50+ uses for peel and stick calendars with your logo
Hi! We’re On The Ball Promotions, and we provide big solutions for small businesses. How? With promotional products.
And our most popular promotional product is the practical, budget-friendly Value Stick Calendar.
We already made a list of why these mini adhesive calendars are so popular. A quick recap:
- They’re cheap (less than $1 per calendar)
- They stick anywhere
- They’re cheap
- They work for nearly every industry
- They’re cheap (see a theme?)
So let’s get into the uses!
Where do people stick mini adhesive calendars?
Let’s take a look at where people stick these calendars. These are going to be the people your business hands these calendars out to. If you think your customers or clients would use a calendar in one of these places, you’re in luck.
- Dashboard in a car, delivery van, truck, semi, tractor, or heck, even a boat!
- Locker
- Fridge (probably the work fridge)
- Cabinets or shelving
- By the office phone (for easy date reference if scheduling meetings or deliveries)
- In the garage workshop
- Inside a desk drawer
- On the edge of a computer monitor or on a desktop printer (or maybe even a label printer)
- On poles (think of a manufacturing plant—stick the calendar near a machine or station that’s relevant)
- On duct work (like in the basement)
- Near or on the outside of the electrical box
- On a bulletin board or white board
- On the toolbox
Important note: we don’t recommend sticking these on wood that’s stained or painted. Any kind of adhesive product can ruin these types of surfaces, so it’s best to play it safe.
Who typically hands out these small promotional calendars?
Honestly, anyone can use these. They’re so practical! But, here’s who we see handing these out—and having success promoting their small business with them.
The businesses who use our Value Stick Calendars most are:
- Trucking Companies (and services for these companies, like repair shops and supplies)
- Logistics Companies & Freight Services
- Transportation Services
Notice a trend here? These peel and stick calendars are most popular for companies with fleets or those who work with them.
But we make these small sticky-back calendars for so many more small businesses, industries, and uses. Check out who else has put their logo on our Value Stick Calendars:
- Moving companies
- Trucking companies
- Contractors (residential & commercial) – remodelers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC, painting, and more.
- Pilot car drivers
- Exterminators
- Animal health services (like vets, including large animal vets serving farmers and ranchers)
- Local businesses that serve their community
- Freight services
- Fleet drivers
- Truck & Trailer repair shops
- Utility providers & services
- Farm supply stores & Agricultural businesses
- Convenience Stores & Truck Stops
- Manufacturers (especially those who provide machinery or tools for other manufacturers or businesses)
- Embroidery shops
- Veteran’s groups – check out our USA Flag and USA-shaped calendars
- Insurance agents
- Material suppliers (ex: for manufacturers)
- Demolition Services
- Residential & Commercial Construction
- Tow Trucks
- Automotive Repair Shops (big focus on truck repair)
- Grain Elevators
- Storage & Rental Units
- Craftsmen (like leather work, shoe repair, upholstery)
- Agriculture (crops): Growers, Processors & Shippers
- Diners or restaurants (especially those that are near tollway/highway interchanges)
- Realtors
- Septic Tank Services
- Home builders – especially popular with custom home builders
- Trading Posts
- School District Transportation (put important info on calendar for bus drivers)
- Small airports & private airfields
- Medical supply delivery services
- Cleaning services (B2B or B2C)
- Home health services
- Garden centers & plant nurseries
- Landscapers & lawn care companies
- Rental companies
- Snow removal businesses
- For government employees like public works, community safety officers, or even village hall employees who drive city-owned cars
Phew! That’s a long list, and it grows longer each year, as we get to meet more and more small business owners, just like you.
Want to put your logo on one of these calendars?
If you’re not sure peel and stick calendars are right for your business, let’s talk. Send us a message or call us at (800) 475-2255.
Or get started by shopping our entire calendar line—it’s all manufactured in the USA!
How to build more meaningful connections on LinkedIn with greeting cards
It’s so easy to just comment on someone’s LinkedIn post and just… scroll on. And commenting is great for them because you acknowledge their achievements or milestones. It’s also great for you because it gives your personal or brand page a bit more visibility on the LinkedIn timeline.
But…
Why not go beyond the algorithm, get back into real life? It’s easy, we promise. Here’s what you do:
Comment on their post as you usually would. Then follow up with a greeting card. It’s the perfect thing to do for those celebrating momentous occasions, or even those going through a tough time.
Here are just a few ideas to get you started.
Congratulations Cards: Promotion or New Position
Someone getting a new job or accepting a promotion might be the most common celebration on LinkedIn. Once you see that announcement post in your feed, send a congratulations card.
Other reasons to send a professional congratulations card:
- Receiving a professional certification or further education
- Moving to a new facility or completing renovations
- Birth of a child or grandchild
- Adopting a pet or adding a new animal to their family – especially if the animal is part of the office crew!
- Running in a race or other athletic or competitive event
- Reaching any kind of goal (ex: I wanted to bake 10 loaves of bread this year and I did it!)
- Celebrating xx years of sobriety – yes, professionals open up about this on LinkedIn
Birthday Cards for Professionals
Create a list of clients, vendors, and peers whose birthdays you want to celebrate beyond online. Start this list in advance, since LinkedIn gives birthday notifications the day of their birthday.
Business Anniversary Cards for Professional & Personal Celebrations
There are several ways to use anniversary cards from your business:
- Celebrating an individual’s work anniversary at a company or organization
- Someone mentions a personal anniversary, like a wedding anniversary
- Send to an entire business if they’re celebrating a milestone year, like the 10th year in business
Should you send holiday cards to LinkedIn connections?
Yes, of course! But the question becomes: do you send holiday cards to everyone, just a select group… how do you decide?
It might help to get a spreadsheet of your connections. Here’s how to download your list of connections on LinkedIn:
- Under your profile picture menu, choose “Settings & Privacy”
- Select “Data privacy”
- Under “How LinkedIn uses your data,” choose “Get a copy of your data”
- From there, choose “Contacts,” and that’s it! Once the spreadsheet is complete, you’ll receive an email from LinkedIn.
This spreadsheet doesn’t have mailing addresses, but it could help you quickly go over who you might want to send greeting cards to. Or—with a little spreadsheet wizardry—you could compile data from separate spreadsheets (ie, mailing addresses) to create a more comprehensive list.
Never sent business greeting cards to clients before? We’re here to help.
We have even more greeting card dos and don’ts to help you get started:
- How to write business greeting cards
- Creative greeting card sign-offs for businesses and brands
- Business Greeting Card Etiquette
Plus, we have a line of classic and modern greeting card designs for business owners and organization leaders like you. Find your company greeting cards or give us a call at (800) 475-2255.
We’re On The Ball Promotions, and we provide big solutions for small businesses.
Creative greeting card sign-offs for businesses and brands
If you want to send greeting cards for your business, but don’t want to use the old standby “Sincerely” every time, then we have a list of clever business greeting card sign-offs for you. So if you’re not sure how to sign a greeting card, keep reading!
But before we get started… signing off your business greeting cards with a simple “Thanks” or “Thank You” works for nearly every business, brand, or event. Or—and hear us out—a sign-off isn’t always needed! Sometimes, just your signature is enough. Remember, sign-offs are just part of the entire greeting card message.
But if you want to go a bit further, read on for some inspiration. Share how you sign your business greeting cards in the comments below.
Generic sign-offs for any business greeting card
These are the traditional closings for greeting cards from businesses, but they work!
- Sincerely
- Regards / Kind Regards / Warm Regards
- Best Wishes
- All the best
- Until next time
- With appreciation
- Appreciate your support/business
- Cordially
- Respectfully
Motivational sign-offs
If you want to be direct with your sign-off, check out this list. Great for any business, but especially places that motivate like gyms, business/life coaches, professional peers, and more.
- Stay tough
- Slay / Keep Slaying
- Get it
- Here’s to the grind
- Let’s go
- Let’s do this
- We got this / You got this
Feel-good sign-offs
These are for those who are festive, fabulous, and not afraid of a good party. These greeting card closings have an optimistic feel to them.
- Cheers
- Stay fabulous
- Stay classy
- Let’s party
- Hugs & Happiness
- Here’s to the good times
Secular Christmas & Holiday card sign-offs
We offer a selection of Christmas and Holiday business greeting cards. For those who want to send the more secular-themed cards, check out these easy ways to sign a secular (not religious) holiday card:
- Here’s to the Holidays
- Cheers to the New Year
- Warm Wishes
- Peace & Joy
- Good Tidings
- To you & yours
- Be Merry
Greeting card sign-offs by industry
Realtors
- Congrats
- Welcome Home
- To making memories
- To a new adventure
Finance
- To new dreams
- Here’s to your future
- Here to help you grow
- Let’s make your dream happen
Where to find greeting cards for your business
We’re On The Ball Promotions, and we make greeting cards for businesses like yours. If you don’t have some cards in your business stationery collection, check out our card collection. All USA-made with free personalization and fast shipping.
Let’s put your logo to work.
Easy Gifts for Truck Driver Appreciation Week
Truck Driver Appreciation week is September 15-21, 2024. And did you know there are more than 3.5 million truck drivers in the U.S.?
Whether you want to get just one gift for the truck driver in your life, or you want to show some appreciation to those in your fleet, we have some easy gift ideas that any trucker will appreciate.
Let’s roll.
Cleaning Kits: A Practical Option for Long-Haul Truck Drivers
Whether they’re on the road for a few hours or a few days, dust accumulates. Help them keep their driving space clean with a cleaning kit with dashboard cleaner, microfiber cloths or polishing towels, window cleaner, a boot brush, and maybe an air freshener.
But the cleaning kit can go beyond just the truck: think about the driver, too. Perhaps hand sanitizer (the gel or hand sanitizing wipes), stain removal sticks for quick laundry clean-ups, or even a kit with travel-sized toiletries.
Snack Packs!
Mix and match the healthy, the sweet, and the savory. Be sure to get a snack kit for truckers that is easy for them to put in a cup holder.
Die Cast Trucks
A bigger gift that can have a lasting impression. While certainly more decorative than practical, it’s still an appreciated gift that drivers can display at home. Die cast metal trucks—whether painted or with a more rustic finish—have been popular for years (decades!).
Careful, though. If you make it look too cool, future truckers (kids!) will want to play with it. And perhaps that would make this gift even more meaningful.
Business Tools
This one might not be as fun, but it’s highly practical. Clipboards are practical for organizing paperwork in their truck. Clipboards with storage space is an added bonus. And what’s a clipboard without a pen? It’s an easy gift combo.
Practical Everyday Gifts
A few items that truck drivers use daily:
- Chargers & cords
- Small cooking utensils
- Laundry bags
- Multitool (get a quality one, though!)
- Work gloves
- Tire gauge
Branded Giveaway Bundle
It’s ok to shout about your brand—even during Truck Driver Appreciation Week. But if you’re going to give branded gifts to truck drivers, make them count. Some things to consider with promotional products for truck drivers:
Make it practical. If you simply want to put your logo on a gift for truckers, that’s fine. But if you’re going to take that route, give them something highly practical, like a cleaning cloth, squeegee, or something they’d use on a regular basis.
Make the message resonate. If you want to give them something less practical (ie, decorative, not practical), you can’t just slap your logo on it and call it a day. Put a message or design on it that will make them appreciate the gift—and want to keep it. Say thanks, explain how their work helps you out, or put a catchy saying on it.
Some ideas for branded giveaways for truck drive appreciation week:
Hats. There is a problem here: every trucker driver has their favorite hat. But yours might be the next favorite! Look for a hat that is comfortable and design it so they’ll actually want to wear it. And you know they’ll wear it until it’s basically thread-bare.
Umbrellas. Look for a collapsible umbrella that can fit in the glove box or in the console.
Flashlights. Can you ever have too many flashlights?
Dashboard calendars. Just peel off the back and slap it on the dash. This practical, inexpensive mini sticky calendar will give your company 365 days of advertising.
Need help finding the right gift for Truck Driver Appreciation Week? We can help.
We’re On The Ball Promotions, and we specialize in putting your logo to work. We have a large collection of custom promotional products. But what you see there isn’t all. We can help you find the right gift for your clients. Send us a message or give our team a call at (800) 475-2255.
How to design giveaways for a handyman service
Whether you’re a one-man handyman service or you run a franchise, designing giveaways for your customers shouldn’t be painful.
The giveaways you’re looking for are often called “promotional products” or “swag.” Some contractors call them leave-behinds. But whatever you call them, if you don’t have the right message on the product, it won’t work.
If you have no graphic design skills, don’t worry. First off, we can help with that. Second, it’s the message that really needs to stand out. Make the message clear, and the design will follow.
Here are some easy tips and design ideas for handyman promotional products and giveaways.
Use your message to tell them exactly what to do
Yes, you could just put your logo, phone number, and website on the custom leave-behind.
Or you could be like Rick (below) and tell them what to do: call him! Want your customers to do that? Tell them to. Want them to schedule an appointment on your website? Give the website address and obvious instructions to do that.
People have enough to think about; when you tell them exactly what to do, you will see more action taken… meaning more business for you.
Use a custom leave-behind as a chance to educate your customers
Want to avoid calls that could have been avoided? Give them some guidance with an informational brochure.
Now, this is not meant to take the place of professional know-how. Use this as a simple troubleshooting checklist before they call.
If it’s an easy thing for the homeowner to take care of, that’s great. If they can’t fix it, at least you’ve given them a bit of knowledge that they can then pass onto you. For example: “I connected Widget A to Widget B, but then Widget C starting puttering when it should have been whirring.”
This could help save time (how much time do you spend just finding the problem?) and money for them.
But it also builds trust. If you’re willing to share your knowledge with them, they know you’re a reliable expert in your field, and they are far more likely to call on you again or refer you to their neighbors.
Go the heart-felt route and send them Christmas cards with a hand-written message
Yes, this might sound like a pain. How many customers have you seen this past year? Do you want to send a card to each of them, or just some of your regulars?
If you are the lone handyman in your business, you might have to write each and every message yourself. Have someone help with taking calls? If they’ve built rapport with your customers, have them help write some of the messages.
These messages don’t have to be long-winded. A simple “Hi, Happy Holidays!” can sometimes works. But if there’s a story to share, share it. A funny moment fixing a customer’s window? Reminisce on it.
No doubt you’ve heard about branding for your business. Well, we have some news for you: rapport with customers is part of your branding.
Need some more ideas? Let’s talk.
We are promotional products experts, and we know how to put your logo to work to get you more business, referrals, and help gain you the trust of your customers.
We have a large selection of practical, affordable logoed leave-behinds, but we can do a lot more. Whatever your branded giveaway needs, let us know. We’ll find you what your business needs.
Check out OnTheBallPromotions.com or give us a call at (800) 475-2255.
Let’s put your logo to work.
Thanksgiving Greeting Card Sentiments for your B2B and B2C Customers
Need help expressing your gratitude to your clients or customers? Thanksgiving greeting cards are the perfect way to express your sentiments.
We’ve collected some Thanksgiving greeting card sentiments to say how much your customers mean to you. These messages for Thanksgiving cards work for small businesses, large companies, non-profit organizations, family-owned businesses, and more.
Here are some Thanksgiving greeting card message ideas:
- During this time of Thanksgiving, we’d like to express our appreciation to you for your business.
- Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays and a wonderful New Year!
- I appreciate having you as a client and a friend. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
- Clients like you make our business thrive, and for that, I am thankful.
- During this time in giving thanks, we want to thank you for your business. We value you and look forward to working with you in the future.
- Warmest Thanksgiving wishes and hopes for a happy holiday season!
- We’re thankful to have clients like you—not just on Thanksgiving, but every day. Happy holidays!
- We’re counting our blessings this Thanksgiving and working with you is one of them!
- Warmest wishes for a blessed holiday season and a wonderful New Year!
- From our family to yours, have a Happy Thanksgiving.
- Your support means the world to us. During this time of thanks, we thank you for continuing to support our cause.
- Wishing you prosperity, health and happiness on this special day of thanks.
- Sending warm wishes this Thanksgiving season and throughout the coming holidays.
Before you send your Thanksgiving holiday cards, be sure to brush up on your how to write business greeting cards.
Need Thanksgiving greeting card for your business or organization?
We have you covered. Shop Thanksgiving cards for your business from On The Ball Promotions. We provide Thanksgiving business greeting cards for small business owners, non-profit organizations, city governments, and more.
What can we create for your business? Check out our Thanksgiving card line.
Why your logo looks bad on promotional products… and what you can do to fix it
Have you ever sent your logo to a promotional products decorator, an embroidery shop, or a print shop, only to have them tell you, “Sorry, your art is no good.”
If so, do you know what that even means?
Thing is, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to putting a logo on a promotional product. The specs of a logo you send to a printer for flyers won’t necessarily work for those needed to put your logo on an umbrella.
We get it; things get confusing. But we want to help you learn how to design a logo for branded items or promotional products. Read on to learn what kind of logos look good on promotional products—and which ones might need a little work.
An example of artwork that will look good on only some promotional products
Let’s take a look at a logo that will work on some products, but not all. Here, we have a full-color logo for a fictional company, the Sad Yeti Widget Co.
It looks great in full-color, doesn’t it? And this would work perfectly for digitally printed products, like business cards, flyers, and even some t-shirts (depending on finishing technique).
But what if the logo can’t be printed in full color?
If you want this logo foil stamped, embossed, etched, or done with letterpress, it won’t work so well.
Why?
Because with many decorating techniques, your artwork needs to be pure black and white. The black is what would be imprinted, embossed, or etched. The white is the negative space.
The sad little Yeti shown above gives the promotional products decorator no idea what will be imprinted and what will be the negative space.
Here’s what that yeti would look like if a promotional products decorator used the logo as it was sent to them:
Not good, right? Not to worry. A logo like this doesn’t necessarily need modification; it just needs variations of the primary logo.
Let’s see if we can make this sad yeti work for any type of decorating method.
An example of artwork that can be used on (nearly) any promotional product
Ok, little yeti, your original logo will remain your primary logo.
But let’s see if we can make some modifications so that the yeti will look nicer on other branded giveaways like foil stamped calendars or etched awards.
Much better, right? Rather than just a fuzzy blob, we can still tell it’s the yeti, even though it’s just black and white. By choosing areas that will be imprinted (black) and areas that will be the negative space (white), this little yeti now stands out as an imprintable 1-color logo.
Want to make sure your logo works on all sorts of promotional products like this one does? This is where you need the help of a trusted graphic designer.
What should I ask my designer for when creating a new logo for my business?
Here are the variations of your logo you should request when working with a graphic designer:
- A vector logo. Never accept a JPG as your primary logo format. In order for your logo to work in various mediums (like on a truck, on a coaster, or a calendar), you’ll need a vector logo that can be resized without losing any image quality. AI (Adobe Illustrator) files are the best vector format. You can also have vector files as PDF or EPS, but only if those have been saved in Adobe Illustrator or another vector graphics program.
- PMS (Pantone) version. You need a PMS version of your logo for printing techniques like ink offset printing and screen printed products. This includes anything from pocket folders to tote bags.
- CMYK version. Useful for digital printing. Many promotional products decorators are able to use CMYK logos. Not sure where CMYK is used? Think post cards, business cards, and even t-shirt designs can be CMYK (but not always; it’s best to check with your printer first).
- RGB version. You need an RGB version of your logo for your website, social media, and email campaigns. It’s ok to get a JPG format for your RGB logo.
- Grayscale version. Though grayscale logos aren’t used much anymore, they are still helpful when a document needs to be printed in black and white, but gradients or varying shades of gray are acceptable.
- Black and white version. This is needed for decorating processes like foil stamping and embossing. You need a version with a distinct area that will be imprinted (that is the black area), and the area that won’t be imprinted (that’s the white area).
Here are some optional logo variations to ask for:
- Logomark-only or text-only. If your logo includes both a picture or icon (ie, logomark) AND text, it might be helpful to have variations with just the image and just the text. For example, your logomark might not scale down well enough to fit on the barrel of a pen, but the text-only version of your logo might work just fine.
- Square (for social media). What this looks like depends entirely on the original shape of your logo. Some brands use just their logomark, others have a “stacked” version of their logo. If your standard logo is rectangular, consider a square version for social media purposes.
This might seem like a lot to ask for, but having this collection of logos on hand will make working with outside vendors like print shops and promotional products decorators that much easier.
We can help put your logo on promotional products
If you don’t understand graphic design or what “good” or “bad” artwork means, don’t worry. Small promotional products distributors (like us) are really good at working with customers who don’t know vector from bitmap.
When in doubt, ask for help. Send us an email to start a conversation or give us a call at (800) 475-2255.
National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day – Facts and Trivia
March 29 is National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day in the U.S. It’s a day to recognize couples who have built their businesses from the ground up, as well as larger businesses who started small, but have grown immensely, thanks to community support and local consumer engagement.
It’s a day to celebrate small business owners who value face-to-face customer interaction, community loyalty, and business flexibility.
When—and why—was National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day started?
This unique holiday was founded by Rick and Margie Segel. Rick’s parents built and owned a dress shop 5 miles outside the city of Boston.
Why did the son of a husband and wife business owner team want to recognize these unique business partnerships?
Because he saw this business built from the ground up by his parents, and witnessed its growth, despite an often turbulent economic landscape.
Rick’s background is in retail; “That’s who I am,” he says. With a degree in marketing and after several years working for Hertz Rent-a-Car, Rick received a call one day from his mom saying that his father had suffered a heart attack. When asked to come help with the family business, a then 900-square-foot dress shop, Rick took a 90 day leave-of-absence from his job to go back to Boston.
On the 47th day of his leave, Rick’s father passed away. When faced with the decision to go back to the corporate world or remain in the family business, Rick opted to stay.
For the next 25 years, he worked in the family dress shop. “That is who I am, that is where I come from, and I’m not trying to be anything other than that,” Rick states in a talk at the 2013 ARN Revenue Conference & Exhibition.
Over those 25 years, Rick saw 97 stores go out of business during an urban renewal project. Meanwhile, his family’s business grew and the dress shop expanded to 10,000 sq. feet, doing over $2.5 million “in a plighted downtown.”
Why support Mom and Pop Shops?
That type of resilience, growth, and determination are the markers of a true mom-and-pop business success story, and inspiration enough to dedicate a day to the entrepreneurs who build small businesses across the U.S.
Small businesses come and go. It’s estimated that roughly 80% of small businesses survive the first year; only half survive the first five years.
Supporting local, small businesses and shops is important because:
- It helps family-owned businesses survive—and thrive. In the United States family businesses account for 57% of the GDP and employ 63% of the workforce (source: Family Business Alliance).
- They get to know their customers. We all know that a personalized experience creates more loyal users. Just like we trust a doctor who listens to our concerns, we trust a shop owner who listens to our story and provides a more personal shopping experience.
- They support the community. Not only do they provide employment for local residents, mom and pop shops are often present at community events like parades, festivals, school events, and even fundraisers, providing donations through time, money, or hard goods.
- Family-owned = high values and high standards. According to the academic journal Family Business Review, more than 30% of family-owned businesses survive into the second generation, 12% survive into the third, and just 3% into the fourth-generation level and beyond. Whatever generation a family business is on, the current owners have a legacy to maintain, and will maintain the standards, ethics, and values imparted to them from their predecessors.
What is a “Mom and Pop Shop”?
A Mom and Pop Shop is a small business. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, a small business has fewer than 500 employees. Though mom and pop shops have far less than 500 employees, some large businesses started off as small mom and pop businesses and grew because of community support.
Most mom and pop shops have a brick-and-mortar location. Some examples of these shops include:
- Restaurants & Cafés
- Jewelers
- Clothing Boutiques
- Hotels & Inns
- Crafters and Manufacturers
- Salons & Spas
- Print Shops
- Gift Shops
- Grocery Stores
Hashtags to use for Mom and Pop Business Owners Day
Even if you have steady foot traffic to your shop, reach out to customers on social media to further your reach. Here are some popular hashtags small business owners use on national mom and pop business owners day:
- #MomandPopBusinessOwnersDay
- #MomPopBusinessOwnersDay
- #SmallBiz
- #SmallBusiness
- #SmallBusinessRocks
- #MomandPopBusiness
- #MomandPopShop
- #ShopLocal
- #Shop(City/State)
See how small business owners have used these hashtags on social media:
What shop owners can do to celebrate National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day
There are lots of unique ways to commemorate this unique holiday that celebrates small business owners. Here are just a few ways to reach out to your customers and community:
- Host a tour of your shop. Let them see you making your crafts in action, or take small tour groups into the kitchen so they can see what goes into their meal prep.
- Create a timeline of your business’ history. Whether you post pictures and text on a wall inside your store, or you share it online, customers love seeing the journey a small business took to get to where it is. Sharing your story with them creates a more trusting environment.
- Hand out goodies. Sometimes, a small offering helps remind your community what you do. Whether it’s a small coffee, a massage, a small necklace pendant, sometimes the small things make the biggest difference.
- Host a fun fair. Food, drinks, a bounce house? Why not? If time and space allows, host a mini fun fair, either by yourself or with a group of other small business owners. It’s a great way to network with those in your community.
- Teach your customers your trade. Let them in on some of your secrets. For example, if you have a woodworking shop, host small classes, letting attendees try out some of your tools and even create a small craft.
- Take a break. If you can afford to close up shop for the day, or just half a day, consider giving yourself and your employees a break. Customers will understand, and will appreciate that you value employee morale.
We ❤ working with Mom and Pop Shops
Are you a small business owner, or do you own a mom and pop shop? We work with business owners and managers just like you by offering branded giveaways, promotional products, and marketing materials. Browse OnTheBallPromotions.com to see how we can help enforce your small business’ image in your community.
Why mini sticky calendars are so dang popular
Year after year, our small adhesive Value Stick Calendars continue to be our most popular product.
Whether it’s a pilot car service, a logistics company, a grocer, or even a communications company, business owners love these practical mini sticky calendars.
Whatever your industry or trade, business owners always find these inexpensive promotional calendars a practical option for advertising their business or service throughout the entire year.
But why are our mini sticky calendars so popular?
They’re cheap.
Our popular Value Stick Calendars are less than $1 per calendar. How’s that for an inexpensive promotion? Our Easy Stick Calendars are slightly larger in size if you’re looking for more ad space.
They stick anywhere.
The fridge, the work locker, the dashboard, the toolbox, the inside of your desk drawer… we could go on.
The biggest benefit of sticky calendars vs. magnetic calendars is that magnetic calendars only stick to certain surfaces. Small stick-up calendars go anywhere.
It is important to note that although our mini adhesive calendars can stick anywhere, it’s best to clean the surface first to ensure the calendars sticks for the entire year.
While these sticky back calendars can be put anywhere, some people might not want to stick them on something—and that’s ok. A pushpin easily pushes through these calendars if your customers want to display these on a bulletin board without using the adhesive backing.
They’re cheap.
Did we mention less than $1 per calendar? That’s just pennies per day to advertise your brand, business, or message all year long.
That’s a lot less than a pay-per-click ad (the cost of the calendar itself is less than one click).
That’s cheap, focused advertising.
They work for nearly every industry
As we pointed out in the beginning, we get orders for these customers from customers in a lot of different industries.
Here are some of the industries and trades our Value Stick customers work in:
- Transportation & Logistics
- Pilot Car Companies
- Manufacturers
- Realtors
- Grocers
- HVAC professionals
- Contractors
- Agricultural Businesses
- Communications Companies
- Tourism & Hospitality Businesses
- Flea Markets
- Truck Stops
They’re cheap.
Yup, we’re going to say it again: Value Stick Calendars are cheap.
These durable little calendars are made of vinyl and have strong adhesive backs, so don’t let the price fool you.
These USA-manufactured calendars are not cheaply made; we just want to offer them at a price that any business or budget can afford.
Get cheap adhesive calendars for your business
We’re here to help you get the best calendar for your business. Shop all Value Stick Calendars, contact us, or call us at (800) 475-2255.
Let’s start your promotion.
10 Client Appreciation Gifts for Small Businesses
Whether you just opened your doors this year, or your small business has been operating for 25 years, it’s always a good idea to invest a little in client appreciation gifts.
And those gifts don’t have to be ordinary, nor do they have to cost an arm and a leg. Some might even cost you next to nothing—but could instill a lot of gratitude and trust in you, the small business owner.
We understand that holiday gift ideas for small business owners are seemingly endless, so we have some ideas for you—based on experience and talking to several of our small business customers—that we think will help you out.
Here we go.
1. Gift card to a local store or restaurant
Alright, so we’re starting off with a generic—if not overly obvious—idea.
But this one works! Even if they don’t end up using it (perhaps they prefer Dunkin’ over Starbucks), they’ll still appreciate the gesture and understand that you were willing to invest in a gift for them.
No business owner has to hand out client thank you gifts at Christmas, but those who choose to do so will surely make an impact.
How On The Ball Promotions can help: You can certainly hand out gift cards in the envelope the store or restaurant provides. But if you want to up your branding game while saying thanks, here are a few easy ways we can help you out:
- Card Holders: We can custom print your logo and branding in full color on a gift card holder.
- Christmas Cards: Christmas is a popular time to send customer appreciation gifts, so why not throw them in with your company Christmas cards this year?
- Logo Note Cards: Did you know we can add custom die cuts to any of our greeting cards? This makes our ivory logo note cards a very appealing option to small business owners. On the front cover, write “A token of our appreciation” or “Just our way of saying thanks” and add your logo underneath. We’ll add die cuts to fit your gift card on the inside. With the foil stamped personalization, this is a more upscale look for your gift card holders.
2. Food
Skip the gift card, and go straight to the source yourself. Find a local bakery, buy some boxes of cookies or pastries, and deliver them yourself.
This method might work best if you are planning on handing out these gifts to just a handful of customers.
It’s worth it to pay a little extra for well-made, bakery-fresh cookies than tinned cookies that were baked days ago and shipped halfway across the U.S.
3. Discount on a product or service
Whatever your line of work, you can give some sort of deal to your customers. Doing so helps cultivate customer loyalty not because they’re getting something for free or at a discount, but because you are willing to give them that, knowing they will make no profit from that “transaction.”
Ultimately, it’s a goodwill action toward your clients. These gestures are rarely forgotten.
They can also lead to some good reviews or solid referrals for your small business.
Here are some other holiday discount ideas for small businesses:
- HVAC – Offer deals on an AC cleaning when you’re cleaning their furnace, and vice versa.
- Beauty salon – Discount a massage, cut, or color.
- Dog walking service – Offer one or two free walks.
- Bookstore – Offer a discount, a free staff-recommended book, or their choice of book (be sure to set a price limit, though).
- Restaurant – On a specified night each week, hold a drawing. The customer’s name who’s drawn can receive something free, like appetizers, drinks, entrée… or even their entire bill!
4. Give them something from a fellow small business owner
First, we tell you to offer them a discount on your service, now we’re telling you to give them something from someone else? We’re not crazy, promise. We just have some unique ideas.
Bear with us.
Here are some services from your fellow small business owners that you could offer to your clients:
- House cleaning
- Lawn mowing
- Snow plowing
- Photography mini session
- Pet sitting
Why does this work? Because when small businesses support each other, everyone wins. Referrals are made, trust is built, and business grows. It’s a win-win-win-win-win…. well, you get the idea.
It is important to note that this customer appreciation gift might cost more than others, so plan accordingly when budgeting for this.
Not everyone will jump on the offer, but for budgeting purposes, plan on everyone cashing in on this.
5. Donate to a local non-profit or charity group in their name
Whether you have a connection to the charity or not, this feel-good gesture is sure to warm their hearts. Send them a Christmas card with a note saying “We’ve made a donation on your behalf to [name of non-profit].”
Here are some non-profits you can consider:
- Food pantry: donate money or non-perishables.
- Homeless shelter: donate money. If you volunteer, share a photo of you and your staff volunteering.
- Kid’s organization: There are many non-profits that provide services, products, or even social, relationship-building outings for children either from low-income families or who are at-risk.
- Animal shelter: donate money or supplies.
- Habitat for Humanity (or similar local service)
- Refugee Aid: donate money. This might only be available larger cities or their suburbs.
6. Host an event for their kids
If a lot of your clients have kids, host a Christmas party with food, fun, and games.
Have a large space? Rent a bounce house or inflatable playground. Are you on the chamber of commerce with a catering company? Hire them to cater the event. Have some small games like a candy cane hunt, tree decorating contest, or even pin the nose on Rudolf.
Parents will appreciate the time for their kids to burn off some of that energy. Be sure to provide some comfy seating for the parents, and have your employees help watch the kids.
Oh, and don’t forget to invite Santa.
Not just for Christmas parties, you can also host customer appreciation open houses for other celebrations, like your business’ founding date, end of the school year, any school holiday or day off (think teacher institute days), Fourth of July, or Valentine’s Day.
Or do it just because, on any given date.
Party planning tip: have age-appropriate game or play stations available so kids can play games that cater to their development. Pre-teens might not want to play the same games as toddlers.
7. Celebrate the momentous occasions
This one is less of a thank you gift for clients, and more of an I-pay-attention-to-you gift for clients.
For this idea, you’ll either have to take notes if you have a conversation with a customer, pay attention to news mentions, or listen to talk around town (if you’re from a small town, you’ll understand the last one).
Here are some ways you can mark these occasions:
- If you repair a heater in January, and the homeowner tells you their son is a senior in high school, send a congratulations note in June to the son and his parents.
- If you learn a new client had a baby, send a onesie, a teether, or even a gift card. Even if it’s six months after the fact, it’s still appropriate to send these gifts.
- If you’ve learned a client recently retired, celebrate it! A congratulations note card would suffice as a gift.
8. Offer a rewards program to loyal customers
Punch cards, points programs, anniversary discount… there are many different ways you can reward loyal customers.
Just be sure to make it as easy as possible for them to accrue points and cash in on their rewards.
Here’s how some small businesses use customer loyalty programs as a way to say thank you:
- Clothing boutique – Punch cards. Every 10 punches (or stamps) gets you a discount on your next purchase, or something like a free accessory.
- Lawn care – If a customer has been using your service for a number of years, offer a discount, a few weeks of free mowing, or some other additional service that isn’t included in their usual weekly maintenance package.
- Café – Punch cards for a purchasing food either off your entire menu, or even just from a certain portion of your menu (for example, a sandwich punch card).
- Garden center or nursery – For an amount of money spent, give a gift card for their next purchase.
9. Buy them lunch Buy their entire office lunch
If you are in a B2B industry, you have to consider not just the person or team you work with, but everyone else they work with.
After all, the work you do with that person or team affects their entire company.
Offer to order pizza, sandwiches, or whatever food they want from their favorite local restaurant, and bring it to their office. Sit down and share a meal, stories, and learn more about them.
This could work as a great ice breaker, or as a way to stop “talking shop” and really connect with your customers.
10. Send a genuine, heartfelt thank you note
Choose a thank you card and start writing. While we offer a free stock sentiment and your logo imprint, you can skip that. Gives you more room to write a note to them telling them why you’re thankful.
Why this works: Sometimes, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on client appreciation gifts. Saying thank you—in your own handwriting—might mean more to them than a box of cookies, free home cleaning, or restaurant gift card.
In Dale Carnegie’s timeless book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, he has this to say about people’s desire—and need—to feel appreciated:
“In our interpersonal relations we should never forget that all our associates are human beings and hunger for appreciation. It is the legal tender that all souls enjoy.”
– Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People
We’ll leave it at that.
On The Ball Promotions can help with customer appreciation gifts
Call our team at (800) 475-2255 or send us an email. Our creative team can help you find the best thank you gift for your clients—without breaking the bank