Starting a business will be quite challenging and there is one way you can establish our brand by promoting as much as you can. At this point there is no room for feeling inferior to other brands. The important thing is you get your brand across and make sure you are in the minds of your target customers when the time to make a buying decision comes.

If you're under tight budget, creativity should step in. You need to make sure your advertising products and material will grab customer attention and convert it into sales. Consider the following suggestions.

1. Choose the right FONT - whether ordering a promo item or putting up huge billboard, make sure the font you choose for your artwork and logo reflects your brand's personality. Choose a font thats attractive and easy to read. For instance, Helvetica is great in either small or huge prints.

Tough times actually call for smart measures and your business can rely on a marketing strategy which is not only effective but designed to fit any budget. We are actually talking about promotional merchandise marketing. It is not a new strategy. In fact, it has been around for many years and has made a lot of brands household names.

Brand advertising using custom branded products has proven to be practical for business start ups looking to spread the word about their products or services but can only allow a small budget and for large companies that need to reinforce their ad campaigns with something more engaging and interactive. Hence the popularity of these personalised promo items.

To make sure you maximise the impressive marketing potential that these products offer, consider these simple guidelines:

• DO make sure you choose a product which can be easily associated to your brand
• DO consider the functionality of the items, keeping in mind the

More than a week ago, the Philippines was hit by what experts believed is the strongest typhoon for 2013, with international name "Haiyan". If you have been following the news, you will learn about the devastation that super typhoon caused, killing as may as 10,000 and displacing more than a million individuals.

The graphic story - telling by international media resulted to the outpouring of help from government of various countries including United States, Japan and Australia. People all over the world are making donations to non-government and humanitarian organisations such as the Red Cross, UNICEF and World Food Programme. Even a small cash donation goes a long way. For example, a $5 can buy as many as 10 bottled waters. If you have some cash to spare, you can simply go to the websites of these organisations to find out how you can donate.

Corporate Merchandise Donation

As Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the Phillipines, a UN meeting discussing climate change also held

Cooking has always been a passion of mine and for those of you who view cooking the same way as I do, you know how pleasurable it is to labour in front on the stove and happily create delicious meals from scratch.

With all the many kitchen tools and gadgets, there is only one accessory I cannot live without - the apron. Yes, this small piece of fabric, which is primarily designed to protect your street clothes, is an absolute essential. These aprons have actually come a long way. To understand what I mean, check out this brief history of aprons.

The Apron of the Old Times

When we talk about aprons, most of us have a clear image in our minds of aprons worn by housewives during the 1950's. You will be surprised to learn that they have actually been around for centuries. Craftsmen of the old days wore thick leather-made aprons to protect not only their clothes but also themselves from accidental piercing as they were handling all sorts of sharp instruments. The same

Promotional products work for all kinds of business even those in agriculture sector. In fact, you will find there are plenty of customisable items which you can use to promote your product or service in an effective and cost efficient manner.

We have actually worked with many such businesses and most are surprised with the myriad of choices. The great thing about these branded items is that they can easily be associated with your business which allows you to convey your message a lot easier as compared with other printed merchandise.

Our Best-selling Agriculture Themed Promo Products:

• Custom Stress Balls – everyone appreciates branded stress balls for their effectiveness in relieving tension. Hand out stress balls in the shape of egg, cow or tomato and you will be surprised at how these personalised items work to promote your business without much effort. Plus, you cannot deny they are unique and

Let us face it. Accidents happen. Everyone knows this and smart businesses take advantage of the fact these incidents, which lead to unfortunate cuts or bruises, can actually create marketing opportunities. But as a business, promoting your brand should not only be the reason for choosing first aid kits as your promo merchandise. They should also be because of the following reasons.

First Aid Kits promote safety

Above all else, this is the message you would want your brand to convey. It is important in the home, school, or office to observe safety precautions in order to avoid and prevent accidents. They are designed to only provide temporary reliefe until further medical assistance is provided.

First Aid Kits promote charity. Another message that these printed kits conveys is charity or being helpful. In times of accidents especially, lending a helping hand sometime spell the difference between

It's that time of the year again and I bet you are wondering where all the days went. But instead of focusing on this, you  might want to start preparing your corporate Christmas gifts. The sooner you organise what this year's business giveaways will be for the holidays, the sooner you can place your order, beat the holiday rush and most probably enjoy lower prices.

Company Christmas Gifts

Its not surprising that you will find yourself ovewhelmed with the monumental task of choosing the perfect christmas gifts for your customers, clients and even employees. After all, there are plenty to choose from. Here is a short guide which could help you make sense of it all

1. Divide gifts by Categories or Recipients.Before even thinking about making a choice, you should know who your recipients will be. This way, you can find out how many kinds of gifts you need to pick. It would also help to count the number of recipients

Joining the eco friendly bandwagon will do wonders for your brand image. Aside from showing off your caring side, your brand will also come off as responsible. The decision to go green in your marketing strategy will be so much easier by choosing promotional merchandise which can help you reach your objectives. To help you make the right choice here are some great tips:

Choose Green Products

There are are plenty of promo products that help promote green advocacies. For example, reusable cotton bags that can be washed when sullied. You can also opt to hand out alternatively powered business gifts such as those running on solar and hydro energy. You will be surprised at the many printable items available out there.

• Choose a Green Material

For a much simpler decission, you can also make your choice based on the material of your promotional merchandise. One such example is bamboo. You will

Despicable Me 2 shows us how branding and marketing should be done!  With millions to spend on advertising, making a statement, spreading the word about an upcoming movie does make it a bit easier.  See what promotional items and marketing tools they have used!

Year end is approaching fast and with only couple days left here are 5 quick and easy steps small business owners can consider and act upon with not too much hassle: