Bruce Fox Blog

Estimated Read Time: 6 Minutes

The holidays quickly turn into a giant to-do list, especially for business professionals. If you ever have to deal with vendors, clients, or other outside connections, you have to work around being off for a few days, deal with company shut-downs, and any other little surprises that come up this time of year.

That’s why I’ve gone ahead and created a holiday prep list. We can all use a helpful list to just check off as we countdown to the holiday break.

Estimated Read Time: 10 Minutes

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? Having too much turkey and pumpkin pie? Spending time with your friends and family? Rushing from house to house, trying to make all the different get-togethers while wondering why you do this to yourself? Or is Thanksgiving just the day before Black Friday?

Thanksgiving means something different for many people; however, it did not start as all of those things. Thanksgiving started as the most basic definition – giving thanks.

Being thankful and celebrating what you have by giving thanks for it.

That’s the definition I want to remind everyone about – be thankful for what you have; whether that’s your friends, your family, your health, a roof over your head, or even your employees. Everyone has something to be thankful for.

Estimated Read Time: 4.5 Minutes

With the holidays comes the onslaught of customers who have ghosted for the past 11 months and what seems to be a mountain of orders from all of your other various clients. At least that’s if you’ve been working on drumming up business, growing your current clients, and building your prospect list all year long.

Getting all of those orders and customers is fantastic, but not so much on your timetable. You only have so many days until the end of the year – here’s a countdown clock if you really want to feel rushed.

Now, if you’ve been reading our blogs, you’ll know that we’ve been avid proponents for getting holiday orders in early. By doing so, you won’t have to fight tight timelines, limited stock, crazy expatiated shipping costs, and other reasons here.

However, November is now upon us and I’m sure you’re frantically searching for products that will please your customer while still having a fast turn-around time. That’s where our DYR line comes in.

Estimated Read Time: 3 Minutes 

Halloween is in the rear-view mirror, but the real spooky stuff is still in full view in the windshield ahead of us.

Anyone reading this (or taking in oxygen) understands the tariff issue and the impact it bears on the promotional products marketplace. If this harbinger has somehow passed you by, then this article from Counselor will bring you up to speed:

Estimated Read Time: 8 Minutes

Like my new shirt?

Never mind the goofy pseudo-modeling pose. The shirt is your basic garden-variety light blue polo shirt. A dad uniform staple. It might be like the forty-seven-eleventh one I’ve owned that looks pretty much like this one. But this particular shirt is quite special to me for a reason no shirt has ever been. I wanted to give it a try for what I think is an interesting reason. You might find it interesting too…

Estimated Read Time: 11.5 Minutes

We can all use some insider tips, right? So I’ve compiled a list that my 30 years here has taught me.

Take my advice. You can thank me later.

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 Why do you ever need a plaque?

• Giving one to an employee to recognize their years of service or for a job well done?
• As a plaque award or personalized plaque that is given to a special person or group?
• You’re looking for perpetual plaques to hang on a wall, recognizing and memorializing people?
• Do you need custom plaques that could be given out as a special gift to event-goers, maybe as a commemorative plaque?
• Or are you searching for professional signage, environmental branding, or branded artwork?

Estimated Read Time: 8 Minutes

The passage of time seems to speed up once school starts back up. We jump from bathing suits to hanging up Halloween decorations and then we are having family over for Thanksgiving. In between it all, we’re rushing around doing our typical day-today, holiday shopping sprees, and all of the family and friends’ gatherings. During that time, when everyone is so wrapped up and sprinting between social engagements, Christmas pounces.

No one has time for the impending holiday, at yet it’s the holiday we all prepare for and buy, sell, and sell more. It’s one of the most profitable times of the year for a reason.

So, what are you doing for Christmas? Have you talked with your partners, contacts, and clients yet? If not, then you’re already putting yourself at a disadvantage this season. 

Estimated Read Time: 18 Minutes

Sales, production, management, and customer service – those 4 are some of the most important factors of a company.

We all know that these can grow or destroy a company. But did you notice an underlying factor? Your people – your people define your company. They are your lifeblood – they interact with your customers, they set the pace of how efficient and profitable you are, they are your brand ambassadors, they define your quality and overall product, and so much more – your employees are your company.

Estimated Read Time: 9 Minutes

The summer tends to be a “dry season” for many distributors. Between your staff’s vacations and your client’s, it feels like orders are stalled during this time.

Why does everyone want to take off right before the flurry of back to school season?

However, there are still a few things that you can do instead of gazing out the window dreaming of the lake or beach.