By the way, the fastest way to etch or engrave all of these small promotional items is with a template. I’ll describe the process for cutting one after the examples below. It will help you pick up promotional jobs you might have otherwise run screaming from in the past.

Super Cheap “Executive” Promotional Items - Wooden Golf Tees:

To be more specific extra long wooden golf tees make nice promotional items and corporate gifts. You can buy them by the bag (of 250) for about $5 at WalMart. Since they are extra long (3 ¼”) they are specialized and meant for hitting a “longer ball”, typically with popular oversized drivers. As a specialized tee it is one not all golfers have in their bag and comes in very handy when needed. If you gave them a small envelope (or pillow box – see below) containing a dozen tees your cost should be well under a dollar. In fact, I put 12 custom tees in a nicely labeles “kraft paper” pillow box for less than fifty cents!

Promotional Items for Anyone at Any Age - Real Wood Pencils:

Many pencils are not made of real, (non chemically treated) wood. But there are some out there. And if you find the right ones, they are a bargain and a half! You can find plenty online but if you have a CVS pharmacy in you area just go to their school supplies section and you can buy a box of 18 for about $3. They are made of real wood that is a light color and engraves a pleasant shade of earthy brown. Use that same template idea shown below and you can engrave 100 promotional pens or pencils in about 10 minutes!

Etching Promotional Items in Seconds with Templates:

Engraving these simple wooden promotional items is a snap. You just make a single outline of a tee (or pencil) as a vector image. Then copy it multiple times and have the laser cut the patterns into 1/8” hardboard (the stuff peg board is made of without all the holes.) Once the shapes are cut it takes only a few minutes to place all the tees in their grooves and begin engraving. I use a 12” x 24” hardboard sheet (that I buy from LaserBits.com) with six dozen cutouts. Each batch of 72 tees takes me only 15 minutes to place, engrave and remove, ready to begin again.

Upgrade Your Executive Gift with a Pillow Box:

Instead of a “bank” type envelope, consider using a small “pillow” gift box. It’s envelope like qualities make it perfect for keeping in a pocket (or zippered pocket in a golf bag.) It is also doubled-over on each end so is very sturdy.

I have laser engraved each of these in the past and they delivered a lot more value than other items of equivalent cost.

A business promotional item can do more for your company than any expensive advertising campaign. For example, a laptop bag, used as a promotional item with the company name and logo imprinted is a spectacular executive gift with long-term branding value. If budget allows, these laptop bags can be given not just to corporate executives but also to employees, potential customers and business associates. They are perfect for select potential customers at conferences and trade show events. They provide a professional look, representing your company at its best. Even more, a marketing promotional item such as a customized laptop bag is always appreciated by long-time customers, as a sign of appreciation. It costs you about the same as a nice embroidered Polo shirt (that they might wear once in a while) but will instead be carried with them everywhere. They will be advertising YOUR logo in all of their meetings. Talk about positive branding!

Advertising campaigns often start and end with promotional items. No matter the type of business you are running, it’s difficult not to succeed if you decide to use at least one business promotional item. The important thing is to keep your company’s name visible and present yourself the right way. Why spend big money on elaborate campaigns, when you have such convenient and appreciated “gifts” to advertise your brand? A simple advertising promotional item, with your name and logo, is all you need. It might be a customized mug, a set of crystal glasses or something even fancier. Just make sure you select a promotional item that people can and will definitely use. Functionality is just as important as choosing an elegant corporate promotional item.

If you want to keep the name of your company where it belongs, start by searching for the perfect marketing promotional item. Consider choosing a simple, yet highly effective business promotional item, like a fountain pen. The Internet is filled with offers of elegant and sophisticated fountain pens and people are always attracted by such products. You should choose a fountain pen that has a unique design, beautiful colors and various characteristics. For example, you can beautiful solid maple wooden executive pens for less than eight dollars each, fully customized with your company logo. There are literally hundreds of styles and sizes to choose from, making a fountain pen a truly unique promotional item.

Once you have to decided to use such an advertising promotional item, start by customizing the fountain pen. Engrave your company logo, a special symbol or message on it, offering it to prospective customers, faithful employees and business partners. It will show what your company is all about and definitely make a lasting impression. If you prefer an even more subtle and beautiful gesture, then engrave the fountain pen with the recipient’s name and date.

More and more people include a promotional item in their advertising campaigns, knowing the positive results. The brand impact is amazing, with the result even more obvious when unique promotional items are used. This is why you should consider elegant offerings like a top-quality fountain pen, laptop bag, or an elegant wine set. The promotional industry needs a refreshing change. Your company needs to be presented the right way. Just surf the Web to get ideas on promotional items and advertising strategies.

I worked in the industry for years and I can tell you that there’s a lot of money “left on the table” when you’re looking at higher end products and plenty of “overstock” options when looking for the good old cheap promotional items like pens and key chains.

For this article I’ll focus on corporate gifts and business promotional items. More specifically let’s look at those that can be laser engraved since these often carry a higher perceived value by the recipients (when fine woods are engraved, etc.) The first thing you want to do is get some inside information on what the promotional company is paying for a product versus what it charges you. This can sometimes be tough because many companies make you jump through hoops and register as “members” to get a peak at their price lists.

The good news is that most but NOT all promotional product suppliers do this. And lucky for us Laser Bits, one of the best and most widely known laser engravable suppliers in the US, not only shows item costs but also the recommended selling prices once the item has been engraved. And these numbers are very good. They are competitive but allow the average promotional company ample profit to do business.

Now, I’m not saying you should never pay more for an item. A lot of things factor in such as the amount of customization or personalization, if it a rush order, if it was shipped alone and no cost savings were realized, etc. But in general the recommended selling price is pretty much on the money.

And of course, there are factors for paying less than the recommended price. I did the graphic design and laser operation in my shop for along time and I can tell you that setup is the biggest use of time. One thing to avoid is an ambiguous price quote given to you as a lump sum. Ask for itemization. Have them break it down by setup or design fee, cost per unit and shipping (to you NOT from the wholesale supplier they bought from.)

Most shops will charge a setup fee and then per-item amount. This is nice and puts everything right up front. But be warned, there are some out there who go a little lighter on the setup fee and then add a seemingly small amount to each item engraved. The thinking is that a $35 setup fee looks friendlier than a $50 fee and you might not question the extra 50 cents it costs to do each item. Well how could you? If this is his first quote to you for that item there is no way to know. Of course, if you’re only having 30 items produced, you break even. But if you need 300, you just overpaid by $135!

The solution that typically works best is to get several quotes, then discuss all the fees presented by the one you like best (not necessarily the one that costs the least.) Chances are he has a lower setup fee and more cost per item. Let him know that you can have it done for a lower cost and then see if he simply needs to allow for a little more setup time to avoid the risk he’s concerned about.

And as a closing thought, keep in mind that most local promotional item laser engraving shops are owned by regular people with the best intentions. They’re in it to make a profit but don’t want to gouge you. They typically invested between twelve and twenty thousand dollars for a single laser part of their profit goes to recovering on that investment.

Good luck!

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