Wednesday 17 December 2014

Incorporating Branded Colours in Uniforms

2014 has been an amazing year for Crystal Print so far as we've made new friends, taken part in local events and developed strong relationships with local businesses who have required printed marketing materials, corporate clothing, and uniforms.

Clothing has been one of the many things which we have revolved around this year and because of this we are going to explain the importance of using branded colours in your uniforms or corporate clothing in the latest edition of our blog.

So, why is it important to use your brand colours in uniforms?

Every time you, or a member of staff, interacts with existing or potential customers, this a reinforcement of your business brand. Whether you are actually at work, out on your lunch, or travelling to or from work, you gain the opportunity to expose your brand to the people around you. This is invaluable in a world where marketing is everything and staying ahead of your competitors is crucial.

On a whole, the team within a business are the working embodiment of a business brand. As a business owner, you know your team need to look professional, but have you considered using your brand colours in your staff uniform as a way of further marketing your brand?

If no, then you should consider doing so. Using the same colours as your brand to form part of your workwear can have a number of positive effects:

  • An increased sense of staff pride.
  • Increased professionalism across the board, and improved brand recognition.
  • Customers can easily identify staff in the workplace, which can build a sense of trust.

Even if you are a sole-trader operating on your own, building a brand is still important. Wearing a uniform that reflects your brand is a good way of building trust with new customers and showing them that you are as professional and efficient as large corporate companies.













Colour

According to the University of Loyla, colour is recognised by the brain before images or words. Colours can also increase brand recognition by up to 80%.

As humans we make instant connections between colours and various different organisations, including the fire brigade, police officers and paramedics. Regardless of the environment we are in, our brain will always search for colour straight away as this is the first thing we would see.
In public sectors, coloured uniform offers a way to be distinguished from the general public easily. You will always notice that nurses and shop staff will wear their own colours to separate themselves from patients and customers alike.

If you need help increasing brand awareness and you aren’t sure which route to take in terms of incorporating colour into your work uniform, please be sure to get in touch with Crystal Print today. We can talk to you about your options and if you need help with your design we can work closely with you to come up with suitable ones that will make you, your employees, and your business, look more professional.

Thanks for reading, hopefully this helps you in your quest for improved brand recognition.

Before we love you and leave you, Crystal Print would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. This will probably be our last blog post before January, because we are so busy at the moment, but if we don’t check in before then, we will see you in 2015!

Friday 14 November 2014

Introducing the Amaya XTS Embroidery Machine

It’s exciting times at Crystal Print at the moment as we we edge towards Christmas. Getting in the festive spirit has been incredibly easy this year as we scoured the market for new technologies and thought we would treat ourselves to an early Christmas present… or two!

As a business operating in Billericay, we are always looking for new ways to improve the service we provide to our customers, and this generally boils down to two things, the quality of product we provide, or some form of special offer. In this circumstance however, we have decided to improve the quality of service we provide by introducing 2 new embroidery machines to speed up our processes.

We bring you the Amaya XTS Embroidery Machine, Ta da!





















It’s beautiful isn’t it?


Purchasing the Amaya XTS embroidery machines was an easy decision based upon how well they work and how even more efficient we will become as a business, once they arrive. Due any day now, everyone in the office is extremely excited and eagerly awaiting the arrival of revolutionary embroidery machines that are spearheading the market at the moment. The Amaya XTS embroidery machine is capable of delivering much faster results than the embroidery machine which we currently have, which means we will be able to increase our production and bring you your embroidered clothing much faster than ever before. With 16 needles and Auto Thread Tensioning, here’s what the Amaya XTS Machines have to offer:

- The largest cap sewing field in the industry
- Unique modular embroidery system
- Precise thread tensios with Acti-Feed thread tension technology
- Embroidery speed - Consistent speeds of up to 1500 stitches per minute irrelevant of machine configuration
- Precise laser tracking eye
- 16 colour backup system

For further information about our new toys, please head over to http://www.amayauk.com/ and read a little bit more about what they do and how they work!

Thanks for reading!

Monday 6 October 2014

Chelmsford Canoe Club Makes a Splash for Cash

Crystal Print are always looking for new ways we can involved with the local community and help out with fundraising events such as the Annual Bell Boat Race which was organised by the Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower and hosted by Chelmsford Canoe Club.

The event saw hundreds of people come together to raise money for the global ‘End Polio Now Campaign’. The campaign was set up to eradicate the disease by immunising children across the world. Any money raised during the Bell Boat Race was donated to the campaign in an attempt to strengthen funds and broaden their research worldwide!


The day was fun-filled and packed with action as rowers splashed their way to victory in the annual charity race on the River Chelmer last month. Passers-by and everyday shoppers lined up near the Meadows Shopping Centre and Yates’ Wine Lodge to watch the eventful races. The races saw two canoes tied together to form Bell Boats which seat up to eight people.

Organiser, Barry Hower, a member of both the Chelmsford Canoe Club and the Billericay Rotary Club had this to say: “It’s events like these that make our Rotary Club such a vibrant and fun club to belong to”. - We couldn’t agree more Barry!


As a local business we help out where we can, which is why Stewart and Anita donated T-Shirts to the winners!! Hopefully the money raise will help ‘End Polio Now Campaign’ to move forward in their developments and take giant leaps in terms of finding the information they need to eradicate the disease!

Photos by: Chris Rushton

Wednesday 17 September 2014

How can you use promotional products for marketing?

How can you use promotional products for marketing?

Promotional products and corporate gifts can be very effective marketing tools as they cultivate awareness of your brand when used appropriately. In an ideal world, you would conduct extensive research with marketing activity that you need to research and you need to think about the direction of marketing before you rush into it.

Why should think about using promotional items?

They will certainly provide you with the exposure that you need in the contemporary era. Eminent research which is conducted by the authoritative British Promotional Merchandise Association showed that the mean time that recipients will keep hold of a promotional bag is just under 9 months. This gives you a lot more exposure that the fleeting impression that a newspaper ad would receive.

Promotional advertising tends to go better then other forms of advertising like leaflets and flyers which are often seen as an irritation. Freebies such as pens or mugs are also less likely to be disposed if they are of use to the recipient.

Be different from your competitors, TV and press or online ads, which are great but they are not very original. You can let your creative juices flow with promotional materials.

Promotional products are less expensive than you think and are often quite cost effective than other traditional marketing methods. This is can align with almost any marketing budget.

How can you use promotional products for marketing?

Promotional products can spread the message about your brand. People love getting anything for free and if the item is appropriate, BPMA research shows that normally promotional freebies are kept for 6-9 months which can give people a reminder of your brand or services.

You can reward loyal employees, improve morale or employ a corporate gift to recognise outstanding achievements and accomplishments within your business.

Use promotional items to say thank you to your employees. Make sure that give you a customer a useful item like a branded umbrella or a desktop calendar. Instead of just sending a follow up email to a potential client that you encountered at an exhibition or trade, you could just simply send them a USB file which is full of company information or a printed pen containing your contact details so that you have information ready at hand.

You need to be creative, such as customising the message inside fortune cookies with a voucher code, competition or an announcement for a product launch. There is unlimited scope for your creativity with promotional items.

You could also use your promotional items as prizes in competitions. If you utilise your own branded goods this can generate some goodwill whilst simultaneously giving your own brand some exposure.

Selling promotional items could raise the cash you need for your charity or non profit organisation. Branded merchandise can encourage people to sign up to clubs and organisations. If you give customers an exclusive gift on sign up this may entice them to sign up to your club instead of another one.

Sell promotional items and you could raise much needed funds for your charity or non profit organisation.

The methods of distribution for your promotional products

Trade shows and exhibitions are the ideal location to give away promotional products and network with people and source potential consumers.

Mail outs are also useful and providing a pen or sticky notes with a company brochure can give customers a constant reminder of your business. Company conferences and business meetings will enable you to liaise with customers directly, so that they remember you.

You could give away products at launches or opening events to reiterate your message and maybe print an exclusive discount for their next visit or purchase.

Friday 22 August 2014

The Pivotal Nature of Signs in Business

Plenty of work goes into keeping a business afloat, ranging from how it presents itself to the public, to the refits that it has done. A shop that is well designed and in good working order will attract more consumers. Extensive effort is often put into web design and marketing, although people fail to realise the importance of proper signage and hiring a professional signs person.

When customers go to your premises, they get a first impression from the building that you have on display. People put loads of effort into getting their business listed on Google maps, but the same effort may not go into the upkeep and appearance of their building. Furthermore, clear signs on the street should direct a customer to your business so that it is easily accessible and avoids ill feeling festering.

It is essential to any business owner or marketing director to create a sign that lets people know about your business with few shops not having one. The flagship companies really do grasp the pertinent nature of having a sign and spend quite a lot of time and money making sure the sign is professionally designed and looks good.

The saying that first impressions count really is true. Like it or not, people will generally gain a feel of a business by its signage. Before they have even set foot in the door, they have their own ideas about what your business is really like. If you had unclean products and appliances you would make sure they were in good working order, so the same should go for faulty signage. It can really make a lasting impression on a customer.

Several people will invest in their signs to ensure that they look the part. Graphics and visuals play a part in this. This means that you should also put extensive effort into the printing and manufacturing stages of a sign. Photographers, reputable book printers and other staff grasp the importance of a quality product. How a sign looks and feels is also important. You should order from a reliable sign manufacturer to get the best deal for your work.



Crystal Print have experience in abundance and the skill-set to match. As you can see from our sign portfolio we have designed and printed signage for small businesses and large companies all over Billericay and the Essex area. If you are looking to rejuvenate your business and how it looks from the front, get in touch today and one of our expert printers will be able to discuss your plans with you and come up with new, innovative ideas for an eye-catching future. Thanks for reading and we hope to hear from you soon!

Monday 14 July 2014

Summertime Madness

Crystal Print like to help out the local community in any way we can and by advertising other events within the Billericay area, we are doing our part in ensuring the word is spread and people know what’s happening in the not too distant future.


A quick reminder!
This week, The Fold Billericay plays host to the 2014 Schools Photo Exhibition which showcases photography from the children of Buttsbury Junior School, St Peters Catholic Primary and Quilters Junior School. If you’re into photography then make sure you get down to The Fold and don’t miss out on some fabulous pieces of art and skillful images.
12th - 19th July


If you get the opportunity on Friday 18th or Saturday 19th July then make sure you go to the Chelmsford Civic and view THE WIZ! If you’re lucky you might see me there, but what you will definitely get to see is my daughters performance as part of the Frances School of Dramas Production.


Is there anyone with sporting interest? Break the norm and have a game of rugby instead of football for a change! Billericay Rugby Football Club hold adult training sessions every Tuesday & Thursday from 7:30pm - Give it a go!


MAYFLOWER ROTARY CLUB


Another successful fundraiser for Mayflower Rotary Club as they raised over £1000 in the month of May for local charities at ‘The Magic Night’. Now, we turn our attentions to another fundraising event on the 19th July. Mayflower Rotary Club are hosting Music in the Garden to raise money for the NSPCC - hopefully you will all be able to go and show your support! We will surely see you there!


Another event to remind you of:


Mayflower Rotary Club are looking for teams to enter the Bell Boat Race in September, here are a few more details of the event -
Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower
Presents for its third year
The 2014 Bell Boat Racing Competition
To be held at the Chelmsford Canoe Club
Empire Walk, Chelmsford, CM2 0DE
(Just off the City centre, A1060/A1099 Heading to Springfield Road Superstore)
Date: Sunday 7th September 2014
“End Polio Now" campaign. Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease. There is no cure, but there are safe and effective vaccines. The strategy to eradicate polio is therefore based on preventing infection by immunizing every child until transmission stops and the world is polio-free. Rotarians have helped immunize more than 2 billion children polio in 122 countries. For as little as 30p, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life.
ALL PROFITS TAKEN ON THE DAY WILL GO TOWARDS THIS PROJECT.
For application forms to enter the racing, please contact either:
Barry Howe: barryhowe@yahoo.co.uk  mobile: 07775 998 662 or
Gavin Taylor: gavin.t61@iclould.com  mobile: 07545 981904.


Crystal Print support all the work Mayflower Rotary Club do and have worked closely with them over the years! We are sure the boat race will be a success for another year!


A couple more events to tell you about…
21st July - Afternoon Tea at the Sanctuary – Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary, Near Ingatestone
24th July - Wedding Open Evening at De Rougemont Manor. Pop in and see their wedding suites. Let us know if we can be of any help with your wedding stationery – invites / table plans / order of service etc. We would love to help you!

Thanks for reading the latest edition of our blog and hopefully you will have a few things booked into your calendar for the next few weeks!

Tuesday 24 June 2014

June at Crystal Print

Good morning everyone, we hope you are enjoying the summer and the World Cup too! Just thought we would pop in and keep you up to date with what we have been doing!

As we are sure you are all well aware, Barleylands Showground played host to the South Essex Armed Forces Day over the weekend. This is a massive event which allows people to show their support for the Armed Forces and allows the Armed Forces themselves to showcase their skills.

The weekend saw high quality performances in the air and on the ground, which included spitfire and hurricane shows as well as the Great War Display, which everyone from Crystal Print enjoyed!

We were lucky to be involved with the event this year as we had the privilege of completing a job for a client who is heavily involved with the Benin Bronzes. The client returned the work we done to the King of Benin (Oba). Oba is a direct translation for the word “king”.

His job was to take a descendant of one of the thieves (British military operation raiding a royal palace in 1897, where most of the booty is still in the British Museum) and return the two bronzes to a descendant of the original owner (great grandsons).

The president of Nigeria wanted them himself as a show of power/hierarchical symbol but our clients job was to oversee the return to the descendant!

All in all the weekend and Barleylands was an enjoyable one, which Crystal Print had the pleasure of attending.

SEAFD.jpg
This is the picture of the work we completed for our client.

Essex is always a busy place to live in and over the last few weeks there has been lots going on. In terms of working matters, Crystal Print have always got something to do and more recently we have been printing Rotary funded Kids Out 2014 T-shirts for Thriftwood School Day Out, which you can see below…

shirt.jpg
We think they turned out great, and everyone seemed more than happy with how they looked!

Another project we have been working on recently which you may have seen on our Social Media pages is the new S6 cars which we completed! It’s always nice to show off the work you do and S6 are over the moon with how they are looking too!

s6.jpg

In terms of more personal matters, we have all been doing our own things and enjoying various different activities which includes, Anitas visit to the Capital Summertime Ball over the weekend, Stewarts Water Skiing antics and Sally-Anne’s visit to the Albert Hall for a Romeo & Juliet production. Andy’s been enjoying the football in the pub, regardless of England’s early departure, and Tony has been getting up to some DIY at home, working on all those niggly jobs that build up over time!

We’ll call it a day for now and get back to work, but hopefully you have enjoyed reading our blog this Tuesday morning and we hope the rest of the week is a pleasant one for you all!

Friday 23 May 2014

The importance of first impressions for businesses

Hello and welcome to another edition of Crystal Prints blog.

As time goes by we are working hard in an attempt to keep up with your printing needs! This is a good thing though - we aren’t complaining!

We know the weekend is going to be a busy one with Leyton Orient playing in the playoff final and the Hoop Beer Festival too. Amidst all the mayhem however, we have found a little bit of time before the weekend starts to give you some business advice, in terms of printing of course.

After all, printing is something we know a great deal about!

So what are we going to talk about today then? I assume most of you have read the title of this blog, which is why you have chosen to read it, so the answer to that question doesn’t really need an answer. But what do we mean by first impressions?

In business day to day life, it can be easy to forget where you are and who you work for, especially in busy environments or outdoors. This is why we feel that having personalised clothing is a key factor in raising brand awareness. you don’t always get the opportunity to speak to someone, and if you do, it might not be about work. Having your company logo on your clothing is something I feel all small businesses should look into. Most larger corporations have already gone down this route, and have got to where they are today - it can’t help to copy the things they do, can it?

There’s 2 ways you can do this, through embroidery and through direct printing. We tend to find that embroidery gives a smarter finish and a more professional look. Especially for those of you who work with clients on a regular basis. Printed workwear tends to be cheaper, but won’t give as much of a crisp finish as embroidery will. We aren’t writing printed workwear off though, in fact we highly recommend it to anyone who works outdoors on a regular basis. Construction workers or self employed tradesmen should always consider printed workwear to get the company name out there. You’d be surprised how many people will remember your company name just from walking past a construction site.

Remember, when you are working you are representing your company, so for all those lone traders or one man bands out there, it’s important to make a good impression, and you can do this through printed workwear or embroidered clothing. In the mind of the customer, it’s easier to make a connection between a person and a company, rather than just having the vision of a person in their head.

Business cards are another great way to make a first impression. In fact, from a strictly business point of view, it’s probably the most renowned way of making a good first impression. That initial meet with a potential client is crucial, and the first impression doesn’t stop until the end of the conversation. It’s not just about the first few seconds. Waiting until the end of the conversation to hand your business card to them has always been a great way to gain business, but you need to make sure your business cards are ready to be passed out.

Something we know we are good at is designing. By working closely with you, we gain a better understanding of who you are targeting as a company and what you hope to achieve. We can design you business cards based on your personality and your companys image. This will give a good first impression and attract new clients.

Well I could go on all day but there’s plenty of work to be doing - Right now  we are working on printed mugs for a local church which should be ready to go this afternoon!

Thanks for reading, and as always, give us a call if you want to ask any questions!

Enjoy your weekend and have a great bank holiday!

Come on Orient!

Thursday 17 April 2014

The Importance of Signage

Here at Crystal Print we are a very popular choice when it comes to creating signage, whether it is for shop fronts, A boards to vehicle graphics, for all types of signage in Billericay we are the first choice. If you walk around Billericay and the surrounding areas of Essex you will most likely see many examples of our work on various shop fronts and vehicles.


We understand that it is important to have eye catching signage that makes you stand out above the rest, so we ensure that we produce signage that has high impact and an eye catching design. The signage solutions that we offer are not only used for advertising but are also really useful for use of trade stands, product launches, event advertisements as well as our banner printing being especially popular for weddings, birthdays and various other occasions. Whether you design your signage yourself or enlist our help you can ensure nothing but the highest quality of signage available throughout Essex.




Signage is mainly used as a form of advertising and here at Crystal Print we understand how important an advertising campaign is too your business which is why we make sure that our customers get the most out of their signage as possible to ensure as much custom as possible. We work hard to help our clients generate the custom the custom they deserve which is why we incorporate quality design skills with quality products to produce only the very best in signage, whether it is for a shop front, an A-board, banners or vehicle graphics, you can be sure that you are getting only the very best from Crystal Print.




When it comes to exhibition stands we can provide you with high quality pop up banners that are not only easy to store and put up, but are also bound to attract potential customers to your stand and will help generate business, whether it is a pop up banner with your company logo on or a method of advertising a certain product or service, either way we are sure that our pop up banners will do a great job at generating business and attracting passers by to your stand. When it comes to exhibition and trade fairs, another really useful method of advertising on your stall is with banners or flags. Here at Crystal Print we are experts when it comes to banner and flag printing and we make sure that we provide high quality products that can be used time and time again due to the high quality and durable materials that we use. We know how important it is for our customers to be receiving high quality products which is why we ensure that we only use the very best materials available to ensure complete customer satisfaction.


The use of A-Boards come in particularly useful when you have a shop that may be down an alley or street that people wouldn’t always walk down, but with A-boards alerting potential customers to your presence you are therefore giving yourself a better chance of attracting customers. A-boards are also very popular for cafes and restaurants whether it is just an advertisement or whether it shows your menu to potential customers, we always have a high demand for A-boards as they are a very popular and effective method of advertising. For this very reason we ensure that we only ever provide our customers with high quality and very durable A-boards as we understand that this method of signage will have to withstand the elements so therefore we ensure that they are of only the very best quality before leaving us, of course incorporating an eye catching design that will attract potential customers.


Shop front signage is the first part of your shop that customers will see which is why it is of the utmost importance that it is designed well to ensure that it attracts customers and it also needs to be extremely durable. Your shop front signage needs to be able to withstand harsh weather conditions such as wind and rain but also needs to be able to withstand UV rays to ensure that the colours in the sign don’t fade. For this reason we ensure that we use only the very best quality materials that provide durability and UV protected to ensure that your signage will always stand out no matter what the weather. The signage from Crystal Print is guaranteed to last for many years without looked old or faded, meaning that you really are getting value for money.




A very popular service that we provide here at Crystal Sign and Print is Vehicle Signage. Vehicle signage is one of the most effective methods of advertising as it allows you to take your business details with you every time you drive your vehicle. People walk past your vehicle or see it when driving and remember your name so that when they need a certain service, such as a plumber, they are more likely to remember your business and give you a call. Here at Crystal Print we provide a very high quality vehicle signage service for all types of vehicles. With all types of vehicle signage methods available we are sure to have the perfect solution for your vehicle all of which are all very high quality and are able to withstand all types of conditions to ensure that they always stand out to potential customers. We not only offer commercial vehicle signage, we also provide vehicle signage for personal use and have created some very quirky vehicle signage designs in our time.which you can see driving around the streets of Billericay.



When it comes to any type of signage in Billericay, make sure that Crystal Print are your first choice as we ensure that we provide our customers with only the very best quality signage choices available. Do whats best for your business and order high quality and extremely durable signage from the experts here at Crystal Print.

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Welcome

Hello and welcome to the new Crystal Print blog where we will keep you up to date with all the news and anything related to promotions and special offers. On top of this we will keep you informed on any new products and services we will be offering to you.

Based in Billericay, Essex, we have been working hard to produce the finest clothing and printed products for years now, and are always looking for new ways we can help you.

We like to hear your feedback and we are always willing to listen to any new ideas you might have and we are willing to try out anything new when it comes to printing different materials.

With T-Shirts from only £3, we offer excellent prices and value for money products that are ideal for any occasion, including Hen/Stag do’s, Birthdays, Holidays and any kind of special promotions event. By using the best printing equipment, we ensure that all the products we sell are complete with a professional and sharp edge finish.

Crystal Print are committed to offering our customers the best service on top of quality products and we always have a helpful and friendly member of staff available for you to talk to and offer you advice about any of the requirements you might have.

Here at Crystal Print we make our customers a priority and by keeping you up to date with all our ongoings we can ensure you don’t miss out on any offers or news we might have.

Please make sure you come back from time to time and check out what we have going on!