Stone paper, most importantly to me, uses no trees.  I’m no geologist, but I’m pretty sure there’s a lot more stone left on earth than there are trees.

Almost better than that though is how SMOOTH the writing surface is for stone paper.  Everyone I’ve seen try writing on it so far will begin writing a word and then stop after a couple letters because they are so surprised at how SMOOTH the writing surface is.

The paper is tougher than papyrus made from pulp so it is tear resistant.

And here’s another big bonus, just like rock, it is not liquid permeable.  You can spill water on it and it will not cause the ink to run or soak into the paper.  In fact, you can pour water on a page and then write on the paper right through the puddle of water.  It really is cool!

Here’s a few examples of promotional items that use stone paper:

Perfect bound notebooks.

These colorful pads have 12 pt. covers and 40 lined pages.

Wirebound stone paper notebooks.

This 5″ x 7″ stone paper wirebound notebook has a nice natural look and has 65 lined pages.

Screw post bound stone paper journals.

12 pt. cover with 40 lined sheets also.  Screw post?  That’s different.

It is really hard to find a downside to these stone paper notebooks.  People will love them because they are so novel too.

If you would like to know more about stone paper notebooks just contact me, kevin@kevinspromos.com.

• Tailgate parties – had to put that first
• Company outings – picnics, ball games,
• Exercising – hydrate, hydrate
• Good health program rewards – “I lost 10 lbs., give me a nice stainless steel sports bottle.”
• Parties – everyone walks away with a piece of drinkware with your name on it…nice.
• Push coverage of clients – “We’re always there with you.”  You choose an industry.
• Back to school – “and don’t forget your aluminum sport bottle Johnnie”
• Booster club gifts – see “Tailgate parties”.  And won’t it look  good if everyone in the stands has one too?
• Health club sign ups – lifting the mug may be the most exercise they get
• Marathons and runs – give me some water
• Outdoor concerts – so the liquids aren’t spilled everywhere?
• Family reunions – if your families not as cheap as mine
• Restaurant grand opening – all of a sudden your logo’s everywhere
• Contest prizes – you pick a contest

Has your company or organization bought any travel cups, stadium cups, mugs, etc. lately?  If so, what did you use them for?

Just to get the question out of the way up-front, “Why would a promotional products distributor be interested in mobile marketing”?  Because one of the fastest growing suppliers in our business last year is a mobile marketing company, offering text packages, QR code packages, mobile web sites, and more.  So I’ve become enthralled with it. 

I believe the statistic I read said that 89% of people will read a text message within minutes of receiving it.  That’s pretty strong.  Yes it does remind me of how email marketing was in its infancy.  And yes I realize email marketing has become much less effective.  So maybe you ought to jump on the text bandwagon before people start tuning it out. 

But more importantly, this seems to be such a personal way of marketing.  People and their cell phones are almost inseparable now.  And with most mobile marketing the recipients have requested you send them information.  Now that’s effective.

So you put in an advertisement for people to text a keyword to a number and they can receive more information, participate in a poll, enter a contest, etc.  Or maybe you have a QR code in your ad they can scan or take a photo of, use their QR reader app, and get to your website.  Maybe they do either one of the above and get to a mobile web site you’ve set up.  Then you’ve got them until they decide to opt out, which is as simple as replying “Stop”. 

Now that you have them you can communicate with them periodically with specials, coupons, perhaps emergency information, or whatever suits your particular organization.  I’d say as long as what you are sending is of interest, you will have them for a long time.

I’m so pumped about this that I’m sponsoring two FREE webinars on March 22, 2011 to introduce people to text campaigns, QR codes, mobile web sites and mobile marketing.  You can attend just by clicking on whichever you choose below.  All times are central.

I want to attend at 11 am on March 22.

I want to attend at 4 pm on March 22.

I typically tell them it is a little difficult to describe “everything” we sell.  Here’s a list of items I’m searching for presently for clients: 

• Fleece blankets
• Anniversary medallions
•  Pad folios
• Private label wine
• Mints
• Fleect jackets
• Board gifts
• Grocery list pads
• Energy efficiency items
• Flags
• Foldable bottles
• Key chains
• Id cards
• Pens
• Flash drives
• T-shirts
• Caps
• Mugs
• Pens
• Buttons
• Post it pads
• Lunch boxes
• Sport shirts
• Badge holders
• Convention bags
• Online stores
• Coolers
• Tool kits 

See what I mean?  That’s what makes selling promotional products fun and exciting.  You can pretty much dream up whatever promotion you want and we can find a promotional product to support it.  It works so well with other media too. 

What project do you need promotional products for?

 They look like this, if you aren’t familiar with them:

There were special education sessions on it.  Vendors who have developed programs playing off QR Codes had sessions.  The apparel suppliers were wearing their QR codes embroidered on their shirts.  They may have had it embroidered on other clothes they were wearing too, I don’t know and didn’t want to check.   

Quick Response (QR) codes were invented in Japan and have been used in industry there for several years now.  You can google it to find out more if you like.  Anyway, while they do seem to be a great business tool, I wonder how overrated they may be?  What other things like this have been the next best thing since sliced bread, only to fade away?

• Well, fax machines, although they had a very good run.
• Email – I mean do you think it really achieves much of anything for you?  Sure it’s dirt-cheap, and worth it.
• Pagers.  They’re a joke now.
• Newspapers.  Really read one recently?
• Telephones.  Yours ring much lately?
• Typewriters – man they had a long run, but it didn’t last.  When my son saw one a couple years ago he asked what it was. 

Well you should be getting the point.  Maybe you can come up with some “has-been” business tools? 

But here’s my real point, the rate of change for these things has accelerated tremendously due to technology.  So how excited should we get about QR Codes?  How much time should we put into having one?  Will they be gone next year even? 

What do you think?

What’s “new” in the promotional products is always huge, and obviously most so at the beginning of the year when the far majority of new products are introduced.  There’s a big trade show in Las Vegas where the new products are rolled-out, and similar shows in Orlando and Dallas early in the year. 

It’s an excellent opportunity for distributors such as myself to see what’s “new” in one place.  Plus there’s a gazillion suppliers there pushing what’s new, what’s hot, what’s cheap, etc.

But don’t get me distracted from the “new” topic here.  Here’s my problem with the deal.  We go to these shows, at a fair expense I might add, and get all excited and pumped up about these hot “new” products, only to get let down when we get back to the office. 

How’s that?  Because we then find out one of several scenarios:

• The product information isn’t in any of the databases we use to show product information to our clients.  In other words, we have no information, including images, to send the clients.  So if they can’t see it, then it is difficult to get them excited.
• Actually that product at the show was a prototype and it won’t really be available till March, or June, or next fall.
• Or maybe you show someone an image and information, get a nice order, and then find out they aren’t due in till after the Chinese New Year so it’s a couple months.

You get the picture, or maybe not in this case. 

So here’s what’s “new” with Kevin’s Promos this year:  Don’t show me your product until you are ready to deliver your product and it’s collateral materials.

Anyway, I’m feeling better now, and wanted to let you know you can see what’s new by just clicking here.

Disclaimer:  Not all items shown in the new products presentation are presently available.  Wait times could exceed several weeks.  Some may not actually exist yet.

You know what else?  I’m talking to other people in the media and related businesses and they say they’re seeing similar trends.  So what’s up with that?

Well, I’m no economist so I can’t quote you any statistics or polls.  However, I do know that business is typically cyclical and sooner or later things have to start growing again.  I guess it’s sooner rather than later for some. 

I don’t want to overlook the plight of the many people out there who are unemployed or underemployed right now, but at the same time someone needs to crow about things improving, and I’m glad to be one to do so.

From my past experience as publisher of Nashville Business Journal I learned that though the national media likes to focus on what’s going on with corporate America, it is and always has been the small business person who drives the economy.  It is the small business person who will lead us out of a downward cycle as well!

What do I think has helped Kevin’s Promos move ahead? 

• First and foremost we haven’t quit marketing and looking for new business.  Those efforts are paying off now. 
• We also have continued to provide our customers with excellent customer service.  One of the largest accounts we picked up recently came from a referral!  It doesn’t get much better than that.
• We are fortunate to be in a business where we can choose what type clients we go after.  We don’t rely on one industry sector to drive our revenue.  Therefore we’ve the luxury of choosing which sectors, like health care for instance, is still doing well and going after them.

So if you hear someone talking about things being bad, refer them to blogs like this.  There’s always hope for improvement.  You just have to keep your head up and keep plowing ahead.  There’s an old quote “Some people wait for their ship to come in, others swim out to it.”  I’ve got my water wings on. 

Ever wonder what dogs would say if they could talk?  Well I’ve been fortunate enough, after an unfortunate UFO incident, to be able to interpret K9 dialect.  No I haven’t lost my mind but yes I am joking.  Anyway, so here’s “Crap My Dog Says”:

• “Why are so many humans so unhappy all the time?  Don’t they realize the sun’s most likely going to come up again tomorrow and earth’s not a bad place?  Maybe someone should take them to a human park regularly to play and have fun?”
• “What’s for breakfast?”
• “Hey, why don’t you come over here and rub on my tummy a while?  It’ll make us both feel better!”
• “You humans sure do waste a lot of time on mindless TV shows.  I’m taking a nap.”
• “Let me take you for a walk around the block.  It’ll do us both some good.”
• “Don’t you wish you could walk around with no clothes on all day.”
• “Some of you would have no business walking around with no clothes on all day.”
• “What’s for lunch?”
• “Did you know dog slobber actually keeps you looking younger and living longer?  Here, let me put a little on your face.”
• “I know my nose is cold!  That’s why I like touching it on you to see you jump!”
• “Do I want to go outside?  Heck no it’s 98 degrees out there.”
• “Believe it or not I can drink out of a glass and it wouldn’t be near as messy.”
• “Hey, look here, I can touch my nose with my tongue.  Can you?”
• “Yeah well you ought to hear some of the noises you make while you’re sleeping.”
• “What’s for dinner?”
• “What is this Japan or something?  Everything you feed me has rice in it.”
• “Actually I love cats.  Why don’t you bring the neighbor’s over here and let me show you how much.”
• And my favorite is what my dog says every time I come home, “Welcome home friend, I sure did miss you.”

Have any favorite things your dog says?

When an investment advisor tells you, “My client only invests in safe places like government bonds”.  They mean, “I’m not taking the blame if my client loses their butt in an investment, so I just put them in bonds to cover my butt while collecting fees” 

“We’re not sure where they are now” .  What they mean:  “He got fired so abruptly nobody even got to say good-bye and management told us not to contact him”.  

“We’re going in another direction”.  What they mean:  “We took your idea and bought the product somewhere else”.  Or “My boss’s sister started selling those so we’re buying from her now”. 

“She left to pursue other opportunities”.  What they mean:  “She’s now the sales manager at our biggest competitor”.

“It got stuck in my junk folder”  What they mean:  “I saw it but didn’t feel like reading it”.  

“My child’s sick and I have to take him to the doctor”.  What they mean:  “There’s a huge sale at J. Jill today and I’m skipping work to do that”.  Or  “I booked a morning at the spa so too bad for you”. 

“I’m sorry but I double-booked”.  What they mean:  “I got another opportunity better than yours”.  Or “I’m just not into doing that today”. 

“I’m not going to be in today, I think I have food poisoning”.  What they mean:  “I got trashed last night and drove the porcelain bus all night”.  Or “I haven’t taken a sick day all year so they owe me one”. 

“I’ve got a big project due by the end of the month so can you call me back next month”.   What they mean:  “Surely within 30 days I can think of another excuse not to see this person”. 

“We’re waiting till the new fiscal year”.  What they mean:  “We missed our sales projection by about 25% so we’re just hoping we’ll have a job next month”. 

“We’re in the middle of budgets so it’s going to be a couple months before we know”.  What they mean:  “I don’t really have the authority to make that decision and it will probably take 2 months for me to get my boss to even give me an answer”.

“He’s traveling today”.  What they mean:  “He’s hung over and sleeping on the couch in his office right now”. 

Maybe you have some you’d like to add below?

Guess what?  My sales improved considerably over the past couple months in spite of “the economy”.  As a matter of fact, I’m not quite sure any more what “the economy” is.  Is it some behemoth monster?  Is it something so depressed it needs to see a shrink or take medication?  Is it a political term?  Is it the end of the world?  I’m just not sure.

That leads me to my next irritation, the people writing about “the economy”.  I am a former publisher of Nashville Business Journal, so I have a pretty good understanding of covering business news.  Being a pro-business publication we always strived to publish what was good with business.

I think the reporters who cover business, outside of industry publications like The Wall Street Journal and maybe some major metropolitan papers, don’t really have a clue how “the economy” works.  Most of them wouldn’t do any better at reading financial statements than they would at reading Chinese.  Maybe they better learn both because the way our debt is going financial statements may be in Chinese soon.

So in spite of “the economy” that we read about, hear about, or see reports about; some people are actually succeeding these days.  Yes I know it’s hard to believe because you aren’t near as likely to find news reports about this.  I guess that coverage just doesn’t sell, which would be bad for “the economy”. 

So here’s my advice, create your own “personal economy”.  Maybe you should just name it “your name here’s economy”.  For instance if someone ask what I think about “the economy”, I’ll just say I don’t know and I don’t care (except I do pray for those truly suffering from insufficient funds to live decently).  But I can tell you a lot of good things about “Kev’s economy”. 

“Kev’s economy”, while it may not be quite as good as it used to be, is doing all right.  That’s because “Kev’s economy” does it’s best to avoid thinking about “the economy”.  “Kev’s economy” depends on Kev getting out and hustling his butt off to find the business and make sales.  “Kev’s economy” will not be relying on any government handouts or bailouts.  “Kev’s economy” relies on hard work, intelligent choices, and frugality.  “Kev’s economy” works by not spending more than it’s taking in also.

So maybe “the economy” should pay attention to “Kev’s economy”, or for that matter “Bill’s economy”, “Sue’s economy”, etc.  Of course if that was the case I doubt those alleged business reporters wouldn’t likely cover it.

And maybe that’s the best thing that could happen!

What do you think?  How’s your economy?