2014: A Sorta Renaissance

Hello, ladies and gents!

Allow myself to introduce…myself. I am Brianna and I am the new “girl behind the blog” (save for the occasional peppering of a guest contributor or two!). I’m thrilled about the opportunity to get you up to speed on the recent exciting changes at My Scratch Offs, LLC (notice we’ve dropped the “Labels” from our name), as well as share all of my “expert” scratch off product knowledge that I have cultivated over my two years with the company. 

The utter versatility of our scratch off labels is just part of what makes our products so useful and fun. The possibilities are endless, with applications from business promotions to bridal shower games to gender reveals, and I’m gonna blog all about it!

Since its conception six years ago, My Scratch Offs, LLC has evolved from a home-based business operated solely by our fearless leader, Karen, into a multi-member team and scratch off industry leader.  Today we are selling our progressive line of products out of our brick-and-mortar store and across multiple web-sales channels including:  Amazon, Etsy & eBay. Not too shabby for a veteran, full-time military spouse and mother of two!  

So what are some of these exciting changes you may ask? Over the course of 2014, we have changed our logo and re-branded to become My Scratch Offs (formerly My Scratch Off Labels, LLC), relocated into a new (and much larger!) production and retail facility, and undergone a complete web redesign…all while increasing our retail offerings by nearly 20%! 2014 has been one heckuva year and it’s not over yet.  We are constantly developing new and exciting designs and introducing new products and services.

I’m genuinely excited by the opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas with you! But before I dive right into the good stuff: a little bit about me.  I was born on the cusp of Capricorn and Aquarius (which makes me particularly unassuming yet ambitious…or so they say) and I have a particular knack for diplomacy, “from scratch” cooking and making lists. I’m a full-time step mommy and a part-time rock star. I’m also MSO’s customer service and social media guru. I love to be creative. I love sunshine, coffee and my job! I love coming to work every day and I’m very much looking forward to sharing some of my daily excitement with you.

Intrigued? Good!  Now stay tuned, next week: bridal inspiration.

Year End Celebration ~ Scratch Off Giveaway

2011 has been a record breaking year for MyScratchOffLabels.com. There are so many factors that play into the success of our small business: the quality and affordability of our product, its versatility, customer satisfaction, but most importantly our CUSTOMERS. Thank you for your continued support and your willingness to tell others about us.
We are ending the year in CELEBRATION of things past and great things to come!
Please join us as we strive towards 1000 likes on Facebook and $25 in product giveaways.

Businesses we love!

As an online business who operates without a physical storefront, we’re well aware of just how vital it is to get your business’s name out into the public eye. Throughout the years, we’ve been extremely lucky to have received help from some amazing people out there, and have since gained over 6,000 followers on Twitter and over 700 fans on Facebook. Now, we’d like to return the favor and spread the word about some of our favorite businesses out there at the moment! Be sure to check out our friends and add them on Twitter and Facebook.

Mrs. Why Knot (http://mrswhyknot.blogspot.com/) – Mrs. Why Knot has been kind enough to feature us a few different times over the course of the past couple of months! A brilliant and inspiring wedding blog, Mrs. Why Knot helps keeps bride up to date on some of the latest trends and hottest vendors to keep their wedding at the forefront of style.

Jennifer Lynn Events (http://www.jenniferlynnevents.com/) – Located in Simsbury, CT, Jennifer Lynn Events may be one of our newest friends, but the inspiring details they showcase—such as a mouthwateringly gorgeous dessert/candy table and seating cards folded to look like real seats—prove that they are more than able to follow through on their promise to provide unique touches to your event that your guests will always remember.

Orchid Weddings (http://www.orchid-weddings.co.uk/) –Looking for a wedding planner in the UK? Orchid Weddings, located in Kent, London and the South East of England helps relieve all the stress of planning of a wedding! Sit back and relax, as Orchid Weddings takes care of even the smallest details in your wedding, right down to the Mother of the Groom Dress Search!

Jen’s Closet (http://www.etsy.com/shop/jenscloset) – On the lookout for that perfect vintage knick knack to add that certain panache to a room? Jen’s Closet boasts an enormous variety of household goods sure from Vintage Linens to Crystal Dinnerware. She’s also got a wide variety of items on sale for $15 and under for those bargain hunters out there!

Mommy of 3 Peas (http://mommyof3peas.com/) –Are you looking for a way to get your name out there in the world of social media? Not quite sure where to begin? Mommy of 3 Peas provides a perfect way for you to begin promoting your business! By linking small businesses to one another, Mommy of 3 Peas allows businesses to quickly make connections with the sort of people they need to keep their business thriving.

Are there any businesses you can think of that we should’ve included on this list? Let us know on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/myscratchofflabels!

New fun ways to use our labels!

One of the best aspects of our scratch-off labels is the complete versatility they give our customers. Are you looking for a fun way to incorporate a new idea into your wedding? Why not try one of our Wedding or Bridal Shower game card packs? Looking for a new way to let people know about your business? We have that covered too, with our customizable business promotional cards. We can help you design the product, or you can design it on your own—because we sell the labels themselves separately, you, as the customer, have complete control over the final product.

But what if you’re stuck about just how to use our Scratch Off labels? I’ve spoken with many people who find the labels intriguing but can’t seem to come up with a use of their own for them. Well, today, we’re going to go over some unique ways we’ve seen people use our labels over the years, as well as offer up a few new suggestions that may catch your eye! Curious about the man who proposed with our product? Looking for a way to spice up your next barbeque? Then you’re in the right place.

When dropping off orders at the post office, one of the mail clerks stopped me and asked me what the most interesting use of our labels has been. Without doubt, the most exciting one in recent memory is that of Reuben, the graphic designer who created his own design to match that of a local restaurant’s frequently visited by him and his girlfriend. While at first glance, the card appears to be just another coupon-style saver, you scratch to reveal the prize—a husband of your very own, who will promise to love you, adore you, and care for you. Did she say yes? The verdict is still out, but we’ve got a good feeling about this one.

Who out there is a teacher or happens to know a teacher always in the market for a fun new way to interact with kids in the classroom? Why not make a scratch-off chores list for school? Keep the children’s names on a chart with a replaceable card with that week’s responsibility hidden by a scratch-off label. Then, have each child unpin their task for the week and discover what their job is! Imagine the way the line-leader’s face will light up after uncovering that information. Even passing out papers doesn’t seem so bad if you get to play that sort of game to discover your job.

What about you party-planners out there looking for a new way to entertain your guests? The next time you make a batch of cupcakes, why not make a scratch-off cake-topper to go with them? Have one or two cupcakes be the special winners. It’s a guaranteed way to keep your guests coming back for more dessert. Even if a guest does receive a sorry cake-topper, with a cupcake in hand, everyone walks away a winner.

A slightly more devious use for our labels—why not use them to prank your friends? Has someone around the office been playing tricks or causing trouble on you? Design a standard looking business card and have what’s under the label blow their mind. We won’t offer too many other suggestions on this one. That sort of trickery is all up to you.

We’ve offered up a few suggestions for new ways to use our scratch off labels. Have any more in mind? Send your ideas to tara@myscratchofflabels.com and we’ll feature them on the next issue of our newsletter!

Stark County Library uses Scratch Off Labels for Summer Fun!

Here at My Scratch Off Labels, we’re always going on about the many uses people have found for our little scratch off stickers. We’ve seen some gorgeous Save the Dates that our customers have designed, and we’ve marveled at the ingenious business promotions that these companies have come up with. We’re proud to have been a part of so many people’s special days, from weddings and anniversaries to holiday parties and baby showers. But this summer, My Scratch Off Labels has gotten the chance to help out a whole community!

The Stark County District Library is based out of Canton, Ohio. With ten different locations and four roaming bookmobiles, the district serves 250,000 people. This summer, the Stark County Library has chosen to use some of our scratch off labels as part of a rewards system within their Summer Reading Clubs. We spoke with Linda Dahl, the Public Information manager for the library, to find out more about how our scratch off labels are being used.

“Each time a customer checks out a book or a magazine or an audio book they receive a scratch off ticket,” Dahl explained through the course of our email correspondence. Dahl went on to convey just how our scratch off labels have been used within the program, whose theme this year is One World, Many Stories, saying, “Each time a customer checks out a book or a magazine or an audio book they receive a scratch off ticket.”

Each reader will either receive a “Winner!” card or a “Keep Reading!” card upon scratching off the label. If the reader finds a winner card, they’ll receive some sort of small, instant prize, such as a bookmark, pen, or a coupon for a Wendy’s Frosty. Readers can also fill out the back of their ticket and turn it in to enter into the grand prize drawing at the end of the season, when the Summer Reading Clubs come to a close.

“All feedback has been positive,” Dahl said, when asked how people have been responding to the scratch off game cards. “Kids and adults find the program easy and fun. We did an online search for vendors [while looking for scratch off labels]. We also requested samples from vendors so that we could determine the quality and ease of using the product—My Scratch Off Labels was the successful low price bidder.”

The Stark County Library has found a way to use our scratch off labels to grab people’s attention around their community and keep them coming back for more. We’ve always said that there are a thousand different uses for our scratch off labels, and the Stark County Library has just added one more to the list.

Do you have an interesting idea of how to use our labels? One that maybe we haven’t considered before? If so, then let us know! Send me an email at tara@myscratchofflabels.com, and maybe we can fit your idea into our next newsletter.