Author: Evangeline R.

Benefits of Sending Photo Christmas Cards to your Customers

Last year for the Holiday season I received a great Christmas card from one of the companies I have done business with in the past.  The card was a sturdy one with a really great picture on the front of all the employees with these great happy smiles! It made me think about the fact that knowing the faces of the actual people you talk with to do your business really can make a difference.  I realized this fact once I saw a picture of the lovely woman I have spoken with over the phone.  Putting together the face with the voice and her mannerisms gave me a warmer connection to the company, which happens to sell many items I can get in numerous other places.  Since many other companies also offer most of the same stuff, having this connection made a difference.  I liked the service and then the picture of the employees solidified my feelings towards this company.   I guess you could say there are benefits of sending photo Christmas Cards to your Customers since it might bring in new business and also get some business back that may have gone elsewhere.  An increase in the bottom line, something we all want!  Just because of employee faces on a Christmas card.  Good wishes make good connections!

10th Annual Create a Greeting Card Scholarship Contest – Round 5 Winners Announced!

Congratulations to our Fifth Round Winners!

Celebrating Thanksgiving In The Office

LOCATION,LOCATION,LOCATION … Pick a location near work or near to employees homes, you can always do a party on any budget.  Ask employees they might just want to cater in and have a nice party in the office.  Music is always important for a great party, send around a paper and ask employees to put down 2 songs that are there favorites.  This might help if you are not sure to have a band or get a DJ.  Find out from employees if they would want a sit down dinner or a buffet.  Maybe even just finger foods and desserts.  A great corporate party is the memories and the fun between fellow employees, but a personalized cocktail or an appetizer named after one of the company products is always a nice thing to remember.  Little gifts on the table, a gorgeous centerpiece, a pretty location, it is always nice to have a night to remember with your coworkers.  Of course cash is usually an issue with many people so you would not want to go overboard on a fancy restaurant that some people might not be able to afford the clothes to go to the event.  A Holiday bonus is always a nice gift to receive, but again some companies also do not have the extra money either – there are plenty of gorgeous and affordable gifts out there.

Don’t Forget to Send Thanksgiving Cards!

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During the holiday season, being one of the first to send my cards has always been important to me. I want to stand out from the crowd. Last year I decided to mix things up and do things a little different and boy was it a success!

I sent out Thanksgiving cards instead of Christmas/Holiday cards. The impact was amazing for a few of reason.

First off, I was the first holiday card people received. This stuck in their minds. During the craziness of December, no one was wondering did so and so send us a card this year? My card was truly remembered for its unique timing. I beat the holiday rush by sending Thanksgiving cards and will continue this new tradition into the future.

Secondly, there was no room for offending anyone. I send only cards to my American customers, family and friends. Wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving with the added message inside of joy through the entire Holiday Season and New Year was appreciated. They were thankful for my wishes.

Lastly, sending Thanksgiving cards alleviated me of rushing to get out Christmas cards in the hectic and exhausting month of December. I am so busy dealing with holiday gifts and parties and decorating. Now, I do not have to add Christmas writing, addressing and sending to that load.
Don’t forget to send Thanksgiving cards this year to stand out from the crowd and make your life easier!

10th Annual Create a Greeting Card Scholarship Contest – Round 4 Winners Announced!

Congratulations to our Fourth Round Winners!

Corporate Halloween Party Ideas

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Today, many companies are adopting a more relaxed policy towards celebrating Halloween.  Allowing employees to dress up for the holiday is number one for corporate Halloween party ideas.

Ground rules are important.  Costumes should not be restrictive or interfere with the employees’ normal duties.   Of course, anything sexual or revealing would not be allowed.  Otherwise, a few witches, ghosts, and ghouls may actually create a great atmosphere.

Second on the list for your corporate Halloween party would be a few snacks which the employees would enjoy supplying.  Black and Orange cupcakes, ghostly cookies and spider webs (see recipe below) would be welcome treats.

Third would be the great parade.  Decide on a few judges beforehand.  Taking a half hour to parade around the office will help to loosen up the atmosphere.  The prize for the best costume could be something like a $5 gift card for coffee.

You may ask, why go through all the trouble.  Well, consider this – a relaxed employee is a happy employee.  Happy employees are certainly more productive.  By relaxing the corporate atmosphere, you will create a better work environment.

Happy Halloween!

 

Spider Webs

1 8oz pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can crispy Chinese noodles

1 can peanuts

Directions:

Melt chips in a double boiler.  Add noodles and ½ can of peanuts.  Mix well.  Drop by tablespoon on waxed paper.  Refrigerate one hour.

National Boss Day Appropriate Gestures of Appreciation

 

The other day my co-workers and I were discussing National Boss’s Day. With this being the first year that our Manager is here.  Appropriate Gestures of Appreciation were being tossed about the conference room since our boss was on vacation.  This was our opportunity to get the ball rolling. Just what are we going to do this year to show our boss how we feel about her and her leadership?  A few belly laughs later along with some silly suggestions a good idea emerged.  She has commented that through laughter we can usually find solutions.  We came up with the idea that on October 16, 2015 a Thursday we would have a beautiful bouquet of flowers on her desk when she arrives.  Along with that there will be her favorite cup of Starbucks coffee the Café Misto and a large box of mini Cinnabons a favorite pastry she absolutely adores. But OH the calories!!!  She is funny that way, eating them on a special occasion is totally acceptable.  We all feel the same and will enjoy them along with her!  She will enjoy her Café Misto and cinnamon bun all the while enjoying the beautiful flowers all through day and again on Friday.  She can then take them home and enjoy them over the weekend and be reminded of how much we appreciate her and the comradery she encourages amongst all of us here in the office.  Although her sense of humor is really what we appreciate the most.

Decorating Your Office For Halloween

Halloween is my favorite fun holiday.  Children and adults alike excitedly looked forward to this day from many years past and I am sure for many years to follow.  It is important that we bring the spirit of holidays into the office, since we spend most of our day at work.  When we decorate our cubicle and because everyone has their own creativity, the office is glowing with exciting themes.  DECORATING YOUR OFFICE FOR HALLOWEEN is fun and brings pleasure to all who participate.

In my office, we not only decorate but we can also dress-up in our favorite costume, if we choose.  We are actually out of character and changed into a new, and sometimes mysterious unrecognizable character.  It is so much fun that morning watching everyone come through the door.  It is not only a great day for the staff, but, also for the children.  Our wonderful company allows our children to visit our Halloween neighborhood.   Our cubicles are designed to each represent a stop along the way of Trick or Treat Alley.  The little princesses and goblins show off their Halloween styles and get a treat at each desk they stop at.  So, no matter what the weather, Halloween will be a big success in a very fun and safe environment and the employees and their families will not miss out on sharing the Halloween festivities.

10th Annual Create a Greeting Card Scholarship Contest – Round 3 Winners Announced!

Congratulations to our Third Round Winners!

Halloween Costume Etiquette In The Office

halloween-office

Halloween is coming up soon and with it all the fun of the costumes we’ve been working so hard on!  However most of us will still be working in the office on the day of as well as the few days before.  Some of our workplaces allow us to wear our costumes for Halloween however you may not be sure if you should.  This is completely normal as the costumes are made for Halloween and not for the office.  Depending on your workplace it may be better not to or to change your outfit to make it suited for work.

Dress code policies differ between companies obviously so the best and easiest way to practice Halloween costume etiquette in the office is to ask human resources or the responsible persons if your costume is okay.  This will save you trouble later on if it is indeed not fit for the office.  Some workplaces are stricter about dress codes than others however so you’ll have a pretty good idea beforehand if you can or cannot wear a certain costume you have in mind.  If you ask and it ends up being okay however this doesn’t mean anything goes. (Unless they specifically said so, which congratulations on your awesome job!)  A Halloween costume you will wear in work should reflect the company’s image and maintain somewhat of a professional standard.  You should obviously be able to work in it, so huge metal Ironman suits are probably not okay. (Sorry guy from Comic Con).  If your costume doesn’t impede your or the company’s workflow and doesn’t violate any policies or reflect badly on the company then you are good to go.  Happy Halloween, can’t wait to see all the cool costumes this year.