Compare These Top Vendors for Promotional Products

Business promotional products are a cost effective way to advertise a company. There is a wide variety of promotional products available, including pens, toys and clothing.

When you order promotional business products, you must remember to think about the variable, and often hidden, pricing and costs of promotional products. Keep these considerations in mind when you order promotional products for your business:

1. Find out if the promotional products company charges set up fees for each item you order.
2. Consider the cost of full color printing with companies that charge per color fees.
3. Determine the product cost according to minimum quantity requirements for each price tier.
4. Think about the shipping costs associated with your order.

Watch for set up fees for printing the business promotional items

Many companies charge a set up fee for every design on a promotional item. For instance, they charge a fee to print on the front of the shirt and another fee to print on the back of the shirt, regardless if it is text, a picture or combination of both. Other times, there is a one-time fee charged per design item. For example, there will be a one fee for setting up the design for an order of t-shirts, regardless of the number of shirts ordered. It is important that you know and understand the promotional product key terms in order to be sure of what you're ordering.

Look for color printing fees for business promotional items

Some promotional companies advertise that there is no setup fee for the promotional products they offer. In this case, you should be on the look out for per color fees for the printed design. In some cases, these per color fees could easily double the cost of an item if the design to be printed is complex. Sometimes, the company will attempt to offset these fees by offering discounts for ordering increased quantities of the product.

Check quantity requirements when ordering business promotional gifts

The majority of promotional product companies market their products with the catch phrase "as low as" in front of a price. When you see this, you have to read the fine print. The "as low as" price is often offered on a very large quantity of the product, which may not be feasible for small business owner to order.

Consider the shipping cost of promotional merchandise

Shipping costs can add a considerable amount to the grand total when you order promotional products, especially when ordering heavy or bulky merchandise. This isn't a consideration if you order from a local company, but if you order from a company that isn't located near you, shipping costs are a consideration. Some promotional products companies offer free shipping on all orders.

• If you find a promotional product that you really like but, don't need the minimum quantity, call the company. Many promotional product companies will offer you a slightly higher price in exchange for removing the minimum quantity.