client are in agreement with a specific deadline, including time of day (and factor in time zone differences as well). If the deadline is fuzzy, you will have trouble meeting it. If the client doesn't give you a deadline, you need to ask for one.

4. Work in a cushion. It's wise to build in a cushion for your deadline. To get a clear idea of how long a project will take, break it down into smaller pieces (see below for more). If you aren't sure exactly how long each of those pieces takes, break them down into even smaller pieces. And for each piece, add a small cushion to your time estimate. Then add up the time estimates of all the pieces, and you'll have a cushion built in. This will allow for delays, and if you finish early, the client will be pleased.

5. Have a clear outcome. You and the client should both agree on a clearly defined outcome. Don't skip this step, or you could be sorry later. If you turn in a project that's not what the client wanted, you'll have to do extra work, meaning that you'll miss the deadline. If you're not absolutely clear what the outcome should look like, ask some questions of the client until you are clear.

6. Break down the project. This is standard advice for any project, of course, but that's because it works. Don't try to tackle an entire project. Tackle one step at a time. Again, you'll want to break it down into smaller steps, give a time estimate for each step. Each step should be small enough that it takes an hour or less, so it's not too intimidating.

7. Focus on the first step. Now that you've broken the project down into smaller steps, just focus on the first one. Don't worry about the rest for now. Give the first step your full attention, and get going. You'll feel satisfied when you complete it, and can check it off your list. Then focus on the next step.

8. Block off adequate time. When you're going to work on a step, be sure to have it blocked off on your day's schedule. If you're not blocking off time for your most important tasks, you're probably not getting the important stuff done. However else you work during the rest of the day, for your freelance projects, block off a good amount of time for each step, and treat it like a doctor's appointment -- you can't miss it.

9. Have a start and complete date for each step. When breaking down a project, give a start and complete date for each step, so you can get a good feel for the timeline of the project, and whether you're on schedule or behind. It also keeps you on track if you know when each step should be started and completed.

10. Communicate with each step. Once you've completed a step, send the completed step to your client if possible. Sure, it won't look like a completed project, but you can show that you're making progress, you keep yourself on track, and you can get feedback communicated from the client. Better to know early on that you're headed in the wrong direction than at the end of the project.

11. Don't overcommit. One of the biggest causes of missed deadline is that we commit to more than we can handle. Learn to say no if you cannot commit to finishing a project on time.

12. Learn from mistakes. If you bust a deadline, take a few minutes to analyze what went wrong and how you can avoid that in the future.

13. Stay up late. If you planned badly, or just procrastinated, and you're up against a tight deadline, do whatever it takes to meet it. That means staying up late and working long hours if possible.

14. Negotiate and meet a second deadline. If you absolutely cannot make deadline (you probably overcommitted), you should contact your client and negotiate a second deadline. It's much better to do this than to let the deadline go by without any communication. Whatever you do, be sure to meet this second deadline. Two missed deadlines in a row is bad news for your reputation.

Hey. Don’t beat yourself up. We all make mistakes. The whole point of life is to learn from our experiences. With 20+ years meeting tight printing deadlines, we have enough experience to help you stay on top of yours. Marketink is your go-to company for Faster and More Reliable Printing, Banners and Large Graphics. View our website www.marketinkgroup.com or Call 877.990.1616

Source: http://business.tutsplus.com/articles/14-essential-tips-for-meeting-a-deadline--fsw-240

The Secret To Retaining All of Your Clients

Just a few short years ago, successful businesses treated their customers the way farmers treat their crops: They were impersonal, transactional relationships. They made sure there was enough water, they kept the weeds out, and when Thanksgiving came around, there were lots of yams to harvest.

Successful companies no longer get away with this kind of behavior.

Customers aren't yams. They need to be listened to, conversed with and treated as individuals.

Today, a much better way of thinking of your customers is like family. Here are three reasons why:

(1) Talk About Yourself Too Much, Your Family Ignores You. What happens if you go home, sit down in the kitchen and talk about your work for fifteen minutes? Chances are everybody else will move to the living room. They don't want a lecture, they want a conversation. The same idea goes for your customers. They don't want to hear about all your new products. They want to have a conversation about how you can help solve their problems.

(2) You Can't Buy a Family. Where did your family come from? It wasn't bought, it was built, probably over a long time. Advertising agencies may tell you they can sell you customers, but they actually give you vegetables. To get a customer, you have to build a relationship. You have follow them on Twitter, comment on their blog and listen to them. BE INVOLVED!

(3) You Should Eat Turkey With Your Family. Your family may be a lot of work, it may drive you nuts sometimes, but your life is better with them in it. You need to invest in your relationship with them. You need to go eat turkey -- or whatever it is you eat -- with them. If you treat them like vegetables, a commodity you tolerate every once in a while, you'll lose them. The same goes for your customers. Spend time with them, communicate with them, invest in relationships with them and they'll be around for a while.

The Printing Process: Die Cutting

Every morning this week, I’m running a series of guests posts about different printing methods – so if you’ve ever wondered why certain printing methods are best for certain kinds of designs (or cost more than others), this is for you!  You can read the previous installments covering digital printing, engraving, screen printing, letterpress printing with antique type, and foil stamping all right here.  Today, the talented team at Egg Press is here to talk about the technique known as die-cutting, which they use to produce unique shapes, edges, and message windows in greeting cards and other stationery design elements.

What is Die Cutting?

Die-cutting is a process used in many different industries to cut a thin flat material (in our case, paper) into a specific shape using a steel cutting die.  It can be used to punch out a decorative shape or pattern to incorporate within a larger piece, or it can be used to create the main shape of an object by cutting the entire sheet of paper in an distinct/designed way.  More simply put: for us it’s way of making a hole in paper in a desired shape using the same presses that we use for letterpress printing.

Like letterpress, a die-cut element draws attention to the 3D nature of paper and the character of the material itself.  We mostly use die-cutting as a feature – taking an industrial process and turning it into a design element.  As a letterpress print shop, here are some common ways we use die-cutting:

• to create die-cut windows for messages on greeting cards
• to create a unique shaped greeting card (examples include heart die-cuts, scallops, mini-paper sculptures)
• as a design element in one of our new wedding suites
• to create die-cut coasters, hang tags, and rounded corners on business cards for clients
• to make the boxes in which our cards are packaged

The Printing Process

The process of die-cutting is easy for us as letterpress printers, as the set-up is similar to letterpress printing.  Instead of a type-high printing plate we use a type high wood mounted steel cutting die.  The shape of the cutting die is often something we’ve designed and ordered from our local die-makers.  Instead of tympan paper and packing (used to control the impression when printing), we use a sheet of metal on the press bed giving the die a hard surface to cut against.

The first few steps are essentially the same as letterpress printing, although since we’re not using ink we’re always sure to remove the rollers from the press before we start.  We don’t want the dies to damage our rubber rollers!

Next, we attach metal plate/backing onto the press bed by locking the die into the chase and inserting the chase into the press.  Then we’re ready to turn on the press and make a cut.

Pop out the cut shape (paper is still taped to press bed).  Slide your mock-up proof underneath – align your mock up with the cut sample – hold in place.  Make any necessary adjustments, start cutting, and enjoy the confetti!

Tips + Advice

Though die-cutting can produce unique results, it’s not for every print job.  This is why it’s not very commonly used, and why it can be so distinctive.  A die-cut can add a decorative element or a functional component to a design.  For stationery or invitations, creating a die-cut silhouette for your suite may add interest and a vintage feel.  Using a small punch-out within the invitation as a motif can be a nice touch (in this case, a modern feel).  A functional die-cut might be something like a half-moon thumb hole on an open ended envelope, or a notch system in a folded piece.  There are many possibilities for die-cutting, but the medium has limitations.

Complicated shapes or patterns may not work (ask your printer or die-maker).  There is a minimum size for die-cut elements.  The maximum size of the die-cut will depend on the capability of the press you are using.

Paper can affect the outcome – this is something to consider when choosing your paper or choosing to use a die-cut element.  In our experience, thinner paper has less resistance and seems to cut more cleanly while thicker stock can yield mushy edges.  Cotton paper can leave a ragged edge.  Finally, when mailing something with a die-cut element it’s a good policy to mail it in an envelope for protection.  It might not be a good choice for a postcard mailer or rsvp card.

SOURCE: http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com/2012/01/the-printing-process-die-cutting/

If you're still with us, chances are die cutting would be an interesting choice for your company! Marketink can help you decide the best format for your materials. Give us a call to schedule your free 20 minute brainstorming session. 866-245-6723

Large Format Printing Ideas To Make Any Business POP!

It's the new year, you have your inventory ordered and staffing arranged, but have you given a thought to the visual experience that each customer will have when they enter your shop? Have you transformed your retail space to draw customers in and give them the complete experience—the ultimate, visual WOW? The holidays are over but during the season, we picked up a few tips that you can use all year long to spice up your businesses empty spaces. Here's a few tips to really make your store POP!:

Transform Window Spaces
Obviously the outside of your store is what visitors see first—whether it's your building architecture, the brand sign, or the window front. While the crowds of people are moving past your store, entice them to stop in and learn about your brand and products with irresistible window graphics and messaging! A vibrant, creative display covering your whole window can add an extra stream of people through your doors.

The Walls are Your Canvas!

Now that your window display has motivated passers-by to stop and and check out your wares, have you given any thought to livening up the store by adding color, graphics, or messaging to your walls? Probably not. Just think, that empty wall is your canvas to do with as you wish! Advertise sales! Or maybe just a colorful, patterned design to add some pizzaz to your place, and encourage patrons to linger a bit longer. Printed decals make it easy—no more paint cans, brushes, or stencils. NO MORE MESS! Your wall is your oyster… do whatever you wish to it and decorate it to your heart's content. Make it shine! It's all about the customer experience, and good design increases the chance that customers will return to your store.

Effectively Use Floor Space
When it comes to "floor space," you're probably thinking about the logistics regarding clothing racks and displays. While this is definitely important, you can also think of floor space as the empty area that is available for you to use to enhance your customer's experience. Perhaps you could use it to add color to your storefront, advertise holiday sales, or for way-finding around your store. One of my favorite examples of a brand effectively using floor space was L.L. Bean's floor graphics depicting a pond and trail. The trail led throughout the mall with a description that read "Follow me to L.L. Bean." With people's inherent reaction to following signs, floor graphics could be a valuable marketing tool for your store —an effective tactic for toy stores and other children's retailers.

Draw Attention to your signs using LED backlights

If you're looking for a way to make your storefront really SHINE compared the others on the strip, an LED backlit sign would do the trick. The light box remains installed on your storefront, while the bright, shiny banner can be changed whenever you want! Just think of the possibilities—your store could BEAM  and add a BRILLIANT aura to the location.

Use SkyBanner Systems to Utilize Ceiling Space

Use a SkyBanner system to shout out your latest sale or marketing promotion making your brand literally shout over the rest. There is also the potential to generate extra advertising revenue by letting the brands you carry advertise in your spaces. Put that empty ceiling space to work, whether it's through holiday greetings or advertisements. Either way, it's win-win for you!

Remember, these examples are holiday advertisements, but just because the holidays are over, doesn't mean you can't sell like it's the holidays all year round! Marketink is here to help you do just that. We offer plenty of large format printing options and are here to help you decide what's best for you. visit http://www.marketinkgroup.com for more information. 

USPS Direct Mail Promotions for 2014

6 Unique Holiday Greeting Card Ideas for Your Company

It’s that time of year again when everyone is getting ready to jingle bell rock out of Q4 and into Q1 of the new year. Amongst all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, don’t forget to send out those anticipated greeting cards to your beloved clients and all of the people who help make your business a success! Stand out in the stack by taking inspiration from these awesome ideas from around the web.

This “Evidence of the holiday season" holiday card has a clean execution and positive impact is . A gentle connection to Law (the "evidence" pun), and a positive holiday message makes the whole thing work.

3D isn’t just for the movies. Bring your companies holiday card to life with a 3D message and a pair of 3D glasses! It’s surely one that no one will forget.

Speaking of 3D how about literally transforming your card into a 3D holiday card? This law firm actually won several “most creative business holiday card” last year!

Simple and sophisticated. Nike’s holiday card from 2012 is very simple and boldly draws your attention right where they want your eye to go, to their logo.

This holiday card was created via some fancy photography. It requires a little more labor but the outcome is well worth it! You could make a variety of these using different messages as well.

This one we just had to save for last because it’s so cool!

The pieces of this card are not a puzzle, rather they are cut outs that make a usable tree ornament when you put them all together! This is something that can be used for years to come and is a great way to show you care.

We hope these ideas have got your brain going. At Marketink we offer free 20 minute brainstorming sessions to help you expand your ideas and create the best marketing materials for your company.

Click here to schedule yours now!

5 Tips for Making the Best Holiday Mailers this Season

The holidays are a special time. If you have not yet started planning a direct mail marketing campaign, you have best be getting a move on! The holidays are a great time for you to do some promotional activities for your brand and product offering. They’re also a time when customers are really looking to purchase items. Thus, it’s important to make sure that you get a fair share of that holiday market.

Before you start sending out the usual holiday postcards and catalogues, it is important to note that you are not the only company who will be sending out mailers to their prospective clients. Other companies would also like to promote their products and/or services and secure their share of the holiday market. That being said, it is important to make your direct mail package stand out. Here are a few ways you can achieve terrific holiday direct mailers.

Holiday Design
Enlist the help of a few elves from a commercial printing company. They can greatly help in terms of design to make your mailer look appropriate for the occasion. Also, they offer a variety of services that speed up the packaging process and ensure that your mailer has all the right components just in time for the holidays.

Dimensional Mailers
As stated earlier, yours won’t be the only company that will be sending out direct mail to clients. When your potential client finds a stack of ad mailers in his mailbox, their tendency is unfortunately to just chuck it out. But if your mailer has bulk or is three-dimensional, your customer will be curious about what it is. That’s the opening you need. Dimensional mailers naturally cost more but the profits they generate make them worth it. Most direct mail companies offer holiday discounts which could greatly help you in terms of costs.

Promotions
Attract them with discounts, freebies or special deals. Create a sense of anticipation by adding special contest prizes which they can win if they avail of your product or service.

Reward Your Loyal Customers
Tis the season for giving. Reward your loyal customers with discounts, freebies or exclusive deals. For example, if you have a customer who purchased an mp3 player last year, offer them a huge discount on this year’s latest model. If you sell clothing, offer a discount on your most popular pieces or on next season’s collection. This will make your customers feel valued and will ensure that they will be your clients for a long time. These can also help bring back clients who looked elsewhere last year. 

QR Codes
The advent of QR codes present many retail possibilities. You can instruct your printing co. to include QR codes in your mailer representing a free small product that your clients can claim when they scan and send it to you. You can also arrange a scavenger hunt with these QR codes. Have your clients scan as many QR codes as possible. When they rack up a certain number of points, reward them with prizes which may include freebies, discounts, tickets, etc. This will make shopping more fun and exciting for your customer base.

Here at Marketink we are happy to provide you with free 20 minute marketing consultations. If you’re looking for some help brainstorming, feel free to schedule your appointment. http://www.marketinkgroup.com Happy holidays!

7 Personalized Gifts That Your Clients Will LOVE

Having a hard time figuring out what to buy everyone on your list this holiday season?  Want your gifts to be unique and special?  Whether you’re buying something for your clients or your employees, we have compiled a list of some personalized gifts at varying price points that you can truly make your own.

Say goodbye to those impersonal gift cards or email blasts and say hello to these one of a kind options:

1. Picture Puzzles –  Young, old and in between everyone loves puzzles! They offer hours of fun and boost brain power and logic.  You can purchase your picture puzzles for beginners with only 20 pieces or up to 300 pieces to really challenge your clients. Give your clients a puzzle to remember you by! Use your logo or a bright memorable picture in the puzzle.  Picture puzzles can also be framed and transformed into beautiful wall art.Use your personal photos or hand-made design to make it truly unique!
2. Custom Coffee Mugs – Grab a gourmet bag of your favorite coffee beans and pair it with a custom coffee mug that you designed.  Old and young alike can design mugs with their original artwork, photograph or funny saying.  Great for tea and hot cocoa drinkers as well, just swap the coffee for organic loose tea or rich hot chocolate.
3. Mouse Pads – Custom made mouse pads are personal gifts that you can present to colleagues and clients.  They are inexpensive and also make terrific stocking stuffers! Since computers are used everyday, it’s a great way to get your message in front of them and remind them daily of who you are are what you do!
4. Personalized Apparel – Who doesn’t like getting a new hat or a t-shirt? If you’re planning to give out some personalized apparel, make sure your logo is subtle. You don’t want to send the message that you want them to advertise for you, rather you want them to have something fashionable and fun.
5. Photo Buttons – If you have more clients than you can count or you are a teacher who wants to surprise her students with a little something special, photo buttons are just the thing!  They say “I’m thinking of you” without doing major damage to your holiday spending budget. Whether they are traditional pin back buttons, mirrors, key chains or coasters, they are fun and can also serve as decorations for your gift boxes.  Another great idea is to add photo button coasters to a gourmet basket or mirror buttons to a spa basket.
6. Personalized notepads – Small gifts can be the perfect add-on to gift baskets or paired with an engraved pen and stationery.  Personalized notepads are just the thing to add a personal touch to complete a package.  Great extras for teachers and your employees.
7. Calendar– Probably everyone you know has gotten a calendar for Hanukkah or Christmas at some point in their lives.  It’s a great gift to ring in the New Year.  Make them funny or festive.  Great for home or office.

With the holidays fast approaching, we hope these 7 personalized gifts make your shopping fast and easy.  Clients and co-workers will appreciate the time and effort put into each and every one.  Remember to send us photos of your customized creations and happy shopping!

http://www.marketinkgroup.com