Calendar desk pads are a stylish way of keeping your appointments and deadlines close at hand. As they tend to become a display object on your desk, calendar pads also make a statement, putting the images (or lack thereof) that you choose to surround yourself with on display to your employees and clients.

As with many products sold online, you'll find a wide range of prices for various quantities of desk pad calendars. With such an abundance of products to choose from, you're sure to find a calendar desk pad that suits your individual taste and budget. The general pricing and costs of desk pad calendars fall into the following groups:

1. Refillable flat desk calendars that cost you less in the long run;

2. Customized desk pad calendars that double as advertorial or promotional products, and are usually purchased in bulk quantities;

3. Eco-friendly business desk calendars that make a green statement.

Action Steps
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Keep current with refillable desk pad calendars

Refillable desk pad calendars typically cost between $20 and $40, with discounted prices and the least expensive, less durable holders falling as low as $5--if you can find them. Refills typically contain all twelve months of the next year and cost anywhere from $3 to $10, not including shipping.

I recommend: iBuyOfficeSupply.com carries a designer collection of refillable desk pad calendars; refills are available through vendors like ReStockIt.com.

Use a personalized desk pad calendar to advertise

Expect to pay anywhere from $3 to $6 per single-color custom imprinted desk calendar, if you order a quantity of 1,000; smaller quantities typically cost more per item, and some printers will give you a discount for larger orders (5,000 units and up). Extra ink colors--if they're offered--typically add 10 to 30% to the cost, per unit.

I recommend: Genoa Business Forms and Armu Products provide useful information that can help buy custom desk pad calendars that display your logo, slogan or other advertising material.

Go green with earth-friendly flat desk calendars

Eco-friendly desk pad calendars typically run from about $10 to $30 each, including shipping, though you may occasionally find them on sale for as low as $5. A desk mat calendar with a higher percentage of post consumer content recycled paper usually costs more than one with a lower percentage, and as with other types of calendars for desks, fancy graphics and images will usually raise the cost as well.

I recommend: Dolphin Blue explains the importance of purchasing eco-friendly paper products for use in your office. The Green Office sells the eco-friendly line of EcoTONES Monthly Desk Pad Calendars, made with soy-based ink and 30% post-consumer content recycled paper.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're having desk pad calendars custom-printed, be sure to ask about set-up charges that may not have been included in the initial estimate.
• •  If being eco-friendly is really important to you, consider 100% post-consumer-content calendars even though they usually cost more in the shop; their overall impact and cost to the earth, once you take into account the impact of their production, is actually less than that of conventional flat desk calendars.

Desk pad calendars serve as visual organizers and reminders of events for each month. Use them to record lists, notes, contact numbers, due dates, travel or vacation time.

If your desk area contains a cleared flat surface, place your desk mat calendar between your computer and close to your telephone. Calendar desk pads come in various sizes; the most common size measures approximately 24” x 18”.

You will need to:

1. Clear an area of your desk of approximately 24” x 18.”
2. Keep writing utensils near your desk mat calendar so that you can take notes in an instant.
3. Invest in additional visual organizers such as highlight markers to color-code or differentiate events.

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

Obtain calendar desk pads made from recycled materials

Conserve our natural resources when choosing a calendar. You'll find that the quality of recycled calendars are equal to new calendars, and you'll feel better about your contribution to preserve our environment.

I recommend: Purchase a recycled calendar desk pad from Dolphin Blue and Recycled Business Gifts.

Organize each day at a glance

Desk calendar pads depict each day as a one-square block with enough room for you to record information. Choose a calendar desk pad with ruled daily blocks and an area in the margin for notes.

I recommend: Pre-printed desk pad calenders from LogoClick and calendar pads from Genoa Business Forms contain important reminders for special days, holidays and future months at a glance.

Transfer follow-up tasks to the next month

Desk pad calendars are non-refillable and disposable. Once a month passes, you'll discard the old month to expose the new. Don't forget to transfer important phone numbers or follow-up reminders to the next month.

I recommend: Cross out completed line-item events as they occur. When it’s time for the next month, you’ll only have to transfer what remains. This saves you from reading every line item and sorting through what you should and should not transfer. You could also use an electronic calendar management system, like the one from Advansys.

Take advantage of pre-printed Julian dates

If you use Julian dates to calculate universal time, you can find pre-printed desk pad calendars that contain Julian dates.

I recommend: Purchase a calendar desk pad that adds Julian dates to traditional calendar features.

Consider small desk pad calendars for smaller spaces

Compact desk pad calendars begin at approximately 17' by 10' and include the same features as the standard desk pad calendars. Some contain vinyl pocket corner protectors where you can store business cards or notes.

I recommend: Use compact desk pad calendars when you need additional hard copies of your calendar. Staples sells compact flat desk calendars that fit on office copiers for easy duplication.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Since you won't be carrying your desk pad calendar to meetings, it's best to jot down meeting information immediately when you return to your desk.
• •  If your boss makes a verbal request, note the request on that day and add your own due date or follow-up notes to ensure that you complete your requested task. Use your color-coded pen or pencil for urgent requests.
• •  Discipline yourself by blocking out squares to work on larger projects. When you physically block out the time, it helps you commit and dedicate those hours with a goal or objective in mind. Decide that when you see blocks that indicate uninterrupted work that you'll return phone calls and emails at the end of the day.