Congratulations to our contest winner, Julia Voss!
To see previous contest winners, please visit our Winners & Finalists page.
Month: April 2018
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.