Smart business owners send their employees greeting cards.  This lets them know that they are a valuable part of the company, not just another worker.  Smarter business owners send corporate greeting cards to other businesses.  This allows them to create relationships, enhance good will within a community, and ultimately expand their business.

As a retired business owner I found that putting in a little extra effort in the beginning will always pay dividends in the end.  Taking the time to send simple business greeting cards to your neighboring companies can go a long way.  It’s the first step in opening the doors to a relationship, friendship, or perhaps even future partnership.

For example, let’s say you’re a bar owner and a new restaurant opens around the block.  Some people view this as a new competitor.  I see it as a new opportunity to increase your business.  Undoubtedly, new potential consumers will be visiting your area.  Instead of fighting over these customers you can share them.  Pursue an opportunity to create a deal such as a “Friday Night Out”, where if they go to dinner at the new restaurant they receive a coupon for a free drink at your bar that evening.  Most business owners love finding innovative ways to attract new customers.  But remember the key to building these relationships ultimately starts with a greeting.  Take the advantage of the opportunity to send business to business greeting cards.  Trust me; a little effort will go a long way.

There is something romantic about taking the time to write out a card in calligraphy. The defining characteristics of calligraphy are beautiful handwriting, elegant penmanship, style of handwriting and beauty of a line. But it is more than just a combination of all those things. It is an art and skill that involves touch, pressure, hand movement and flow. Both beauty and grace can become a mastery of work to be proud of. It is also an excellent way to add a special touch to your business greeting cards. With a little practice you can form delicate lettering for an elegant touch.

With a few tools, practice and patience you can create your very own work of art. Open up your creative juices and follow these easy steps. Think of all the cards, invitations and heartfelt letters you can compose. Before you get started you will need the following items.

Felt tip pen/calligraphy pen– convenient, disposable, does not need to be dipped in ink. The tip is broad and flat instead of round.
Fountain pen – refillable, long lasting, dipped in ink. The nib grade fits into slot and holds the ink.
Steel point pen – inked with dropper, creates fine detail, tip needs replacement.
Old Fashioned Quill pen – cut off end to an angle, dipped in ink.

You will notice the calligraphy pen/felt tip pen is slanted at an angle. This allows for narrow or thick lines. As we flatten the angle, the lines get wider. This is the basis of Calligraphy. Choose what you are comfortable with and try different ones as you feel more confident. Use different ink colors to fit what you are working on. These items are available at your local craft/art store.

You will also need fair quality paper. To practice any paper will do. As you progress you might want to go for a thicker quality of paper. Try even using a lined or graph paper to make use of a straight line and height. Good lighting is also important. Have a desk lamp on to make sure you are well lighted. If available, a slanted desk seems to work best. If not, any flat surface will do. Now you are ready to begin.

Get used to the pen you are working with. Practice different angles without touching the pen to paper yet. Hold the pen at a 45 degree angle. Use your arm not your fingers to apply pressure. Keep the pen at a constant angle. Lead the tip making sure not to press too hard into the paper. Point the tip in the same direction unchanging the angle diagonally away from you. Start with the letters A-D paying attention to height and spacing. Practice lower and upper case. Feel the flow and angle of the pen lightly touching the paper. Sharpen straight up and down strokes, vertical and horizontally. With a bit of repetition anyone can add that special touch to a simple piece of paper. Just give it a try and find the artist in you.  Remember all it takes is practice and patience.

When I was a little girl, my mother not only taught my siblings and me manners, she insisted on us using them. From as far back as I can remember, she never let us get away without using them. Oh, Dad contributed to these life lessons as well, but it was Mom who was the diligent enforcer of the rules. Saying “Thank you” was just as important as “Please,” “May I,” or “Excuse me.” Thank you was a way to acknowledge that you appreciated what the person had done for you. What does this have to do with corporate thank you cards you might ask? Just think how you feel when you have taken the time to do something for someone and they don’t even acknowledge it. You might think it was a waste of time and why would you bother to do anything else. In business, that is the last message we want to convey. Whether or not it is an employee or a business associate makes no difference. Everyone wants and needs to be appreciated.

Now I’m not saying that if one doesn’t receive a thank you note every time that they do something, they won’t do it again. What I am saying is, knowing that someone has taken the time to show that they have noticed your efforts will go a long way in the goodwill department.

My mother used to have a saying (and I bet your mother did too) – You will catch more bees with honey….you know the rest. What applies in your personal world applies in the corporate world. Now more than ever, it is important to apply all of those life lessons that our mothers tried so hard to instill in us. Although my mother is no longer with us, I am grateful everyday that she took the time to ensure that manners became a part of my everyday world. I don’t have to think about it. It is a part of my everyday. It’s as natural as brushing my teeth.

Although not limited to thank you cards, keeping a supply of business greeting cards on hand is one of the best ways to convey your message. Having a supply on hand ensures that you will always have a card ready to go, for any occasion.

Vincent Van Gogh painted this breathtaking oil on canvas in 1888 and over 100 years later it is still brilliant. Design 295AR – Still Life: Vase with Oleanders and Books, takes this masterpiece and creates stunning business greeting cards. There is no sentiment on the front of the card so it has a multitude of uses; thank you, sympathy, get well or birthday. It can also be used as a general purpose note card, one that anybody would be happy to receive.

The appeal of Design 295AR lies in the graceful beauty and serenity of the oleanders. It is a greeting card so calming and pleasant to look at that you may want to frame it and keep it on display the whole year through.

Design 295AR - Still Life: Vase with Oleanders and Books

Business greeting cards have been a wonderfully light-handed way to keep my business in the minds of clients and potential clients. Sometimes, however, I’ve wanted to present a crisper look that focused more on my message than on an attractive card design. Finally…I found a perfect solution with correspondence note cards.

As a kid, reading books and watching movies set in somewhat earlier (and to me, more refined) times, I was strongly impressed with mentions of calling cards and hand-delivered missives thoughtfully scripted on quality stationery. In these stories, it was clear that a person’s character was often judged on their mastery of these social graces. My aspiration to this sort of sophistication seemed thwarted by ever more casual attitudes in everyday life; even in business the attitude of “whatever…” seemed to be replacing “service-with-a-smile” and common courtesy.

Lately, and with greater frequency, I’ve been hearing that the bright side of the current economic recession is that careless businesses will fold and only the strong will survive, making for a stronger economy with better products and services. If that viewpoint makes you cry “ouch,” it may be time to refine your business practices, to work harder and smarter. It has had that effect on me.

A phone call may interrupt a client’s workday at an inconvenient time, if you even find that person in. An email is easily deleted, if it’s even read at all. Mailed ads are hard-sell, easily tossed aside. The same can be said for the form letters I receive, where my name and address is clearly just an insert. Why waste my time and attention on these when the sender couldn’t be bothered to invest time and attention to communicate specifically to my needs?

These new correspondence note cards from The Gallery Collection have such a classy look and feel! I keep them right on my desk top so I can jot my notes immediately as the thought occurs to me. They have my name professionally printed at the top so I can sign my notes with just my first name for a more personal touch. My name and handwritten note can be seen as soon as the note card is lifted from its fine quality envelope. I know it’s being looked at when the recipient is ready and open to my message. I know it’s subliminally telling the recipient that I value their relationship enough to communicate, on a one-on-one basis, a thought or plan or offer that is specifically for them. The presentation of my message tells them that it is worthy of their attention. And I’ll bet it doesn’t wind up in their waste basket!

For several years now children have been going to work with their moms, dads, aunts, uncles, etc. on Take Your Child to Work Day to see what goes on in that person’s normal workday. This was the first year that my eight-year-old daughter, Jessica, was old enough by my company’s guidelines to join me for the day. I asked her (in passing really) if she was interested in coming to work with me and after I got up off the floor from being tackled, I concluded that the answer was a resounding, yes!

Jessica (pictured left) and a friend at the Prudent Publishing headquarters on Take Your Child to Work Day.

She went through what I call the girl drama process of picking out just the right outfit with just the right accessories and shoes. She asked me many, many questions about how the day would unfold and couldn’t wait for the day to come. She was so enthusiastic that I hoped she wasn’t setting such high expectations in case she would end up being disappointed. Finally the big day arrived (April 22nd) which happened to also coincide with Earth Day this year. I have to admit I was even a bit anxious myself to see how things would progress that day. I warned my husband that we were likely to be home early if she ended up getting bored.

Well, there was no need to worry. Several of my co-workers came up with such creative ways to get the children involved in learning about our company, which primarily sells business greeting cards. Jessica had a full day that started with typesetting and designing her name tag, then meeting with our company president to discuss her future career plans, after which she entered her own order on our website (which she found very easy to use) and designed and photographed her own birthday card design for the mini-catalog that our graphics team produced for the children. After a fun pizza lunch, we headed over to eat some dirt, er, I mean dessert; a fellow employee made an edible flower pot with crushed up Oreo cookies made to look like dirt, complete with gummy worms. Yum!

Everyone gathered like flies when the dirt dessert was put out. Thankfully, they weren't really eating dirt; it was crushed up Oreos!

The afternoon consisted of listening to one of our customer service specialists take a phone order for thank you cards, testing her typing speed to see if she typed fast enough to take orders, and various projects that were assigned for her to complete. She was sad that the day was coming to an end but happy to receive her paycheck and company newsletter before heading home. She couldn’t wait to get home and tell her family and friends all about her experience. Does she want to return next year? Well, let’s just say the outfit is already being planned!

Sending a sympathy card is a difficult task, especially if it is for someone who was close to you. Business sympathy cards, like design #019AT, With Deepest Sympathy Card, gives one comfort in knowing you are sending a distinctive, well made greeting card. The details in this card are remarkable; each time I see it, I notice another piece of art I missed the first time. Each flower petal in the panels is embossed, adding to the beautiful blue foil and the rich buff stock. This card is truly characteristic of The Gallery Collection’s fine design.

Design #019AT With Deepest Sympathy Card

During this economic downturn companies are tempted to cut back on the quality of their products. Have you ever had a card split in half after folding it? This is definitely embarrassing, to say the least, especially if it is a sympathy card. The Gallery Collection’s cards are the epitome of greeting card quality.

Design #660AY, Sympathy Rose Card, is yet another example of The Gallery Collection’s specialty in producing fine quality greeting cards. This design is elegant. The rose and sentiment flow beautifully across the environmentally-friendly buff stock – simple, classy, and stylish.

Design #660AY Sympathy Rose Card

If the time comes that you need to send business sympathy cards, the last thing you want to be concerned with is the quality and sophistication of your choice. By purchasing a sympathy assortment box, you can be rest assured that you’re covered.

I know you may think I’m crazy, but by the time Labor Day rolls around, all I can think of is Christmas. Christmas shopping! Christmas decorations! Christmas trees! Christmas carolers! And most importantly, Christmas cards! It’s enough to make even the most relaxed of us turn visions of sugarplums into visions of that mean one, Mr. Grinch!

For those of us already mentally making our list and checking it twice, the act of sending business greeting cards is not strictly a Christmas ritual anymore. This is a relief for a number of reasons. First of all, as much as I’d love to make a point to send my best wishes to colleagues and clients, if I wait until December, I’m taking a gamble on whether those business greeting cards will ever make it to the mailbox! Secondly, if I wait until December, my Christmas cards are bound to get lost in the shuffle with all of the other business greeting cards being sent at the same time.

That’s why business Thanksgiving cards are a great alternative. Thanking those you’ve done business with a month before the norm allows your message to stand out when it’s received and allows you to cross one more task off your list before the end of November. It also saves you the trouble of choosing between Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or Season’s Greetings for the face of the design on your business greeting cards.

There is plenty to be thankful for as autumn and winter are coming upon us, and one of those things is the option of business Thanksgiving Cards!

As one of the most recently employed members of the Gallery Collection, I’ve been learning new things on a daily basis. And apparently, there is a lot to learn about business greeting cards. I suppose my experience has not been very different from anyone starting a new job, but what has impressed me the most about my novel surroundings is the genuine kindness of the people here and the lengths they go to show their appreciation for one another. There are even some of my now fellow co-workers who will go so far as to offer congratulations to a person who has sneezed. Yes, that’s right…sneezed!

Now there was, as I later discovered, a much more elaborate reason behind this; a story perhaps better saved for another blog entry, but the idea of someone congratulating another person for something seemingly so simple aroused my curiosity. It got me thinking about the numerous reasons why people are recognized by those who care enough to commemorate them in some way, shape, or form.

And that’s when I saw the light, heard the trumpets blaring and the angels singing…well, maybe it wasn’t that dramatic, but I did realize something. Congratulations cards! I wondered, being just a callow trainee, if we had any of our own. Sure, I already knew about the Christmas cards and birthday cards, but what about this other possibility? I decided to check it out on GalleryCollection.com, and low and behold, I found several unique styles of congratulations cards. And what also makes these all occasion cards so great, just like all of the other greeting cards our company offers, is the availability of personal customization.

So whether it’s a graduation, an engagement, a marriage, a promotion, or a newborn child, the reasons for letting someone special know that his or her achievement is extraordinary are abounding. But sending people greeting cards to congratulate them for sneezing? Well, like I said, that’s a story for another time.

In the business world, congratulations are often rare while negative comments are more common. Every once in a while, I ask myself “Why do you stay at this job?” when my hard work seemingly goes unnoticed. I mean, I don’t want flowers or gifts, nor do I expect a raise every time I achieve something at the office. But it would be nice to receive business congratulations cards for my better efforts. Small gestures can mean a lot.

Other companies give congratulations cards to their employees. I know this because my cousin flaunts her corporate greeting cards every time she gets one from her boss. She keeps the greeting cards in a scrapbook for Pete’s sake! Obviously, receiving these greeting cards gives her a sense of pride.

The last time I hinted to my boss that there was such a thing as business congratulations cards, he looked at me as if I had two heads. I persevered, however, adding that my cousin had a whole collection of business greeting cards that were given to her by her supervisor and that she confided to me that she works a little harder each time she gets a greeting card. OK, maybe that last statement was a slight exaggeration.

Well, needless to say, when I had an important company inventory report completed a week before it was due, I was totally blown away when I found two greeting cards on my desk. Were they congratulations cards? You bet they were! One was from my boss and another from our production manager. When I thanked my boss for the greeting card, he smiled and said, “I am glad you like my idea!”

I held my tongue because it really didn’t matter that the idea for business congratulations cards was mine. What mattered was that I could now buy a scrapbook for my own collection of greeting cards. Maybe I’ll display all of my employee birthday cards in this scrapbook too!