To forward this e-mail to another person, please enter their e-mail address below and click the "Forward" button. Simple ways your business can save money You don't have to make huge cuts to save money at the office. Tweaking these standard practices can save your business a few dollars now and a significant amount of money overtime. Use e-mail–Routinely sending an e-mail instead of picking up the phone to make a long distance call can save on your phone bill. Use e-mail instead of the phone when possible, but keep in mind not all situations are appropriate for e-mail, so make exceptions to this general rule when necessary. Buy in bulk–Buying office supplies in bulk means getting a lower cost per unit, so your business saves money in the long run. Making fewer visits to the office supply store will save mileage, gas and time. Those who order online will pay shipping fees less often by buying bulk. Some online stores even offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount on your order. Reevaluate your paper use–One way to significantly reduce paper cost at your office is to reduce paper waste. For internal documents, use scrap paper and print on the both sides to reduce use. Try circulating your documents instead of printing one off for each employee. And, don't bother wasting your money on fancy paper. Your customers won't notice. Create an e-newsletter–An e-newsletter is an affordable way to remind your customers about business news, discounts and more. Gather your customers' e-mail addresses instead of mailing addresses and you'll save on paper and postage. Join a trade association–Joining an association within your trade will give you valuable industry-specific information and advice, and keep you clued into the latest trends in your field of expertise. Different associations offer different member benefits for your business to take advantage of. Scents to better your workday The scents you smell everyday can have a surprisingly powerful effect on your overall mood. If you're feeling sluggish, stressed or unfocused at the office, you may want to keep these scents nearby to enhance your overall workday. For energy boosting... Citrus Basil Peppermint Fresh brewed coffee To fight afternoon hunger... Banana Green apple Peppermint Cinnamon To decrease stress... Cucumber Green apple To increase memory and attention span... Honeysuckle Cinnamon Jasmine Grapefruit Reach your target market Identifying your target marketing is always important, especially before embarking on an advertising campaign. Too often, businesses try to be all things to all people. Understanding your customers and narrowing down your target market is essential in ensuring your advertising dollars are being used as constructively as possible. Consider these demographics when identifying your target market: Location Gender Age group Income/Education Ethnicity/Religious beliefs Lifestyle habits Marital status Family life cycle Political beliefs Hobbies or interests Decide how broad of a market you'd like to reach with your advertising efforts and how your product or service will grow within different markets. Analyze why a certain market would want to buy your product or use your service and create an honest message that resonates with them. Keep in mind that you may find potential customers in narrower fields than just these general categories. It's important to look within the general categories and target as specifically as possible. Client spotlight: Importance of product packaging To a consumer, a product display demonstrates the quality of the product itself. A product display only has 10 seconds to grab a consumer’s attention, so often times, the display determines the success of the actual product. A good package display should: Have an appealing headline or slogan Stand out from competitors’ displays Preserve the product Link a theme to the product Contain high quality images All Seasons Communications’ client and baked goods retailer Bill Knapp’s uses a display that reminds the consumer of the tradition the Bill Knapp’s name has provided families with for years and actually shows the product itself. While simple, the display is successful because it stands out from its competitors who spread their products out over a designated area with other similar brands. All Seasons Communications is a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations agency. Visit www.allseasonscommunications.com to learn more, call us at 586.752.6381, or e-mail us as info@allseasonscommunications.com. To be removed from future e-mails please reply to this message with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line. We apologize for any inconvenience. Click here to forward this e-mail.