Promotional Apparel - By: Dejan Petrovic

With the recent hit to the economy, it was no surprise that my catering company has also struggled. As a small business owner, I could not afford to lose much more business, and needed to find some way to further promote my company. I tried to think of new ideas to generate business and awareness of my company. As a relatively new company, there were still many potential clients who had never heard of me. I needed to find both one-time clients, such as weddings and office parties, and repeat clients, such as meeting organizers. I had never used promotional products before, and thought this would be a good starting point. Pens or staplers seemed overdone, and I needed to think of something truly creative and eye-catching. I wanted a product that would be seen by as many people as possible, and one that could also be a conversation starter in order to generate buzz about my company. With a small marketing budget, I needed a promotional item with a long life: one that would be used repeatedly and would continue to promote my business, rather than a single-use item. Suddenly, the idea occurred to me: promotional apparel! It would be fantastic to have people wearing advertisements for my company - particularly satisfied clients. I knew that I provided delicious food, prompt and attentive service, and that the large majority of my clients were very happy with my business. Yet I could not expect all of them to tell all their friends about my company. However, if they were wearing promotional apparel with an eye-catching or interesting logo or sentence, it would be more likely to promote conversation. Promotional apparel seemed to be the best answer to my immediate need to market my company. Tee shirts are the most obvious route, although I have also considered sweatshirts, caps, and even wristbands. and I brainstormed various slogans and graphics for them. I envisioned a clever slogan or catchy logo, such as an abstract cupcake, with my business information on the back. That way, conversation or not, word about my business would be sure to get out.