As the beginning of June starts to roll around, so does the beginning of summer. The students are out of school and families flock towards fun filled festivals, concerts, and events. However for the business minded, the summer brings upon many opportunities for increased sales, image building, and a growing customer base.

Events are a great way for businesses to get their name out there. In order to maximize the greatest return from an event, it’s crucial that the business has an actual presence at the event, whether it is through a booth, sponsorship, or providing services. Booths are a great way for the public to get to know more about the business, a sort of information center for their products and/or services. However with so many booths rallying for attention, it is vital that your booth stands out from the rest.

This is where promotional items come into play. The key to picking successful promotional items lies in its purpose and appropriateness for the event. At a marathon for example, your business can pass out your own branded water bottles, visors, and towels. The water bottles, which are used immediately, would prompt conversation at the event itself. The visors and towels, items that are not so easily discarded, will serve to bring the brand home. The consistent appearance of your business’ name would prompt interest in the guests. Pens, brochures, and notebooks assembled in eco-friendly tote bags emblazoned with the business logo can be handed out easily to passerbys; to be looked over when they reach home.

This summer when you’re out there promoting your business at a local festival, remember to have fun while you’re at it. Not only does it make you more approachable, it serves as a representation of your company. Look at Best Buy for example, even though the prices may be more expensive than another competitor, what makes the consumer spend that extra $50 is the great customer service. Owning a business isn’t just about making money, it’s about loving what you do and making an impact on those around you.

 

 

Hello readers!

 

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Oxford Academy in Cypress for being ranked #2 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. As an alumnus of the graduating class of ’08, I’m totally psyched that we received such high recognition.

 

Furthermore, DTN Tech would like to thank Oxford for their continued loyalty. We look forward to many more continued projects in the future.

 

Go Patriots! Let’s get #1 next year!

 

 

 

 

Read the Full Article: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/high-school-ranked-2247958-year-news

 

 Lucy

With the holidays oh-so-close around the the corner, we are starting a new project to address the oblivion over basic home supplies needed for homeless shelters. Some local homeless shelters spend thousands of dollars per year on cleaning supplies alone - this does not take into account money needed for food, clothing, the shelter costs itself, administration, etc. During the holidays, there are typical drives for toys or canned foods. However, this year, DTNtech is holding a TIDY DRIVE for Local Homeless Shelters, collecting basic home cleaning supplies.

Are you looking for a holiday project to give back to someone less fortunate than you? Or perhaps you’d like to organize your organization, company or school to help out? This is a very basic, easy drive. We just ask for NEW and UNOPENED items such as:

• Toilet Paper
• Paper Towels
• Cleaning Wipes
• Dishwashing Soap
• Sponges
• Hand Soap
• Swiffers
• Shower Cleaners
• Towels
• and much more!!!

Think of all the cleaning supplies you have in your kitchen, bathroom, closets, etc. Let’s come together and help some shelters be tidy! If we end up having a surplus of cleaning supplies after the drive, we can donate to the Red Cross shelters for those who just recently lost their homes in the California fires this past weekend.

DTNtech will have Tidy Drive cardboard boxes available for convenient storage, and a Drop-off/Pick-up service. Click on the Tidy Drive image above or click on this link for more information on getting involved! The more, the merrier for a tidy season!

 

Based on client requests, we will now open our blog to guest bloggers.  This can consist of pictures of your events, campaigns, trade shows, etc. that displayed products printed by us OR we would simply love for you to share your ideas for FUNCTIONAL CREATIVITY! 

 

If you would like to be a guest blogger, please email serena@dtntech.com for login information.  Happy Blogging!

 

 

As you may have heard, southern California will be holding the largest earthquake drill in our nation’s history, respectively called THE GREAT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SHAKE OUT. DTNtech will be participating in this drill as part of a business safety preparedness procedure tomorrow, Thursday, November 13 @ 10:00AM.

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It is common knowledge that southern California is expecting a major earthquake sometime in the future - an earthquake so large, rumors that it is strong enough to split California into its own island is just as common. With a quake so long overdue, as determined by experts, DTNtech will be STOPPING, COVERING, and HOLDING along with the 5.2+ million other participants tomorrow. Check out the the website at www.shakeout.org and register yourself/business/organization if you haven’t already!

The organizers have gone to an extent to even have audio recordings that could be played on computers and PA Systems, blasting drills and earthquake-simulated sounds (with things dropping, ground rumbling, car alarms going off, the whole nine yards!). At 10am, multiple TV and radio stations will also be blaring these drill sounds for a whole minute and a half. I have to say, the minute and a half may seem short, but when you listen and actually imagine yourself holding onto a table for that long… the minute seems like forever!

We prepare emergency plans, and we hope you do as well to protect your family and friends, as we are in this unpredictable, and perhaps inevitable, earthquake. Stay safe! And remember to Stop, Cover, and Hold Tight!! Watch the video for more interesting info.

Do you have worthy cause or event coming up that could use a donation? Part of our commitment here at DTNtech is to be good neighbors and be a positive contributor to the community. We often receive requests for in-kind and monetary sponsorships for various events and organizations. To make this process easier and opportunity open to more people, we now have a DTNtech Donation Application available.

It will soon be available from the DTNtech website, but you can download it here:

http://portal.dtntech.com/DTNtech(donationapplication).pdf

We’ve supported an array of causes, donating our services such as: banners, t-shirts, flyers, postcards, programs, tote bags, invitations, media services, etc. Some organization and events we’ve donated to include:

St. Polycarp Guiding Light Youth Ministry, VietAct campaign against human trafficking
OCAPICA during their voting campaign
CSULB HRMA for the Society of Human Resource Management Student Conference
VAYLA-New Orleans tournaments and community outreach programs
Thomas House Temporary Shelter for their walkathons/fundraiser events/outreach
Oxford Academy’s Dodgeball for babies supporting the March of Dimes
Diocese of Orange youth benefit dinner
St. Callistus Church World Youth Day fundraisers
UVSA youth leadership, various VSA culture nights
UNAVSA annual conference
St. Jeanne de Lestonnac’s Annual Pumpkin Patch
Korean Christian Reform Church of Orange County for their concert fundraiser event
TCL Hawaii for their tournament in Hawaii
St. Cecilia School Golf Tournament and Auction
Walking on Water surfing outreach in Japan
and many more!!

Take advantage of this form - we are here to support you in your good efforts to make the world a better place. Regardless if you’re a company or non-profit organization, we put our talents together and market effectively!

On Sunday, October 19, 2008, over 15,000 people rolled out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to attend CHOC Walk. Of those 15,000 people, forty people were from the DTNtech marketing team! We strolled through Disneyland & Disney California Adventures with families who were touched by CHOC and the classic Disney characters.

With an initial goal to raise at least $500 for the CHOCWalk, I’m happy to say that we surpassed the goal and raised $2,000 in support of the Children’s Hospital of Orange County! Congratuations TEAM!!

Thank you all our supporters who came out to WALK and those who fundraised for this great cause. Amongst those walking in our team included Linh Ho, candidate for the City of Garden Grove Councilmember (check out http://www.votelinhho.com and remember to VOTE!!). The makeup of the group included Key Clubbers from Los Amigos High School, St. Callistus Church, CSULB, CHOC affiliates, and more! We were happy to see the team shirts we printed for other teams at the CHOC Walk, as we are all in this cause together. Thank you to FiveStars Dental, Royal Property Services, and OC BodyWorks for your additional contributions!

DTNtech stood out amongst the crowd in our Jade Green shirts, showing our team spirit for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County!

Each walker received a goodie bag with a fancy DTNtech water bottle, DTNtech tshirt and a CHOC shirt, $50 gift certificates, coupons, and pens inside DTNtech’s new “LIVE TO VOTE, VOTE TO LIVE” Go Green Tote Bag!

^^The DTNtech outreach “Live to VOTE, VOTE to Live” Bag!

Our spiffy new clear & clean DTNtech water bottles

Lucy, Dominic, and Scott model the shirt designed by Liz and printed by DTNtech (of course!)

Elisa is knocked out after the Walk; having to wake up at 5:30am on a Sunday can be grueling when you’re trying to balance a social youngperson’s life!

Here’s a pose by our main benefactors, Serena & David! A post-Walk celebration luncheon was hosted by the DTNtech team. It consisted of David’s famous steak, chicken, salmon, and spicy louisiana hot dogs with the right complements to them all!

Again, thanks to the forty team members who came out last Sunday. We try to be socially responsible and together, we make a difference!

Join the functionally creative DTNTECH team at DISNEYLAND for the 18th Annual CHOC Walk this year! Our Friends and Family are all welcome! We’ll be walking for a cause and would like to invite you to walk side-by-side with us and celebrate! We support CHOC and also work with them, and we gladly take this opportunity to show that support! So bring your friends, fellow organization members, family, etc. on October 19th.

INFORMATION:

WHAT: CHOC 5K Walk @ Disneyland Resort
WHEN: Sunday, October 19, 2008
TIME: 7:00AM-Opening Ceremony on Main Street (Disneyland); 7:15am - Walk Promptly Begins; DTNtech team will meet at 6:30AM at a Disneyland location TBA!
WHERE: Disneyland Resort & Disneyland California Adventure (Anaheim, California) before the parks open (Park Hopper special tickets on the day-of for $61 to enjoy the park after the CHOCWalk)

TO REGISTER:
1) Go to www.chocwalk.org and register under our team *DTNTECH MARKETING TEAM*
2) Raise or pledge at least $50 in order to get your wristband from Disney! Pledge ONLINE, drop off your pledge at DTNtech by Friday October 17, or at the CHOC registration office days before the walk. But you MUST do this before the day of the walk!
3) A DTNtech Rep will CHECK-IN and PICKUP CHOCWalk wristbands/tshirts for EVERYONE on the team, unless you choose to check-in yourself. You MUST check-in either ahead of time (week of the CHOCWalk) if you choose to do so individually.

Why Walk w/ Us:

1) Receive a team t-shirt to wear that day (printed by us, of course!) & a goodie bag
2) For those joining our team, DTNtech will provide lunch
3) $50 DTNtech Gift Certificates will be awarded to one representative per organization!
4) Come network & socialize with other companies and organizations!

CHOC asks: In order to help CHOC reach its goal of providing quality healthcare to the county’s one million children, CHOC Walkers pledge to raise a minimum of $50 to participate in the Walk. When a walker registers, they will have the option of donating $50 themselves or they may pledge to raise $50 to help CHOC accomplish its’ mission to nurture, advance and protect the health and well being of children. CHOC Walkers will have from August 1, 2008 to October 18, 2008 to raise $50.

For more information on joining DTNtech for the CHOCWalk, email liz@dtntech.com.

With our wide variety of clients from every sector from community service organizations to Fortune 500 corporations, us team members at DTNtech are proud to be affiliated with some of the outreaches our clients do. I’d like to rant a little bit about one of our clients from Portland, Oregon, who had done a missionary trip to build homes for the poor in Vietnam this past summer. After DTNtech had aided in designing and making their team t-shirts, the group from Lavang Parish were off to do a deed that will change lives.

The picture above is of a home in an actual village of B’Dor, a village so secluded and unknown that it’s not even on the map.

This is a home housing SEVEN people.

The Lavang team built homes for people in this village at a ridiculously affordable price of $600 per home (for materials, not including labor). After much fundraising and community support, they were able to build a few houses and will continue this mission again next year.

Building homes, giving rice to the local families, clothing and aid to the children, and making a presence in this small village were all part of the vision this group had.

Thanks for ROCKING those shirts and for doing good GLOBALLY.

If you are interested in more information or donating to this cause, email thao_nguyen_81@yahoo.com.

Do you have a cause or team or organization that you feel is worthy of being represented here on the DTNtech blog? Send us your pictures with your DTNtech shirts and blurbs about what you’re about to blog@dtntech.com! We’d love to hear what you’re doing!

Ella… ella.. ella ay ay… under my umbrella…

Featured Umbrella: our Sky Umbrella. Other styles available.

Through economic slowdowns or business uproars, employee and customer appreciation should be a value within any company that’s serious about lasting in the long-run. Statistics have shown that the right kind of employee appreciation (intrinsic AND extrinsic) can improve productivity and customer satisfaction. A happy employee can contribute to having a happy customer, and in return can make the business owner happy!

As you may be familiar with Maslow’s Need Hierarchy in the theory of human MOTIVATION, in which each person has FIVE needs: Physiological needs, Safety needs, Belongingness needs, Esteem needs, and Self-actualization. This is related to EMPLOYEE motivation. (you can wiki it here)

Whether you are a small business owner or big corporation, your employees are still assets and representatives of what your company stands for. Small gestures such as “thank yous” and giving feedback are forms of encouragement and improvement motivators. Don’t feel like you’re a cop-out if you give your employees appreciation – remember that the majority of companies FAIL to show enough appreciation.

Sure, extra mula is always nice if you can afford giving it out. But here we talk about more of an intrinsic reward, something that can be talked about at dinner or remembered in a more heartfelt manner. These inner values make the employee more loyal to the company as well.

IDEA: As a company motivator, organize a sports league or group to do a community service event (such as a Walk or Marathon for a greater cause). This can increase a sense of belonging for each employee. This gives each employee to be involved with no pressure of performance, and for teamwork to be built. The janitor can bond with the CEO, or the VP of Finance can bond with a lower level associate. Giving a sense of community rather than an office hierarchy.

Where does DTNtech fit into this picture? If you visit our site or showroom, we can give you many examples of what to do for Employee Appreciation.

Some of our ideas that you can play off:

• Perhaps your company is going through turbulent changes. SHOWER your employees with appreciation. Put a message related to “we stick together through rain or shine” on an umbrella. It’s useful and gives a simple message.
• TEAM t-shirts (team identification) for organized extracurricular activities such as a baseball league or walk-a-thon.
• Matching mouse pads or office supplies for everyone in the firm, with your company name
• Giveaways or raffle prizes for staff appreciation lunches/dinners (customized)
• Celebrate success with matching gift baskets or duffel bags
• Encourage GOING GREEN to benefit the environment & community be spreading the message with eco-friendly items
• Stress relievers such as hand massagers, personal care kits, desk gadgets, etc

Employees contribute to your bottom line, so don’t forget about showering them (in a healthy way) with new things every once in a while.