11 Keys to Success on the Job

Ran across a great article today from www.careerbuilder.com today on the 11 things you need to be successful at work. Here they are:

1. Confidence: an unshakable belief in oneself based on a realistic understanding of one's circumstances; a trait that most people admire in others and strive to acquire themselves.

2. Curiosity: being eager to know and learn; always showing interest and giving special attention to the less obvious; always being the person who says, "I want to know more about . . . ."

3. Decisiveness: arriving at a final conclusion or making a choice and taking action; making decisions with determination even when you don't have all the information you think you need.

4. Empathy: demonstrating caring and understanding of someone else's situation, feelings and motives; always thinking about what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes.

5. Flexibility: being capable of change; responding positively to change; being pliable, adaptable, nonrigid and able to deal with ambiguity. 

6. Humor: viewing yourself and the world with enjoyment; not taking life or yourself too seriously; being amusing, amused and, at times, even comical.

7. Intelligence: thinking and working smartly and cleverly; being sharp in your dealings; "not reinventing the wheel"; planning before acting; working efficiently and focusing on quality over quantity. (Important note: This is different from IQ, the common abbreviation for intelligence quotient.)

8. Optimism: expecting the best possible outcome and dwelling on the most hopeful or positive aspects of a situation; believing that the glass is half full rather than half empty.

9. Perseverance: having passion, energy, focus and the desire to get results. Motivation, persistence and hard work are all aspects of  perseverance.

10. Respect: remembering that it is just as easy to be nice; protecting another person's self-esteem; treating others in a considerate and courteous manner.

11. Self-awareness: a sophisticated form of consciousness that enables you to regulate yourself by  monitoring yourself, observing yourself and changing your thought processes and behaviors.

To read the full article, click here

Another great way to be successful at work is to build a great team atmosphere. Encourage employees to get to know one another and recognize important days in the office. Business birthday cards and business anniversary cards are the perfect way to help celebrate how much someone means to your team!

Smile - You may just live longer

Here's a little fun fact for your Friday: 

Wayne State University researchers collected photos of 230 Major League Baseball players who started their careers before 1950. Independent reviewers, who were not aware of the study's purpose, categorized the photos, sorting each into one of three groups: non-smilers, smilers, and big smilers.

When the smile rankings were matched against each player's lifespan, researchers found a very strong link between smiling and longevity.

These were the average lifespans:

    -Non-smilers: 72.9

    -Smilers: 75

    -Big smilers: 79.9

Of course, this doesn't offer proof that a frequent smile will actually help you live longer. But consider this: Some Zen Buddhists believe that starting off every morning with a good long laugh is equal to the calming effect of several hours of meditation. And studies have shown that smiling or laughing prompts the release of endorphins and serotonin - brain chemicals that improve mood.

No guarantees a smile will add seven years to your life, but you know what they say: at least people will wonder what you've been up to.

So to do your part and make for a more 'smiley' america, send your employees and clients business birthday cards  and  business Christmas cards - guaranteed to get a smile by the recipient...and you may just prolong their life:)

Celebrate Earth Day with recycled greeting cards

Earth Day is coming up on Thursday, April 22nd. This holiday first started in 1970 and over 20 million Americans participated in the first Earth Day celebration.

Since the start of this holiday, both consumers and manufacturers have become more conscious of their
global footprint and all of us at Brookhollow are doing the same.

Almost all of our beautiful business greeting cards, promotional calendars and business Christmas cards are made from recycled material. Many made from up to 100% post-consumer materials. 

Not only are our greeting cards more green but our manufacturing facility is also FSC Certified, meaning we practice responsible management of natural resources.

In addition, for 2010 we've made a commitment to print less catalogs and use forms of communication that
are more earth-friendly. 

Earth Day falls just one day out of the year....but Brookhollow is here to help you celebrate 'the green way' all year round! Shop our selection of Recycled Cards here:

-Recycled Greeting Cards

-Recycled Christmas Cards

For more on how you can do your part, visit www.earthday.org

Administrative Professionals Day is coming!

Administrative Professions Day is April 21st. Here are some helpful tips to help show how much you appreciate all they do:

-Put it in words. Tell the person how much you appreciate what they do and thank them for their hard work. Business thank you cards are the perfect way to express how you feel. Your kind words will have a lasting effect. 

-Dazzle with decorations. Decorate the recipients desk with flowers, streamers, balloons or confetti to add a special touch and show just how much you care. 

-Give a gift. Although not required, it is somewhat customary. Gift cards to their favorite restaurants/stores,

a nice gift basket or a day of pampering would be a big hit. 

-Eat up. Order in lunch from their favorite restaurant, on you, or take them out to their favorite restaurant. Another option would be to order in a 'thank you cake' for all to enjoy. 

Really, there are no rules when celebrating Administrative Professionals Day. All that matters is that you show how much you appreciate your administrative professional and how valuable they are to you and to the company.

Our 2011 Calendar Collection has arrived!

 
And we couldn't be more thrilled! We have over 100 new promotional calendars for you to choose from...we have something to fit everyone, and every budget.

All of our best-selling promotional calendars have been given a fresh new look for 2011 but still offer the same great themes that you've ordered in the past.

Here are some of the great products rounding out this year's collection:

-Calendar Cards

-Legal Calendars 

-Accounting Calendars

-Dental Calendars

-Desk Calendars

-Appointment Calendars

-Economy Calendars

-Monthly Pocket Calendars

-Postcard Calendars

-And new this year, 3 month at a glance calendars

Shop our entire collection online today here

Or Click here to receive our latest catalog

Happy Shopping!

All things are possible in business and baseball

This week marked a major celebration in American culture....Major League Baseball's Opening Day. I too, joined in with the excitement as for me, the start of baseball season marks more than just baseball but warm weather, trips to the ballpark with the family and many, many treats from the concession stands....nothing beats a hot dog at a baseball game.

I ran across a great article on www.usatoday.com this morning comparing America's favorite pastime to 
business. Its an interesting perspective and so true. Here are a few points from the article:

-Baseball has a long season — some would say too long a season. After an exhibition game, the radio commentators were discussing whether it mattered how a team does in April. Here's the good news — no one is sure. Just like life. A team could have a disastrous April and still win in October. Or, they could not make the playoffs because they lost one game, perhaps one in April. You never really know.

- Success takes time. Over a dozen teams that won pennants or division titles had lousy — really lousy — records in the middle of the season, trailing by 10 or more games (a HUGE deficit in baseball). As your business develops, you may have to make changes to your team, strategy, management, but it's possible to overcome even long odds to reach success.

- It's not over til it's over. Every long-time baseball fan has a story of missing seeing their team's remarkable come-from-behind victory because they left the stadium early. In 1990, the Dodgers were losing 11-2, then scored nine runs (9!) to beat the Phillies. Of course, you have to know when to throw in the towel on a business that's hemorrhaging money, but often, there's victory awaiting in the next inning.

-It's not just "one and done." Many sports have very short seasons or one-game playoffs. In baseball, the playoffs are always at least the best three out of five (except if there's a tie for the wild card, but that's like giving a runner-up an extra chance anyway). That's much more like the reality in business — success is rarely a matter of just one customer, one deal.

-The big guys don't always win. Sure, the New York Yankees, with their gazillion dollar payroll, won last year's World Series. And sure, it's tough to compete against the superstore across town. It takes strategy, agility and commitment — you may have to offer a different product mix, greater customer service, respond faster to market trends. But mostly, it takes confidence. You can't win if you don't believe you can win.

-You've got to enjoy it, win or lose. Walking into Scottsdale Stadium during spring training, the sky was crystal blue, the grass as green as Al Gore. With the first crack of the bat and the "thwump" when the ball hit the catcher's glove, all seemed right with the world. OK, the Giants played lousy. I still had a great time. The same's true for me most every game. A baseball stadium is a great place to be.

Here's to a winning season!

If you'd like to view the entire article, click here.

Happy National Employee Benefits Day

Today is National Employee Benefits Day. Take a break from your day-to-day routine business operations and examine your employee benefits. Offering employee benefits has always helped small businesses build employee morale and keep valuable staff in a competitive market.

Many employees are not aware of all the benefits your company has to offer. Take the time to remind employees about the benefits available to them and also provide helpful information on how your company's benefits can benefit them.

Check out http://www.ifebp.org/AboutUs/NEBD/ to find ways to celebrate National Employee Benefits Day and numerous other resources.

5 Unstoppable Tips to Beat Your Competition

I read a great article this morning from www.marketingbrainstorm.com on 5 unstoppable tips to beat your competition. According to research, it takes 6-8 times as much to gain new customers as it does to keep current customers, so don't let them slip away!

Here are the 5 tips for keeping your customers:

1) Shortly after a customer has purchased from you, send them a personalized note, offering them (by name) the chance to buy again at a discount (with an expiration date so that it does not just get filed away). Make it clear that this is a special deal, just for them, as a thank-you for doing business with you.

2) If you know the customer's date of birth from your records, why not send them a birthday card? For the cost of a card and a stamp, you have brightened their day and put your business back in front of their 
eyes.
*A note from Brookhollow: We offer one of the largest selections around and as low as 59 cents each! Shop hundreds of business birthday cards here

3) When a customer buys from your business, send a thank-you note. Not an email, or a pre-printed, anonymous, computer-generated card but a real postcard or brief letter. Hand write the note if possible, thanking them for their order, with enough detail that they can see you really know what they bought and 
that they bought and that the thank you is genuine.
*A note from Brookhollow: Business Thank You Cards really work! Order in bulk so you always have one on hand....Then personalize with your own personal message.

4) Make a note of the first time you do business with a customer, and send them a card on the anniversary of that date, maybe offering them a special deal on a repeat purchase.
*A note from Brookhollow: We offer a beautiful selection of business anniversary cards. See them all here.

5) Offer you customers the chance to join a free online "club" and send out regular newsletters announcing your latest product or service, offering special deals on slow-moving lines or giving loyalty bonuses to club members.

To read the full article, visit here.

No Joke! Save an additional 10% on all business greeting cards and business christmas cards!