"Tis the Season.....to Plan Ahead

'Tis the Season (for frantic shopping?) After a weekend of elbows and body checks (at the Malls, not the hockey rink or the football field!), we could probably all stand to take a deep breath and plan the days that lie ahead for maximum efficiency.    With that in mind, your friends at Weekend Warrior have a few Promo Tips to help navigate the Holiday season.   Plan Ahead!   If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times, there is no substitute for good planning at this time of year.   Our suppliers, many of whom might still be hedging their bets with inventory projections, may run into shortages during the coming weeks.   This could impact our customers in need of last-minute holiday gifts, or first quarter 2012 items for tradeshows or events.   If you need something between now and the end of January, I would suggest you order it BEFORE the Holidays hit. Consider the  Timing Details.   Related to the above point, it is critical to realize that many suppliers will be closed for several days around Christmas and New Year's Day.   So if we say that an item is produced in 5 business days, our customers will need to know to tack on the extra days.    (Don't worry though - we will plan the production schedule for you, as always!) Do Something!   We still will hear occassionally that a company does not have the budget to get something "really nice" so they choose to do nothing at all, or just have a Holiday party.   It truly is the thought that counts at this time of year and employees, vendors, referral sources and other business partners will be grateful that you went the extra mile and made the effort to provide a gift.   One thought:  how about nice pens that are personalized with the recipient's name?  Click here for a few ideas:  Nice Pens turned in 2 days.  This is the perfect time of year to show appreciation to those that have made you successful in the past year, and it is best to do so with a tangible item that will be used throughout the coming year. Lean on Us!   We know that you are all very busy at this time of year, so let us do most of the work for you.   To assist us, please provide us with the following:  estimated budget, type of recipient (employee, vendor, customer), timing, and any theme you might want to tie it to.   Once we have this basic information, we can conduct searches and provide you with a customized pdf "catalog" of items that can be reviewed at your leisure.   The key is to make the item memorable and useful - otherwise, it will just collect dust.   Last Minute!   We have a number of suppliers, including the pen supplier mentioned above, that can turn around orders in one or two days WITHOUT charging a premium.   So if you find yourself in a bind, we can still help, even if your party is next week!  NEW DECORATION CAPABILITIES In closing, we would like to also make you aware of some enhanced capabilities we have regarding the decoration of apparel or other items that might be decorated with the use of embroidery or sewn on patches or plates.   For example, in the image below, a large logo is depicted for the full front or back of a jacket.   As many of you know, if this was done in thread (embroidery) only, it would be very expensive, and to cut out the designs by hand would be expensive and time-consuming.   However, our new embroidery partner uses laser cutting automation to complete the process in minutes and at a fraction of the cost!   The result is beautifully stitched and precisely cut designs at very reasonable prices and done quickly.    We are thrilled with the extended services and our clients are giving us rave reviews.     Please let us know if you have a design in mind for your next project.   As always, we can be reached at             (412) 922-8389       or via email at msb@weekendwarrior.biz or ecb@weekendwarrior.biz.   We look forward to hearing from you soon but if you can't use us at the moment, we would appreciate it if you could forward this email to someone that can! Happy Holidays! Maura and Ed