Branding your business starts with a great logo. We’ve established the importance of a great logo design for your small business. Getting your business cards is another important step in the building of a great brand, and small business presence. Now? You’ve got promotional products to think about. They’re important. It’s the extra take-a-way to brand yourself! The best promotional items are ones people can use every day, and that have a connection to your brand. Starting a small business is no easy task, but with great resources, it can be a fairly smooth process.

Promotional items are important

When starting your business, the last thing you think about is promotional items. A small business owner think about promotional items at the worst time. When’s that? As a business owner’s packing up items for their first conference, expo, or first trade show. A cold sweat starts, and all of a sudden it hits: I need pens, or something, to hand out at my table/booth/expo. 

It happens every time. Every. Time. The mad rush to find something, and order it fast, so it comes in time for the show. We’ve all been there, we’ve all done it, and for whatever reason we always fail to tell others not to make this mistake. We fail to give the advice: think about this essential part of your business from the day you get your logo, as well as your brand, established!

Small business owners TAKE MY ADVICE

I’m here to tell you: do NOT wait until the last minute. Get your promotional item ideas out on the table. Hash out ideas with multiple people. Smart people. People who are potential clients! Ask them questions, dig into their minds!

• What would you, as my customer, LOVE to walk away with after meeting me?
• Think about your daily life, what do your reach for that I can put my business name all over?
• What’s the most useless thing you’ve gotten at a trade show, expo, conference, or meeting?
• What would you use during the show, expo, conference or meeting, that I could give you at my booth/table?

I get you’ll want something unique as well as, memorable. Awesome. However, make it something people actually want, and won’t go “oh that’s cool” as they walk by your booth, but never accept it when it’s offered. People need to not just think something’s “neat,” but also actually NEED the item.

Go for useful, but also go for quality

A huge tip for all business owners that I’m sharing here and now: QUALITY items over the QUANTITY of items. If you need to save money, and make the promo items cost effective, save money by ordering less of a higher quality product. I hate when I get a hand sanitizer spray at a trade show and the cap breaks, and I have to throw the entire thing away because without the cap, it’s useless. Who wants hand sanitizer all over the contents of your new re-useable tote?

Top 5 FAVORITE promotional items I’ve received from a trade show/expo/conference/meeting

Hand Sanitizer.

Do I really need to say why? Just go for it. Get the hand sanitizer. People grab them no matter how many they already own.

Note Pads.

I love them. I’m addicted to note pads. I have stacks of them at my house, and in my home office. I love having them in my bag when I’m at an event. I’m always looking for a piece of paper, and having a notepad at my finger tips at all times is totally my thing. Many people prefer having paper and pen, and aren’t as into putting things in their electronic gadgets. Trust me, we’re everywhere. Make us happy!!! Give us quality note pads!

First Aid Kit.

Do you realize how often I go to an event, pack a bunch of band-aids, and forget them in my room? Every time. I hunt around, and seek out, the booth giving away a first aid kit. First reason, I have forgotten my band-aids in my room. Second, I never remember to bring any kind of antibacterial ointment. I do carry-on when traveling, so it’s one thing I never pack, because I never know if they’ll make me open my bag, even though it’s NOT a liquid. So yes, the first aid kit is PERFECT.

Stress Reliever.

No, not a boring stress ball in the shape of something funny. I’m talking a fun, but useful one. Have you ever gotten DoGo™ at a show? It’s awesome, and I can almost guarantee anyone it’s given to, it will be a main feature on his, or her, desk forever. It’s awesome for kids to play with when you need just a couple more minutes to finish something you’re working on! Believe it. People will tell other people to visit your booth! It might be a good idea to order less, and take names of people who want to have it sent to them when you get more! LOL.

Mints.

I know you’re thinking BORING. It doesn’t have to be. Get the mints, because everyone loves them, and make sure the mints come in something they can carry with them. Don’t get individually wrapped ones to in a bowl. Not good.

Get a really cool Mint Business Card. Yes, the mints are inside the slim container which doubles as a business card. LOVE IT.