Don't balk at the pricing and costs of business presentation folders before considering the net gains you'll eventually earn. A business presentation folder helps sell something — a concept, product, proposal, service, project or company. Quality, custom presentation folders lend credibility to the overall product/service/concept, because they serve as a reflection of what's inside them and of your company. Conversely, no folders, flimsy folders or unprofessional-looking folders detract from your message and reflect poorly on your company.

Your investment in presentation folders for business activities will help you win new projects and new customers. Remember, it's the small things that can kill a deal when you least expect it. To keep costs minimal:

1. Request free presentation folder samples before buying to ensure satisfaction with paper stock quality/durability.

2. Print enough presentation folders the first time. While companies offer discounted rates for reprints, you ultimately pay less by including extra folders in the original order.

3. Consider the cost of all items you'll create/print for inside the presentation folders, too.

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Consider factors affecting pricing of company presentation folders

Paper stock, vinyl or plastic affects your price. Since your folders will contain important information you want recipients to keep, a quality durable folder increases the likelihood someone won't just throw it away. Other design factors like folder size, number of pockets, and the number of folders you order also figure into pricing.

I recommend: Visit Los Angeles Printing Service to learn more about various paper stock categories. View an example of how buying in larger quantities affects pricing of business folders at VistaPrint.

Figure in logo and ink/printing costs for full color printed folders

Many printing companies let you design your own logo or other artwork for free using their own online design studios. If you plan to upload a logo/image/design for your folders to a presentation printing company, see if the company charges a fee for the service (roughly $5 per image). The printing process, and inks you select, also bear directly on the finished price of your corporate presentation folders. For example, Hexachrome, an ultra-high fidelity six-color printing process developed by Pantone will cost more but produces dramatically improved color range and accuracy over four-color process printing. Hexachrome can add roughly $150 or more to your overall cost, depending on the size of your order. When working with a tight budget, don't underestimate the power of a classic black/white or single-color design that looks clean, professional and very modern. Just remember the more ink you use, the more you'll pay.

I recommend: You won't pay for uploading graphics to your printing company at MARCO Promotional Products. Understand what you're getting in terms of color by learning more about color combinations RGB (red, green and blue) and CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) and how to prepare your artwork for printing at USA Printing Online to avoid corrections that could cost extra.

Look for additional costs affecting the final price of professional presentation folders

Folders cost enough, so look for printing companies with free shipping options. Look out for charges for set up and handling, bleeds (color to edge of folder) and changes made after placing the original order.

I recommend: Check out free shipping options at KoolPrint. Quickly compare presentation folder prices and optional/additional cost breakdown for different quantities at Company Folders, Inc. Company Folders will add your logo to the imprint area of any standard item for free, and they also provide free standard business card slits with your folders. PrintingForLess.com spells out its pricing policy, and you can use its calculator on the presentation folder page to determine exact pricing.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Check return/refund policies offered by any presentation folder printing company. With custom-designed folders, you may not get a refund if you decide the presentation folders didn't turn out as you expected, unless you can prove the company made an error.

Many prospective customers form their first impression of your company not from your Web site, but from your presentation folder. Consider the abundance of company literature that you place in a presentation folder and disseminate at trade shows, conferences and meetings, and mail to prospects. With so much riding on your presentation folder, it makes sense to give careful thought to its look and feel.  Some factors to consider: 

1. Your presentation folder design should be consistent with the design of your letterhead, brochures and other company literature, as well as your Web site.
2. Make it easy for prospects to find your contact information and Web site address. Select a folder with an inside pocket that includes a slot where you can insert your business card. 
3. A presentation folder that creases or falls apart easily doesn’t reflect well on your company. Select a paper stock that can withstand the rigors of travel. 

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Call a design pro to create your presentation folders

You'll get the best results if you hire a professional graphic designer to design your presentation folder. If funds are tight and you have to go the do-it-yourself route, look for folder design templates to help you achieve a polished, professional look.

I recommend: Ask the designer who designed your product literature to create a folder design that complements your other marketing material. If that person is unavailable, search for an experienced graphic designer on Freelance Designers. If you're serving as the designer, PrintingForLess.com offers several presentation folder design templates for PC and Mac users, along with a PDF with layout instructions. At All Graphic Design you'll find links to folder templates and design tips.

Select a presentation folder that stands out from the crowd

Impress your customers with a folder that makes its own statement.

I recommend: Create your own folders with Neenah Paper's custom pocket folders. They're available in a variety of colors and paper weights, and come with templates that guide you in placing copy and graphics. Another way to make a mark is to put your business card front and center on a single-panel presentation folder from Paper Presentation. Slip a promotional or instructional CD-ROM or DVD into your presentation folder; KoolPrint.com sells folders with a die cut slit designed for your disks. If you'll be mailing your marketing package, have envelopes on hand that complement your folder. At Company Folders Inc. select from a variety of presentation folders and envelopes, including binders that can serve as ring presentation folders. You can also download design templates.

Make presentation folder printing easy

Getting printed presentation folders doesn't have to involve a lot of people or a dedicated design team. You can hand your custom presentation folders over to a Web-based printer that will design as well as print your folders.

I recommend: The Folder Store handles presentation folder printing and design. Office Depot will customize some of its presentation folders by adding your logo or other artwork to the folder's cover. When you need last-minute presentation folder printing, go to 48HourPrint.com, select a pocket folder and upload your artwork. The company promises to deliver a proof of your folder a few minutes later, and ship your printed folders within two days.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For a dramatic effect, consider putting a photo on the cover of your presentation folder.
• •  Your graphic designer should provide two or three preliminary presentation folder design choices.
• •  Put your presentation folders to work as an internal marketing tool. Place employee-orientation material in your folders and hand them to new employees.

Making the most of business presentation folders will help organize and promote your company, save time and ultimately help you attract and keep your clients. Stay organized with a less expensive business presentation folder, and consider spending a little more for a folder to make a bold statement to potential clients reflecting your company's priorities of quality and attention to detail.

You can always go with a presentation folder printing company that can custom design the folder you need. Or you can choose from among the many options available for printed or plain company presentation folders in various styles. In your search, keep the following in mind:

1. Check for minimum quantities before buying presentation folders, and look for folders that include free slits for business cards.

2. If submitting proposals for a new project or trying to woo new customers for life, remember they may receive dozens of proposals, so try a color presentation folder with your logo or other relevant design that looks professional, commands attention and won't end up in the trash.

3. Match presentation folders to your needs. Consider legal- or letter-sized folders, three-panel presentation folders, reinforced edge folders and expansion folders.

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Use business folders for organization

Your desk can get pretty messy when work requires shifting your focus from project to project. If you're not the most organized person, your desk might frequently look like a tornado just blew through. Replace all the loose papers scattered on your desk with a stack of business folders that let you quickly recognize the folder containing your documents and turn right to the page you need. When you finish with one project, close the folder, return it to the stack and start on your next project or task.

I recommend: Buy simple but effective folders for organizing projects and tasks from Staples or PrintingForLess.com.

Hand out custom presentation folders to potential clients, important customers and other VIPs

It's not just you who makes an impression on others -- anything you give to a client or business associate makes a statement about you as well. Handing people around a conference table dog-eared hard copies of your presentation or business proposal says one thing about you, but placing professional presentation folders in front of them containing your slides/main points neatly laid out and organized says quite another. For your services-related company, arm new clients with professional presentation folders full of valuable information about your services. In the medical or dentistry fields, provide new patients with presentation folders containing pertinent information about their care and your practice. Using business presentation folders indicates to recipients that you've put time and effort into giving them a professional product, and that just gives them more reason to continue doing business with you.

I recommend: Look for a presentation printing company like Company Folders or The Folder Store that specializes in custom folders in various sizes and styles to accommodate your needs.

Incorporate business presentation folders into professional-looking marketing packages

As part of your marketing efforts, put together a professional marketing piece that you package together with custom presentation folders. You can go with printed presentation folders displaying your company name and logo. Order full color printed folders that capture the eye and make the recipient want to look inside. The contents of presentation folders for business marketing might include a cover letter, brochure of your company, product/service catalog or description and anything else your target audience needs to know.

I recommend: If trying to win new business, wow your prospects with custom designed presentation folders from The Logo Factory or ImageOne.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When ordering corporate presentation folders that you'll distribute to clients and others, invest in quality paper, plastic or vinyl folders that won't tear up. If you give someone a flimsy folder that rips and tears after a few uses, they may just throw it away -- with everything inside.

Business presentation folders are an integral part of providing a professional image for a company or business. A business presentation folder is important because of the critical information and documents inside it, but there are also some essential considerations for "building" a business presentation folder for success. Reading up on some of the key terms for styles and contents of business presentation folders will help managers who are looking to upgrade their literature promotions process.

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Paper stock

Paper stock refers to the weight and strength of paper. A business presentation folder should be made out of good heavy stock so that it stands up to travel and other trials. This is in addition to choosing the right color and style to make the folder stand out to readers.

I recommend: See more on paper stock at the Print Guide.

Reinforced edge folders

Another option for making sure folders are up to the job of presenting a business package is to use reinforced edge folders, where an additional inch of card stock is folded over and glued down for a sturdier folder.

I recommend: Find markup visuals and details on reinforced edge folder designs from Geaux Promotions.

Single panel and multiple panel folders

Another crucial design element is the number of panels a folder has. A single panel folder has only one side or sheet. Multi panels have more than one. Multiple panel folders provide several features for specific design.

I recommend: See more about custom single or multiple panel designs and definitions of presentation folder types at Presentation Folder Printing.

Binding folders

Businesses can also choose to use binding folders that are more like books or manuals.

I recommend: See more on binding folders at BindingFolder.com.

Marketing package

A marketing package is simply what goes inside your business presentation folder. A marketing package can include many different elements on business letterhead, like mission statements, press releases, sample invoice templates and much more.

I recommend: See info on marketing package design from MediaZeal.

Internal marketing

Many businesses, especially larger ones, have found that internal marketing can be almost as important as external marketing. Internal marketing is when a business presents materials or information to staff and employees, specifically, workers or other involved people like vendors and suppliers. Business presentation folders can be used as internal marketing tools as handouts to new staff members.

I recommend: Find out more about internal marketing at Marketing Teacher.