Archive for April, 2010
4 Important Questions to Consider When Organizing Your Business Tools
Apr 30th
“Do not wait; the time will never be “just right.” Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” George Herbert
I loved a recent article I read about not just investing in tools but actually learning how to use them… effectively. It brings to a mind a Christmas morning when I was very little. My father got this HUGE box, wrapped in the most beautiful shinny paper… the kind you want to keep even when you’re a kid. He unwrapped it carefully, with his pocket knife the way he always did, and inside was a bright red tool box. You know the kind I mean, the quintessential red like a radio flyer wagon tool box.
The tool box was of course EMPTY! I couldn’t believe it, and my father said, “Well that’s because I don’t know what kind of tools I want to put into it…yet.”
But I would learn it doesn’t matter what you put into your tool box if you never have a plan to take them out. You can have the most expensive hammer known to man but it does you no good unless you take it out and swing it at a nail from time to time!
1. When was the last time you went through your tool box?
2. Are you using everything you own?
3. Are there tools you need to learn how to use?
4. Are there tools you can show someone else how to use?
Asking yourself these four questions will help you organize your tools and allow yourself a minute to realize that you have mastered a few, some you can purge, and some you may need help with. This in itself is a whole area of networking opportunity!
I rotate the tools I use from time to time, find new ones, upgrade and set aside the ones that no longer help me or cost me more time than they’re worth. I have an inventory sheet on my desk top that list’s all my tools into two categories, ones I use and ones I need to learn to use. Tools can be anything from software and programs, to scripts and telephones (note: I think the telephone is one of the most important tools in building a business). The point is to invest in ones you’ll use and USE THEM! If you haven’t used it in 3 months… make a decision and move on. You won’t believe the mental room you’ll make to add something that could change your whole business.
Believe it or not, understanding how to use tools is a pretty decent lesson in advertising… If you need to make a hole you need a drill (problem – solution) and if you need to talk to someone living in the next state you need a phone (problem – solution). If you need to build your business you need a tool that will help you create leads… problem – solution! Tools help solve problems… but only if you use them!
Brand Names Can Help You Build Your Own Brand
Apr 29th
Utilizing promotional products is a great way to build brand awareness for your organization. There are thousands of products available at virtually every price point imaginable. So where do you start? How about leaning on somebody else’s brand to help build your own brand awareness. When a name brand product is used as part of your promotional campaign, the good will of the name brand will help support your own brand. And a name brand product typically provides for a higher perceived value than other promotional gifts. Here are a few of my favorite brands available through promotional marketing.
3M Post-it Notes
This is a company with a great history of innovation beginning in 1902. 3M invented a number of interesting products from waterproof sandpaper in the early ’20s to Post-it Notes in 1980. You know that a product has achieved a great level of success when the name of the product is ingrained into our consciousness like Post-it Notes. We offer some less expensive alternatives such as BIC Sticky Notes, but in our opinion, 3M’s Post-it Notes are still the best adhesive notes on the market today. They come in all shapes and sizes, and can be imprinted with your company information.
Nalgene and Camelbak Water Bottles
Two of the most recognizable brand names in drinkware, Nalgene and Camelbak produce the best water bottles available. They’re nearly indestructible and are now made from BPA-free materials. Durable water bottles are also eco-friendly. Did you know that 8 in every 10 plastic water bottles end up in a landfill? And that we use more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually to make these water bottles? Just imagine if we all started using refillable water bottles instead. And then imagine if everyone had a refillable water bottle with your logo on it.
Buck Knives and Swiss Army Knives
There are a number of name brands available, but when it comes to knives, give me a Buck or a Swiss Army every time. Buck makes a great assortment of hunting knives and folding pocket knives that can be engraved with your logo. And haven’t we all had a Swiss Army Knife at some point in our lives? Their multi-function knives make awesome gifts. I’ve got a couple of them. They are still among the most popular knives in the industry.
Fossil Watches
Another name brand I have a personal fondness for is Fossil. I wear a Fossil watch, as does my wife. At my last business, we used to give Fossil Watches to our employees on their fifth anniversary with the company. They offer a nice variety of high-quality watches. Most brands of watches including Timex and Callaway are available and can be decorated with your organization’s logo.
Coleman Coolers
Yes, that Coleman. The makers of Coleman coolers! Coleman was founded more than 100 years ago in Wichita, Kansas. Originally a manufacturer of lanterns, Coleman expanded into leisure and camping products when they introduced a galvanized steel cooler in 1954. By the ’60s, Coleman had become the biggest name in the camping business. A great and trusted brand. And a great promotional gift that can be imprinted with your brand.
Nike
In our book, Nike is a winner all the way. The brand carries more oomph than virtually any other brand on the market today. The Nike swoosh is possibly the most recognizable logo ever created. And there are a number of Nike products available to the promotional products industry including apparel, golf balls, golf bags, sunglasses, golf shoes and golf clubs.
M&Ms
Edibles are often overlooked as promotional gifts, but there’s typically no faster way to a client’s heart than through their stomach. And it doesn’t stop with the M&Ms. Other options include Skittles, Jelly Belly, LifeSavers and much more. Yum. Great packaging and decoration ideas make M&Ms are fun promotional gift.
All of this is just the beginning. More ideas include Alicia Klein, Baden, BIC, Case Logic, Cutter & Buck, FootJoy, Jockey, Munsingwear, Pinnacle, Prang, RCC Koozie, Sharpie, Slinky, Tervis Tumbler, Thermos, Titleist, uni-ball, Wilson, Zippo and much more. Utilizing a name brand will help you build your own brand awareness.
Cheap M Tech M-Tech Pocket Folding Knife Mini Spider Red
Apr 29th
M-Tech Pocket Folding Knife Mini Spider Red
Overviews
This small progressively styled pocket knife from M-Tech features a sharp 2 inch black Ti-treated 440 stainless steel blade with an easy opening blade notch. The elegantly contoured tow-tone aluminum handle features an intricately detailed spider web graphic over a metallic red and black gradient background, a convenient lanyard hole and the liner lock blade locking design. This handy little M-Tech folding knife has a closed length of 3 1/4 inches and comes complete with a durable pocket clip.
Cheap Sarge SK-900 Sarge SK-900 Stinger Pocket Knife
Apr 28th
Sarge SK-900 Stinger Pocket Knife
Overviews
The Sarge SK-900 “Stinger” Easy Carry Knife features a 2 1/2″ 440C Stainless Steel locking blade that easily opens and closes with one hand. It fits securely into the 3 1/2″ black diamond cut aluminum handle with a handy pocket clip.
Cheap SARGE SK-108BL Sarge SK-108BL Black & Blue Series 3 3/8″ Liner Lock Knife
Apr 27th
Sarge SK-108BL Black & Blue Series 3 3/8″ Liner Lock Knife
Overviews
The SK-108BL liner lock knife is a quick one hand open and close knife from Sarge. This knife features a 2 3/8″ 440C Stainless Steel blade that closes securely into the 3 3/8″ blue diamond cut anodized aluminum handle.
Cheap BUCK 110 YELLOWHORSE BUCK 110 Yellowhorse 1/25 Folding Hunter WOLF Wildlife Series Pocket Knife Knives
Apr 27th
BUCK 110 Yellowhorse 1/25 Folding Hunter WOLF Wildlife Series Pocket Knife Knives
Overviews
Beautiful BUCK 110 YELLOWHORSE Folding Hunter WOLF Green Malachite, Red Jasper, White & Blue Turquoise Handles
Hand Crafted in U.S.A.
B110 YH WOLF
1 of Only 25 Made
Individual Serial Number Hand Crafted by Ron Yellowhorse
Custom Wooden Box
It is new and never been used, sharpened or carried. It is 4 3/4 inches long closed. This is a Classic Lockback Folding Knife with a 420HC Stainless Steel Clip Point Blade etched with Wild Life Series, Ron Yellowhorse signature, Logo and Individual Serial Number. The Tang is Stamped with BUCK 110-1 U.S.A. The Handles are Green Malachite, Red Jasper, White & Blue Turquoise and feature a Nickel Silver Wolf Inlay on the front and back. The Brass Bolsters also feature the custom work of Ron Yellowhorse. It comes with a Lifetime Warranty. Included with this Knife is a Custom Wooden Box with Ron Yellowhorse signature and Logo laser etched on the inside lid.. If you are looking for a great knife to collect, carry or give as a gift, don’t pass this one up!
Cheap Victorinox 53967 Victorinox Swiss Army Pioneer Pruner Pocket Knife (Silver Alox Ribbed)
Apr 26th
Victorinox Swiss Army Pioneer Pruner Pocket Knife (Silver Alox Ribbed)
Overviews
In 1884, Master Cutler Karl Elsener started his cutlery factory in the small village of Ibach, Switzerland. In 1897, he crafted the Victorinox Original Swiss Army Knife. Since that time, the Elsener family has continued to craft tools in the Victorinox tradition of in genius design, durability, and quality. This is why all Victorinox multi-tools, made of first class stainless steel, are guaranteed a lifetime against defects in material and workmanship. Remember, if it doesn’t say Victorinox, it’s not the Original Swiss Army Knife.
Why You Need Hunting Knives
Apr 25th
In some cases, you may also need a machete type knife in order to get through thick brush. A hunting knife can be particularly useful for this type of situation. This type of knife is extremely useful for a wide variety of situations of course.
The best part to a hunting knife is fact that they are well-made overall. This means that you can perform a variety of different tasks when using a hunting knife. A hunting knife is particularly useful if you carry one around with you throughout an average day. When you have large sharp knife on hand, you can perform any task that you may face throughout each day with ease.
Not only does this type of equipment make you more efficient in your daily activities, but you can also be sure that you will feel safer wherever you may go while carrying one of these knives. There are some laws against standard knives in public, which is why there are pocketknives. If you wish to carry a pocket knife in public, you can do so whenever you want to.
This is one of the primary benefits of owning a pocket knife. You can have the safety of owning a knife without any of the risks that are inherent in carrying a large knife around in public. Luckily, you can keep yourself safe with a pocket knife at all times.
If you desire to purchase a hunting knife though, you are going to need know about the differences between the different products that are on the market today. There are variety of different types available, that due to various features can come in handy. There are Bowie knives, standard army knives, and other knives that are specifically designed for hunting ventures.
It can sometimes be difficult to narrow down the appropriate knife to purchase though. If you are wondering which knife you should purchase, you should always choose an all-around knife. There many knives that can handle all sorts of jobs.
Hunting knives are very useful because they can accomplish any task you may have at hand at anytime throughout your life. A knife that can perform any task is certainly one of the most valuable knives you can have. As long as you have a knife that can perform any task, you can be sure that you will be able to accomplish any job you may face at anytime.
Floor Sander – Keep Your Floor Smooth
Apr 24th
In order to find the most suitable kind of floor sander for the project that you wish to accomplish, sometimes it helps to explore the various types that are available.
Starting with the smaller variations, the first type of floor sander to look into is the edging sander. These are usually used in tandem with other sanders for larger projects- similar to using edging tools in painting. For those harder to reach areas, you would use this smaller sander in order to get to the corners and other places that drum or orbital sanders would not be able to access. These are generally hand held devices, lightweight but still offering enough power to make sure that the wood has been stripped and smoothed and may work with orbital motion. These should not, however, be confused with orbital sanders- they are much more powerful and will generally be perfect for hardwood floor use, but would not be advised for smaller projects that an orbital would be perfect for. As well, you would never want to use a smaller orbital for edging.
The drum sander is the type that most people are familiar with. Usually designed with a rotational drum wrapped in paper, a drum sander is useful for large projects and is not readily available for sale. When renting a drum sander, you will also likely receive instruction on what grade paper to use, such as fine, medium and course grains. These are also easy to misjudge and scar up a flooring project, so it is always wise to make sure that you are very careful with use. This is usually your best choice when it comes to deeply damaged floors, as it can often smooth out cracks and other rough areas and stains.
Square pad sanders are also very useful tools. These are generally less powerful than a drum sander, and easier for the do it yourself-er to manage. Though projects using these will generally take a little longer to complete, there is not as much risk of accidentally over sanding. Another option would be an orbital sander, also another great way for those who are redoing their own flooring projects and need the wood stripped down. An orbital is a sander that will move in a circular way, and can usually be used regardless of the grain. Most of the sanders mentioned here carry some sort of dust bag, which will have to be emptied here and there throughout the process of larger projects.
Sanders are all self propelling, and so they take a little getting used to. Making sure that you remain in control of it is definitely important, particularly if you are using a drum sander or similarly high powered device. For this reason, choosing the larger sanders for flooring projects and keeping the smaller sanders, such as the hand held orbitals and the like for the smaller, furniture and other wood working projects is essential. Choosing not only the correct sander for your project but the correct paper will enable you to create or refinish something beautifully.
Cheap Kissing Crane Kissing Crane Medium Sodbuster Delrin Handle Single Blade Pocket Knife
Apr 24th
Kissing Crane Medium Sodbuster Delrin Handle Single Blade Pocket Knife
Overviews
Kissing Crane had represented hand crafted quality and tradition. Each knife is hand finished with careful attention to details. High quality 440 Stainless Steel blades. 3 1/2″ Closed. 2 3/4″ Blade.