Distributing promotional wall calendars in November or December can help keep your business in your customers' minds each day of the new year. It's important to take some time to ensure your calendars are attractive as well as useful.

If you don't put enough thought into your business wall calendars, your customers won't keep them. To make sure that they do, keep the following in mind:

1. Don't overwhelm your calendars with your branding. Make them tasteful with just a touch of advertising.

2. Find a marketing company to produce your calendars at a perceived high quality, yet affordable, price.

3. Distribute your calendars to individuals most likely to be interested in your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Decide on a good look for your promotional wall calendars

When you determine how you would like your custom wall calendars to look, consider the mission of your business and then develop a central theme related to it. For example, if you sell fruit, consider seasonal shots of trees. If your business doesn't lend itself to photography, images from your local city or even inspirational quotes can serve a similar purpose.

I recommend: Visit Gimmees and browse through their custom wall calendar samples. With dozens to choose from, there's sure to be one that sparks your creativity. Then check out CalendarWorld's Life's Little Instruction Book calendar for an example of a calendar that has quotes instead of images.

Choose a marketing company to produce your custom printed wall calendars

Consider quality and price when picking a marketing company to make your custom wall calendars. Few people will want to hang on to a calendar that looks like it's going to fall apart, but that doesn't mean you have to break the bank and go top of the line.

I recommend: Visit wall-calendars-online and check out its price list. It is pretty close to the industry average. Note that, if you wish to use your own images, it will cost a little more. Then go to Directions Magazine's website to find marketing companies in your area. Contact each and request a quote and calendar sample before you make your final decision. Don't forget to add an imprint to the bottom of your promotional wall calendars. For beginners, you can just put your company name, logo and contact information.

Distribute your personalized wall calendars

Once you place the order for your promo wall calendars, you need to make sure they end up in the right hands. Obviously, you should give one to each customer, but you'll want to reach new people as well.

I recommend: Read Amazines' article on how a business promotional wall calendar can trump other forms of advertising. Then take its advice and tell your clients to distribute your calendars in their offices. Also visit Milgard Windows' site and read about how to place a newspaper ad. Put together an ad that invites people to your business for a "free gift." Make those gifts imprinted wall calendars.

Promotional wall calendars are a great way to show how much you appreciate your customers. Unfortunately, many other business owners have the same idea as you, and you're all competing for your customer's precious wall space. So how can you assure that your thoughtful gift doesn't end up in the recycle bin, but earns a place right by your customer's phone?

There are many beautiful wall calendar choices out there for businesses, with varying degrees of quality. When shopping for promotional wall calendars, look for:

1. Attractive, unique images.
2. Quality paper.
3. Large imprint area for your logo or business information on your custom wall calendars.
4. Spiral binding.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Make a statement with your promotional wall calendars

Know how you are going to set your calendar apart from all the rest of corporate wall calendars. Choose a calendar that offers something a little different, and perhaps speaks to what you value as a company.

I recommend: Calendars for Less offers an executive line of promotional wall calendars. Try the Fine Arts Gallery customized wall calendars to show that you appreciate the finer things in life. These calendars are printed on high-quality paper and offer a spiral binding and a large imprint area for every month. WestSky prints catalogs in a variety of styles and price ranges. Check out the Dining Delights promotional wall calendar for a different delicious recipe each month. Consider ordering in the summer when WestSky gives a price break to customers.

Give them more than they expect in a business promotional wall calendar

Make an impression with a calendar that's actually extremely useful to your customers. Promotional wall calendars are now available in several unique styles that will keep your customers happy and organized.

I recommend: Give them a place to stow business cards and notes with an appointment wall calendar featuring a pocket from Calendars Now. Lauder offers custom wall calendars in a Tri-Month Planning Calendar, offering customers the chance to plan ahead for important appointments.

Customized wall calendars set you apart

To truly make an impact on your customers, why not completely customize your calendar with images you choose and even important dates for your business printed right on the calendar itself.

I recommend: Yearbox is the place to go for truly custom wall calendars. in quantities from 5 to 50,000 or more. Or try VistaPrint, who makes it easy to order online. If you prefer face-to-face contact with your printer, contact Proforma, with 600 locations in North America. They can design a custom printed wall calendar to your specifications.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be sure to order special envelopes for your business wall calendars, particularly if you will be mailing them to your customers.
• •  See a proof of your business calendar imprint before you order, even if you have to pay a fee to see it.

If you're looking to distribute a promotional item that people will actually use, you can't do much better than a custom wall calendar. It keeps your business logo, name and contact information on display year round.

Once you've decided to distribute customized wall calendars, it's time to choose between the promotional wall calendars types and styles. Three common ones you can promote your business with are:

1. Traditional folding wall calendars with an image on top and a grid on bottom;

2. Memo calendars that have only dates and lines to help people keep track of appointments;

3. Single sheet calendars that display the dates for the entire year at once.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Check out memo-type business wall calendars

If you want to attract busy people with a lot of appointments, you may want to go with memo-type calendars. They are simple and unassuming.

I recommend: Go to Farfromboring Promotions' website and look at the biweekly memo calendar. You can order it in nine different colors. Your logo goes at the top of the calendar on the paperboard it's mounted on. Then look at USImprints site. This company sells weekly memo calendars with more customizable backgrounds. You can also add text to the back of the calendar pages.

Consider single sheet personalized wall calendars

Single sheet custom wall calendars display the entire year at one time. This is a good way to get people to keep them hung up as they don't have to worry about changing them for 12 months.

I recommend: Go to the website for Gimmees. There is a single sheet calendar that comes complete with a plastic hanging loop. It is tinned at the edges to make it extra durable even in a warehouse or other industrial environment. Then look at the calendar offered through 1800promos' site. You can choose from more than a dozen ink colors and pick from a variety of fonts to create a calendar that will better represent your business.

View traditional folding custom printed wall calendars

This type of calendar is what most will think of when you say you're giving away imprinted wall calendars. These calendars look good in offices as well as in people's homes.

I recommend: Scroll through the myriad of options that ePromos Promotional Products offers. Its calendars' images range from big rig trucks to puppies and kittens. Then do some more browsing at Outside Connections' site. It has its promotional folding wall calendars divided into three categories: economy, consumer and commercial. It's easy to find one that fits into your budget.

Despite technological advances, one staple that can still be found in both homes and businesses across the country is the calendar, and a business owner can make the most out of this tool by knowing promotional wall calendars key terms. A promotional wall calendar is an ideal way to get your name in front of customers and prospects — and keep it there for all to see — all year long.

Promotional wall calendars are the perfect year-end "thank you" for customers who've remained loyal as well as for prospects whose business you'd like to earn. Get a jump on the language of promotional wall calendars with these key terms:

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Span-a-year

Span-a-year, or full year, promotional wall calendars show the entire year on a single sheet. Some are laminated and large enough to write on each day; others are smaller and non-laminated. The promotional custom imprint typically is along the top or bottom of the calendar.

I recommend: Head over to Priceless Imprinters to see pictures of both laminated and non-laminated span-a-year promotional wall calendars.

Mini

Mini promotional wall calendars are less than half the size of a traditional wall calendar. They are available in a variety of 'themes' and generally have the custom imprinted promotional information along the bottom, where it shows throughout the year.

I recommend: Take a look at the various miniature wall calendars available at Calendars for Less.

Custom personalized

A custom personalized promotional wall calendar can be customized in a number of different ways. You can use your own pictures, choose your own language, have the calendar begin on the month of your choice and even overprint on the date blocks.

I recommend: Make it your own with affordable custom personalized wall calendars from Calendar World.

13-month

A 13-month promotional wall calendar generally is from December to December instead of January to December.

I recommend: ePromos is one of the many companies that offers 13-month -- as well as many other styles -- of promotional wall calendars.

Spiral

A spiral promotional wall calendar has a wire or plastic spiral instead of staples at the fold to connect the top of the calendar (the photo) to the bottom of the calendar (the actual calendar).

I recommend: See what a spiral-bound promotional wall calendar looks like at Motivators.

Contractor's calendar

A contractor's calendar is a large-format calendar that denotes Julian dates and shows how many work days are left in the year. The custom imprint is generally at the top, while an at-a-glance look at the entire year is printed along the bottom or sides.

I recommend: See a typical contractor's calendar and learn more about how it differs from other calendars at Pinnacle Promotions.