I love Design Your Own products and do-it-yourself projects.  DYO or DIY, they let new and original ideas blossom!  Do a web search for “DIY Blog” and you’ll find oodles of writing with all kinds of tips on what you can do yourself.

Sharper™ offers DYO totes, stationery, magnets and more.  These DYO products are uniquely designed to give you creative customization options  for your particular business needs.

You can go very plain or very punchy for your DYO Magnets, the option is yours.  Here are a few samples of what can be done – all featuring FREE Sharper™ logos:

Magnets are great marketing products to give to your clients patients.  They take minimal space for storage in your office and since they are flat, they can easily fit into an envelope.  Magnets will also give your brand great marketing exposure while they are in front of your clients or patients all year round (maybe longer), either in the office or at home on the fridge.

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In the design department we have been busy translating some of our many English designs into Français, as a FREE service for our customers and it’s something anyone can take advantage of.  Not everyone may know that our French selection is potentially as large as our English product line.  That’s a lot of French products!  Most products can be translated into French with no additional charge to our customers; for now the few exceptions include peel & stick appointment cards, gift certificates and laser cards.  All you have to do is merely speak with a Product Consultant and choose the design that you want translated, and we are happy to create a French or Spanish version of a design.

If you have seen an English design that you wish was available in French, OR if you are part of a practice or business which does mail-outs to both French and English clientele and wish to send both segments the same card in different languages, this is ideal.  We do a lot of translations for customers in Québec, but also in New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and other areas of Canada with prominent French-speaking populations.

No one wants to order a product without seeing it, so we’ll send you a proof.  This way you’ll see it before you order it, although you won’t be able to make custom changes — this will be a design we will publish and sell to all of our customers.  The card translation service is different than Custom Creations.  However, if you notice a grammar or spelling mistake on the design while proofing, please let us know so we can fix it!

Here are some examples of cards we have translated, free, from customer requests:

Yesterday it was time to take my vehicle into the mechanic for an oil change and some maintenance. Just like with our health and bodies, it’s important to correct small problems with your vehicle before they become big ones! Just like regular cleanings at the dentist (I was there Wednesday), I am a big proponent of regular oil changes and inspection for my vehicle.

As I was at the counter waiting, I spied a little stack of postcards on the counter that looked familiar. They were this design:

I love spotting our business greeting cards out in the wild! The mechanic’s office had written their own custom personalization message reminding clients they hadn’t seen in a while to maintain their car or truck. I thought that was really clever, because postcards in the mail from a mechanic are unique and stand out. None of my other mechanics in the past have ever sent me anything in the mail, and it shows that my current one really value their clients’ business.

At the end of my appointment they gave me one of their $10 personalized gift certificates to pass on to a friend, as a referral. This same automotive mechanic has sent large sized postcards to me in the past, which include coupons for a discount off any service.

Between the great service, large postcard mailing program with coupons, personalized reminder cards, and referral gift certificates, no wonder they are always busy. Even though it’s simple, I think they have a very effective communications marketing program. It also shows that Sharper’s products don’t just work for health professionals, but a wide variety of business professionals.

Sharper carries plenty of appointment reminder postcards and business greeting cards that are general and appropriate for any business!

We’ve talked a lot on this blog, in our catalog, and on our website about coordinating your image to save. There are also other ways to coordinate, such as by theme!

With so many designs to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start. So before you begin, think of a theme to help you choose! So… if you primarily purchase postcards from Sharper and want some variety, why not create a unifying theme for the year with your appointment reminder postcards? Such as:

Cards with flowers on them (for all business greeting cards):

Humorous cartoon cards (great for dental recall cards):

Cards with soft, pastel colors (perfect for dental practice marketing and orthodontic recall cards):

Cards with darker, stronger colors:

Cards featuring cartoon tooth characters (fun personalized reminder cards):

Cards featuring animals (not only for pet care cards!):

These are just a few ideas! Think outside the box to match your cards, and your patients or clients will get used to seeing a certain style or theme from you, tying your visual communications together while at the same time allowing some variety. There are countless ideas, have fun thinking of new themes to order postcards in!

Sharper carries a number of exclusive licenses, some of which are photographic, and some of which are hand or computer drawn. In the design department, we often have to digitize and prepare the designs for high quality printing. When I work on the hand-drawn or painted products and have a chance to really look closely at them, I’m always impressed with the uniqueness and skill it took to render the designs. So much care and creativity goes into these!

The Clayscapes designs are painstakingly modeled in Plasticine by Melaine Kemp, and then photographed and touched up digitally for the final dental recall cards. That time-consuming work is part of what makes these so unique, and popular with our customers!

Both Finkstrom and Pawstastic veterinary reminder cards are colorfully rendered in alcohol-based marker, which is a tough skill to master. Markers are used by professionals in architectural renderings, and are a popular illustration tool in comic book art all over the world. Pawstastic cards integrate marker work with photos of actual animals!

Our Toothena dental recall cards and dental promotional items are created in ink and watercolor, which lends them a very soft, almost dreamy look.

Brian Basset uses a unique blend of mixed media, which can include marker, watercolor, and colored pencil. The drawings on his personalized reminder cards often feature bright colors and remarkable textures.

Gary Patterson‘s veterinary reminder cards are some of my absolute favorites. His quirky, animal-based paintings have an incredible amount of fine detail up-close and are just so cute!

I admire Brian Crane’s artistic ability so much — I wish I could draw as effortlessly and with such economy of line as he uses in Pickles. From his inking to the artful watercolors, Pickles dental recall cards are little masterpieces. Not to mention the hilarious writing! No wonder they are so popular.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little look into our virtual art gallery!

It’s a lot of work, but a good spring cleaning at home or in the office feels great. Time to scrub things down, organize paperwork, and throw away unneeded or broken items. I just cleaned out my closet at home, and a charitable organization came to pick up a huge bag of clothes that I hadn’t worn in a long time. I feel fantastic to have that clutter out of my life and my home (and that it is going to a good cause)! Next up is to recycle old paperwork taking up valuable space in my desk drawers here in the office. Admittedly a big job.

• Check and clean up your patient database and mailing list
• De-clutter your digital workspace and your digital life
• Send a reactivation postcard to lapsed clients, and missed appointment cards to recent no-shows
• Check around the office and safely dispose of supplies with an expiry date that has passed
• Recycle paperwork and files that are no longer relevant
• Use Acrylic Monthly Reminder Systems to sort your card mailing program
  
  (having one for business greeting cards and business holiday cards, and another for personalized reminder cards and appointment reminder postcards really keeps things organized)
• Trim dead leaves off plants, or if they are artificial, clean them up
• Freshen up the look of your office by storing decorative artwork that has been up for a long time, and replace it with new bright Wall Art

When I was in my last year of high school, our beloved family dog succumbed to old age. It was a deep blow to my whole family and I will always fondly remember the canine family member who had been with us for so many years. The loss of man’s best friend can be devastating. As a veterinarian who wants to reach out with compassion, dog sympathy cards are the perfect kind of business greeting cards to acknowledge a beloved friend’s passing and to show you care.

Dog sympathy cards and cat sympathy cards are one type of the many unique pet care cards Sharper carries. Pet sympathy cards can be hard to find, but we have a wide variety in this specialized niche to suit any veterinary practice, pet care business, or individual in a professional and sensitive way.

Sharper carries a wonderful variety of personalized dental magnets, some of which are the fun and useful puzzle dental magnets! We have one for nearly every market, including an orthodontic magnet puzzle, and a dental magnet puzzle:

What’s super cool about these is that patients love them: not only do they contain small die-cut fridge poetry magnets in the center, but the outer area acts as a magnetic picture frame, for family photos. If your patients already have magnetic poetry magnets, these add some dental health phrases. Or, the words seen above are enough to form sentences on their own, such as:

“regular hygiene protects healthy teeth”
“good dental health and bright white teeth”
“have a regular check-up with your dentist”
“your retainer will keep teeth straight”
“regular orthodontic treatment helps”

Personalize with your practice information at the bottom of the frame, and either choose a FREE Sharper logo for the colored square tile or add your own logo. Help patients to remind themselves of their oral care routines and appointments with these fun dental magnets!

Regular massages are a must for those of us who work on a computer every day, and I always feel so much better after a session of massage therapy. I think it’s partly those positive feelings that add to how much I enjoy designing products for massage therapy professionals, with beautiful and natural imagery and shapes. It’s a real treat and I feel relaxed just putting them together!

Sharper carries an extensive line of massage therapy postcards as well as massage therapy business cards. You can even coordinate your image in most cases, with matching products.

Here are some massage therapy business cards and massage therapy appointment cards I designed to coordinate with massage therapy postcards:

If you’re feeling like being really snazzy, you can add on reusable tote bags too (and save 15%):

I think I need to go make an appointment for my next massage…

You probably won’t find dental birthday cards at your local card shop — especially ones that are personalized for you! It’s a niche that we specialize in. Sharper carries a wide selection of personalized birthday cards for your practice. They come in both folding and postcard. It’s very special to send a birthday card that is dental-themed instead of a generic card.

Sending a birthday card will really impress and touch your patients, and remind them that you are more than just someone who works on their teeth, you are a care provider. It’s a very inexpensive relationship-builder.

We have designed a range from fun (our most popular) to elegant, for dental and orthodontic professionals.

They nicely complement our line of dental recall cards and orthodontic recall cards as part of a patient communication plan.

For pet care professionals, it’s important to welcome a new pet owner on their first visit, to immediately start building that relationship and ensure that they don’t hesitate to return again and again. This is important whether you’re a vet, a groomer, or have another pet care professional. Sharper has a lot of great products for pet grooming marketing and veterinary marketing. We carry veterinary calendars, veterinary magnets, veterinary tote bags, and come great veterinary promotional items.

A great first step in building an impression of a trusted pet care professional is to welcome your pet owner with a card. After they receive a new kitten or puppy, the perfect way to share in their happiness is with one of the new “congratulations” pet care greeting cards:

People today see their pets as members of the family. How often have you heard the terms “furry children” or “pet parents”? These cards show that you understand the importance of that relationship to new pet owners.

Or, if they have had their pet for a few years and are simply new clients to your practice or business, how about another token of welcome? Giving them something they can take home that has your personalized information on it is worth its weight in gold. If they are constantly reminded of your name and contact information, there’s no doubt they’ll call you first when their beloved pet needs some attention. Not only because your information is close at hand, but because of the goodwill you’ll engender by giving them a useful gift. sharper leashes are wonderful promotional giveaways, and sharper scoops are well-used and cost-effective gifts. Imagine your name being at-hand every time a pet owner feeds their pet or scoops its litter! I would be absolutely thrilled with our vet if they gave us one of these after we brought our pet in:

I love designing products with puppies and kittens in them. Sometime this year I will be getting a new puppy myself, and I am really looking forward to it — they are just so cute! It’s no wonder that so many of Sharper’s products featuring kittens and puppies are so popular. One of these is the Dream Big series, which started as one of our many personalized magnet calendars and is now developing into more products, including postcards and reusable tote bags:

This year there will be a 2011 personalized magnet calendar as well as a tri-fold calendar in this popular series! 2011 calendars will be available to order later this spring, and there will be quite a few other calendars with adorable animals in them. What better for your patients or clients to have up in their homes and work and enjoy all year than a calendar? Even in this digital age, people still love to receive personalized calendars from their favorite service providers, for at-a-glance reference.

What we display for sample personalization in our catalogs and on our website is only a beginning — you can do much more, and there’s no need to stick to the format we’ve presented. On all of our sample product, personalization usually looks like this:

 John A. Smith
General Practice
110 Pacific Avenue, Suite 850
San Francisco, CA  94111-1900
(800) 561-6677

Here are some ideas on things you can do to engage your patients or clients and make your personalization even more effective and unique to your brand:

• Include your company logo

A one-time fee of only $45 will allow you to use your logo on products you order from Sharper. 

• Keep it simple
Including only business name, phone number, and website address will allow you to make those larger – for anything other than business cards and magnetic business cards or return mailing addresses, of course. But you probably don’t need to have your full mailing address on your reusable tote bags!

• Add a little personal message, such as "Compliments of" on a giveaway like personalized toothbrushes or personalized wall calendars. 

• Choose to promote a special offer or service
to entice patients or clients into booking new appointments.

The only limit is your imagination! And I guess the space available for personalization.  All right, so there are some limits. But within those design requirements, there is a lot you still can do to be effective and really make your practice marketing materials stand out!

One of our newest collections of postcards is the preventive care line. They were a lot of fun to design, but I think most of the time spent on them here in the art department went into the research! They are intended to be very specifically targeted to important topics dental professionals may wish to discuss with their patients. Several even feature unique medical illustrations.

Each card contains a wealth of dental patient information on the front, and the card back is, as always, ready to be personalized with messages, contact information, and logos. A great use of these dental recall cards would be to add some supporting information in your message related to your practice. Or, promote a special or new service you are offering your patients.

All of the preventive series postcards are available in large postcards for dental patient acquisition, or standard size dental recall cards. However they are used, they’re both professional and colorful, ideal for dental practice marketing!

Some of these are dental hygiene cards, and other topics include tooth whitening, home care, and periodontal disease.

If you have ideas for a preventive care card topic that we’ve missed, we’d love to get your feedback — e-mail us, speak to a Product Consultant, or make a comment on this post!