Ballpoint pens and other types of pens are an office essential Find a one-stop shop for a variety of general office-use pens, such as ballpoint pens, fountain pens, rollerball pens, gel pens and markers.

I recommend:  Quill Pens has a wide selection of pens for all uses and offers online access to your order history to make reordering easy. Green Earth Office Supply has an unusual selection of recycled pens. For general office-use ballpoint pens, go to any office supply store, such as Staples, OfficeMax or Office Depot.

Personalized pens and logo pens are mobile marketing tools Personalized pens, also known as promotional pens or logo pens, are a classic marketing tool that can be customized for your business. They make great take-aways for trade shows and put your company's name in the 'write' hand of your customer.

I recommend:  Branders.com has a wide selection of promotional pens to fit all budgets including ballpoint pens, rollerball pens and gel pens. Dayspring Pen Shop has a special "fast ship" section for last-minute orders.

Fancy fountain pens and ballpoint pens make elegant corporate gifts If you want to impress clients with a memorable corporate gift, consider high-end pens, such as fountain pens or other stylish pens. They're affordable and inexpensive to ship.

I recommend:  Absorbent, Ink. offers a variety of fancy fountain pens, ballpoint pens, rollerball pens and more.

Gel pens can protect your business Some of today's gel pens use ink that can't be washed away, which can help prevent check fraud and identity theft.

I recommend:  Quill Pens has an interesting article outlining how pens fight fraud. See a selection of gel pens at Amazon.com.

Wholesale pens can fit even the smallest budget Take advantage of wholesale disposable personalized pens if you have a small budget. Even if you want to add a logo to the pens, the cost will be much lower compared to other options. Buying in large quantities will save you more in the long run, if you know you won't end up stockpiling vast quantities of leftover pens. You can find prices as low as less than $1 per pen depending on the quantity you want to order.

I recommend:  National Pen has a large selection of logo pens to choose from, at discounted or sale prices. Level Promo Gifts has a large inventory of many wholesale pens available at discounts for various quantities.

Ball pens are the business pens that fit into a mid-size budget Rollerball pens are quite popular as far as corporate pens go. The ballpoint pen offers various degrees of printing, from ultra fine at .7mm to the thicker 1.22mm. They are also offered in gel or ink styles to further market to personal tastes. Pricing and costs of pens in this category generally range from $15 to $100.

I recommend:  Levenger offers a variety, in price and type, of ballpoint pens. Office 1000 has a large selection of discounted prices on ballpoint pens.

Designer pens may need the benefit of a large budget Montblanc, Cartier, Aurora, and Fisher, are just some names of top-of-the-line pens which are not only expensive at initial purchase, but also require maintenance, have accessories, and need parts replaced over time. Large budgets may be able to handle the supplies for fine writing instruments. Top brand pens are an investment. Prices easily range from $100-$400, or more.

I recommend:  Bittner is a starting place for choosing from a broad selection of fine writing pen brands. Paradise Pen has a quick refill finder that allows you to search by brand and types. Refill needs can run up to $20, depending on the brand of pen.

Get the most benefit from wholesale pens Corporate logo pens are popular with any type of business, and if you are able to purchase in bulk, you can save money on your pen investment over the long run. Just make sure you don't have plans to change a company logo before you purchase in large quantities.

I recommend:  Check out the reasonable wholesale pricing of pens and pen sets at Mitech Trading. Select from several of the popular BiC style pens at AdSources with discounts starting with quantities of 300.

Utilize the writing pen as a motivational tool and to generate good will Most people enjoy receiving a gift, so whether you offer ballpoint pens at employee gatherings as a doorprize, or logo pens at a business meeting as a giveaway, you are getting your company name in front of many people.

I recommend:  PensXpress offers several types of pens available for personalizing. They also offer sample packages so you can get employee opinions on most popular preferences. The variety of pens available, with and without logos, at PensGo.com may be enough to satisfy your pen needs.

Target your market with the right ink pens Collect sample pens to try in the office, give to friends, or share at business meetings, and narrow in on your favorite type of pen. But, you want to keep your marketing strategy in mind. If you are reaching out to on-the-go types who need a pen to stuff in a pocket, a large grip pen probably wouldn't be ideal, but a thin stick pen would. There's usually a happy middle ground that will appeal to most of the pen recipients.

I recommend:  Take advantage of the experienced staff at Branders.com to help you decide the best type of logo ball pens, or other type of pens that fit your budget and reach your target market effectively. CustomInk.com has several smooth and grip pens to select from. Both companies allow you to see how the finished product looks online before you buy.