What do the colors of your branding say to your target market? First, you have to identify your target market. Who are the people you want to do business with? That is one of the things a business coach can help you figure out.

As a print shop, ACE Printing & Mailing can help you design your brand to best appeal to your target market.

The first thing to understand about color is that everyone reacts to it. That reaction is mostly a result of the culture and experience of the individual. Meaning that no matter how much science and psychology you apply to your color scheme, you will undoubtedly repel someone. That is just the nature of human beings.

However, there are some instinctual responses to color as well. Almost every culture associates red, orange, and yellow with heat, while blue and green are cool. As the primary heat sources – fire and the sun – tend to be red, orange, and/or yellow; while water is in the blue/green range, these associations make sense.

Additionally, neurological studies show that many colors produce physical responses. Red stimulates the senses and increases blood pressure while blue has a calming influence. Green is physically relaxing while yellow energizes and improves memory.

The Culture Difference If you do not consider the cultural background of your target market, you could end up designing a brand that attracts the exactly wrong group of people.

Red is a great example of how to send the wrong message. In eastern cultures red is generally a symbol of good luck, celebrations, and money. However, in Hebrew, red represents sacrifice and sin.

In China, blue is the color of immortality; but in Iran it represents heaven, spirituality, and mourning. In western cultures being “blue” is not good. However, in Feng Shui – a language many people are learning these days – blue has many positive connections, including love, healing, and trust.

Obviously, the type of person you want to attract is important to how you will attract them.

The Gender Difference There are also some commonalities associated with gender and color preferences.

While both genders tend to favor blue, a color study by Joe Hallock showed that while a large portion of women rank purple as a favorite, men do not. In addition, men tend to favor bright, or bold, colors and women tend to lean towards the softer shades.

Putting it All Together Color arrangement is just as important as color choice. At ACE, we have an Art Director and graphic designers on staff. These color professionals can help you create your brand to generate the greatest impact on your target market.

If you think about it, networking and education-when done well-support and feed each other:

Where do you find out about new products, trends and business practices? Probably from your business or personal networks.

Where can you meet large numbers of new clients or referral partners? At events that have an educational component like trade shows, industry association meetings, and continuing education courses.

You may have already benefitted from combining these two business habits without making it an intentional strategy. But if you want to get maximum leverage out of pairing your networking and educational efforts, try these tips.

When networking:

Be curious. When you ask people better questions, you get better information. Show genuine interest in the people you meet at networking events. Find out what they're excited about, and you'll have a way to keep up to date any new information they have about their industry, their network, and possible connections for you.

Share knowledge. You don't have to give away all your trade secrets, but sharing useful information and contacts with people you meet will make you a valuable resource in your network. The more generous you are with helpful information, the more you build trust. And more trust means more business.

Ask for help. If you know there's an area of your business that you need more education on, ask your network. Either somebody there will be willing to help you, or they'll be able to point you in the right direction.

Toot your horn. After you have taken that course or received that certification, let your network know. More expertise makes you more professional to your network, which makes it easier for them to refer you.

When learning:

Be the teacher's pet. You paid good money to get into that class or workshop, and you can assume that the instructor has knowledge you need. Make sure you network with the instructor. They may have just the contact you need to build your success.

Be the popular kid. Don't ignore your classmates. Take every learning opportunity as an extra networking opportunity. Chances are, they don't all do the exact same work that you do-which means they might make great referral partners.

Take good notes. The information you're learning will help you build your business. But it might be something other people in your network need to learn as well. Keep an ear out for ways this information might make you a better resource for your network. Don't worry-they'll pay you back.

We hope you see how combining both of these business strategies can create a synergy that multiplies the efforts of both. By making both a habit, you're growing a combined resource that gives you the connections needed know anybody or learn anything.

ACE is working on something special to help you develop both educational and networking habits to grow your business.

We'll have a BIG announcement coming soon! Watch for it in your inbox, and tell your network.

Waiting for the big announcement? Visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services, or call us at 415.460.2800. You can also visit us online at www.acepms.com

Have you ever sent someone a card “just because”? How did that make you feel? And how did it make the recipient feel? Contact without motivation (meaning you want something) is a great way to build relationships, stay in someone’s awareness, and accumulate good Karma points.

What do I Say?
Sending someone a personal note because you want that person to know that you are thinking of him or her is much different than sending a thank you note for a gift you did not like. You are already in the right state of mind; the words will come naturally. In addition, the nice thing about notes is that they are short. You do not have to say much. Keep it honest and to the point.
 

Who Gets a Note?
For relationship building, everyone gets a note. Specifically, you can send thank you notes to:

• people you have recently met with;
• recent customers;
• people who have helped you recently;
• someone who complimented you;
• someone who encouraged you;
• someone who provided you with advice; or
• someone who gave you a great business referral.

You can also send notes of congratulations for:

• achieving a business milestone;
• getting a new job;
• buying a new home; or
• celebrating a personal success.

Other reasons to send a note include:

• sharing personal news;
• complimenting;
• encouraging; or
• welcoming.

Making it Personal


Sending a note is nice. However, sending a note for any of the above reasons proves that you do more than send mass-produced generic messages to everyone in your address book. Instead, you send thoughtful messages to people who make a difference in your life. Sending a hand-written note on your personal stationary is truly powerful. That note shows that you care enough to send your very best, something better than a card from the store. ACE Printing & Mailing is your local source for your personal stationary needs. Letterhead, envelopes, and note cards are just some of the items we can create to help you make your message more personal.

When people think about advertising, they tend to think of commercials, pop-up ads on web sites, or the banner for a product on the free game smart phone apps. Since the primary use of advertising is to sell a product, this connection makes sense.

However, advertising is really about spreading a message. For the message “buy our product,” commercials and web ads are definitely appropriate. However, what about the message, “come to our bake sale”? There are many ways to spread a message that do not include TV, radio, the internet, or a smart phone.

Posters
Charity events and productions at the community theater commonly use posters as advertising. A well designed poster attracts people to a message; they can also become valuable keepsakes.

Political campaigns, especially at the local level are big users of posters as well.

Banners, frequently seen as a member of the larger poster category, make for great advertising.

Because posters and banners lend themselves to long term and/or repetitive display, they are extremely efficient for more generic messages, such as “Open Late,” “Help Wanted,” or “Save the Whales.”

Buttons
For a local election, the Vote for/against message spreads easily with a button. In fact, “campaign buttons” have been in use in the United States since George Washington’s swearing in as President.

The modern button is reasonably inexpensive and easily produced in small or large batches. Because of this, along with their durability, buttons are great for both dated and general messages.

Direct Mailings

In the age of e-mail, a letter or postcard in the mailbox is likely to get more attention now than a decade ago. Similarly, a person will frequently read a physical newsletter from beginning to end instead of just scanning the headlines of the digital version.

Spread Your Message ACE Printing & Mailing can produce your designed posters, buttons, and mailings locally and cost efficiently. If you have a message that does not yet have a look, we have graphic designers on staff that can work with you to visually create your message.

Have you written a book? Something bigger than a pamphlet but smaller than The Great American Novel? Do you want to turn your work into something tangible that you can give, or sell, to people? If you have a very targeted audience, that can be difficult to do without producing thousands of copies – at great cost – that will only fill your garage.

There is a multitude of short-run (under 500 copies) printers on line. The amount of service varies, but the general work flow is:

1. You upload your print ready file.
2. They print and bind it.
3. They ship the books to you.

Sounds easy, right? Well, there tend to be some catches. The term “print ready” means that you have the book laid out and saved in the proper file format. Print ready is not as easy as it sounds for your basic, home desk-top author. This means that whatever the printer has to do to make the file print ready will cost you extra. Some charge for every time you send an updated file – so if you have to do something to make it right, you pay for the privilege.

Color, special binding, odd sizes, and printed proofs will also increase your bill. And, design work is frequently not an option.

And, in the end, you have sent your masterpiece to some unknown location and hope for the best. Or, you can use a local printer whose first priority is your satisfaction.

ACE Printing has the capability to produce short run books. If you have a print ready file, we can print it. However, if you need help with that “print ready” part, we have an on-site art department ready to make your book look better than you ever imagined. We check with you at every step in the process to make sure that we produce the product you desire, and we do it locally.

What do you think are the main characteristics of master networkers? 

Is it the ability to "work a room," or maybe taking and giving out business cards like candy? Perhaps it's the stereotypical idea of being aggressive by trying to sell everybody in the room--any room! It turns out none of those ranks very high. 

According to a survey conducted by Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of Business Networking International, those traits aren't appreciated by most networkers.  Dr. Misner asked 2,000 people in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom and Australia to rank a variety of traits in order of their perceived importance to networking. The following chart from his book, Masters of Networking (Bard Press, 2000), shows the results.



Top Ten Characteristics of A Successful Networker Percent of Respondents Mentioning Characteristic  at the top 5 traits. Aren't they characteristics of people you enjoy doing business with?

Follow Through: The number one answer in the survey focused on integrity. Networkers most appreciate working with somebody who does what they say they will. For a great referral partner, look for someone who respects the value of referrals and follows through on the contacts you give them.

Positive & Enthusiastic: Master networkers appreciate a positive attitude almost as much as follow through. And they understand the power of a network partner who is enthusiastic about giving and receiving referrals. Working with positive people can give you a different outlook on business and life. 


Trustworthy: Would you connect your family, friends and most valuable business contacts with somebody you don't trust? Neither do the best networkers. Without trust on both sides, the referrals--and the money--fade away. 


Listening Skills: Networking pros value somebody who can quickly discern what they need. A good listener will take those skills to your referrals and deliver their best, making you look good. Now, notice that the aggressive "work the room" strategy is at the bottom of the list, with less than half of the respondents thinking it's important. These statistics demonstrate why the masters say networking is about farming, not hunting. 

These top traits take time to develop and prove to new contacts. The seeds you plant in networking today will grow into a great harvest if you nurture these traits in yourself and your business partners. The results also show why one person called networking "Open Door Selling."

 How many new doors would open to you if you consistently practiced these characteristics within your network?   ACE believes in the power of networking to grow your business. It's why we strive to be better at what we do every day.

 Be part of our network: Visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services, or call us at 415.460.2800. You can also visit us online atwww.acepms.com  

Have you ever received a business card or brochure and immediately decided that you would never do business with that person? 

You likely made those decisions in an instant. What influenced your decision was probably the design.eived marketing materials of such high quality that you assumed the service or product would be more than you could afford?

We all have immediate emotional reactions to the people we meet, based largely on their clothing and appearance. The same thing happens when prospects look at your business-but the "clothing" they evaluate is your design.

Good design can tell people about your business and your personality. Are you a steady, conservative professional or a high-energy power player? A fun loving party planner's image will be different from a sensitive and gentle dentist's. Great design will reinforce that emotional message at a subconscious level.

In every business communication, design creates an emotional response in readers that either helps or hurts you.

ACE Printing and Mailing Services takes design seriously. It's not just slapping together images to make something that looks cool. Good design follows proven rules to get results. We offer it as one of our core services to make sure you have those rules working for you.

• Is it easy to read?
• Does it increase comprehension?
• Does it draw people in?
• Do the colors, type styles, and images work together?
• Is there a natural path for the eye to follow?
• Are the details of layout, spacing, spelling, and grammar correct?

Getting all of those details right takes some expertise and experience. If you want your business to look its best, it is in your interest to hire a professional-someone who can custom craft a piece that fits your vision, instead of trying to make your vision fit into templates and clip-art that a software program provides.


Professional design is such a powerful business tool that British research firm, Design Innovation Group, found that companies with good design had profit margins averaging 14 times higher than their competition. The design conscious firms took just as much care in the rest of their businesses, and customers responded to their message. With that kind of profit jump on the line, the question shouldn't be whether you can afford professional design, but if your business can thrive without it.


Does the design of your promotional materials put people in the mood to do business with you? Does it reach your audience at an emotional level? Is it technically prepared for the printing process?


ACE's professional designer wants to help you meet your company vision with design services that work. We have an experienced designer on staff to make design and printing a seamless process that saves you time and brings you more success.



Want to put your best foot forward? Visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services today, or call us at 415.460.2800. You can also visit us online at www.acepms.com

In a tough economy, everybody wants to save money. But, buying decisions based solely on price are rarely in your best interest. Saving a few bucks today often cost much more in the end.

 In the printing world, deep discounts often mean that product quality suffers, customer service disappears, and you lose the guidance and expertise to make your project its best. Those are the immediate costs.

But could buying the lowest price have longer-term consequences? Think about what might happen to your business if a large competitor always undercut your prices. Would your customers be getting the best? Would you be able to stay in business? Would the local economy recover faster or slower without your business?


Questions like these lead us to think that short-term savings can lead to long-term losses. Customers who shop only for the lowest price are obviously not getting the highest quality. And in the business world, using low quality materials can cost you more in lost business than the money you saved.

In the case of printing, investing in quality up front can show returns in business growth. Unfortunately, the internet has made it easy to be "penny wise and pound foolish" with marketing budgets. If enough customers become price shoppers, what happens to the local businesses that offer high quality choices? If the community loses them, then customers lose both choice and value. The discount retailer becomes the only choice. And while customers may get a cheap price, they've lost customer service, and maybe a product that is worth the money they pay for it.

There is a long-term cost to deep discounts. But there is value in having a relationship with local companies like your printer. That relationship can ensure that your job gets done right.

As you look for service providers, try asking yourself:

• Would your business be stronger with service relationships dedicated to mutual success?
• How confident would you be in your business if you could present corporate-quality materials to prospects?
• Would you feel better knowing that your company used environmentally friendly printing?
• Could you relieve some stress with a local provider that offers more services in one place?

That's the type of company that ACE Printing and Mailing Services is.

ACE is your local business partner that provides the highest quality services at reasonable prices. We give every client personal attention to make sure the job is done the way you want it.

ACE is your convenient resource to make many of your marketing tasks simpler. Every member of our staff brings specialized expertise to the table that isn't available in any other single location.

ACE is a friend of the environment, and of local businesses working together for greater success. As a Certified Bay Area Green Business, our environmental commitment is proven. Our dedication to community business networks is obvious; we advertise our relationships by placing the cards of partner businesses on our front counter.

If you want that type of business relationship, visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services today, or call us at 415.460.2800. Or visit us online at www.acepms.com

Whether it's your business card, letterhead, envelopes, or other collateral, ACE Printings and Mailing Services can help you go green. You get great printings that's guild free. Here are some ways that you can lessen the environmental impact of your business printing. 

1.Environmentally-Friendly Paper Choose environmentally friendly paper stocks from recycled and sustainable sources. We carry a variety of high quality, eco-friendly papers, and our staff can help you find just the right stock so your letterhead and business cards will still look great, while helping the planet.

2. Soy-Based Inks Soy inks have the same bright colors and clarity as traditional petroleum inks, but they use fewer resources, and are less toxic. They also make recycling paper easier. Soy ink is so effective that the majority of the nation's daily newspapers use it. 

3. Green Graphic Design Consult with our graphic designers on green design options. Take advantage of colored stock, instead of using more ink. Consider creative die-cuts or perforations for built-in mailers. The possibilities are endless.


Visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services today to get great branding materials that are green. Call us at 415.460.2800 or visit us online at www.acepms.com