Labels for LifeLabels for Life will give tips for organizing your life, home and office.

Photo by Transguyjay
Families know that it is summer camp time. Children look forward to this time and even parents look forward to it as a time when their children will develop new skills and make some new friends and just have some fun.

Whether your child goes away to camp or to a local camp, the “camp experience” involves great organization on the part of the camper and the family. It is so important that you get organized for your child ahead of time. Try our camp organization tips so your child will have a great summer.

1. When you register your child for camp – ask for the materials list. Many camps will mail it out as camp date gets closer, but most will provide it at your request earlier – which means you can get your shopping done earlier.
2. Labels in clothing are very important, especially for children attending a sleep-away camp. Add labels early – and remember if your child has a popular name and surname like Susan Smith to add their middle name too to avoid confusion.
3. Sending treats to sleep-away camp and day camp is a popular occurrence. Label snacks so campers know whose snacks are whose. Remember that many children today have peanut allergies – so don’t select snacks with peanuts in them.
4. Your child for sleep-away camp will have a large trunk to put all of their items in. Remember to put labels the actual trunk, both inside and outside so everyone knows whose trunk it is.
5. Many children are tempted to bring valuable items like a charm bracelet, favorite teddy bear or electronic devices to camp. This is often unwise as these items can become lost or sometimes “borrowed” by overeager campers. Sometimes these items are also hard to label – like a teddy bear or a piece of jewelry.
6. Give your child pre stamped stationary or postcards to write friends and family home while at sleep-away camp. Most sleep-away campers do have access to email. But many campers look forward to daily “mail call” and the best way to get mail is to send some of your own.

MaverickLabel.com They specialize in custom label printing and have cheap stickers and custom window decals for summer needs.

There’s something about Spring that just makes us want to get organized and start new projects. The birds singing and warmer air make everyone have a “spring” in their step and more energy to tackle all of those projects they’ve been putting off. So enjoy Spring and try these great ways to use labels to get organized and make life run a bit smoother.

Canning or making jams/jellies. Spring and summer are the perfect time to can fruits and vegetables or to make jam and jellies. You’ll certainly want large, clear labels that tell you exactly what’s in these jars so when winter comes and you reach for a jar – you aren’t opening a mystery!

Garage sale. This is one of the best times to hold a garage sale. Spring is a great time to clean out your closets and go through the kids’ toys to see exactly what they just aren’t using anymore. Garage sale shoppers always seem to linger more when a sale is well organized and they certainly appreciate prices that are clear. Using label stickers will mean everyone can read prices quickly – even if they do try to haggle you down a bit!

Preparing for summer camp. Now is the ideal time to get the kids’ gear ready for summer camp. Don’t wait for the last minute to find the sunscreen, bathing suit and their sandals or extra pair of sneakers. Get everything ready and put it into the trunk so it is ready to go. You’ll want to use labels to label the trunk and then labels inside every piece of clothing.

Organize your gardening supplies. Spring is when we see those lovely crocuses and tulips coming out in bloom. But every gardener knows to get those beautiful flowers takes a lot of hard work and effort. Organize your gardening supplies and use labels so you know where everything goes and to identify your supplies.

Get the beach gear ready. If your family lives at the beach in warmer weather, then now is the best time to get your beach gear prepared. Look for your bathing suits, aqua shoes, beach towels, sunscreen and beach toys. Use labels to designate everyone’s beach bag and organize your summer fun gear.

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10. You know where you are supposed to be Monday morning (and Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning…….)

9. It helps you identify your car when you take the kids to the video arcade on Saturdays (why does everyone have a dark green Honda SUV like yours?)

8. Parking permits let everyone know – in this tough economy – that you are among the elite: the employed

7. It gives you the perfect excuse NOT to trade cars with your spouse, making them drive the oh so uncool station wagon – while you get the Jetta.

6. The parking sticker helps you know which other employees have arrived for work that day.

5. Your parking sticker lets your boss know in a subtle way that you’ve arrived for work early, late or that you’re simply a team player with 100% attendance record.

4. Getting a new parking sticker every month reminds you that you are not going to get laid off – otherwise HR wouldn’t bother giving you your parking sticker.

3. A parking sticker can be a great way to network with people in your community. They’ll know where you work – so you can ask them where you work.

2. Your commute may be stressful, the morning getting ready for work may be a drag – but you know exactly where you go when you arrive.

and the #1 reason to be glad for your parking stickers?

1. Your company cares enough to give you your own parking space at work!

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I’ve always loved dogs. People always say, “There are dog people and there are cat people.” While I do like cats, I really have always gotten along so well with dogs. I worked in an office for years but my heart just wasn’t in it. It was a job…you know what I mean? But I always smiled when I came home to my dog. I think a lot of people are that way. So when my company closed in this lousy economy I took a leap of faith and started what I’d always dreamed of: a doggy daycare. I named it See Spot Run Doggy Daycare – cute right? I found the perfect storefront and several college kids to take care of dogs with me. It was perfect. Except I didn’t think about how to promote my business!

I really started to panic. I mean, I’d put so much time, money and myself into this business. But my husband said, “What about bumper stickers?” He travels a lot on the road for business and he always likes to tell me about funny bumper stickers he’s seen. He’s even called me from the road about a good one – so I realized that if my husband is looking at bumper stickers then other people are too! I placed an order that afternoon for full color bumper stickers.

It was really easy to order the bumper stickers. I added my logo of “Spot” the mascot dog and chose my font. I wanted a bright and colorful bumper sticker. I chose purple and yellow – something I knew would really get attention out there and looked fun. I added our company name and our telephone number and website url. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on those bumper stickers.

When the bumper stickers came in, I gave them to friends and family and to the clients I had. “How cute!” one of my customers said as she attached it to her convertible. I smiled as I watched her drive away. With her dog leaning out the car, it was like the perfect advertisement for my doggy daycare.

After a few days, the telephone started to ring and people and their dogs were walking in. My business picked up by 35% in just two weeks! I know it was because of those bumper stickers because I didn’t have a chance to do any other advertising. And the best thing about the bumper stickers is I didn’t have to wait for a magazine or newspaper advertisement deadline. The bumper  stickers also last and last on someone’s vehicle. I designed them to look so cute that I knew people would enjoy driving around with them!

My days are pretty busy now, walking dogs and taking care of them all day. Some people think when you run a doggy daycare that it is all fun and games but it is really a hard job sometimes. But I love it, I really do. I mean where else am I going to get to spend my entire day around all of these great dogs and make them all happy? And I think my office days are behind me.

So I’m really glad I listened to my husband about those bumper stickers. They were the easiest thing I’ve done to let people know about my doggy daycare – and at a price that simply can’t be beat!

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St. Matthew’s Church likes to help out the community. This year they decided to hold a spaghetti fundraising dinner. The funds would help their nursery school and several community charities. A spaghetti dinner is a low cost event but appeals to many hungry appetites. So the spaghetti fundraising plans were underway.

Our tickets were reasonably priced. Adults were $5 and children were $3. You could eat as much spaghetti as you wished. We felt that was a good price. Sodas and drinks were an extra cost as those can get pricy. Dessert was included. A local restaurant stepped up to donate the spaghetti, dessert and even the soda pop!

After a few weeks, the ticket sales were low. Pastor Greg was concerned about the event and wondered what else could be done. The Church Secretary Betty suggested we get bumper stickers to promote the event. The Pastor budgeted for them and realized they were low-cost and an ideal choice for the fundraiser. Best of all they came in many colors and lots of font and graphic choices – so we really could create a top quality bumpersticker that would get lots of attention.

At church, the next Sunday bumper stickers were passed out during the coffee hour. It wasn’t long before then that the phone started to ring with people wanting to reserve spots for the spaghetti dinner. Best of all, lots of people who bought tickets also asked if they could have a bumpersticker – which promoted our event even more! We ran out of the first batch of bumperstickers and had to have a second batch printed up. But they came quickly and we could easily hand them out to new dinner ticket buyers.

Three weeks from then it was time for our spaghetti dinner. Pastor Greg smiled as the Parish Hall was filled to the brim with people. I don’t think we’ve ever cooked that much spaghetti before in our lives! We raised $6,000 and with half of it going to the nursery school we can afford to get a new computer and library of books for the children. The other half goes to community based charities.

Our favorite thing about the bumperstickers was that they were fun. They made fundraising easy. A flyer can also be easy and convenient but they blow away. Many people think a flyer can be a real nuisance to their business. With the bumpersticker people who took them and added them to their cars knew they were supporting a local community event by putting one on their car.

It was also very helpful that the bumperstickers offered very attractive fonts, graphics and many colors for us to choose from. We were able to create a good looking bumpersticker and one that looked quite professional.

I would recommend a bumpersticker to any community fundraiser. It just makes things easier. Bumperstickers help you get the word out. They help to get people excited about what you are doing. Choose bumperstickers and watch your ticket sales explode!

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Toys Noticed This Holiday Season with Product Labels

Let’s face it – there are a lot of toys on the shelf this holiday season. Every advantage you have to stand out could make the difference between making a sale – or being the Closeout item come this January. Custom Product Labels give your toys a polished and professional look every time.

Toys deserve labels with a highly original and especially playful look. You aren’t going to find that with just an “everyday” label. Labels are important on children’s toys. They can remind parents to buy batteries, of appropriate age levels for a child’s toy or if there are non-toxic or choking hazards in your toy(s). Best of all, a label gets special attention – a label often comes in a contrasting or complimentary color and really stands out. This makes parents pay close attention to whatever you have chosen to put on the label.

A custom product label is an ideal way to point out your USP (unique selling position) for your toy this holiday season. Perhaps your toy is an educational toy that has received outstanding reviews from well-respected publications. A custom product label permits you to highlight these reviews or commendations on your toy’s packaging in a show stopping way.

You can also introduce new features or characters using a custom product label. If your toy has been on the market for awhile but you’ve made some changes to this new version, custom product labels can introduce new and current customers to your changes. Many customers may not read every detail on the toy’s packaging before buying. That custom product label can help you entice buyers – and also avoid confusion or disappointment. If your toy has switched age ranges for example – the parent of a four-year old will want to know that your toy is now appropriate for ages six through eight, not four through eight.

A custom product label is also a unique opportunity to encourage customer (and child) interactivity. If your toy company has a website with interactive features – or free things for purchasers of that toy – a custom product label is an ideal opportunity to highlight this feature. Best of all, you’ll get both adults and children excited about the idea of visiting your website to check out coloring pages, puzzles, games or other fun things they might have otherwise missed out on.

The best custom product label is one that both compliments and also contrasts your toy’s packaging. So if your doll is packaged in a sweet little girl pink color box, consider not choosing another pink color for the customer product label color – but a contrasting color or a color that will compliment yet also stand out. Try another girl favorite color like purple. Or green or blue. Or a metallic custom product label for extra shine – making your label gold, silver or another metallic color.

Custom product labels can be a toy company’s best friend. Children love stickers and will happily look for stickers wherever they go. When they see a sticker on a toy they like, this alone will encourage them to stop and look longer as they view the sticker. Make your custom product labels appeal both to children as well as adults. Remember that you have two different customer bases when it comes to a toy purchase.

As a football Mom, I haven’t always been thrilled with my boy playing the sport. Sometimes I’ve worried about him getting hurt. Other times I’ll admit I’ve been frustrated when he just hasn’t spent as much time on his studies as I would like him to. But he does love being a member of the Panther football team. So I attend every game and proudly say “Go Panthers!” with the other Moms and Dads.

But the Panthers have had some trouble with their equipment this year, making it tough for Jimmy to enjoy the sport as much. The coach had even sat the boys down and talked about the team ending the season early without the equipment due to safety, something that really just tore Jimmy up inside. We knew we had to do something. So we turned to boosting the Panthers with a bumper sticker fundraiser.

Our Panthers bumper sticker fundraiser was simple. We created three different Panthers bumper stickers. The bumper stickers were beautiful – all four color and durable vinyl. We knew they would stand up to heavy-duty use and be on the vehicles a long time. The custom bumper stickers were for different levels of fundraising. If you gave up to $25.00 you got the first bumper sticker. If you gave up to $50.00 you got the second bumper sticker. People giving more than $50.00 got the third bumper sticker.

I’ll admit that there was some subtle competition going on here. That people really wanted to be seen with that third and “best” bumper sticker on their car. So even though we had ordered three different kinds of bumper stickers, we easily sold more of our highest priced bumper sticker. But we didn’t really have to ask or arm-twist people for money. They really wanted that sense of pride that comes from helping the team. The fact that our Panthers bumper stickers looked great I’m sure really helped though.

The kids and parents sold bumper stickers for several weeks and it all went very quickly. Some of the cheerleaders were very outgoing and sold lots of bumper stickers. Some parents worked for large companies are were able to sell lots of bumper stickers. But truly everyone gave it their best effort and that’s what made it the most successful. Everyone giving their best to the Panthers.

I think our bumper sticker fundraiser was so successful because people realized they were helping out the Panthers by giving to the team. The bumper stickers didn’t cost us too much in expenses, so it wasn’t like throwing the team a fancy dinner or other type of event. But the bumper stickers looked great and best of all – they would be on the cars and SUVs year-round. So the team would get lots of Spirit from that.

As a proud Panther Mom I can say that we raised $4,500 from our bumper sticker fundraiser. Lots of folks in the community wanted to help out. I smile as I go to the grocery store or to get gas and see all of these “Go Panthers!” bumper stickers. I know I didn’t just help Jimmy but I helped the whole town.

Getting Attention With Company Holiday Cards

It seems like every company sends out a holiday card these days. The holidays are the ideal time to reconnect with old clients and to send good wishes to your current clients. It’s competitive when you sell office supplies – as customers have lots of options. That friendly “Happy Holidays” can serve as a good reminder so they know who to call when they need office supplies, gardening services or other business needs met.

But with so many holiday cards in the mail at the same time, it’s hard to make sure that yours gets as much attention as it deserves. We’ve tried personalized cards with our name on them – and it seems like every other company is doing that too. That’s when we discovered Embossed & Foil Stickers. These Labels come in many colors and you can easily customize these to truly stand out and make an impact.

Adding a Foil or Embossed Label to the back of our Holiday Card worked just like Santa’s sleigh!  From the very moment our customers received our holiday card, they knew it was from us. Best of all, that Foil or Embossed Label showed we were making a special effort for them. Not everyone goes the extra mile for their customer. We all know that when you show someone you are willing to do the little things, they know they can trust you with the bigger things as well. Our office supply business started getting orders, even before we could take our own holiday break.

A holiday card may seem like such a simple thing, but you would be surprised at how important the simple things are. Connecting with your customers is critical, especially when you run a small business like ours. When you sell office supplies, you need to get to know your customers. Celebrating the holidays and wishing them “Happy Holidays” with a festive Foil Label is the ideal choice for our business. Our customers look for our card – and it really stands out from the others.

But I haven’t told you the best part yet. We’ve had plenty of labels so we have used them for other things. Adding them on top of outgoing packages to customers during the holiday season has certainly gotten their attention. We’ve gotten a number of calls asking us about “these new labels.” Several customers called me asking where I got the labels. They shimmer and shine and come in many colors. We ordered ours in red and green and blue and white.

Best of all, we started hearing from our old customers – the ones who hadn’t ordered from us in months or years! Just by sending them a simple Holiday card with a show-stopping label, we got our customers’ attention right back where it belonged: on our business. Between the orders from old and current customers, our order department has been as busy as Santa’s workshop!

So if you are looking for a way to connect with your customers this holiday season, look no further. Pick out your favorite Foil or Embossed Label style and get your holiday cards ready. Then get ready for the phone to ring!

Mark Trumper

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Looking for an edge over the competition? Now that’s an obvious question! Who wouldn’t like some tips to reach a bit farther than your closest competition is right now? We are telling you to go 3D. Go 3D all the way with Dome Labels and Stickers!

Dome Labels and Stickers have got not just the eye-appeal but a unique texture that makes your potential customer want to reach out and touch them. They’re simply irresistible! The Dome Labels and Stickers have a thick, yet crystal-clear polyurethane dome laid over the label or sticker, giving it a unique appearance. These aren’t your Dad’s stickers anymore: they’ve totally gone 3-D in the wildest way. Look to the Domed stickers for that product or service you want to get attention. With these labels, you’ll easily have the advantage.

So if you’ve got a new software program, coffee bean, virus scanner or anything else people will want to buy – this is something you’ll want to pay attention to. It’s this easy: people like things that go “pop” “wham” and especially – “WOW!” when they look at them. The Dome Labels totally say “WOW!” to your customers – even before first names are exchanged.

The Dome Labels and Stickers seem to “float” a bit above their surface for a cool 3-D effect. That’s the polyurethane at work. Remembering that old adage about a potential customer needing to see your company name at least 20x before it sinking in – these labels pack a 1-2 punch, grabbing their attention and making it simply impossible to look away.

Let’s face it: there’s a lot of noise out there. So you’ve got to make some of your own. With stickers people can’t keep their paws off of, you’re making some noise people will pay attention to. Not every marketing gimmick is quite as appealing as these 3-D stickers as we are sure you would agree. When you choose a marketing tactic you want something that has easy popularity and is instantly appealing.

What’s the best thing about the dome labels? They are totally cool and collectible. Your company’s latest product easily can become viral when you give these Dome Labels and Stickers as give-aways to teens, college students or other passionate markets. They’ll stick your 3-D catchy, full-color labels in places where other people will see them, want to touch them and be curious about what you’re offering. Bet you anything they’re gonna want one too!

Photo by pinlux

The dangerous relationships between birds and windows is one that comes in varying degrees. Sometimes it’s just a quick peck of bird meeting glass. Others it’s a small series of crashes and a flutter of wings. The worst, however, are the jarring impacts that resonate throughout an entire house, leaving you and your family members startled and often crippling or killing the bird. Sadly, these impacts are far more common than you might think. In an article for Audubon magazine, David Malakoff cited that in North America, window strikes kill between 100 million and 1 billion birds annually. According to an NPR story, Professor Daniel Klem of Mulhenberg College things that Malakoff’s estimate is too conservative, and that the real number easily exceeds 1 billion birds in the United States alone.

Why do window strikes happen?

It’s hard to know for certain exactly why window strikes happen, but observation has granted some measure of insight. The first, and seemingly most common, rationale is that birds simply cannot see glass. The transparency of the glass makes the window look open, and this is often complicated further by a window on the opposite side of the house. This causes what is commonly referred to as the “tunnel effect,” meaning that the bird believes that the two windows lack glass and thus represent a clear tunnel to fly through.

The other primary reason for bird strikes seems to be reflections. Windows in houses and buildings can easily reflect the environments around them. So, while the house or building certainly appears to be a house or building, the windows look more like wooded areas which are perfectly safe for flying.

Ways to prevent window strikes

There are a range of possibilities for preventing window strikes. The most effective method is to remove a window, or to completely cover it with something opaque and non-reflective like wood or cardboard. Granted, this removing a window is a bit drastic and not practical for the vast majority of home owners. Thankfully, with a little understanding as to why birds strike windows, home owners can reduce bird strikes with more people-friendly methods.

Covering Windows

While boarding up windows is an extreme solution, it does prove a point. Putting something between the window’s glass and the outside world can both alert a bird to a physical object and prevent reflection. The line for most home owners seems to be when such a covering moves from the area of protecting birds and into the realm of obstructing views. Home owners have several options like summer storm screens, to heavier plastic “shade cloth” and even the commercial CollidEscape film, all of which help to remove transparency and restrict reflection to various extents.

Silhouettes and Obstacles

Another tactic is to prevent the bird from coming  near the window. Some homeowners put blockades, such as a tree or bird feeder, in front of a window, particularly windows that are struck with some frequency. If you notice that your bird feeder is causing birds to strike your window, then moving the feeder further from your house would be a prudent move. Another popular method, which works to varying degrees, is to intimidate birds away by way of statues and silhouettes. A statue of an owl, or a cut out made to resemble a flying hawk can cause an errant bird on a collision course with a window to change course.

The Happy Medium

For many home owners, window strikes are infrequent happenings and thus can easily be remedied by merely moving a bird feeder or placing a hawk silhouette in a tree. For others, more permanent measures must be taken. However, for majority of home owners in areas with heavy avian traffic, there is a happy medium. Make part of the window more obvious with the application of custom stickers. Placing stickers on a window makes the glass less transparent and can break up reflections, minimizing two of the most common reasons why birds strike windows in the first place. Special sticker creating techniques can even make these stickers nearly-invisible to humans while birds staying perfectly visible to birds. Such stickers benefit birds while doing very little to detract from the value humans derive from said windows.

Stickers used to prevent bird strikes can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Homeowners can make use of seasonal varieties like flowers for spring, snowflakes for winter, and even holiday images. These stickers can even be made in the images of predatory birds, thus mimicking the silhouette effects and adding to the sticker’s effectiveness.

The real key to preventing bird strikes is to change the status quo. This can be done through changing the locations of physical things – like bird feeders and trees – thus forcing birds to alter their flight paths. Or, it can be done though intimidation, via silhouettes of predators. Or, a home owner can change the bird’s perception of the actual window. Stickers, whether they are human-visible or not, make windows more obvious to birds, while screens and covering cloths negate the qualities (reflections and transparency) that make windows harmful to birds in the first place. The question for home owners is to determine which window strike prevention method works best for you.

Mark Trumper is the CEO of MaverickLabel.com, an industry leader in label and printing products catering towards the needs of small business owners. Maverick Label, the Internet’s source for cheap stickers and window decals, is found online at: http://www.mavericklabel.com

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