Gallery Collection Blog

Send Your Business Holiday Cards As Soon As You Can

The first time my employer sent out Holiday cards was 3 years ago. He was just starting out, the business had only been operating for about 4 months when I was hired. One day in early November we received an envelope which came to us from someone the owner had come into business contact with recently. It was a holiday card. Once he looked at it he got very excited and said “We’ve got to do this too!”

I called the company we got the card from and was given many options. Personalizing the card was more intense than I imagined. I never knew there were so many different types of holiday cards or realized how much thought can go into sending a business holiday card. I ordered a catalog and some samples to be mailed to us. We received the mailing and he decided what he wanted.

In the meantime he also contacted that business associate who sent us the first holiday card. He asked him some questions about how this helped his business. He then explained why you should send your business holiday cards as soon as you can. He was in business over a dozen years and in his opinion you get more visual advertising time for your money the longer these unique, beautifully personalized cards are on display in your customer’s office.

With all the chaos at holiday time, he decided to do it as soon as possible. It was very interesting when we got our first holiday card and we displayed it in a very visible area. Being the first one to send the cards out can help to start an opening dialogue point with some of your newest clients.

10th Annual Create a Greeting Card Scholarship Contest – Round 2 Winners Announced!

Congratulations to our Second Round Winners!

Entry #584

Entry #559

Entry #524

Entry #519

Entry #510

Entry #509

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Entry #416

Entry #397

Entry #392

Holiday Cards for the Millennials

Millennials were raised, for the most part, fully immersed in technology. This is why people commonly assume they would be disinterested in holiday cards; people think, “they grew up in this fast-paced environment, where everything gets to them immediately. Texts, emails; everything they send or receive is delivered in mere seconds. So why would they want holiday cards, which are such a dedicated and long process of buying, signing, sending, and then waiting even more to receive?”

But that long process is exactly why millennials would cherish holiday cards.

Millennials might be used to the world of texting and emails, but these things are very impersonal and don’t require much effort. It takes extreme effort and shows a lot of care to go out of your way to buy someone a card, make it out to them with a special, personalized message, and then going through all the effort of sending it early enough for them to receive it on a timely basis. This isn’t something most of their peers will be doing, so if you send a millennial a holiday card, you can be sure they will appreciate it twice as much as everyone else, just because of how rare it is.

In case you would like some ideas, here are some Gallery Collection cards that might really appeal to the beloved millennial in your life:

1. Show off your own technological skills with one of our digitally printed cards which allow you to even customize the front of your cards – Ribbon Tree Christmas Card

2. Make them laugh with this sweet and silly holiday card, featuring special tips for Santa Claus – Tips for Santa Christmas Card

3. Millennials will definitely be able to relate with this funny card explaining exactly what happiness during the holidays really is – Holiday Happiness Card

4. This card is a bright and vibrant card that is sure to appeal to the millennials who prefer a more contemporary card – Bright City Lights Christmas Card

5. This is another humorous card that millennials will certainly be overjoyed to receive – Dear Santa Christmas Card

Tips on Writing a Thanksgiving Card

More and more businesses and individuals are sending out “Happy Thanksgiving” cards instead of the traditional Christmas or Holiday cards. Personally, I think it is a great idea. You get these cards out before the hectic season and the thousands of other cards. Your card will be noticed and remembered. Now let’s make sure it is being remembered because of the special sentiments you write on the inside.

When writing your Thanksgiving cards, you should keep in mind that this is a time for giving thanks. Whether you decide to keep it lighthearted or sentimental, let your note be simple and direct. Use certain key words such as grateful, blessed and lucky to describe your connection.

Other key things to express when writing in your Thanksgiving card should include how much you appreciate them and how important they are in your life. You can mention that you don’t know what you would do without them and how much they have bettered your world.

If it is personal, being specific is also a great touch. Let them know exactly what you are thankful for. Is it the time you spend together, their friendship? If it is a business to their employees, let them you appreciate their hard work and effort in making your company successful. If it from a business to a customer, thank them for their business.

Whatever you decide to write in your Thanksgiving card, be sure to include words of the season and a hope of goodness throughout the Holidays and the New Year.

5 Tips to Ensure Your Employees Feel Appreciated

Employees who feel appreciated and valued for their time and dedication at work are often those who go above and beyond job expectations. Here are 5 tips to ensure you make your employees feel appreciated:

1. Tell them when they’ve done a good job. We get very busy and swamped with work, but it’s important to give thanks for a job well done. A simple thank you e-mail is a nice pat on the back, but thanking someone in person goes a long way.

2. Be flexible. Some of the best managers are flexible in that they understand everyone learns a different way. Show your employees you care by being flexible with your schedule. Make time to answer questions employees may have and schedule one-to-one meetings in order to give each other updates on work projects.

3. Don’t always be above them. Along with a higher title comes more responsibility and more power. It’s important to be able to relate to your employees in more ways than one. Yes, you are the boss, but employees feel more appreciated if you think of them as peers. It’s okay to talk about things that are outside of work, so long as everyone is doing a good job, having conversations and different types of interactions is healthy for a productive work environment.

4. Create Opportunities For Them. Employees want to do a good job in order to get ahead. Part of helping them feel better appreciated in the workplace means opening doors for them. Sending them to conferences and workshops they are interested in are great ideas. Not only are you investing in them, but they’ll feel appreciated about it too.

5. Significant others and life outside of work. Many people are married with children. Those who aren’t have significant others and family to tend to. Find ways to include the #1 people in employees’ lives by organizing events that include them.

10th Annual Create a Greeting Card Scholarship Contest – Round 1 Winners Announced!

Congratulations to our First Round Winners!

Entry #353

Entry #347

Entry #247

Entry #223

Entry #210

Entry #205

Entry #150

Entry #146

Entry #32

Entry #11

Round 2 of the 10th Annual Create a Greeting Card Scholarship Contest is under way!

Round 2 is now open until 8/31 for your chance to win a $10,000 scholarship! Visit Our Scholarship Monthly Voting Page to cast your votes!

5 Reasons Why Everyone Still Loves Greeting Cards

1. They are tangible – Similar to a bouquet of flowers, greeting cards are real and show appreciation. When you receive a greeting card, you can place it on your desk and be reminded of it.

2. Shows that someone is thinking of you – A greeting card with a personal touch shows that your friend, family or company put some effort into showing you that they care about you and wanted to make you feel special.

3. Look better than E-Cards – Greeting cards beat out E-Cards out any day. Which would you prefer? A 2 dimensional cookie cutter card emailed to you or a gorgeous embossed card with stamped foil?

4. They are timeless – No matter what your age is, everyone associates greeting cards to special events such as Birthdays, Weddings and Christmas. In a sense, they are forever tied to gift giving!

5. Endlessly customizable – You can write, draw decorate your greetings cards however, whichever, whenever you want! If there is anything people love, it is something completely unique!

Get Hired! Great Questions To Ask During A Job Interview

When going on a job interview, asking the right questions is almost as important as answering the interviewer’s questions! Asking insightful questions of your potential employer can assure them that you are the right candidate and, as your questions are usually near the end of the interview, can leave a positive lasting impression of you. In addition, asking the right questions during your interview will help you to gauge whether the job is the right fit for you. Remember, you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you!
“What are the skills and experience that would make a candidate successful in the role?” This question is helpful because you can make sure you have spoken about how you have those skills and experience.

“Do you have any concerns about my qualifications for the role?” This can be a risky one, and you may want to first consider if you actually want to hear the answer to this! If you decide to go for it, you will impress the potential employer, who will likely see this both as a brave question and a telling one; it shows you are confident in your abilities to be able to respond to any of their concerns.

“What have you enjoyed most about working here?” This helps give you an idea of the company’s culture and discover if it is the right fit for you. If the interviewer mentions such things as innovative and interesting co-workers, growth opportunities, a supportive environment, or working on rewarding projects, you can rest assured knowing it is likely a place that people enjoy working. If, however, the employer seems to struggle to answer, that is a red flag.

“How have you seen the company change in your time here? “Where do you see the company going?” Questions like this help give you an idea of the state of the company, and whether they are growing, staying stagnant, or just trying to desperately hang on!

“What would you imagine a successful first year would look like for this role?” Potential employers like to hear this question, as it shows you are already thinking about what you can do for them and how you can succeed.

“What are the next steps in the process?” This shows that you are interested and is the most important information for you at this point if you are in fact interested in the job!

Is it Okay to Send a Thank You Email After an Interview?

You nailed your interview. You shake hands with who you hope will be your next manager. She says that they will contact you when a decision is made. What should you do now? There are points that must be addressed, before taking the next step.

Timing is crucial. When the interview is over, you have 24 hours to thank your potential employer. Research has shown that within this time frame, interviewers have solidified their opinion about you. An appropriate thank you is not only polite, but it also relays the importance that the potential job is. Most people will focus on a handwritten letter versus e-mail. Before answering this question, you must have the answer to a very important question. When is the final decision likely to be made?

This is a question that needs to be answered, before you leave that interview. That answer will direct your response type. Research has also shown that hand written thank you letters are better received than e-mailed letters. Businesses cite that they are more of a personal touch, particularly after the formal process of interviewing. The hand written thank you also conveys more effort from the interviewee. How often do we receive hand written letters in this day and age? The handwritten response can set you apart from the rest of the candidates.

But let’s say that the potential employer has told you that the final decision will be made soon. Not only is it OK to send a thank you email after your interview, but it is imperative that you do. Soon may mean that same day. Your immediate response should match the immediacy in which a decision is being made. In this case, the handwritten thank you that is sent, will be too late to impact any decision making. The correct decision to e-mail your thank you letter can be the deciding factor in getting the job.