Business on the Go - Alexandria Small Business

July and August are often a time when businesses slow down, and employees and their families take vacations while school is out for the long summer break. If your business or staff takes a break, it does not mean that you should stop promoting your business. Have you ever realized that travel-related items can be an effective way to promote your enterprise, whether in summer or any other time of year? Tourism and hospitality companies, such as travel agents, hotels, and tour operators have been doing this for a long time. Their clients may be other businesses who use their hospitality or travel services, or they may market direct to the end customer. You may be able to relate your business to travel in some way, and if so, travelers can be walking around displaying your business name wherever they may go with travel-related items

Let me give some examples. Have you ever noticed luggage tags or straps while you are checking your luggage at an airport or retrieving it from a carousel? Luggage tags and straps not only serve the obvious practical purpose of identifying luggage, but a standout color or design really help the luggage, that is so often black, stand out from the rest. This is a welcome advantage for the busy traveler and anyone who does not want to search among dozens of look-alike piece of luggage. One of my favorite (and inexpensive) ways to identify luggage is with a colorful Luggage Spotter? which wraps around a handle, with a logo on the outside and the personal identification on the inside, so that it is protected from casual view. The Luggage Spotter? uses Velcro? to stay in place and the bright colors make it easy to spot from a distance. I use them all the time on my own luggage. Several of our customers have selected this as a way to give travelers something useful at a low cost. The logo could be that of a hotel, travel group or some affinity group that the traveler belongs to.? There are also many styles of luggage tags to choose from that hide personal information.

Still on the subject of air travel, did you know that TSA approved locks, and also plastic pouches that hold the allowed three oz. or less liquid or gel in bottles in a one quart zip top bag can be imprinted with a business logo? These are very useful items for any air traveler. If you wish to make a special gift, consider a travel wallet that will hold a passport and airline or other tickets. Low cost ones are available in vinyl, or go for a first class impression in leather.

Luggage itself may be one of the ultimate special gifts, and is certainly likely to be kept and used again and again by the recipient. A piece of luggage may include anything from a simple duffel bag or a garment bag to a set of luggage in different sizes. Inexpensive custom cameras will appeal to ad wide audience and can be tied into a special event or location. Maps and guides are other ways to make a traveler feel valued. Conventions and meetings planners can provide custom fold out maps to their attendees, whether it is a map of the exhibit hall and meeting space in a convention center or a map of the city and location that they are meeting in. If it is designed for the attendees at that event, it Has greater value and will certainly be appreciated.

So your business need not take a vacation, even if your employees do. With the imaginative use of some customized travel-related items, travelers can be out there promoting your business while they are on the go from place to place and they do not have to be anywhere near your business location to do this for you.

If you would like to discuss promotional ideas for your business, please contact Judith Harley at Oxford Communications, Alexandria, Virginia. Oxford Communications has been providing custom-imprinted promotional items, business gifts and corporate clothing to the business community for over ten years. Oxford Communications may be reached at 703-922-4193 or info@oxfordpromos.com. You are invited to visit our website at www.oxfordpromos.com.

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Photo courtesy of?Horia Varlan

Source: http://alexandriasmallbusiness.com/small-business-marketing-on-the-go/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=small-business-marketing-on-the-go

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