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Everybody likes to receive a free gift, and if the gift is a usable item, then it definitely increases the company recognition in the industry. Whether it is a trade fair, a business conference or an exhibition, handing out promotional pens to the visitors and corporates is a great way to success. At the same time, giving out promotional gifts is also a useful way to express thanks towards the clients, customers and corporates. There is a plethora of designs, colors, shapes, types and styles of promotional pens hat can be customized according to the business needs. Whatever promotional pens are chosen to be distributed away, one thing is for sure is that they should be of the best quality while remaining affordable in the company budget.

I look at insurance like taxes – you’re under no obligation to pay one penny more than the law requires. It’s only smart to do everything you can to legally pay as little tax as possible.

The same concept applies to car insurance. Why would you pay one penny more than you have to? All insurance companies offer discounts for many different things, and you should be getting every single discount you’re entitled to.

Here’s a partial list you can check into. Discounts for:

• Advance Purchase Discoun
• High school and college students with good grades
• Young drivers who pass a driver education course
• Young drivers who attend educational programs sponsored by the insurance company
• Having more than one car on your policy
• Having more than one policy in your household – like two auto policies, auto plus home, etc.
• Senior drivers who take a driver training refresher course $    Being a safe driver with no accidents or violations
• Having a good credit record
• Vehicle safety features
• Low mileage driving

Not all companies offer all these discounts, some companies might offer others, and each company may have a different discount amount for the same item.

The point is don’t assume your agent or company has all the discounts applied to your policy correctly. Ask them for a list of the discounts they offer, check that list to see what you qualify for, and make sure you’re getting your discounts.

Plus, once you have the list, there may be discounts you could qualify for if you take the right action – like attending a driver-training course, or sending your kids to one. Why not do it? It will make you a safer driver and qualify you for deeper discounts on your insurance.

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1. If practical, use only one agent/broker for all your insurance business. Consolidate all of your family’s insurance with one agent. If you own a business, consolidate your business insurance with one agent. This way you’ll have someone who understands your entire needs and can get you full protection.
2. Use an expert. Most families and most businesses are underinsured – and don’t know it until tragedy strikes. Engage the services of an agent who will advocate for your complete protection – and who understands the complex and differing needs of different people and different businesses.
3. Your agent should have access to several alternative markets to shop the account when necessary.
4. Cooperate fully with your agent. This is not the year to put-off phone calls and wait until the last minute. The insurance underwriters are going to be reviewing everything, and that’s going to create a work backlog. Wait until the last minute and you may find yourself with no insurance at all!
5. Provide all information your agent needs as quickly as possible, and make sure he/she has your e-mail address and fax number for fast communication.
6. Know the company you are insured with. What is their financial condition? Make sure your agent places your business with a financially stable company. Discuss this with your agent. (We’re predicting the decline of many insurance companies in the coming turbulent period.)
7. Once you have a professional agent and insurance company you trust, stick with them for the long term. Moving an account every year or two to save a few hundred, or even a few thousand, dollars can be counterproductive during times like this. Insurance is a relationship business and loyal customers have more bargaining power with trusted business partners than those who shop their accounts routinely.
8. Business owners: comply with recommendations from company engineers and loss control. Remember all the things the loss control department has been asking you to do for years … to improve safety and reduce risk? If you haven’t done them, yet, do them now!
9. Voluntarily take steps to eliminate hazardous conditions and create a safe environment any company would want to insure. And safeguard your property to reduce the risk of theft and damage.
10. Make a list of the actions you’ve taken to reduce your risk and have your agent use that list when negotiating your rates.
11. Minimize your claims. The businesses that will get the highest rate increases, or not be able to get insurance at all, will be those with frequent small losses or who ignored loss control recommendations.
12. Make sure any new equipment or buildings are installed or constructed in a manner desirable to the insurance company. Consult your agent and loss control before proceeding with construction or installation.
13. Make your insurance agent part of your trusted team of advisors – along with your attorney and accountant. Your agent is critical to your overall economic well-being. Your agent may be able to help you avoid unpleasant surprises.
14. Save money: increase your deductibles and retain more risk – most companies look favorably upon clients with higher deductibles. It shows you are willing to cover the small day-to-day stuff, and use your insurance for large losses – as it is intended. This will help lower your rates, too.
15. If possible, use higher coinsurance formulas to help lower rates. Ask your agent about this!
16. Most individuals, families and business are under-insured! Do a thorough review of your coverages to make sure you have insurance in place for exposures that are critical to the survival of your business, and to eliminate any that are no longer needed.
17. If you absolutely must lower your costs, you may want to temporarily suspend “non-critical” coverages. Of course, you would be retaining the risk of loss yourself in this case. Make sure you fully discuss this with your agent.
18. Be sure your insurance is providing proper coverage amounts. You may be dangerously underinsured in some instances, or paying for coverage you don’t need in others.
19. Employ non-insurance risk management techniques where availability of coverage is an issue and/or to reduce your cost of insurance.
20. Small business owners should ask what special programs and discounts might be available to them.
21. Whenever possible, business owners should place their entire business insurance package with one insurance company. Package policies are almost always cheaper than spreading insurance coverages over several insurers. Also, you are less likely to have expensive coverage overlaps or, more importantly, coverage gaps. Discuss this with your agent.

Insurance companies have never been all that profitable, their profitability depends on the success of their investments.  Wait … before you scoff in disbelief … have you ever heard a hotshot, Wall Street analyst say, “Quick! Go invest in insurance!”  Probably not.

Here’s a secret that surprises most people: insurance companies haven’t made money on insurance for years.  Here’s why … during the long stock market boom of the 1990’s, insurance companies were selling their insurance at VERY low prices.  So low, in fact, that on average they were paying out $1.12 in claims and expenses for every $1.00 they collected in premium … actually losing money!

Knock-Out Punch #2:    The Economic Boom Is Over … And So Are Investment Profits

During the 1990’s the insurance companies did make money, of course.  But they made it by investing their cash flow in the booming economy and stock market.  Their investment profits more than made up for their operating losses, and the low prices helped them capture enough market share to keep the machine running.
But the economy boom started busting in 2000 and continued on into 2001.  The companies could no longer make enough investment profit to make up for their operating losses, and you can guess what happened.  They started raising prices.  Most likely, rates would have crept up steadily over several years (with some dramatic increases in certain lines of business) until the companies’ loss ratios were once again profitable.

But, then …

Knock-Out Punch #3:    The Law Of Supply And Demand Applies To Insurance, Too

The final upward pressure on price is simply a matter of supply and demand.  We all know how this economic law works around the holidays.  Ten million kids are screaming for the newest fad, but somehow the manufacturer only managed to ship 8 million units for the holiday season.  So, you pay $200 for something that will be $29.95 when the demand fades.

The insurance industry is suffering a similar problem now.  Its “capacity” (supply of insurance capital) is down, but the demand for insurance from businesses and individuals is just as high.  The law of supply and demand tells us prices must increase.

1. Design. Good design matters. When prospective customers or members visit your website, they are making a snap judgment about your organization. I have lost count of how many times I have heard my friends say (when talking about an organization) “Have you seen their website? It looks terrible!” People notice your image. It matters and it makes an impression.

2. Content. Along with good design, quality content contributes to the impression your website visitors have of your organization. Not only should your content be grammatically-correct and well-written, but it should be current. If you are posting news items, blog entries, or time-oriented items, be sure that these areas are kept up-to-date. Otherwise, your organization looks stale. Consider hiring a content writer to ensure that your organization is presenting itself professionally.

3. Usability. Resist the temptation to cram everything on the home page. Instead, craft a logical navigation structure that allows your site visitors to progress through information in a way that makes sense to them. This can be done through a simple card sorting exercise or by consulting with your website design agency (who may use card sorting as part of their process).

4. Transaction-ready tools. Today’s websites must be far beyond the days of the “online brochure”. Site visitors today demand interactive tools that allow them to purchase items, register for events, get answers, communicate with others, pay bills, and acquire content. In order to be competitive, your website must provide these tools and process data in real time. These tools must also make it easy to capture information and process it for later communication so that you don’t lose touch with visitors. Don’t make visitors call to register, fill out a paper form, or wait three days for an answer. These activities must happen in a matter of minutes via your website.

5. Structural quality. Most people don’t ever see the code “under the hood” that makes up a website, but how that code is structured makes a difference in the user experience. Clean, well-crafted code will result in a website that loads quickly, is search-engine friendly, and is accessible to users with disabilities.

6. Social media integration. Today’s websites must integrate seamlessly into social media in order to have an effective presence. Be sure your press releases, blogs, events, and other content items include a “Share This” button to allow site visitors to easily share your content. Your website should also automatically post content to other networks to automate the distribution process (done via Ping.fm). After this, be sure your employees are re-posting and participating in the resulting conversations.

7. Search engine marketing. Where do people go to find information? You guessed it: Google. If you are not targeting topical keywords and aligning your website with these terms, you are missing a huge opportunity. Creating a well-structured website is one prerequisite, but your organization must also invest in a systematic search engine marketing strategy that targets your audience correctly and collects leads from the resulting traffic. Organic search marketing is the most effective but AdWords are also effective.

While not a comprehensive list, these are the minimum requirements for an effective website. Whether your organization is an association or a corporation, these guidelines will help maximize the effectiveness of your website.

Author: Michael Reynolds

Michael Reynolds is President and CEO of SpinWeb. His background includes information technology, design and branding, organizational productivity, and web marketing. In his spare time, Michael enjoys tennis, sushi, and his iPhone. Contact Michael at michael@spinweb.net or 317.324.1100

Buy Local – Support Yourself: Studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned business, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms —continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.

Support Community Groups: Non-profit organizations receive more than double the support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.

Keep Your Community Unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun – all of it makes our community home. Unique businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of a place. Tourism businesses also benefit from this. When people go on vacation they typically seek destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace unique.

Get Better Service: Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.

Invest in Community: Local businesses are owned by people who live in the community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.

Encourage Local Prosperity: Economic research shows that entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their unique businesses and distinctive character.

Think local first + Buy local when you can = Being a local!

Everything Indiana LLC is a Fishers-based company that specializes in creative, hand-made gift baskets composed entirely from an array of products from Indiana Companies and Specialty Shops. Everything Indiana gift items are suitable for any gift-giving occasion and favored by corporations, Indiana residents, and Hoosier expatriates! We tailor each basket to its ultimate receiver and are always updating our products. In addition, we are members of the Fishers Chamber of Commerce, The Hamilton County Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Hamilton County Alliance, Business Network International, and Priority Pros.

Teresa Downham is the owner and founder of Everything Indiana LLC. She started her gift basket business to prove to friends that there is more than corn in Indiana! She is dedicated to showcasing the great products and artists that make Indiana a great place to live and work. Teresa previously worked as an accountant/controller for a local environmental firm, as well as, the Campbell Soup Company. She is the proud mother of three children and spends a great deal of time at swimming pools, soccer fields and fishing holes.

1. Do you keep your promises? Do you speak in absolutes and follow through or do you say that you will finish your customers project “in about 3 weeks”? Even if the time line is longer than expected, customers appreciate knowing what to expect. Delivering on time strengthens trust.
2. Do you double-check (and triple-check) your work? Few things are more frustrating and embarrassing than a customer pointing out mistakes in your work. As a customer, this irritates me a great because it creates extra work for me and weakens trust.
3. Do you answer your phone? Is your receptionist friendly and knowledgeable? Does every employee answer the phone with a positive attitude? I’m amazed at how many times I call a company the phone is answered by someone who sounds like he or she is annoyed at the interruption. It’s even more annoying when I get an auto-attendant. Your customers want to talk to a person, not a machine.
4. Do you ask questions? Too often we get caught up in all the great things we are doing that we forget that our customers have needs, which is why they have hired us in the first place. How often do you call your customers and ask them what challenges they are facing right now? Not only does it show that you care, but it might also open the door for you to find opportunities to solve more of their problems with your products and services.
5. Do you keep up with the latest best practices? When your customer comes to you and says “XYZ Company is doing this, should we do this, too?”, it erodes trust if you don’t have an answer or appear to be uninterested in evolving.
6. Do you gracefully help customers leave? No company has a 100% retention rate. Occasionally customers leave. When this happens, do you become uncooperative and belligerent or do you politely ask for feedback on how you can improve in the future? Do you assist them during the transition? By behaving in a professional manner when customers leave, you leave the door open for them to remember you favorably when their new vendor drops the ball. Besides, it’s just the right thing to do.
7. Do you send referrals to your customers? Few things will please your customers more than if you send business their way. I love being on the lookout for referrals for my customers. I feel strongly that I should do everything I can do help my customers succeed.
8. Do you believe in your product or service? Your customers (and prospective customers) can tell whether you believe in what you are selling. You must truly believe that your company provides the best solution possible for your customers. You must get excited about what you do.
9. Are you on time for appointments? We are all busy and time is valuable. Your customers will appreciate it when you respect their time and will certainly notice when you are consistently late.
10. Do you admit when you are wrong? Do you make it right? Nobody’s perfect and we all drop the ball at some point. The important thing is that we admit when we are wrong, own up to it, and make it right. Whatever it takes, make sure your customer remembers how you solved the problem with integrity.

When someone asks you about your customer service or how you are different, how specific can you be? Do you know what matters to your customers?

Author: Michael Reynolds

Michael Reynolds is President and CEO of SpinWeb. His background includes information technology, design and branding, organizational productivity, and web marketing. In his spare time, Michael enjoys tennis, sushi, and his iPhone. Contact Michael at michael@spinweb.net or 317.324.1100

Loyalty to your vendors will get you the best price most of the time and the best service always.  As consumers, we tend to buy based on the lowest price.  As you mature, you will discover that rarely is the lowest price the best price.  For most products, there is rarely more than a 10% difference in price.  If the price difference is more than 10%, then they are not the same order.  In your case, the tshirt may not be the same, the quality of the screen printing may not be the same, or the way it is quoted may be different, ie one shop spread the cost of the screen printing set up into the cost of the shirts while another lists it separately or not all.  There is a saying in business:  Pick any two of the three, Lowest Price, Quality Product, Rush Production.  You stated you had ordered shirts before for the same group.  I understand that you were not in charge then, are not now and that you tried to get Tom the quote last time.  But learn this for yourself, because most people never learn this lesson.  If you shop a small order every time, you will ultimately pay a higher price over the long haul.  You will be in a position to order from Tom in the future and if you use him regularly, he will always have a competitive price. BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, he will get you a quality product, on time, EVERY time!

Let me explain why.  12 tshirts at a cost of $20 is $240.  Most businesses will have a profit margin between 8-12%.  Meaning after all overhead is paid (salaries, rent, cost of goods, insurance, taxes, etc.) the business has about 10% left over as profit.  Therefore, in your case, there is about $24 profit on this order.  Now, you may be inclined to argue that these are tough economic times and the business may be willing to produce the order at their cost, meaning they can bid $2 less per shirt.  That is a small possibility, but businesses are in business to make a profit, not break even.  Therefore, the price difference from one vendor to another cannot vary  by more than 10% unless the vendor is selling at a loss or more likely, they are using cheaper products.

Now let’s analyze it from the business owners perspective.  A person call with a small order and let’s you know that they are shopping strictly for the lowest price and are shopping with several vendors. How much time do you think he is will to invest to make $24?  If you are shopping with 5 vendors he only has a 20% chance of winning the bid. If he quotes 5 jobs like yours and sells one, he has spent his entire profit in the amount of time it took to quote the 5 jobs.  Consequently, he is more likely to increase his bid on all 5 projects so that he does make a profit after quoting all five jobs.  Therefore, when you shop, you are actually paying a higher price than you need to!

When you shop like this, you will always be working with the guy that is about to go out of business, the guy that has to cut corners in order to make a profit because he has under bid the job, the guy who uses the cheapest materials, etc.  In other words, the guy with the lowest value! Your chances of being satisfied go down greatly.

Conversely, if you order consistently from the same vendor, he wins the order 90-100% of the time you have him quote, in short, show him some loyalty, then he will reciprocate.  When you have a job you need done quickly, he’ll drop everything to help you because you are a loyal customer.  When you Really need him to sharpen his pencil, he is more likely to cut his profit margin because he realizes you will be bringing him more business in the future.  When you have big project, he is more likely to cut you a break becsuse he is not bidding just the one big order, but all the other orders combined!

If you buy on value, you will never be disappointed.  If you are respectful of business owners time, you will be treated better in regards to pricing and service!

I have some ideas in order to hold your costs down on this.  Try to order 25 shirts to receive a quantity discount.  Screen print all in one color.  Don’t have individual names on each shirt, list all the names on the back of the shirt.  This means there is only one set up charge. Make sure you know the name and model # of the shirt you are quoting with all vendors.  Hanes probably has 10 different tshirts to choose from that range in price from $1 to $10 per shirt.

Finally, I cannot say enough good things about Tom O’Connor and High End Concepts.  I order all my advertising products from him and have for 10 years!  I have shopped his pricing more than once and have never been disappointed.  He is honest and looks out for your best interests in order to gain your business the next time.  On more than one occasion Tom has told me he cannot get me good price on something and that I should look elsewhere.  In many instances, he has told me where to go, referring his competitor!  He makes great suggestions on how to lower my cost, what works with consumers, in sort, ideas that will satisfy my needs.  In my opinion, your group is making a mistake if they do not place the order with Tom.

Steve Shoultz
Speaker, Family and Teen Driver Protection Expert
Charter Member of the Society of Family Insurance Specialists
Priority Risk Management
Phone: 317-713-2959
Fax:  317-536-3933