Category: Graphic Design

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6 Ways a Print Shop has got your Childcare Business Covered

Print Marketing For Your Daycare

The services provided by childcare professionals play an important role in the everyday lives of many families, and a print company can be called upon to help them in their work. 

If you run a daycare in Calgary, you already know how rewarding and challenging the everyday grind can be. Where do you find time for marketing your daycare? How can you attract new candidate families every year? A sound strategy for marketing your daycare is critical to the success of your business, whether you’re an established childcare center or a home-based start-up.  Are you ready to take your daycare business to the next level? Let’s get started! Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard has the six best ways of marketing your daycare. Follow along as we attempt to assist you with promoting your facility so you can quickly grow.  

Six best ways of marketing your daycare 

It goes without saying that your facility won’t make any money unless you’re able to market your daycare effectively. If parents don’t know about you, they can’t learn to like and trust you. The following daycare marketing tips will help you develop a winning strategy. Our tips below include: 

  • Marketing Your Daycare: Branding 
  • Marketing Your Daycare: Marketing Materials 
  • Marketing your Daycare: Direct Mail 
  • Marketing your Daycare: Get the Word Out  
  • Marketing your Daycare: Be Creative 
  • Marketing your Daycare: No Money Solutions

1. Marketing Your Daycare: Branding 

Branding your daycare is important because people purchase on emotion. Parents will choose your business if it shares their values, especially when it comes to their children. At a glance, your prospects need to be able identify you and your branding. Without a branded identity, you’re just another daycare in the neighbourhood. To identify your branded image, you must consider how you’re different from your competitors. What differentiates your business from the next one? You also must understand your customers, and what motivates them.  

Skilled graphic design can visually transform your daycare’s branded identity from conception to something that truly moves the needle. Your daycare colors, logo, fonts, tone, website, and other marketing materials are all a reflection of your branding. The goal is for your prospects to be able to glance at your material and instantly recognize who it’s from and what you stand for. When you achieve this, you’ve developed an excellent daycare brand identity. 

2. Marketing Your Daycare: Marketing Materials 

There are numerous tools online to assist every business with templates and more. A mistake many daycares make is printing their own marketing materials. They view marketing as an expense when it is an investment designed to make money. Professionally printed material will always achieve more responses than desktop-printed materials. We are obviously biased, but we highly recommend you choose an affordable printing company such as Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard to deliver your message with accuracy, quality, and professionalism. Some suggested (must-have) daycare printed marketing materials: 

  • Business cards are inexpensive and expendable. Print as many as you can hand out, and make sure everyone you meet has one.  
  • Postcards are likewise cost effective and a great way to get your clientele to take a closer look at your daycare. 
  • Posters, strategically placed, can grab attention. Place them on community bulletin boards, grocery store corkboards and large institutions in your geography (large firms, universities, offices, etc.) 
  • Flyers, like posters can be placed on bulletin boards and anywhere else your target audience frequents. Under windshield wipers in the grocery store parking lot is also an option.  
  • Booklets can be an extremely effective approach to daycare marketing.  Educate parents on child development, programs, differentiators, etc. Not only will your booklet add value and have shelf life, but it will also demonstrate that you’re an expert in this field and build trust and confidence. 
  • Brochures give you a means to inform parents on everything they need to know about your daycare so they can make sound childcare decisions. 

Calendars. Who doesn’t like calendars? Make your calendars kid-friendly and interactive. You can include important date reminders, stickers, vivid images, and other fun add-ons that draw attention to your company all year long. 

Greeting cards are the perfect reflection of your very personal business. Parents’ children trust your business with their most important assets. Greeting cards are an easy and efficient way of showing your appreciation.  

Stickers are a hit with kids and parents alike. They’ll get used. Everywhere.  

Printed newsletters are a perfect take-home to keep your parent clients informed on everything all year long.  

Some non-printed marketing must-haves include a uniquely branded and conversion-focused website, social media, email newsletters, and even TV/Radio.   

3. Marketing your Daycare: Direct Mail 

You have several options for designing your daycare direct mail. Maybe you can design direct mails on your own. If not, you should hire a professional designer with the experience and skill needed. The DIY method is free, but if you’re not a graphic designer you’ll likely sacrifice quality. A professional designer like the team at Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard provides could be just the ticket. No matter whether you do it yourself or outsource your direct mail, you need 4 things: 

  • Craft a powerful headline 
  • Highlight your benefits 
  • Develop an incredible offer 
  • Motivate with a call to action 

4. Marketing your Daycare: Get the word out 

You must get the right message in front of the right audience, at the right time. And, each year, there are new challenges to fill your spots. Not to mention mid-year fills. As indicated previously, direct mail is one of the best ways to reach your prospects. Repetition is key. Instead of one postcard campaign, develop a strategy that incorporates multiple direct mailers during a six- or 12-month period. A long-term strategy contributes to your daycare branding efforts and allows you to develop long-term relationships. On top of direct mail, ensure your facility is listed with all the pertinent online advertising sites (Google My Business, Yelp, YP.ca, etc.). Your best and least expensive advertisement is referrals and word-of-mouth. Word of mouth is daycare providers’ secret weapon. If one parent has a great experience, other parents will want their children to get a similar experience. In addition, make sure friends, family, and colleagues know what you do and are prepared to spread the word for you.  

5. Marketing your Daycare: Be Creative 

Sometimes, you need to think outside of the box. Creative marketing builds awareness, delivers value, and increases profits for you. Over the course of the year, you can try combinations of above with the below: 

  • Hosting an event can help you connect with the community – your clientele and prospects alike. Show them what you’re all about. Engage parents and children in fun family activities. And of course, have plenty of the above communicated print materials on hand to give away. 
  • Collaborating with complementary and non-competing businesses gets you in front of a whole other set of targets. It also allows you to split the cost of the event and giveaways. A joint newsletter sent regularly could also offer tips and tricks and simultaneously market your collective businesses.  
  • Creative message placement can make all the difference.  
  • Promote your unique differentiators.  
  • Sell complementary products and services could be promoted to existing clientele as upsells or as loss leaders to bring in long-term daycare clients.  

6. Marketing your Daycare: No money Solutions 

A sound marketing campaign is the best way to market and grow your daycare. However, if you’re limited on funds, don’t worry. You can get started with little to no money. Start by engaging and networking your friends and family to see if they know families needing childcare services. Use your social media sites like Facebook and get your listing published in any/all free classifieds sites as possible.  

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Childcare providers offer an invaluable service to most Canadian families. They supply a safe and educational environment for the children in their care, and in turn, they call on print companies to provide them with many of the materials they need during their day-to-day operations. No matter what type of daycare you’re operating – home-based, childcare facility, or preschool – you need to commit to a consistent marketing strategy to succeed. High-quality marketing materials will help you showcase the quality of your daycare, while intelligent marketing investments will help you yield greater return on investment. Don’t know where to begin, contact the team at Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard. We Design. We Print. You Profit. 

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Business Cards 101

Business Cards 101

When was the last time you refreshed your business cards?

Used from professional workplace settings all the way to more casual events like festivals and conventions, you’ll find that your business cards come in handy in a multitude of occasions. If you haven’t already been carrying them, you’ll soon wonder how you got by without them. It’s infinitely easier to hand someone a card with your phone number on it than to exchange numbers or spell out an address.

A business card is the perfect opportunity to show off how creative and innovative your company is. Having a tangible item with your company’s information on it is a powerful asset to your marketing materials, especially an item that’s compact and portable in size. You should never underestimate the power of a great design. Yes. They are business cards. But they’re also loyalty cards, coupons, invoices, recipe cards, hang tags, appointment cards… Because those paper rectangles can be almost anything you like. Even (weird but true) Business Cards.

Keep reading to find out how to create knockout business cards that will wow potential customers and make you look great.

Designing Your Business Card

Use Your Logos!

This is the IDEAL place to make most of the amazing logos you’ve designed for your company.

In many ways, your logo is the face of your company, so it just makes sense to put it on your business cards. Play around with the placement and size to come up with a design that looks great and fits the information you need to include.

Keep in mind that you should try to include a version of your logo that incorporates your company name or allows you to still put your company name somewhere on the card, so that people who’ve never seen your branding before know who you are.

Colour

If you’ve already developed your brand guide, this part will be easy. If not, its likely you already have some signature colours that your brand uses to be recognizable.

Colours will make your business cards pop, drawing customers eyes to the stack on your desk, or catching their attention later when its on their kitchen table or in their car glove compartment. Through colour, you can influence the way people feel about your brand. Conjure up a positive and cheerful vibe with yellow, or take a professional tone with shades of blue, it’s up to you! Just make sure to use high contrast colours (light vs dark) for text, as you want to make sure it’s easily readable.

Size

You can use a hierarchy of size to show people what’s most important on your business card. The name and logo of your company should command the biggest presence, followed by your contact information and any other details you want to include. A good practice to maintain is not to go smaller than 8pt font to maintain readability – after all, you want to make it as easy as possible for people to find you!

As for the size of the card itself, the standard size is 3.5 in by 2 in. However, there’s no law saying you have to stick to this. Feel free to change the orientation or size of your business cards as you please, just keep in mind that they may not fit in traditional card holders or wallets.

Font

Another great way to add personality to your business cards is by using fonts to complete the look of your brand.  Make sure you choose something that is eye-catching, but beware using more than 2 or 3 fonts at once since it can make it hard for people to read.

There are 2 main types of fonts that are most commonly used: Serif, and sans-serif. Serif refers to the small stylistic lines attached to the ends of block letters which makes them a bit easier to read. The text you’re reading right now is sans-serif, which is better for when you are using small text as it appears less crowded. Choose which font style makes the most sense for your design or use both if appropriate.

Materials

Your choice of materials matters! Heavyweight cardstock is a must for a business card that will stand up to wear and tear. Keep in mind that the more unique/premium your materials are, the more it will cost to produce. You can mitigate this by downsizing the card and only choosing 1 or 2 fancy extras. Being able to customize the details of your business cards down to the weight of the paper is all part of the fun!

Don’t Forget the Info!

After all, the primary objective of your business cards is to promote your business. Make sure people will be able to find you by including your name and contact information. You can also take this opportunity to promote your social media handles, address, and website if you want to. Consider thinking outside the box by including a QR code that links straight to your site, there’s endless opportunities to make a statement with what you put on your business cards.

Be Thoughtful About Your Canvas

Don’t forget that you can make the most of BOTH sides of your business card. Consider featuring a graphic image or logo on one side, and the informational details on the other. Make sure to use the space to the best of your ability without cluttering it up, after all, you want your business cards to look clean, professional, and high quality. Crowding your cards with too many elements will achieve the opposite.

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Now that you have the tools you need to design effective and eye-catching business cards, we can’t wait to see what you come up with! Let us help you bring your vision to life with our premium prints and contact us today to place an order!

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A Building Your Business Killer Tactic for ANY Start-Up

Business Builder

You’ve just started a business and you’ve got everything you need to start building your business from the ground up. Did you miss anything? Anything you might have overlooked? Letterhead maybe? A striking business card perhaps? We live in a digital age so it’s easy to forget about the most basic – yet so very important – tools of a business…stationery!

Take it from our team at Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard when we tell you that stationery is a print essential as you introduce yourself to the world (or even just the neighbourhood)! Earlier this month, we covered some print essentials for any business as they head back to the office. In today’s blog we demonstrate how print essentials can be bundled up to not only help you with building your business faster but also more economical. Because, let’s face it, when starting a business, you need to keep as much jingle in your jeans as possible. For example, all of our Business Builder Bundles start at only $349*.

Just a quick diversion before we elaborate further on how print is a killer tactic for building your business, we do have to say there is a prerequisite step – stellar design! Your business designs should be powerful because they will identify your brand long after your prospect or client is at your location or visiting your website. Once you’ve decided on a distinct logo, a memorable motto, and a quality design, you are ready to create your print essential bundle.  

As a start-up, you never know what you’ll need at your fingertips in the way of print so we have taken the liberty of bundling up a handful of print essentials to help you with building your business depending on your start-up type.

Building Your Business in an Office Setting

Great for small start-ups and professional services, we recommend the following office essentials to get your start-up heading in the right direction right away:

Business Cards            your in-pocket memorabilia to share widely face-to-face

Letterhead                    print essential for all customer-facing documents

Envelopes                     an attractive vessel for your printed communications to ride in

Postcards                      not solely for acquisition but for any easily digested message

Notepads                      for you, your staff, to give-away but always on brand

Building Your Business in a Travelling Office Setting

Great for small start-ups and professional services that operate on the move like trades, home services, and couriers, we recommend the following office essentials to help your company leave a trace so that your customers can find you:

Business Cards            your in-pocket memorabilia to share widely face-to-face

Crack & Peel Labels     your branding or certification messages can be placed anywhere, leave them on telephone poles, bulletin boards or hand them out to clients.

Flyers/Brochures          great leave behinds after meetings or in every mailbox

Vehicle Magnets          Branded contact details, logos or TARE details – whatever you need

NCR/ Forms                  old school – solutions in duplicate still work today, use them for Invoices, Safety Assessments, Time Sheets etc.

Building Your Business in a Brick and Mortar Location

Having retail space presents unique challenges that small office settings do not. Product labels, storefront signage, window clings, direction signs, receipts, etc. are all print essentials for your new business. We recommend the following office essentials for you:

Business Cards            your in-pocket memorabilia to share widely face-to-face

Flyers/Brochures          great leave behinds after meetings or in every mailbox

Notepads                      for you, your staff, to give-away but always on brand

NCR/ Forms                  old school – solutions in duplicate still work today, use them for Invoices, Safety Assessments, Time Sheets etc.

Sandwich Boards         A-frame signs directing walk-in and vehicle traffic to your store

Building Your Business as a Manufacturing Organization

Both primary and secondary manufacturing businesses and final mile distributors have their own needs for printed stationery and essentials unique to their business. These include:

Business Cards            your in-pocket memorabilia to share widely face-to-face

Flyers/Brochures          great leave behinds after meetings or in every mailbox

NCR/ Forms                  old school – solutions in duplicate still work today, use them for Invoices, Safety Assessments, Time Sheets etc.

Stickers                         your branding or certification messages can be placed anywhere

Manuals                        provide training manuals for your team and clients (also product catalogues and instruction manuals)

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Starting your business, you have enough on your mind. Leave the print (and design if needed) to us. We take care of the details so you don’t have to. Contact the team at Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard today.

We Design. We Print. You Profit!

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4 Common DIY Design Mistakes in Preparing “Print Ready” Files

Design Mistakes

As a print shop that deals with a high volume of clients with all sorts of backgrounds, you’d better believe that we’ve seen all sorts of print projects come through our shop. From signage to stationary, we’ve seen it all, and thought it would be helpful for us to share what we’ve learned from our years in the biz to help you avoid the 4 most common design mistakes and make the design process less daunting. Through helping our clients come up with great projects over the years, we’ve compiled a list of “don’ts” to help you in the early stages of your design that will result in great looking products!

Design Mistake #1: Doing Too Much

It can be exciting to have a blank canvas in front of you with so much potential. You might be thinking that this is the perfect opportunity to tell people all about your business and the services you offer. Why not throw in some photo examples? Maybe use some bright colours to highlight your most important information?

That would be a mistake.

One of the worst things you could possibly do for your design is to overwhelm it with too many visual and textual details, which brings us to the following points:

Don’t Make it Too Wordy

You really don’t need too many words to communicate what you’re all about. Often a short, bulleted list or brief but clear text is enough to convey your message. Make sure that if you do include more text than your company name and a simple tag line that it’s in an appropriate medium for that kind of promotion, like a brochure. Otherwise, you want to let your brand speak for itself as much as possible and direct people to your website, social media, or to call you for more information.

Don’t Use Too Many Different Fonts

While using a different font to highlight certain key points is an effective way to differentiate pieces of text and draw the readers attention, you want to be careful about using more than 2 or 3 different fonts. Overloading your design with too many fonts will make your design look disorganized and disturb the visual harmony. Using a bold or italicized version of your font is a great way to distinguish text while keeping it in the same family.

Don’t Use Too Many Elements

This goes along with the idea behind limiting how many font styles you incorporate into your design. The last thing you want to do is end up with a cluttered, busy design. The ultimate goal is to promote your business and having too much going on is the easiest way to distract your audience. Keep it clean and simple with your logo, company name, or a catchphrase and use your signature brand colours to distinguish yourself.

Design Mistake #2: It’s not Intentional

You’ve been meticulous about every detail leading up to the development of your business so far – your promotional designs deserve the same attention. Being intentional about the placement of text, elements, and colours in your designs makes a huge difference to the overall look of your products. It doesn’t take long to make sure that text is centered and that everything makes sense visually, and the results are well worth it.

Design Mistake #3: Ignoring Proper Spacing

Negative space is the key to keeping your designs sharp, clean, and easy to read. Consider the margins of your design and the spacing between elements and letters to make sure that things aren’t too crowded.

Design Mistake #4: Not Being Consistent

Consistency is the key to successful branding. Not only do you need to make sure that you are following your brand guide, but you need to make sure that everything is consistent within your existing design, i.e. everything that’s supposed to be the same size has been checked, spacing is consistent, and all the little details match up.

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Keeping these helpful tips in mind, you’ll be coming up with fantastic designs in no time! We look forward to seeing what you come up with and can’t wait to help you bring your vision to life!

Why wait any longer? Contact us today for a quote!

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How to Communicate with Your Customers by Using Deliveries

Deliveries

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably been opting to shop online a lot more frequently this past year. Whether you’ve been receiving packages from your favourite online retailers or food delivery from that restaurant you used to frequent when dining in was possible, there has certainly been a huge cultural shift in the way people are choosing to interact with businesses. Deliveries have become a popular method for consumers to shop at their leisure and receive goods straight to their door. While ordering online may result in fewer in-person interactions, you can still create meaningful connections with clients and define your brand by improving deliveries. While getting your deliveries sent out to the end user in a timely and secure manner is priority #1, it is also a fantastic opportunity to re-enforce your brand identity and how you add value long after the purchase. Keep reading to find out how!

Pay Attention to Your Packaging

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of excitement you get when tearing the cellophane off a pristinely packaged box. It’s like unwrapping a present on Christmas morning – whether you’re one to tear in right away or prefer to neatly remove all the tape before revealing the surprise, there is something to be said for the experience of unwrapping something.

Packaging plays a crucial role in how customers will judge your brand, so whenever possible, you have a chance to make your deliveries special? Specific designs appeal to different demographics making it important that you learn to build your packaging around the kinds of customers you aim to impress/inform/educate.

The colour and font on your packaging can impact how effective a delivery is at capturing the attention of the receiver. As a foundation, these elements need to be consistent to your brand. For example, children tend to gravitate towards bright colors, while sleek and minimalistic designs can appeal to mature adults.

Think of what kind of packaging will best work for your product and what kind of potential it gives you to be creative. Will you choose a box? A bag? Or package your product in some other unique way?

Show off your Branding and Logo

You can use a printing service like Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard to customize your deliveries and get great-looking, high quality packaging products with your company’s branding and logos. Packaging is the ultimate opportunity to strengthen your identity in the eyes of your customer and increase the visibility of your business to potential clients. Boxes and bags quite often get re-used again and again before getting recycled.

You can also use the packaging to provide clientele more familiarity with your brand. You can design packages to display corporate logos, mission statements, and slogans as well as use it as an opportunity to provide contact information like a phone number or website.

 

Including a simple, non-intrusive request for delivery recipients to provide an online review of your products and your business is a good use of the packaging you are already sending.

 

A brand guide can make it easy to come up with great packaging design, check out our recent blog Six Essentials You Need to Include in Your Brand Guide | Printer Near Me to learn more about developing your very own brand guide!

Consider Alternatives

Depending on the volume of deliveries you fulfil, you may want to consider what other options are available and within your budget. Fully custom packaging often requires high minimum orders which can be costly depending on what you need. The good news is that things like custom die-cut stickers are a great cost-effective alternative that accomplish the same goal of developing recognizable packaging. You can still incorporate your brand colours and logos into these stickers, using them to promote your business. The following two strategies are also great ways to connect with customers through deliveries without breaking the bank.

Include a Message

Turning packages into forms of communication with customers can elevate their experiences with deliveries. Simple messages such as a thank you or a kind phrase can be printed onto the package, which can help build emotional relationships with clients. A client who feels like you care about them will have a much more positive image of your company, which may prompt them to recommend you to friends and family as well as stay loyal to you. Different quotes can be added to the design to give the brand more personality and convey your values. For more ways to make an impression with clients who receive your deliveries check out this article 5 Ways to Create Brand Exposure in a Contactless World | Printer Near Me | Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard

Make it Personal

Make your customers feel special by addressing them personally! Personalizing packages can make a lasting impression on customers by showing that you recognize and value their support in your business. With the help of a print company, you can create unique boxes or bags for occasions like birthdays, promotions, or anniversaries that are customized for the receiver. Again, Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard encourages the use of custom die cut stickers as an effective cost savings solution.

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Ready to level-up your delivery game? See how Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard can make all your branded packaging dreams come true! Contact us today! We Design. We Print. You Profit!

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5 Ways to Elevate your Custom Stationery

Custom Stationery

First impressions are important, don’t you agree? One of the best ways to impress your customers in the early stages of your relationship is by presenting your communication in a clean, consistent, beautifully formatted package. Custom stationery has a long and fascinating history as an artform dating all the way back to ancient Egypt where they first developed parchment out of things like animal skins! While we have refined papermaking techniques since then, the idea behind custom stationery is timeless.

Stationery gives you the opportunity to define yourself on your own terms and present your desired image to the world. By having unique and beautiful stationery you will set yourself apart and portray your company in a professional, put together manner. Follow these 5 tips to turn a plain office essential into gorgeous custom stationery your clients will remember!

1. Incorporate Your Branding

If your goal is to increase and maintain brand recognition, you need to focus on developing custom stationery that represents an accurate portrayal of your brand. With an amazing print partner like Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard, you can turn letterhead, envelopes, invoices or order forms into visually pleasing sources promoting your brand exposure by changing the paper’s color, fonts, or adding your logo as a watermark. Developing a brand guide, is an incredibly helpful tool you can use to nail down your signature colours, imagery, and personality. Every time a client or potential client comes across your stationery, they will become more and more familiarized with your company’s main identifiers, which is fantastic promotion for you.

2. Spice up Your Format

Changing up your formatting can be a great way to add interest to your company documents while maximizing their potential to communicate information. Adding custom headings and graphic organizers with coloured sections in your signature colour palette can be extremely helpful for viewers, plus it has the added bonus of making you stand out. Other things you can do with formatting include:

  • Adding patterned borders to frame your documents
  • Tinkering with your letter and line spacing until it looks just right
  • Putting in a header or footer

It’s important to remember not to overwhelm your design with too many elements to keep things looking professional. Our expert team is happy to help with your formatting needs and get you looking great!

3. Customize Your Font Styles

One-of-a-kind font is a sure way to differentiate yourself and make an impression from the very first look a customer has at your stationery. Straying away from traditional styles will give people a fresh experience with your print materials and create a unique brand identity. Want to convey a sense of elegance? Use a decorative script font! Looking for a more modern, professional vibe? A clean looking sans-serif font is a great choice. Brand consistency is the key to pulling off a cohesive overall look. Check out this article Why Brand Consistency is Key to the Success of YOUR Business | Printer Near Me | Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard to find out why brand consistency is the key to your business’s success and how you can use it to boost your company’s value.

4. Bring in the Heavyweights

Consider the kind of paper you choose for your various stationary needs. A thicker cardstock makes an impression on the viewer and comes across with an air of importance. We can print on a variety of differently weighted sheets to suit your preferences, as well as on colored sheets so that you have the option to choose what best represents the look and feel you want.

5. Develop a Custom Signature

Arguably just as important as your first impression is your sign off. Finish strong with your personal signature and brand logo. You can include your name, title, and contact information in a signature or keep it simple with your business’s name and logo. We can even help you turn your signature into a stamp to make signing off simple and look great every time.

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Ready to get your business looking sharp? Let our team at Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard help you put your best foot forward by designing and producing your professionally printed custom stationery. Contact us for a quote today! 

We Design. We Print. You Profit!

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Show Your Prospects, Customers and Employees Some Love with These Seven Swag Items

swag

The weather is getting warm, and we are all getting into our summer, feel-good moods. Prepare for the inevitable urge to spread some love around by getting some branded swag. Your prospects, customers and employees will appreciate the thought you have put into their needs. Swag has an ulterior motivation as well. We also want your business to get your name out there. Always remember that if it’s functional then it will be used daily. The more an item can be used, the more likely your name will come up in conversation and lead to sales. Here are our top seven swag suggestions to offer your customers and employees.

1. Social Distancing Supplies

We know that everyone and their Aunt Sally are making masks, but have you noticed that it’s become a fashion trend? Latch onto that trend and allow your employees and customers to express themselves with your brand. The public will not even have to ask, “Where did you get that mask?” because it will be written on their face. Get your brand on this fashion runway called life!

2. Clothing

Well-constructed, branded apparel gets worn. Help your clients and customers look good while representing your brand. The more stylish the garment, the more likely it will be worn in public and that your name will be shared with the world. Choose something like a hoodie or a fashionable t-shirt.

3. Pens

People love pens. Pens are inexpensive to produce and very functional – even in the digital age. Who doesn’t look around their office or home and search for a pen to write that note while they’re talking on their phone? Give them a few extras. That way, when they reach to find that pen they’ve been searching for, they will see your name and remember you.

4. Notepads & Calendars

Where there are pens, there must also be notepads to write on! Notepads can be given with your branded pens or on their own. Print a to-do list with a magnet added to the back so it can be placed on a fridge or filing cabinet.
No one wants to buy a calendar, but we all need one. Ease your employees or your customer’s minds and offer them a branded calendar as a gift. You are giving them one less thing they need to purchase and leaving them a daily reminder of your company.

5. Stickers

Fun stickers are always a great swag giveaway. Stickers are especially popular with children. Parents love it when their children are offered something in a store, especially a store where children may not be engaged. It makes them feel welcomed instead of an inconvenience. It also distracts the children so they can allow their parent to shop in your store and make a purchase.

6. Hot & Cold Beverage Containers

Give the gift of hydration! A tumbler or coffee/ tea mug is the perfect ‘just because’ gift for anyone. When it is branded, each sip reminds them of you and the great times you have shared together. Positive affect is the best feature of this swag item.

7. Custom Gifts

Your employees move mountains for you and your company. As a small business, your staff is more like family than employees. Giving them a personalized gift will make them feel special, valued, and show that you are loyal to them. Custom gifts are also appropriate to thank a long-term customer for their business or a customer who made a large order.

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So, what are you waiting for? Get on choosing the swag that will make your special someone(s) feel loved and keep your business in their hearts and minds. There are so many ways you can use print, so get creative. We can help you choose the right swag to keep your business top of mind with your customers while showing them some love. Let us help you because here at Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard We Design. We Print. You Profit.

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Six Ways to Attract Local Clients with Yard Signs

yard sign

Six Ways to Attract Local Clients with Yard Signs

Yard Signs are perfect for local marketing. If you want a low-cost way to target your ideal audience, spread brand awareness, and more, this may be the answer.

Choosing a marketing mix that’s both effective and budget-friendly for your business can pose a challenge. Geographical location is a major factor. If your business only provides services in a select area, yard signs (also called lawn signs) create an easy way to target a specific demographic. This is particularly important if your business is a home service such as roofers, arborists, external home care specialists, Christmas light installers, lawn care or landscaping companies etc. Let your work do the marketing for you for passersby traffic.

Well designed yard signs are a cost-effective and results-driven marketing option that reach a wide spectrum of prospective customers. What was once the standby marketing tool for real estate agents and political campaigns is now a sure-fire way to get your business noticed. Keep reading to learn six ways yard signs are the perfect marketing strategy for your small business.

1. They Help You Grow Your Brand

If your business has only a single location, the only brand awareness that you’re spreading in your area is word-of-mouth and awareness to those who drive by your business. Spreading yard signs throughout your immediate neighbourhood is a great way to spread awareness of the services you offer and your company’s name and logo.

Since they enable you to grow your brand, make sure both your sign and your work are pristine examples of your professionalism. The last thing you or your customers want is a cheaply made sign taking the focus away from a perfectly manicured yard. Use a quality printing service that lets you fully customize your signs in any color and size you choose to match the look you’re going for. You could even make them two-sided to catch attention from both directions of traffic. Don’t forget to include a call-to-action such as your address or phone number. We have included several best practices in the tips section below. 

2. They’re Low Cost

Compared to just about any other form of advertising, yard signs are among the cheapest ways to advertise your local business. Many types of local advertising come with huge price tags. From billboards to TV/Radio commercials, to PPC or social media ads, your small business marketing budget can disappear and provide only a limited source of marketing. They are relatively low-cost option but can help you reach a large, hyper-targeted audience.

Many forms of local advertising require repeated investments to remain effective. TV or radio ads require both production costs and paid time slots. Online advertising requires monthly, weekly, or even daily costs. Even print ads must be produced and then mailed. Yard signs printed locally from quality printers such as Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard help your business stand out.

3. They Target Your Actual Audience

Even the best thought-out digital marketing strategy and execution ends up targeting a high percentage of people who are unlikely to ever become customers. This means targeting customers who aren’t located in your area. Unless you offer a product or service that’s entirely unique, customers are unlikely to travel long distance for something that they could find in their own community. That’s where a yard sign comes in. They only target people who are already close enough to visit your business, so you won’t have to worry about wasted ad money.

4. Increase Your Referrals

Referrals from existing customers are an ideal way to gain new customers. The downfall is that getting customers to refer your services can take additional effort. Even if they are fully satisfied with your services, they may forget to pass on the good word as time goes on. Yard signs make it easy for customers to refer others by letting the sign become a stamp of approval on your work. People will see your name every time they drive or walk by, keeping your business top-of-mind. Signs in the yards of neighbors or simply an abundance of signs in an area can be as convincing as actual, spoken recommendations.

5. They Aid in the Infamous ‘Rule of Seven’ Advertising Principle

Studies have long suggested that consumers need to be exposed to a product or service at least seven times before they’ll decide to buy. While this number has been debated, there’s no question that increased exposure leads to increased sales. Yard signs can lead to far more than seven exposures.

6. They Are Flexible

Because they are light weight and easy to set up, you can regularly move your yard signs around to take advantage of different high-traffic locations. Further, because they are inexpensive, you can easily change or update your message and try out new offers.

Examples of Uses for Custom Yard Signs

A well-designed yard sign made of durable materials can speak volumes about your company. Here are some examples of how businesses can leverage them to attract customers:

  • Showcase/promote home services: Yard signs provide a customer endorsement and brand recognition for everyone who views the sign and your work long after the work is completed.
  • Real estate: For real estate agents, yard signs are a must to get the attention of passersby and let them know that the property is “for sale,” or “sold.”
  • Contractors: There are two key reasons for contractors to use yard signs:
    1. Proudly announce projects you are working on.
    2. Provide caution or directions for people to stay away or detour from certain areas.
  • Grand openings: Use eye-catching designs in areas around your new business to let people know you are open.
  • Sales/specials: Use well-placed signage in highly visible areas near your store to advertise specials and boost sales.

Tips for Effective Yard Sign Marketing

Design Considerations:

  • Use high-contrast text and colors in your sign.
  • Keep your design uncluttered to avoid distraction from your message.
  • Keep your text short and sweet.
  • Include a simple call to action (ex. phone number to call).
  • Opt. for a larger sign for a better response rate.

Placement Considerations:
{Note: you should confirm with local bylaws to ensure size and placement meet civic regulations. If your business is in Calgary, start here.]

  1. Place them where drivers are most likely to see them up close and from a distance.
  2. Put them in highly trafficked areas.
  3. Position your sign far enough away from your business so drivers have time to process the information and pull into the parking lot.
  4. Work with a company like Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard that specializes in custom yard signs for the best possible results.

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There’s a reason you see yard signs everywhere. It’s because they work! As stated above, there are so many uses and benefits of using them to attract customers to your business. Don’t know where to begin? Let us help you because here at Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard: We Design. We Print. You Profit!

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Spring Cleaning – Five Signs it’s Time to Consider a Brand Refresh

spring cleaning

Now that Winter is over and Spring has sprung, spring cleaning is on everyone’s mind (well almost everyone). You can use this time to refresh your company’s branding and/or marketing collateral too. Many use the start of Spring as a time for new beginnings in their home and in their lives. The same concept can apply to your business’s branding also. Take an unbiased view at your logo, your colors, your fonts and messaging – both tone and word verbiage. A refresh can be as simple as designing a  logo tweak or as big as a total brand makeover. How will you know if the timing is right? Check out these five signs it’s time to consider a brand refresh this Spring:

1. You Can’t Recall When You Last Refreshed Your Branding

If you’ve been around for years and can’t remember ever changing up your logo, colors or messaging, it may be time to evaluate your branding. If you aren’t sure where to start, seek an outside opinion from branding experts. Have a professional audit of your website, latest marketing materials, logo and other messaging. This will help give your business an outsider’s opinion on whether or not it’s time for a change. They are impartial and unbiased. Sometimes you are too close to your brand to see what others see.

2. You’ve Never Changed It

If you think your brand is so recognizable that you can’t possibly refresh it, consider this: Even big name brands like Tim Horton’s and Shaw have undergone brand refreshes in recent years. No business is so recognizable that it can’t undergo an update. Consider auditing your branding to see if there can be any improvements made. While you shouldn’t simply change things for the sake of change, there may be small ways to improve. Consider what your logo and branding means to others not to you. Does it convey the message you intended? Another 2021 recommendation is to focus on mobile first. How does it display on the smaller screens?

3. Your Website Doesn’t Match Your Other Branding

If you’ve undergone a major change to your website but you failed to update other aspects of your brand – such as business cards, brochures, signage, invoices, etc. – it may be time for a refresh. A common mistake many businesses make is updating one part of their branding, and forgetting about consistency across the board. If your website is in the 21st century but your logo or tagline are lacking, consider updating so that all of your marketing materials, including your website, are consistent.

4. You’re Expanding or Contracting

Sometimes what you originally planned changes course. Businesses can outgrow their branding as their core vision or mission changes. Sometimes taglines or logos are too narrow (or too broad) and encompass only one core offering or product. While this may be where your business started, consider refreshing it to encompass where your business is going – not just where its at. It’s important when setting the course for your branding that you leave enough room for change.

5. Your Marketing Responses Have Plateaued

Your current marketing can say a lot about whether or not it’s time for a rebrand or refresh. Consider the responses to your most recent marketing campaigns and whether or not you’ve been effective. You can also poll your current customers to see how they feel about your branding. Ask what feelings your primary colors evoke. Ask if your tagline is easy to remember and helps drive your values or mission. The feedback you receive could be telling toward whether or not it’s time for an update. Keep in mind that each brand is different, and while your business may need a brand refresh after a couple years, another might still be going strong after the same number of years. Pay attention to the response you’re getting from your marketing materials and feedback from your website.

How Can You Tackle your Brand Refresh?

Start at the top. If you start Spring cleaning with the vacuum cleaner, you’ll later knock dust all over your floor with the duster. A top-down strategy works best, both for spring cleaning your home and whipping your brand refresh strategy into place.

  • Look at your logo, colours, and fonts.
  • Next look at what is most customer facing like your website, signage and sales collateral.
  • Finally look inward to your transactional communications like invoices and labeling. If you are in retail, consider how a refresh to your branding impacts your product packaging.

Remember, if you opt to refresh your branding, it does not mean you have to roll it out in a single moment. If you have significant volumes of perfectly good collateral with your older brand, decide whether the branding of it will impact your future. It may be perfectly okay to exhaust this inventory prior to updating with new collateral.

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If you haven’t touched your branding in ages, it’s definitely time for an evaluation. And if all else fails and you aren’t sure where to start, don’t be afraid to seek out branding experts for some help! Contact the team at Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard today. We Design. We Print. You Profit!

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Five Design Tips for Improving Poster Legibility

Poster

Five Design Tips for Improving Poster Legibility

Whether you need one or a bunch of custom poster prints for your advertising, school events, announcements, warnings or anything else, it needs to be clear, concise, and captivating. When you or your designer get set to design of your poster, there are a few tips you should keep in mind. Often, posters are seen from a distance and only for a few moments, so the information should be easily processed within seconds of exposure. At the end of the day, getting your message seen and acted upon is the number-one priority. By following a few of these design tips, you can avoid illegible designs and make it easy for viewers to read your featured content.

Direct Your Viewer’s Attention

As readers, we are hard-wired to read from left to right, top to bottom (at least for English readers.) Use this to your advantage! Design your poster to be read similarly to reading a book. It will make a noticeable impact for your viewers.

Avoid Using Decorative Fonts

Adding a stylish flair to the words on a poster may unintentionally create text that is difficult to read. Instead of using italics and cursive to emphasize certain sections of the poster, consider using bold text to draw attention to important information.

Properly Spaced Text

It can be overwhelming when there is too much information in a single space. Use spacing techniques to prevent viewers from glazing over essential details. Separate densely packed text into manageable paragraphs, making sure to deliberately group relevant content into different sections of the poster. Viewers are typically drawn to the middle of the sign, so the main messages should be spaced near the center.

Consider Using One Large Visual

The human eye is attracted to visually-appealing graphics—ensure your poster is no exception. Single item illustrations, close-up cropped photos and oversized display typefaces front and centre are all effective ways of creating a focal point that commands their attention.

Be Mindful of Your Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is the principle of arranging elements to show their order of importance, making it easier for the viewer to understand and process the information easily. Visual hierarchy can be arranged in many ways, but whatever direction you decide to take, make sure that it is consistent.

  • Relative size: Adjusting the size of objects on your poster—such as enlarging an object to provide it more importance or making it smaller to de-emphasize it—is one of the easiest ways to develop a visual hierarchy. Whatever you decide, always remember that balance is key. Turning the dial to the extreme of each spectrum could make the element overwhelming, or conversely, unreadable.
  • Colour combinations: Maintaining a cohesive, consistent colour palette should always be a priority. The color of the words and background should contrast one another to help the text pop out to passing viewers. Using color combinations that blend together or look unappealing can prevent people from accurately reading the poster’s content. Use high-impact colours like yellow or red to make something stand out or prioritize information. Remember: Value, saturation and temperature are also important factors to consider.
  • Typography hierarchy: Just like a book where authors use headings to anchor our eyes to the beginning of a paragraph, poster should be designed the same. Organize titles, subtitles and body copy by their sizes respectively.

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By following these tips, the content of your posters will be clear and concise, which will help to reach a wider audience and therefore increase exposure for your company.

Having difficulties? Perhaps you’d like us to handle your print design instead? Not a problem! Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard’s graphic designer specializes in print-ready designs. We can work with you to make your poster stand out and convey the appropriate mood without causing your information to fade into the background. Request a Quote from us today and we’ll contact you shortly!