Our Top 3 Promotional Products for Independent Consultants

Our Top 3 Promotional Products for Independent Consultants

In a time when the job market is more cutting edge than ever, many have turned to direct sales as a means of income that allows for the opportunity and flexibility of “being your own boss.”  Did you know that in 2013, direct selling is estimated to have accounted for $32.67 billion worth of retail sales? Additionally, it is estimated that the number of people working within the direct sales industry increased by nearly 6% last year! 

As the direct selling industry grows, so have our Scratch Off offerings; and independent consultants across the country are taking advantage of our custom, branded promotional products.  Read on for more information on the Top 3 Direct Selling Scratch Off Promotional tools from My Scratch Offs.

Custom Scratch Off Game Cards

 

If you’re in search of a completely unique and custom promotional product (and you want to leave all of the work to us) then a Custom Scratch Off Game Card is the way to go! When purchasing a custom scratch off card product, you will work one-on-one with our designer who will start with a blank screen and create a completely unique design to suit your taste and needs. All of our Scratch Off Game Cards are professionally printed on 16pt, heavyweight cardstock with a glossy UV coating for a high-end finished product. Size options range from a 2” x 3.5” standard business card to a 6.5” x 8” mailer with a variety of size options in between! With all of our custom card products, you will have full control over exactly what your users scratch to reveal.

DIY Scratch Off Cards

 

One of our most popular (and versatile) marketing solutions for independent consultants is our DIY Scratch Off Game Cards. Our DIY cards are custom designed and professionally printed “shells” that allow for on-going customization of what you scratch to reveal. Whereas our custom cards will be delivered to you as a completed card with the promotional variation (i.e. “% off,” “$ off,” “Free Gift,” etc.) and the scratch off already in place, our DIY cards ship with a blank promotional feature as well as the necessary Scratch Off Labels to complete your project. This option allows you to customize what your promotional item or discount will be on a card-by-card basis, thus making your Scratch Off cards appropriate for all types of events and promotions. To complete your DIY project, you simply write (we suggest using a Sharpie or similar permanent marker) your promotional variation in the formatted Scratch Off area, then peel and stick the Scratch Off Label over top of that. It is really that simple! This option allows for one card to be appropriate for a vast range of uses and that versatility makes our DIY cards a wildly popular option for independent consultants.

Custom Logo Scratch Off Labels

 

For the ultimate in “custom,” we offer customized Scratch Off Labels in wholesale quantities of 100,000. Custom logo Scratch Off Labels allow you to fully tailor your promotional product design to reflect you.  With a logo branded Scratch Off Label, not only are you offering a fun and interactive product, but also the additional aspect of logo customization further promotes brand alliance. Please contact our office for custom label production pricing and details. 

With a wealth of options from full service production to DIY, My Scratch Offs has something to help promote every type of direct selling business. Whether you’re rewarding attendees at home parties or procuring new clientele via a direct mailing, we will produce a promotional product that is sure to provide fun and excitement while growing your sales. For further information about the endless possibilities of Scratch Off Products, please contact our office to discuss your project with a customer service representative.

Happy Selling!

Scratch Off Labels: A Beginners Introduction

Here at My Scratch Offs, LLC, I respond to about 90% of all of our inquiries, be it by phone, e-mail or tweet. From how-to’s to product suggestions to pricing, our customers’ questions come in all shapes and sizes and I’m happy to answer each and every inquiry. But the number one most frequently asked question is: How do those Scratch Off Labels work?? 

Our product is unique and in turn, it can be difficult to fully conceptualize without an inherent knowledge of scratch off products (though you can get to know our products by requesting Free Samples!). There are endless practical uses and options for customization of Scratch Off Labels and it can be easy to get lost in the planning process. 

If you’re a little confused about how it all works, don’t sweat it, that’s what I’m here for! So, let me explain a little bit about our products…

What is a Scratch Off Label?

Our Scratch Off Labels are a clear, adhesive backing that has had scratch off pigment professionally applied on top. They are a simple peel-and-stick application (like any ol’ regular sticker) and can be applied either by hand or machine applied using a labeler or tabber.

What Do They Say Underneath?

That’s the fun part because our Scratch Off Labels can reveal anything that you have pre-printed on your card. Yes, literally ANYTHING! All of our labels are “blank,” meaning there is no text printed on the label beneath the scratch off pigment. The customization of what you scratch to reveal (ie. “try again” or “winner”) would need to be printed directly on your card and then the Scratch Off Label is applied on top of that.

What Kind Of Material Will They Stick To?

Most commonly, our Scratch Off Labels are used on paper products, but we have completed projects in a number of mediums including:

• Glass
• Porcelain/Ceramic
• Glossy/ UV coated Photo Paper
• Acrylic/ Plexi-glass

When choosing what type of material to adhere your Scratch Off Labels to, the only suggestion I will make is to avoid a very rough material (ie. unfinished wood or brick). The smoother the material the better, as a course texture can make it difficult to evenly apply pressure while removing the scratch off pigment from the label, resulting in a partial reveal.

How Do They Scratch?

Our Scratch Off Labels are designed to be resilient and require that you use firm pressure and a coin to remove the pigment (using your fingernail is not recommended). Our labels are even designed to withstand the rigors of the postal system without accidentally scratching. The labels themselves are permanent once the adhesive has fully cured, which can take up to 48 hours.  We produce our Scratch Off Labels in a variety of shapes and colors and all of our labels are designed to have roughly the same “scratch-ability,” meaning they will all scratch with about the same amount of effort. 

What Can I Use Them For?

As mentioned, the possibilities are endless! Some of our suggested uses are:

• Business Promotions/ Customer Rewards
• Employee Incentives
• Wedding & Event Save The Dates
• DIY Gender Reveals
• Baby Shower and Bridal Shower Games
• Classroom Rewards
• DIY Potty Training & Chore Charts

I hope this information will prove helpful when planning your next scratch off project. Now that you have been brought up to speed about the ins and outs of Scratch Off Labels…how will you use your labels? Comment below or share your ideas with us on Facebook!

How To Make Your Own Potty Training Chart

DIY Scratch Off Projects:  Make Your Own Scratch Off Potty Training Chart

As any parent of a growing toddler knows, potty training can be one of the most memorable—yet frustrating—developments of those early years.  I, for one, experienced a roller coaster of ups and downs while potty training my son this past year.

I did my homework, reading about all the good, the bad and the ugly of potty training boys.  We tried the “potty train your kid in a day” plan… it didn’t work.  We tried bribing him with treats, including small toys, candy, or anything else we thought might coerce him into cooperating, but we quickly learned that rewarding him with a gift every time was a slippery slope.  And he appeared to be completely unmoved by our encouragement of him being a “big boy.”

And then I was introduced to the wonderful world of My Scratch Offs.  In the midst of our seemingly endless journey toward our deliverance from diapers, the concept of a fun and functional tracking and reward system breathed life back into the nearly broken spirit of this potty training parent.

How Potty Training Charts Track Progress and Reward Success

If you aren’t already familiar with how a potty training chart works, here is a little background.  A potty training chart is designed to help you and your child keep track of potty usage and progress each day.  Every time your little one makes a trip to the bathroom, you can use the chart to record it.  The mark can be as simple as a smiley face drawn with a magic marker, or you can let your child participate by using fun Scratch Off Labels that reveal words of encouragement or small rewards for their progress.

From my personal experience, as mentioned before, giving your child an actual gift every time they use the potty can lead to unrealistic expectations and eventual regression if you’re not careful.  For this reason, customizing a potty training chart that includes a healthy mix of tangible rewards (like small toys or treats), words of encouragement, and other positive gestures (like a hug or a trip to the park) can offer a perfect balance to keep your child motivated and excited to “earn” their chance at another incentive.

Create a Custom Incentives Specific to Your Child

My son is all about dirt, tools, and things that go vroooom!   So when we were planning out his incentives, we had to think of things that would keep him engaged in the process.  We structured our chart so that the more times he used the potty successfully throughout each day, the more exciting the rewards.  This served two purposes: first, that he wouldn’t just get bored from receiving the same result every time, and second, that he had something bigger and better to anticipate if he kept up the good work.

I should note, however, that we started the climb over again each day rather than letting the rewards build throughout the week.  You may find that your child is motivated enough just by the visual evidence of successes marked on the chart, but my son was not that way.  If the simple joy of building a bank of gold stars is enough to keep your child on track, then by all means, go for gold! But if your kid is harder to motivate, as mine was, you might need to get more creative with your incentives.

How To Make Your Own Potty Training Chart

The internet is full of free, printable potty training charts that you can use as inspiration.  If you want to create something unique that really fits your child and suits his or her individual personality and interests, a chart is easy to make using basic computer programs like Microsoft Word or Excel.

Simply create a table or block of cells with borders and insert words or images to represent the incentive they have “earned.”  When you print out the chart, place a Scratch Off Label over each square on the chart so that your child can scratch the label after he or she has used the potty successfully to reveal a prize or other positive reinforcement.  You may, for your own purposes, keep a pen handy near the chart to jot down the time and “outcome” of each potty session.

A custom potty training chart created with fun Scratch Off Labels is one way to help encourage your toddler to transition out of diapers.  If you need help creating a design to really inspire, contact My Scratch Offs today to learn about our custom order capabilities.

New Product Arrivals at MyScratchOffs.com

At My Scratch Offs, LLC we are proudly progressive in our product offerings (how’s that for some alliteration?)! I would like to take a moment to share some appealing scratch off products that we’ve recently added to our stock, as well as some exciting new additions on the horizon.

New Scratch Off Labels

I am LOVING our new Baby Blue Boy and Baby Pink Girl Footprint Scratch Off Labels! These super cute, 1-inch round (US quarter-sized) labels are available in both pink and blue with tiny silver footprints. They are perfect for a DIY gender reveal, baby shower game or baby shower invitation. Oh, the possibilities!

Needing a more versatile, all purpose scratch off label? We now offer a 1.5 inch Silver Oval Scratch Off Label as well as a Mini Zebra Security Slit Scratch Off Label sticker. Our Mini Zebra labels measure 3/16 x 5/8 inches and have micro slits to add an additional measure of tamper resistance. Both our Oval and Mini Zebra labels will suit a wide range of uses and applications.

Coming Soon…

Look what’s to come from My Scratch Offs, LLC:

•          Scratch Off Bingo Cards
•        1.5” Silver Square Scratch Off Labels
•         Full Sheet (8.5 x 11”) Scratch Off Labels
•        New Gender Reveal and Baby Shower designs!

Try something new with one of our brand new labels! All of our scratch off labels are blank. They feature a clear adhesive backing that has had scratch off pigment professionally applied on top. To use, you simply peel and stick over-top of whatever you want to scratch to reveal. It is that simple!

With endless possibilities to create and inspire…how will you use your scratch offs?  We’d love to hear some of your ideas!  Find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter to share photos or comments about this post.

Your Guide To The Wedding Planning Timeline

Counting Down to The Big Day

Your wedding; a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to share the joy of your nuptials with your closest family and friends, live out the storybook fantasies of your childhood, and throw a fabulous party! If you are like most brides (and grooms!), then chances are you have been envisioning your walk down the aisle your entire life. You’ve imagined the cake, the flowers, the music, and the gown.  But what’s one rather significant—and often times stressful—aspect of wedding planning that can leave even the most coordinated brides scrambling? …

The Wedding Planning Timeline.

 

From booking your venue to mailing your Save The Dates, coordinating numerous details across multiple vendor channels all while adhering to conventional timeline etiquette can be a real head scratcher. Avoid last minute panic and unveil the mystery of what to do when with this handy-dandy timeline:

12 months prior:

•  Plan your engagement party.
• Draft your guest list.
•  Book your venues.
• Set your budget.

One year before your big day, you should already be laying the foundation for your dream wedding. Now is the time to have the all-important money discussion and really draw the line between wedding fantasies and budget realities!  Might I suggest using this Wedding Cost Estimator  (courtesy of the helpful folks at TheWeddingReport.com) to help you begin planning your budget.

• 8-10 months prior:
• Get engagement photos.
•  Choose the officiant.
• Secure your vendors. 
•  Schedule cake tasting and order your cake.
• Select your wedding party.
• Block hotel rooms.
• Book wedding day transportation.
• Register for gifts.
• Choose the gown!

Researching and sifting through a bevy of local vendors can be daunting to say the least. Access all of your options in one place by using a Local Vendor Search Tool like this one by TheKnot.com. 

6 months prior:

•  Finalize the guest list.
•   Send Save The Dates.
• Choose bridal party attire.
• Plan the honeymoon.
• Order invitations.
• Purchase wedding bands.

Your Save The Date is your guests’ very first impression of your upcoming wedding…so make it unforgettable! Might I suggest a fun and unique Custom Scratch Off Wedding Save The Date?

4 months prior:

• Confirm venues & vendors.
• Plan the rehearsal dinner.
• Finalize hair and make-up plans.
•  Choose the reception menu.
•  Order wedding favors/ bridal party gifts.

At four months prior, all wedding plans and decisions should be finalized. Avoid last minute panic by making plans early and sticking to them! 

2 months prior:

• Mail invitations.
• Write wedding vows.
• Purchase wedding day accessories.
•  Confirm day of transportation.
•  Create a shot list for your photographer.
•   Create a song list for your DJ or band.

Communicating your wishes to your photographer in advance is crucial to ensuring that you capture all of the most treasured moments of your big day. In addition to a standard shot list, consider creating a Pinterest board of all your favorite wedding photography and providing a link to your photographer as inspiration.

4-6 weeks prior:

• Get marriage license.
• Make final vendor payments.
• Send rehearsal dinner invites.
• Follow-up with RSVP’s.
• Final dress fitting.
• Bridal Shower and Bachelor/ Bachelorette parties. 
• Begin seating chart.

Leave no stone unturned! All of your wedding details (from food to decor) should be firmed up at least one month prior to your big day.

1-2 weeks prior:

• Pick up your gown.
• Finalize head count & seating chart.
• Break in your shoes (this is a big one!).
• Pack for your honeymoon.
• Get a facial/waxing.

One to two weeks in advance you should be putting the finishing touches on your wedding day plans. You’re in the planning home stretch and now comes the really fun part…

48 hours prior:

• Get a manicure & pedicure.
• Wrap bridesmaid and groomsman gifts.
• Pick up tux.

24 hours prior:

• Attend rehearsal dinner.
• Give bridesmaid & groomsman gifts.

Wedding Day:

• Get Married…
• Live Happily Ever After!

Of course, every bride will have her own preferences and unique agenda, but I hope this can at least get you started with a clear idea of what to expect from the conventional wedding planning timeline.

From all of us here at My Scratch Offs…Happy Planning!