Congratulations to our contest winner, Julia Voss!
To see previous contest winners, please visit our Winners & Finalists page.
Author: Evangeline R.
Office Fun for Earth Day
Earth Day has arrived, and there’s plenty of ways to celebrate the day while working in the office. For example, go on a company walk or a hike. Whether it’s a quick break to stroll the surrounding scenery, a planned excursion to a wooded destination, or an optional day-off meeting — going on a walk or hike with coworkers is a great idea. Not only is it a relaxing and healthy way to spend some time, it will also allow employees to form stronger connections to each other and to nature.
Another Earth Day option is to bring in seedlings, seeds, or full blown plants, soil, pots, and paint. Take a break from work to have a joined activity of decorating pots and planting some flowers, fruits or vegetables, or other plants! Try to pick something everyone will enjoy and is pet-friendly, just in case. Not enough time to host this workshop-esque atmosphere? Allow employees to take their plants home and either plant them outside or in a pot. Supplies can be found at your local Dollar Store, so don’t worry about a hefty price tag! Don’t forget to hang up decorations for Earth Day and place posters or flyers in high-traffic locations with fun facts. Try using facts relevant to your office or the people you employ. Include Earth-saving tips to encourage better global citizenship.
Have fun celebrating Earth Day 2018!
How to Navigate a Business Lunch Without Blowing your Healthy Eating Habits
You’ve been making healthy food choices and feeling great. But the big meeting on Thursday is now going to be over lunch and you need to figure out how to stay on track. Here are some tips on keeping that Business Lunch a healthy one.
If dining out, skip the appetizers and pass on the breadbasket. Choose a simple, protein-based main dish, preferably baked, grilled or steamed (avoid breaded and fried) and ask if you can replace the starchy sides with double vegetables. A few well-chosen requests like ‘dressing on the side’ or ‘light on the sauce’ can painlessly make a big difference calorie-wise. Just try not to overdo the special instructions – if you need to provide lengthy directions to make it healthy it’s probably better to just choose something else.
Some restaurants offer smaller portions at lunchtime, or make the decision to eat only half of the meal and bring the rest home to a family member.
For a catered lunch your best defense will be smart choices and portion control. Opt for reasonable helpings of chicken or fish dishes instead beef or pasta, avoid starchy sides and load up on the veggies (as long as they’re not drowning in sauce). If there’s salad it should take up a generous portion of your plate. Fill your plate once (no going back for seconds) and stay away from the dessert trays.
In all cases, eat slowly – enjoy your food. Take breaks to talk. Not only is it more professional to not be seen wolfing down your lunch (or discussing business around a mouth full of food), but you’ll likely find that you eat less overall. We’re full long before our brain realizes – slow down and allow time for everything to synch up. Start with the healthiest items on your plate and stop when you’ve eaten about 80% of your meal – you might be surprised to soon discover you’re not even hungry for the rest.
It’s easiest to eat healthfully when co-workers are aware and can be supportive, but you may prefer not to draw attention to your personal health goals. ‘Saving room’ casually gets you out of starters and simply saying that you’re full is a nonchalant way to turn down seconds, multiple courses and dessert.
Believe it or not, showing a little restraint with your meal can actually have a positive impact on how your colleagues see you. Smart, sensible choices eaten in moderation allow you to come across as calm, cool and in control, helping more than just your waistline.
Design Your Own Business Cards
Who knows your business better than you? The answer to that is nobody. So why do you go to a website and pick out a design that is premade for the rest of everyone else? Take a little time and make that card the best representation of your company by Designing Your Own Business Card.
All it takes is a little knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator or Indesign. Grab that graphics person you have around the office and download a template so you can make something magical. Perfectly place your logo and your company colors all over the card. Make sure the font you show is the company approved font.
You control the story because you are writing the narrative. Create something special that all of your company can use. Business cards are an extension of your business and you need to make sure that you personally make them and not just phone it in selecting some predesigned template that other companies can use as well. Stand out from the crowd with a design that is fully immersed in your brand. You will not be just like everyone else in their wallet; you are better than that.
Ways to Customize Your Presentation Folders
A great way to increase your clientele is to send out advertisements promoting your business or services. Stray away from the typical mailings and handouts and go with something bigger and better; presentation folders. Follow these tips on customizing your company presentation folders.
The first thing you want your customers to see when they receive your presentation folder is your company colors. Pick the right color folder, as well as the right imprint color, to match your company colors. The Gallery Collection offers nine different colored folders and sixteen different foil imprint colors.
Next, you definitely want to have your company logo front and centered. You can either have the logo printed large with the company name following beneath it, or have the logo printed a bit smaller to fit the company name next to it. Either way, the name of the company needs to be big, bold and noticeable.
The Gallery Collection offers five different print areas for their presentation folders. If your company has a slogan or catch phrase, you can have that printed at the bottom front of the folder, the bottom back, or on either inside pocket.
Use another imprint area to add your contact information. Your customers are going to need a form of contact once they receive your impressive folders. Include a phone number, an email address, a website and even a contact name.
One last thing to add to your company folder is a business card. Whether it be your own personal business card or a generic company card, insert the card in the folder pocket with the business card slits. This way, if your customers don’t want to carry the folder with them, they can take your business card with them wherever they go.
11th Annual Create a Greeting Card Scholarship Contest – Round 9 Finalists Announced!
Congratulations to our Round 9 Finalists!
Writing for Business Birthday Cards 101
It can be a daunting task to figure out which birthday cards are right for your office. Luckily, The Gallery Collection offers plenty of business appropriate Birthday Cards. Here are some tips to guide you through the process of writing your business birthday cards. Welcome to Business Birthday Cards 101.
When selecting your business birthday cards, be sure to consider both how the cards reflect the business and how your employees will receive your card. Choose a card that suites your business’ appearance by choosing an industry specific card or a card with your company’s colors. Know that various kinds of people will be getting your cards, so choose an all-encompassing design or opt for a Birthday Assortment Box to best tailor to each employee as their own special day approaches.
With The Gallery Collection’s cards, you are able to entirely edit the inside of the card. This can be intimidating to some, but don’t fret. The Gallery Collection offers plenty of classic greetings to choose from. You still have the option to create your own if these do not meet your needs. You could even add your company logo or printed signatures to your cards! This will make your cards look even more professional, not to mention save time for whomever needs to sign them.
Spring Company Outing Ideas
We are quickly approaching my favorite season of the year – spring! Whatever is left of the snow is melting, the sun is staying out longer, and the temperatures are rising slowly but surely. After a couple months of frigid cold, it is no surprise that the majority of people want to take advantage of the spring by going outside as much as they can. Companies usually have an “outing” for their employees at least once a year, and to me, spring is the optimal time to have one of these. Here are three ideas that I think would work well for a potential spring outing.
Minor League Baseball Game – If your company is located in or around a major city, chances are there is at least one “minor league” baseball team around. They aren’t affiliated with any professional team, so the tickets should be very affordable. I have been to a few New Jersey Jackals games, so if you are in the Northern New Jersey area, this would be a fun option to explore. Teams like the Jackals allow companies to purchase group ticket packages, and this is a great idea for a spring outing. Most ballparks contain grass areas near the outfield, so coworkers can bring their kids, and toss a baseball around before the game starts. Being able to sit back as the sun sets, eating some food off the grill and sipping some beer with your family and coworkers after a long day at the office while watching “America’s Pastime” in person (even if it is a minor team) if a very fun experience.
Company Picnic – To continue with the theme of being outdoors, I’d suggest a company picnic as an option for a spring outing. A picnic could be scheduled for either Saturday or Sunday, so work shouldn’t be on anyone’s mind. Who doesn’t like sitting outside and eating? Everyone can bring a food item, almost like a pot luck lunch at the park. Some parks also allow grilling in certain areas, so the company “grill master” can show off his or her chops. Employees can relax by laying on the grass, or compete in some friendly Frisbee or whiffle ball competitions.
Mini Cruise – The spring weather also allows those with boats to take a nice ride out on the water. Another nice way to soak up the rays would be to take an afternoon excursion on a mini cruise. Boat services offer short “cruises to nowhere”, usually for a couple of hours. The boat stays out on the water, passes by different sites, and there isn’t a destination to reach. It allows passengers to feel the nice wavy breeze and relax in the sun. It also allows passengers to have a few drinks as well (almost all of these types of boats have a bar), without the responsibility of steering the boat back to shore. As the case with most group outings, you can take advantage of group discount prices.
Top 3 Bad Work Habits You Need To Overcome
We all want to do our best at work. But even the best intentions are sometimes met with bad habits. Here are 3 bad work habits you need to overcome today!
Being late for work or meetings
Unless your role at the company doesn’t require you to be at your desk and ready to face the day at a set time every day, start times are implemented for a reason. If you know that traffic can be unreasonable, allot yourself some extra commute time in the morning.
Being late for meetings is another bad work habit. If a meeting is set for an hour and you’re five minutes late, you’ve set the hour off and that can bleed into other commitments later in the day. Being on time is a sign that you respect other people’s time – and your own! It also goes a long way towards showing that you’re dependable.
Answering emails as they come in.
You may think that answering emails as soon as you see new ones in your inbox is a good idea. It’s not; in fact, it’s counterproductive. As email’s role in our work lives becomes more and more prominent, the number of messages you receive increases. If you spend all of your time checking your inbox, you’ll find little time for your other responsibilities!
Instead, schedule email processing time into your calendar. Spend some time with your inbox over your morning coffee when you arrive at the office, then schedule an afternoon session after lunch. If an email is informational and doesn’t need further action, move it to a reference folder or delete it. If an email can be responded to at that time, do so. If an email needs a bit more time to respond to, flag it for a future time.
Scheduling in your email time frees up the rest of the day for you to work on projects and tasks without an added distraction.
Not practicing proper hygiene
If you’re guilty of flossing your teeth or clipping your finger (or, please, no, toe) nails at your desk, stop this behavior immediately! Your boss and your coworkers will appreciate your well-groomed hands and your free-from-food mouth a lot more if you take care of that stuff in the privacy of your own home before you get to the office.
These top 3 work habits you need to overcome are just the tip of the iceberg. What other bad habits have you noticed in your office or overcome yourself?
11th Annual Create a Greeting Card Scholarship Contest – Round 8 Finalists Announced!
Congratulations to our Round 8 Finalists!
