Low Cost Corporate Gift Focus: Surprisingly Safety wear

I never thought of safety wear as a corporate gift. It always was a must to have item for construction companies. But the humble construction bib and drawstring bag came to mind when winter arrived and there was a decreased visibility in the mornings due to later sunrise. I realised that you can show that you value a client or an employee by investing in those low cost item in a creative way. To have the desired impact, you absolutely have to include an explanatory note, because most people are not going to immediately see what the relevance is of this gift. It is rather like insurance, many people don’t see the point until the day that they actually need it. Some of the several uses for safety ware in day to day living. According to Arrive Alive of the 10 thousand killed every year, more than 40% are pedestrians. In the mornings, when I take my children to school, the sun rises so much later and visibility is very poor. There are many people walking to work, and children waiting for lifts and "die hard" fitness enthusiast jogging in the extreme cold that I simply cannot see until I am almost on top of them. Wearing a safety jacket or even a low cost bib can increase their visibility. Then there is a dreaded flat tyre at night and possibly worst of all when it is raining that increases you chance of be knocked over. You should keep a safety bib in your vehicle for these types of emergencies. We had a breakdown recently when I was with my daughter and as it was just about a kilometre from home, we decided to walk back while my husband waited for the AA. Although the area is quite safe, there was some maintenance on the side of the road, so there were several spots where we actually had to walk in the road or cross the road. In hindsight, a safety bib would have been very practical. If you are building a home or visiting a town house development, you should have a hard hat, which some construction companies do have on site, but having a high visibility bib especially if you visiting when construction is actually is actually essential.

In a study in an Australian University by Philippe Lacherez, who is a post-doctoral fellow at the School of Optometry and Vision Science – it shows that cyclists could be exposing themselves to greater danger of being struck by a car due to the driver’s inability to see them, particularly when the light is poor, and says reflective, not high-visibility, clothing is the answer to being seen in the hours of darkness. We found that crashes disproportionately occurred during low-light conditions such as at dawn, dusk or at night. Only 34 per cent of cyclists in these low-light crashes were wearing reflective clothing and 19 per cent of them said they weren't using bicycle lights at the time of the crash. "We're concerned that this means cyclists are making themselves more vulnerable by not being adequately visible to an oncoming driver.” Some ways to use the contact bib or high visibility draw string bag for promotions.

Automotive companies Corporate wellness days Cycling Clubs Insurance companies Marathon organisers Running clubs School safety training Staff safety training Trade shows for construction companies So when you are looking for ways to maximise your marketing budget, give a practical promotional gift that will position you as someone who cares about your clients and staff in a way that counts. For more information on other low cost promotional items contact us on info@belleregalo.co.za or 082 948 7461 or visit us on http://belleregaloshop.bcgshop.co.za/

Themes for Valentine's Day Gifts for Corporates

This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday. That gives corporates a terrific opportunity to organise something on Valentine’s Day. This I am favouring corporate picnics for Valentine’s Day. They fall within a romantic theme, but work well for corporates. This is quite easy to coordinate. If you have a large budget, buy wicker picnic baskets for clients or staff and fill them with delicious Valentine’s Day treats. Then get large picnic blankets which can be laid out in a court yard, in a sectioned off part of the parking lot etc. Most baskets come with all the plates, glasses and utensils for two to four people, so you don’t need anything extra except your food. Even a lunch cooler filled with Valentine’s Day treats will work well. Hire a whole bunch of plants from a décor company or a nursery to create a little sectioned off piece of paradise. Be sure to choose plants that are of different heights to create a natural feel. Get some tranquil music which you can play over a portable CD player or hire a sound system. Include in your basket a love song CD that your guest can take home with them as well. If you have a lower budget, get platters from a local Spar and give each guest a sandblasted champagne glass with miniature personalised champagne bottles as a Valentine’s Day gift. We have a big demand for personalised wine as promotional gifts. After all the yummy treats, why not and out to your guests some banded mint tins, which will be an excellent Valentine’s Day gift that will be used a long time after your Valentine’s Day corporate event. There are some many ways that you can celebrate Valentine’s Day with your clients and staff, just use a little imagination and you can spread some love this Valentine’s Day. For more ideas for Valentine’s Day Gifts, contact Belle Regalo on info@belleregalo.co.za or call us on 082 948 7461.

Upcoming Corporate Gifting Events

Back to School – 15 January Children will officially go back to school on Wednesday the 15th of January. However some schools may change the dates a little. Many companies will start a back to school campaign for corporate gifts. Ideas include backpacks, book bags or conference bags, Frisbees, lunch boxes, math sets, pencil bags, pencils, pens, sharpeners, soccer kits, water bottles and yoyos. Conference season – January to end February Many companies will start the year off with planning and conferences. Whether you have your conferences at the beginning of the year later in the year, plan ahead for your gifts. Conference gift ideas include: conference bags, conference pens, custom printed notepads, folders, hampers, lanyards, mints, notepads, speaker’s gifts, trolley bags, USBs Valentine’s Day – Friday 14 February As Valentine’s Day is on a Friday, you can bet all the restaurants will be fully booked, so get your restaurant bookings done early. Chocolates remain a popular choice, but with diabetes being on the increase, you can choose items that are easier on the hips. For example a Valentine’s Day cookie mug, heart shaped stress balls, mints, red t-shirt. There are a lot of choices for Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s is a very big event in the corporate gifting calendar and an essential for corporate morale. For more information about corporate gifts or clothing contact Belle Regalo on info@belleregalo.co.za or (011) 593 2450 or 082 948 7461 or visit our website: www.belleregalo.co.za

Your 2014 Corporate Gift Plan – First Half

Don’t wait until 2014 arrives and the year sweeps you away. Start planning now for your corporate gifting strategy. There

are so many opportunities. Here is a list of a few events that you can use for your corporate gift planning. New Years – Wednesday 01 January Champagne Flutes make a wonderful New Year’s Gift. To start off the year give your clients crystal champagne flutes as a welcome to 2014 gift. If you are worried that they make not drink alcohol, find a recipe for a non-alcoholic cocktail and include into with the gift. There are so many delicious non-alcoholic recipes to choose from that you can’t go wrong. Plan to hand these corporate gifts out very early in January. After everyone has spent their holiday money, they will welcome the moral boost of a new year’s gift. Most people will start work around 06 January, so you can hand out gift between 06 January and 17 January. Other new year’s gifts include Conference bags, Dairies or Filofaxes, desk organisers, i-pad covers, mouse pads, notebooks, USBs Back to School – 15 January Children will officially go back to school on Wednesday the 15th of January. However some schools may change the dates a little. Many companies will start a back to school campaign for corporate gifts. Ideas include backpacks, book bags or conference bags, Frisbees, lunch boxes, math sets, pencil bags, pencils, pens, sharpeners, soccer kits, water bottles and yoyos. Conference season – January to end February Many companies will start the year off with planning and conferences. Whether you have your conferences at the beginning of the year later in the year, plan ahead for your gifts. Conference gift ideas include: conference bags, conference pens, custom printed notepads, folders, hampers, lanyards, mints, notepads, speaker’s gifts, trolley bags, USBs Valentine’s Day – Friday 14 February As Valentine’s Day is on a Friday, you can bet all the restaurants will be fully booked, so get your restaurant bookings done

early. Chocolates remain a popular choice, but with diabetes being on the increase, you can choose items that are easier on the hips. For example a Valentine’s Day cookie mug, heart shaped stress balls, mints, red t-shirt. There are a lot of choices for Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s is a very big event in the corporate gifting calendar and an essential for corporate morale. Human Rights Day – Friday 21 March We celebrate this day each year to remind us of the great suffering and loss of life that accompanied the struggle for human rights. It is to remind us that people in South Africa will never again be denied their human rights. We encourage people to not only promote this event within their companies, but also to use their corporate gifting spend to help others. Choose a charity for example a children’s home, home for the disabled or an old age home. Items such as beanies, blankets, caps, fleece sweaters, towels and t—shirts are all useful items to give to children, the disabled and the aged. Freedom Day – Sunday 27 April Freedom Day is a public holiday in South Africa celebrated every year on 27th April. On this day in 1994, the first democratic and non-racial national election was held in the country. Corporate gift ideas for Freedom day include, banners, South African caps, South African Flags, South African t-shirts. Good Friday – Friday 29 March Good Friday is observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday. On this day Christians commemorate the passion, or suffering, and death on the cross of the Lord, Jesus Christ. While there are a number of other religions in South Africa, this day is still taken as a public holiday and is the beginning of a religious memorial that has its climax of Easter Sunday. Many people despite religious background will consume vast amounts of chocolate over the Easter weekend and retailers really pack out quite a spread over the Easter weekend. No matter what religion your clients are, many people welcome a tasty Easter treat. Great corporate gifts for this weekend are candy coated eggs, chocolate Easter bunnies, toy Bunnies, hampers, marshmallow eggs, sugar free eggs. A great idea is to host an Easter egg hunt for a local school. Family Day – Tuesday 01 April 2014 This was originally part of the Easter Celebration. Following the first free and fair elections in South Africa the day was renamed family day to include all religions. However originally it was to commemorate the resurrection of Christ who was crucified on the Good Friday. This was part of a prophesy that on the third day the Lord would rise again. The Easter Bunny is a rabbit-spirit. Long ago, he was called the "Easter Hare", hares and rabbits have frequent multiple births so they became a symbol of fertility. The custom of an Easter egg hunt began because children believed that hares laid eggs in the grass. The Romans believed that "All life comes from an egg." Christians consider eggs to be "the seed of life" and so they are symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Freedom Day – Sunday 27 April It celebrates freedom and commemorates the first post-apartheid elections held on that day in 1994. In 2013 we bid a sad farewell to Nelson Mandela who was a key player in the journey towards freedom for our country. Corporate Gifts for this Freedom day could include books like “The Long Walk to Freedom, Hand held South African Flags, South African Caps. Workers Day – Thursday 01 May International Workers' Day is a celebration of the international labour movement that occurs on May Day, May 1, a traditional spring holiday in much of Europe. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries, and celebrated unofficially in many other countries. Youth Day – Sunday 16 June The Soweto Uprising, also known as 16 June, is a series of protests led by high school students in South Africa that began on the morning of 16 June 1976. Students from numerous Sowetan schools began to protest in the streets of Soweto in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. An estimated 20,000 students took part in the protests. The number of people who died is usually given as 176, with estimates of up to 700. 16 June is now a public holiday, Youth Day, in South Africa, in remembrance of the events of 1976. In commemoration of this day focus your corporate gifts on education. Choose a local community school and donate corporate gifts such as backpacks, conference bags, diaries; lunch boxes, notebooks, pencils, pencil bags, pens, stationary sets These are some of the many opportunities for planning for your corporate gifts calendar. With proper planning you should be able to spread goodwill through the year to clients, staff and the community. Here are some planning details to take into account. Plan for Production time Remember the following processes: 1. Plan a budget for your event. 2. Find the gifts that you like. 3. Get quotes. 4. Plan properly, just because a corporate gift was in stock when it was quoted, does not mean it will be in stock when you order. 5. Order your corporate gifts 6. Pay your deposit 7. Send through a high resolution logo. 8. Get a layout approval. 9. Thoroughly check the spelling, pantones and position of the logo an if you are happy sign off. 10. Branding will take 3 – 5 working days after you sign off your layout approval. 11. Pay the balance of your order. 12. Take delivery of the corporate gifts or corporate clothing. 13. Allow for extra days during peak season. For more information about corporate gifts or clothing contact Belle Regalo on info@belleregalo.co.za or (011) 593 2450 or 082 948 7461 or visit our website: www.belleregalo.co.za

Christmas Wish List for Corporate Gifts

Sometimes my friends wonder what to buy me for Christmas as, what do you buy for someone who is a

Are Corporate Gifts Still Relevant

There are so many changes happing in the corporate gifting industry. Due to corruption many companies are placing a ban or a limit on corporate gifts. So you may ask if corporate gifts are still relevant. Some people even see corporate gifts as a bribe. So where do you stand? Well corporate gifts are still extremely relevant. While it is very true that some companies have used large and expensive items as gifts that can easily be seen as bribes, the general gifts that fall below R 200.00 per item, can far more comfortably fall into the promotional gift category. After a recessionary time it is far more important to keep working at your exiting relationship as well as building new relationships. Corporate gifts are an excellent way to do this. They need to be relevant and visible. They need to be given after the deals are signed, sealed and delivered and more as a thank you for you business corporate gifts than a plea to get business. Dropping off a pen that is under R 50.00 after a meeting can be classed as a promotional item and not a bribe, because the value of the corporate gift is far too low to be classified as a bribe. Dropping off items such as coffee mugs, mints, hand sanitizers or heart shaped stress balls for Valentine’s Day has a fun element to it and also falls into the promotional gift line. End of the year gifts for clients who already have done business with you also falls within a thank you gift and dairies remain an excellent corporate gift as they are an everyday business tool. Ultimately, you have to ask yourself what your motivation is for handing out the gift. If your motivation is to build a relationship and the value of the corporate gift is not very high, then you can be comfortable. Find out what your client’s polices are. There are some who have a total ban, but there are some who just have a disclosure policy if the corporate gift is over R 250.00. To find our more about corporate gifts, contact us on info@belleregalo.co.za or e-mail us on info@belleregalo.co.za

Doing Your Part for World Aids Day on 01 December

Corporate efforts to create awareness for AIDS and HIV

prevention are working. By being involved as a corporate and using World AIDS Day gifts, you can help to create awareness and de-stigmatise HIV and AIDS. Just a decade ago a community member having AIDS could unleash death on a large scale. Now with education and awareness creating campaigns babies of HIV positive mothers can be born HIV free. There are now over 1 million babies that are born free of HIV from mothers who have HIV. However there are still many orphans who robbed of their parents "forced to take on the burden of adulthood at the age of 13, 14, and caring for their younger siblings." HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 25 million lives over the past three decades. According to the World Health Organisation There were approximately 35.3 [32.2–38.8] million people living with HIV in 2012. This means that our campaigns to improve awareness of HIV must proceed. World AIDS day gifts play an important part of creating this awareness. Some of our clients have free testing facilities and give out World AIDS Day gifts to those who get tested and know their status. Other clients sponsor children’s home with clothing items with the Getting to Zero logo. Between 2011-2015, World AIDS Days will have the theme of "Getting to zero: zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS related deaths". The World AIDS Campaign focus on "Zero AIDS related deaths" signifies a push towards greater access to treatment for all. In 2011, 56% of the estimated 1.5 million pregnant women living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries received effective antiretroviral drugs to avoid transmission to their children, up from 48% in 2010. By being involved as a corporate and using World AIDS Day gifts, you can help to create awareness and de-stigmatise HIV and AIDS and help to keep the rate of infections coming down. For more information on World Aids Day gifts or to request a price list contact us on info@belleregalo.co.za or call us on 082 948 7461 or visit our website: www.belleregalo.co.za

Great Corporate Gift Give Aways

Are you looking for great give ways for 2014? Back to school items are a terrific way of marketing your brand. Some idea for university students are: • sticky notes • free rulers • coffee mugs • flash drives • pens • water bottles • Conference bags • Cell phone covers • IPad Covers • Dairies Sticky notes make great corporate gifts or back to school gifts. These are practical and low cost corporate gift. When studying or researching students can use sticky notes to mark pages that are important. Free rulers are a low cost corporate gift that is a wonderful give away. Because they are used every day, the cost per impression is very low, making this corporate gift exceptional good value for money. Coffee mugs are by far the most popular give away corporate gifts. They are low cost corporate gifts with high value. A terrific back school gift for university students. In the digital age students are really into gadgets and technology. This makes a flash drive or USB a perfect corporate gift. Who can go wrong with a pen as a promotional give away or a corporate gift? Conference bags make excellent book bags for students. There are so many colour options to choose from these days, making your corporate gifting or conference gifting option much easier to work with. Keeping hydrated is a critical part of good brain functioning, so a water bottle is a healthy lifestyle gift for anyone, but particularly students who need to keep high levels of brain functioning. Cell phones are almost an extension of a student’s arm. Promotional cell phone covers make for an idea student give away or corporate gift. Many schools and universities are moving towards using ipads as an educational tool. This makes and IPad cover an idea corporate gift. All students need diaries, which make 2014 diaries a perfect student back to school gift or corporate gift. For more information on these and other corporate gifts visit us on wwww.belleregalo.co.za or e-mail us on info@belleregalo.co.za

: Arms Deal Inquiry forced to adjourn due to lack of power

If you struggling to find a corporate gift that has relevance. Looking at the Electricity Power struggles will give you a

clue. Wednesday 23 October 2013: Arms Deal Inquiry forced to adjourn due to lack of power for 2nd day in a row....After waiting until Lunch time for electricity Judge Willie Seriti was forced on Wednesday to adjourn the public hearing for the second day in a row. The commission has been delayed for at least 48 Hours due to lack of power that hit several blocks in Johannesburg city centre, forcing businesses to close and creating traffic jams. Wednesday 16 October 2013: No electricity for Capetonians CAPE TOWN - Users of the pre-paid electricity system in Cape Town should expect a temporary shutdown of the city's vending system on Saturday, the city said on Wednesday. Sunday 8 September 2013 JOHANNESBURG - The SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) is conducting its own investigation into the strike by a few hundred City Power workers earlier this week, the organisation said on Sunday. The little bud is a fantastic corporate gift. Your Ultra-compact, Light, sound and power-storage companion. Rechargeable, portable, independent, multi-purpose, incredibly versatile electronic device Can be charged from AC mains, 12V DC or Solar panel (AC charging cable included) Emergency Lantern - 30 SMD ultra-high output LED’s switch on automatically in event of power outage High-power 1W LED spotlight FM radio MP3 Player (with Micro SD and USB Input sockets) USB output 5V (uses cell-phone USB cable to charge your mobile, MP3 or GPS) Adding optional solar panel allows operation in areas with no electricity supply Available in: black,white and green. For this and other corporate gifts, contact Belle Regalo on info@belleregalo.co.za or visit us on www.belleregalo.co.za

Sports Bags Get You Noticed.

Round about people start worrying that they have not gotten the perfect beach body for their December Holidays. So they are going to think about starting to jog or going to the gym. And remember that when 01 January comes around and bring with them New Year’s resolutions then your clients will moving en mass to the gym as part of their new year’s resolution frenzy. At the beginning for the year when on the treadmill many people are going to start the thought process of how they will run their business decisions in the New Year. So this is the perfect time for your corporate gifting sports bags to be visible with highly energised and focused people. There are such a large number of sporting bags to choose from. One of the bags that I love is the double decker sports bag. It a

firm favourite corporate gift for golfers, as the separate bottom zip up compartment keeps the messy grass and dirt covered shoes away from the rest of your clothing. If you are a swimmer, then you can keep your wet towel away from the rest of your items as well. Sports bags are a highly visible corporate gift as they are carried. They do not fit into pockets and purses like many of the novelty corporate gifts. They are not tucked way into draws or at offices like desk based corporate gifts. For more ideas on corporate gifts or sports bags, contact Belle Regalo on info@belleregalo.co.za or visit us on www.belleregalo.co.za

Corpprate Gifts for Busy Women

Admittedly this has been a harder year for me than most. In my current space I have an eleven year old ballerina princess daughter who has an extramural activity list that makes my head spin and a very busy 15 month old princess who is learning to explore the world. Every few weeks my beloved step son comes to visit after a challenging week at his bursary programme. As I am writing this after hours, I know that at least twice, my 15 month old daughter will cry for me, a she is in that clingy phase. Professionally we have had far shorter lead times than ever before and many challenges and changes in the industry. So when my mind is trying to find that calm and sane place, I find myself fantasising about a hot bubble bath, in silence with soft candle light. A calm and relaxed place where no one is calling me or demanding anything and where there are no deadlines. A place where I am not considering budget, or how much school fees are going up by next year. This is where pampering gifts make a wonderful introduction into a corporate gifting strategy. Yes, I know that I have to be well groomed and presentable for the corporate world, to look wonderful for my husband, to set an example for my children and to feel good about myself. It is just that finding the time to do all these great things is a challenge. And when I look at the average woman that I meet in the corporate world, I see evidence that I am not alone. But when I have been given a gift, I use it. One of my favourites is the Empress Pamper Set

I love this because of the vanilla undertones. It is a wonderful all-rounder pamper gift. As I mostly shower, I like the fact that this pamper corporate gift a shower gel in it. fragrance: warm vanilla & lime blossom 1 x 100ml shower gel 1 x 100ml body lotion 1 x 50g bath crystals 1 x 30g bath fizzer 1 x face towel presentation box: 29.4 ( l ) x 14.4 ( w ) x 5.3 ( h ) Another pamper set with shower gel is the La Donna Pamper Set

I love the striking design of this hamper. This pamper corporate gift is for that kind of women, who likes striking and bold designs. fragrance: syriacus 1 x 100ml shower gel 1 x 70ml body lotion 1 x 85ml body scrub 1 x 32g bath fizzer 1 x face towel presentation box: 21 (l) x 20.8 (w) x 5 (h) This gift reminds me that I really want to feel soft. If you spend ages in the shower and you have the time to exfoliate your

body every day, then that is wonderful for you. But as for me, I have to get in and out as quickly as possible, so this gifts with the sisal pad, reminds me to take care of those parts of me that are crying for attention. Plus the colour of this pamper corporate gift is perfect for breast cancer awareness month. fragrance: pink peony with citrus 1 x 300ml shower gel 1 x 220ml body lotion 1 x 100g bath salts 1 x sisal pad presentation box: 26 ( l ) x 26 ( w ) x 6 ( h ) Okay, yes, I have not lost my mind, this is not a pamper corporate gift. But is a practical and stylish large bag, which a busy woman cannot be without. I love the fact that it has a removable pouch. As busy women have less time to scratch around in their handbag for important things are only small in size. Microfiber

40 (w) x 12 (d) x 33 (h) polished chrome handles removable pouch front zippered pocket For more information about corporate gifts contact us on info@belleregalo.co.za or visit us on www.belleregalo.co.za or call us on: 082 948 7461

Coffee Theme Corporate Gifts

There is something about coffee. How would I describe it? It is that stimulating feeling that lends itself to creativity and it can be enjoyed in solitary or in the company of friends. The lack of coffee produces sometimes absurd reactions in people. Years ago at a company that I worked at, our financial director commented that we spent too much on our hired coffee machine. However when this was presented to the sales consultants they insisted that they would rather take a pay cut than be without their beloved coffee machine. The history of coffee is quite interpreting. The Kaldi legend says that Kaldi from Ethiopia discovered coffee after noticing that his goats, upon eating berries from a certain tree, became so spirited that they did not want to sleep at night. Kaldi dutifully reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery who made a drink with the berries and discovered that it kept him alert for the long hours of evening prayer. Soon the abbot had shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and ever so slowly knowledge of the energizing effects of the berries began to spread. As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian Peninsula, it began a journey which would spread its reputation across the globe. I love the first avenue coffee set as a corporate gift. It is a sleek and

stylish cup and saucer that allows you to add a biscuit or other snack to the plate. Usually a biscuit is balanced next to a plate, threatening to topple off if you do not eat it straight away. But this is a nice surface area for a small treat. I had a look of utter disbelief when I first saw the Barrister Coffee Maker as a

corporate gift option. I mean, it is absolutely tiny. But I was thinking of a percolator in a kitchen. This is an entirely different product. After really checking it out, I had to laugh. It is for those people who really like their coffee fresh and have limited space on their desk. It makes two small servings of coffee. Of course, my husband was the first to offer to claim it, as he is the biggest coffee drinker in the family and likes to start off the day with one very good cup of coffee, so it is actually perfect for him. There is a single cup model (Perk) and a two cup model (Barrister). As we are a great lover of picnics, the Out of Africa Sling Bag Coffee Set, is

just up our alley. It has a rugged exterior and come equipped with a 500ml Steel Flask and two x 200ml Steel Cups. We often go to the winter picnics at the botanical gardens and this make a great corporate gift to enjoy on a chilly day, but also if you want to go for a sunrise hike and watch the sunrise with a cup of coffee. If enjoyment is what you are looking for then, a coffee hamper is a wonderful

combination of a gift and experience to give to clients. In the featured video we show how to make the perfect Cappuccino, but if you want something simpler then the Creamy Cowrie hamper is a wonderful corporate gift. It contains Milk and sugar porcelain cowrie set holding 2 sugar crystal sticks, 2 Nescafe cappuccino sachets and 5 Lindt Lindor chocolate balls, encased in an open box cellophane and satin ribbon. There are so many great coffee gifts to choose from, that you can have an entire corporate gifting strategy around the coffee theme. For more Coffee Corporate gifts visit us on www.belleregalo.co.za or e-mail us on info@belleregalo.co.zza or call us on: 082 948 7461

Not just another braai gift

Last week I went to visit a former business partner and the encounter sent me back to my studying years. Our lecturer was giving away a well published marketing book for anyone who could remember the ways to improve product sales. But sheer luck I just happened to remember them that day. One of the methods was to find other uses for the same product. Which brings me back to my encounter with my former partner? I had taken him a copy of our latest corporate gifting catalogue, along with a sample of my current favourite corporate gift, the LED braai light. The LED braai light is a great corporate gift for national braai day, but also is a prefect gent’s gift as a corporate gift. These corporate gifting categories are fairly obvious to me. However this gent is currently studying and when I demoed the gift and showed him how the clamp works, he said “Although I have been to a lot of braais, I almost never braai myself, but I do complete my assignments outside on my balcony and the light does not quite reach the keyboard. I don’t like to keep the main light on as I often study after hours and don’t want to disturb the neighbours. This light can allow me to clamp it to my desk and help me with my assignments.” I was amazed. That particular application never occurred to me. I then realised that this LED light could be used as a number of corporate gift applications. It can be used as a camping light, or an emergency light that can be left in your car. I remembered that recently my husband was doing a repair on the car at night and because of bad visibility, I had to stand outside holding a lamp for him and this light would have been ideal. That is the great thing about sharing ideas that you get to learn from each other. Not just about applications for corporate gifts, but how to share experiences to make life better. So when you are thinking of corporate gifts, try to think out of the box. The LED braai light could well be your saving grace when there are power failures, when you are camping or yes, even when you are braaiing. For more information on the LED Braai light and on other corporate gifts visit us on www.belleregalo.co.za or e-mail us on info@belleregalo.co.za

Corporate Gifts and The Five Love Languages

One of my favorite personal development books is the Five Love Languages. In this book we learn that there are basic five ways that can perceive that they are loved or show love. These are: Acts of service, quality time, gifts, touch and words of affirmation. It is said that you need to find out what the love language is of the person with whom you have a relationship is. The relationship can be professional, platonic, paternal etc. People all perceive their interactions with people based on their own outlook in life. So for example, if the person’s primary love language is words of affirmation, which means that they have to receive a lot of positive feedback. If you are a person who noticed imperfections a lot, then you would really need to be self disciplined when dealing with people who need a lot of positive affirmation, as they easily become demotivated without positive input. While touch is inappropriate in a professional and corporate setting, touch can be used to display caring for friendships, your children and spouses. Yet, you can use touch in a clever manner in your corporate gift selection. For example if you are giving one our hampers with a spa voucher, the recipient can get a massage, which allows you to in a corporate touch in a safe method through a corporate gift and without you doing the touching. Of course the love language that we work with the most is gifts. Gifts remain a safe way of showing appreciate for people, whether they are customers, friends, parents or children. In the corporate setting corporate gifts can be used in a variety of ways. At the beginning of the year you can use corporate gifts to set the tone for the start of the year. Most people are not overly enthusiastic about having to go back to work at the beginning of the year, so they would welcome a corporate gift to start the year off on a positive note. During the year there are several occasions for using corporate gifts. Valentines Day gifts make terrific corporate gifts, as fall in line with love language gifts. During the year you can use client’s birthdays as opportunities to give out corporate gifts. Spreading corporate gift spend throughout the year makes sense as then your gifts stand out from the standard end of the year corporate gifts. Should you want to find out more about corporate gifts, visit us on www.belleregalo.co.za or e-mail us on info@belleregalo.co.za

How to Choose a Conference Pen

When choosing a conference pen there are number of factors to consider. The Conference Delegates If the conference is one where the delegates pay to attend, you can probably use an inexpensive plastic or promotional pen as a conference pen. Your budget would be low and you would probably choose a one colour print on your conference pen as the pen is a convenience gift. However if the delegates are your guests and are at a management levels, you may want to choose a pen that gives a more lasting impression. There are a good number of metal conference pens that are still in a comfortable budget that will easily used by executives but are not top of the range conference pens. If your delegates are dignitaries, CEOs are other high level managers, then you can add parker pens and waterman pens and options for conference pens. There will then double up as conference gifts in addition to being a great conference pens. Budget Venues, snacks, conference material, speakers etc all up for the overall cost of the conference. So where your costs are spiraling, then your may want to choose low cost conference pens. However, if you are choosing quality over quantity then you can give our fewer items in your conference pack and choose better quality pens as your conference pens. Purpose of the Conference If your conference has a quality theme, then you need to tie in everything that you do to fit in with the image that you are trying to portray so choosing a quality brand for conference pens will add the prestige of your brand and your conference. If you are looking for conference gifts visit us on http://www.belleregalo.co.za/gifts/Branded-pens.htm or look at our conference pen catalogue or e-mail us on info@belleregalo.co.za or call us on: 082 948 7461

Valentines Day Gifts

Valentine’s Day is that romantic ritual that comes every year like an anniversary or birthday. But unlike an anniversary or a birthday that is unique to that some one special in your life and your remembering it could severely jeopardize you reputation, Valentine’s Day has a vast number of reminders. Months before Valentine’s Day there are countless retail reminders. Stores start bringing out their Valentine’s Day offerings in January. Stationary stores start bringing out their Valentine's Day Cards and Valentine’s Day gift wrap out in January as well. Restaurants start advertising their Valentine’s Day dinners and lunches well in advance. Hotels start sending their regular clients Valentine’s Day specials in advance as well. So in short you really have no excuse to not plan for Valentine’s Day. In fact Valentine’s Day is a test of personal organizational skills and relationship building skills. The reason that loved ones get annoyed about not getting Valentine’s Day gifts is because lack of planning shows that the relationship is not valued. In business we are taught that relationships have tremendous long term value. This is one of the reasons that we send out corporate gifts or even corporate Valentine’s Day gifts. Whether you are in sales or not customers are at the end of the day the ones day creates salaries. So when you buy your groceries and pay your children’s school fees or buy your loved one a Valentine’s day gift, it is because of the money that you have earned from customer’s spend. Essentially our hours are spent in two key areas, at work and at home. We all value or should value our careers and they provide lifestyle, but we should also value our loved ones as these are key relationships in life. Yet too many people will spend hours working on maintaining relationships with clients and then spend the rest of their time maintaining relationships with the television, contents of the fridge and their pillows while their loved ones get the dregs. So this year instead of bemoaning how commercial Valentine’s Day is, rather be thankful that you have their early reminder s that people matter and not just because they create your salary, but because many of the things that you take for granted would not be there without them. So thanks Valentine’s Day for reminding me that who I am has a lot to do with the people who have invested in my life and how much I invest in their lives. Thank you for the opportunity that Valentine’s Day. brings. For ideas about Valnetine's Day contact us on info@belleregalo.co.za, visit us on www.belleregalo.co.za or call us on 0829487461.