Maintaining Professionalism in the Age of Social Distancing

Empty Conference Room

The COVID-19 outbreak has altered our lives dramatically in a short period of time. Although quarantine and initial fears over social distancing will end, the coronavirus has likely changed the way we interact with one another for a long time to come.
As businesses continue to operate remotely, or with limited hours, it’s important to maintain friendly, professional interactions. Businesses, especially restaurants that are focusing on to-go orders and curbside service, are maintaining professional and courteous social distance by:

    • Allowing customers to remain in their vehicle for service or take-out products
    • Actively enforcing social distancing between employees
    • Actively maintaining friendly social distance between staff and customers or clients
    • Requiring immunocompromised workers to wear special ID cards

High Risk Visitor Badge

  • Requiring visitors to wear visitor ID badges and keep a healthy distance from others

When schools and businesses are back to normal operation, new social distancing practices will likely be the new norm. Businesses can help prepare their buildings by:

  • Placing wash hands signs where customers and staff can see them
  • Making hand sanitizer readily available to staff and customers
  • Placing social distance courtesy signs and desk plates at reception counters, check-in desks and registers
  • Requiring all visitors to wear a temporary badge while on the premises
  • Requiring all staff to wear an ID badge with an enlarged font that can be read from 6 feet away

numbered visitor card

Although the coronavirus pandemic has altered our professional and social lives, it has positively impacted our lives at home, with our pets, and with our coworkers. Businesses are bringing their employees together and boosting morale in difficult times by:

  • Having staff share fun selfies
  • Hosting remote video chats and happy hours
  • Introducing family members and pets online

Name tags are a tradition in the workplace, and are effective in creating connections between people. These connections can still be made, despite social distancing. Here are a few tips for creating name tags that are effective in the age of social distancing:

    • Keep name tags simple! Include name and job title in a larger font that can be read from a few feet away

Dry Erase Name Tag Reading Jane Smith

  • Replace traditional name tags with ID cards, which are larger and have space for logos, names, and photos. Design your own IDs now!
  • Order bold color name tags or IDs. Use your company brand colors to make them stand out
  • Make sure the badges are worn closer to eye level
  • Order them with clips that can be attached to shirt pockets or collars
  • Pocket badges can also come in handy for this purpose

use code ntw20 for 20% off your order

As we all work to flatten the curve of the spread of COVID-19, we can also do our part in creating healthy, happy relationships with our coworkers, family, neighbors and the public. Keep a 6-foot distance from others, but don’t be afraid to smile, make eye contact and say hello.

Easy Ways to Improve Workplace Security (5 Tips for 2020)

Improving Workplace Security Tips from Name Tag Wizard, Server Room with Text
Table of Contents
1. Control Access
2. Provide Identification
3. Train Your Staff
4. Workplace Culture
5. Secure Documents

How secure are your premises? Do you trust your employees with sensitive information? What measures can you take to improve workplace security? Why is security important in the workplace?

If you own a growing or successful business, maintaining a secure workplace is integral to your continued operations. A security breach could lead to safety concerns or even cost your business thousands of dollars. Businesses are often targeted by thieves and hackers attempting to access customer, financial, and other records. Increasing or tightening your business’s security is imperative for ensuring you avoid costly mistakes.

Here are five easy tips you can follow to prevent a security breach in your workplace.

  1. Reduce Access to Your Building(s)
  2. Provide Employee Identification
  3. Train Your Staff
  4. Foster a Workplace Culture
  5. Secure Sensitive Documents

#1: Reduce Access to Your Building(s)

White Restricted Area Authorized Persons Only Door

Minimize access and mark areas to prevent unauthorized entry. If you allow guests to visit your workplace, make sure they are clear on where they are and are not allowed to go.

The more people who have access to your building and its contents, the harder it is to maintain security.

Many office spaces handle sensitive information. Whether it’s financial documentation or customer information, you need to ensure that only authorized personnel have access. Post signs or electronic security access points for server or filing rooms.

Your office most likely has guests from time to time. Whether they’re investors, interviewees or customers, people who are not employees may visit your workplace.Guest Speaker You need to watch after visitors and ensure they don’t enter off-limit areas. Have a member of your administration, or other upper level staff member, stay with guests. This is an easy method of keeping private areas secure.

But, maintaining tight access isn’t limited to guests.

Your employees should also recognize and follow restricted area policies. Not every member of your staff needs access to every room. This is especially so if you own a larger company; the more employees, the more difficult it is to track them.

How can you prevent unauthorized employee access?

Limit employee access by marking restricted rooms. You can give keys to authorized workers to ensure only they have access to rooms or safes. If your business can afford it, you can install electronic scanners tied to specific QR code badges. Another electronic method of limiting access is providing programmable keypads with alpha-numerical codes to designated staff members.

Ensuring access to your building and certain areas is a huge element of reducing the chances of a security breach.

#2: Provide Identification

Hospital Photo ID Badge

Name tags and badges are excellent for identifying authorized personnel and guests.

Supply your staff with photo ID badges for quick and easy confirmation. You can design badges to your specifications making them harder to copy. Ensure your staff then follow all policies on keeping their ID on their person while on premises.

If you have an electronic access system, you can increase security with ID badges. This leads back to restricting access on your property, but you can find or make badges with bar or QR codes for your system. Combining an employee photo with a unique code makes it harder for thieves to copy the design, which prevents unauthorized entry to sensitive information.

Name Tag on Orange ShirtClip-on or lanyard badges are pretty standard for many businesses from retail to hospitals. Magnetic or pin back name tags are common too.

If you allow visitors, provide them with guest passes or badges. While it is still a best practice to have an administrative member accompany guests, providing visitor passes gives other employees peace of mind. It also ensures easy identification of unwelcome guests or trespassers.

Sometimes it’s not reasonable for a member of staff to follow guests. Visitor badges make it easier for employees to identify authorized guests with a quick glance.

Identification badges allow easy tracking of authorized personnel and have a wide variety of uses. No matter your sector or business, your workplace will benefit if you provide clear and easy-to-read badges or name tags.

#3:Train Your Staff

Woman Reading a Computer Screen and Taking Notes

Training feels obvious, but it is integral to your security. You must educate your employees on proper security measures and policies.

Where and how do you file customer information? Does your location have restricted areas? What is proper procedure for a security breach?

If your staff isn’t trained, then how can they follow security procedures?

They can’t.

Training encourages a safe and secure environment.

Two Mean at a LaptopYou should ensure your training programs address every aspect of an employee’s duties. This doesn’t mean they need to know how to do everything. If they handle customer records, they need to understand how to maintain discretion. If they deal with finances, they need to know when and how to file their documents.

Ensure your programs are comprehensive. If an employee hesitates or doubts how to follow a security procedure, risk of breach is high.

Training also gives administrative staff a chance to further vet employees.

If an employee breaks procedure multiple times, you should provide further education, or potentially terminate the employee. This is especially so for sensitive documents. Anyone who handles, transports, files, or fills customer or classified company information must understand and follow proper procedures.

Your training regimen could include online courses, in-person presentations, on-the-job and hands-on experience. Find the best ways of presenting your information.

Investing time and money into educating and training your staff ensures your security measures don’t fail.

#4: Foster a Positive Workplace Culture

Woman at a Company Outing

All the training in the world won’t help if your employees don’t care about your company.

If your staff wants to do their best for the business, your security measures benefit. In contrast, if they don’t enjoy their work or feel underappreciated, mistakes happen and they are likely to ignore policies.

Every business benefits from building a better workplace culture. Employees are more motivated and will want to encourage or enforce security policies. If they enjoy working for you, they’ll want to do everything they can to follow proper procedures.

Unhappy employees don’t care about your business. They don’t care to follow policies. They don’t care to fulfill the full extent of their work duties. And, they don’t care about the security of the business as a whole.

Professional Women Sitting at a TableRemedy this by acknowledging recurring complaints and other reasons for the lack of motivation.

Part of this is encouraging personal growth and appreciating their work. Your employees are people, so they need to know the importance of their job.

If everyone in your company enjoys at least some aspect of their work, your security will improve. Happy and motivated employees want what’s best for your business. They perform better and follow established security guidelines and policies to ensure safe operation of the company.

You can build your company’s culture through team activities, company lunches, or by acknowledging the work of your employees.

There are many ways to improve workplace positivity and culture. Find and explore the best options that fit your business and staff.

#5: Secure Sensitive Documents

Old Filing Cabinets and Index Books

It seems obvious to secure important documents, but it should be addressed. Store sensitive documents in secure areas!

If you handle customer information of any kind, keep it classified. Privacy breaches can cost your business thousands if not millions of dollars in damages paid to individuals. Limiting access to this kind of information is integral for increasing security.

Only allow certain staff members access to these documents. Give them physical keys, bar code badges, or key codes, whatever your business has the budget for and access to. Storing documents in locked filing cabinets in a locked room is an easy, low-tech way of securing information.

The same goes for your company records.

Employee information, financial records, and other documents need to be treated with the same care. Store them separate from each other to avoid confusion and potential filing errors.

Woman with Laptop Checking on Storage ServerDigital files are a bit trickier with the constant improvement of technology.

Ensure your servers are secure and encrypt all files. Limit access to programs and server rooms to proper staff. Digital information is easy to copy onto a flash drive, unlike physical records. Implementing as many security measures as possible lessens the chances of a breach.

An accidental or deliberate entry to your stored files could mean a potential and costly security incident.

Disposal of sensitive records needs consideration. Shredding physical files is one of the most popular methods. It’s fast and easy, and if you run a smaller business, you likely don’t have hundred or thousands of documents to dispose of. To further ensure secure disposal, completely black-out private information, on the front and back, with a security marker.

If your business handles thousands of invoices or customer records, find a local shredding company. Many of them can either pick up your documents or can leave a locked box for you to deposit physical records for them to retrieve and dispose of monthly.


Save 20% with Code NTW20, Woman Wearing a Photo ID Badge

Name Tag Wizard is your one-stop-shop of custom identification products for businesses. Increase your company’s security with customized name tags and badges to keep track of authorized staff and guests.

HC Brands Author Bio - Broderick Cornett

Wood Name Tags – An Ecofriendly Choice for Your Business

From neighborhood businesses lining Main Streets in small town America to international corporations spanning the globe, companies are reshaping their images to be seen as sustainably focused and ecofriendly in the eyes of their valued customers. Known as green marketing, these efforts are made to earn the trust, respect, and business of increasingly environmentally savvy consumers.

Going green is arguably the best practice competitive businesses can implement today.

 

Show Sustainability Matters to your Business

There are countless ways for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to caring for the planet, beginning with that first face-to-face interaction with potential customers or clients. Employees who greet guests wearing wood name tags make an ecofriendly impression with every handshake.

Additionally, wood name tags offer an exceptionally professional look, are laser engraved from a variety of wood types, and can include images or logos to compliment just about any business.

 

 

Wooden name tags are especially nice for complimenting uniforms for outdoor and sporting goods stores, garden nurseries, parks, campgrounds, and other outdoor recreation areas, coffee shops, health food stores, and more!

Wood – A Natural Choice

A renewable natural resource, wood is plentiful, durable, eye-catching, and economical. Additionally, wood grows cleanly, gathering its energy naturally from the sun.

Wood is a sustainable, ecofriendly material that requires minimal processing and emits some of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution rates for harvesting and milling. By choosing this renewable resource, harmful carbon is kept from the atmosphere, helping to lessen the effects of climate change.

 

 

In addition to wood being a naturally renewable resource, this ‘green’ choice is good business that also offers benefits to neighborhoods and communities across the country. The production of wood creates zero waste because it grows from, and returns to, nature. The entire tree can be used for economic and environmental purposes, including bark as mulch for landscaping.

 

Additional Benefits of Wearing Name Tags

In addition to displaying a professional appearance, name tags play a role in branding your business, encourage interaction between employees and customers, and provide an added level of security by identifying employees authorized to represent your business.

Whether you’re a local small business or an international corporation, name tags offer unique benefits from that initial greeting through completed transactions, and more. Designing thoughtful name tags for your business is a small investment in time and resources that has the potential to grow your relationships, and your bottom line, for years to come!

Five Tips to Prepare for Small Business Saturday

What is Small Business Saturday?

Started as a way to bring attention (and shoppers!) to the thousands of small businesses across America during the holiday shopping season, Small Business Saturday is celebrated each year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. This year, on November 30, 2019 (Small Business Saturday’s 10th anniversary!), small businesses everywhere will open their doors to shoppers looking for those extra special gifts this holiday season!

How Can I Prepare for Small Business Saturday?

Small Business Saturday is a wonderful opportunity to welcome new shoppers, inspire customer loyalty, and increase holiday sales! These are some of our favorite ways to create a winning Small Business Saturday strategy.

Host or Participate in a Small Business Saturday Event

Many local neighborhoods and small business organizations come together to plan creative Small Business Saturday events that add an extra bit of fun to this festive holiday shopping weekend. For example, Visit Jacksonville, the official travel website for this beach side city, offers a #SmallBizSat passport where shoppers earn stamps by visiting local small businesses that can be entered into a drawing for exciting holiday giveaways.

Include holiday treats for everyone! Offer hot chocolate and cookies to weary shoppers, and delight the little ones with surprise visits and photo opportunities – straight from the North Pole – from Santa Claus himself! Keep the festivities bustling by piping holiday music throughout the store or by featuring live performances by local Christmas carolers throughout the day or evening.

Advertise! Advertise! Advertise!

Advertising has never been easier – or more economical – with opportunities like the many social media platforms available to reach potential customers. Create festive posts and tweets to keep your followers informed about exclusive Small Business Saturday deals and events and how they can take part.

Like, love, and share other Small Business Saturday social media posts to spread the word to others. Be sure to include the holiday hash tags #SmallBusinessSaturday, #SmallBizSat, and #ShopSmall to connect with others in the small business community and beyond!

Emphasize Personal Interactions and Build Relationships

Small businesses have the valuable opportunity to offer personalized interaction with their customers, unlike large retail stores where finding employees is often challenging or via chatbot conversations when shopping online. Personal conversation is at the heart (and the start!) of creating meaningful, lasting relationships.

Welcome conversation by wearing an eye-catching name badge and greeting each guest that comes into your store. Rather than the usual ‘May I help you?’ offer a heartfelt ‘Season’s greetings!’ or ‘Welcome in!’ to start a festive conversation. Sincere, professional interaction with customers often leads to increased holiday sales and returning customers throughout the year.

Offer Valuable Sales and Deals

Valuable offers don’t have to mean deep discounts like the big box stores use to lure customers on Black Friday. Small businesses typically don’t have the sales volume to support such substantial markdowns, even for a short time. Small business patrons generally shop to support their local communities rather than dashing in just for that sought-after door buster.

Begin by aligning your holiday promotions with your store’s sales goals. Restaurateurs may consider offering special Small Business Saturday menus, including discounts on holiday-inspired meals. Retail shops could offer small denomination gift cards with purchases of a specific dollar amount that will inspire customers to return throughout the shopping season.

Show Your Appreciation

There are multitudes of ways to show your appreciation while building customer loyalty. Begin by offering a heartfelt thank you to every shopper who visits your store and send handwritten thank you notes to those customers who purchase from you all year.

Make shopping easier by extending your hours during the bustling holiday season, on the weekends or all week long. Set up a festive gift wrapping station and offer free gift wrapping for all in-store purchases. For an added bit of seasonal marketing, use gift wrap or seals printed with your shop’s name and logo, sure to signal to the gift recipient that something special is in store!

Show your support for local charities. In addition to promoting these charities from within your small business, make a donation in your customers’ honor as a special thank you for shopping with you.

Pre-K & Elementary School Name Tags

School Supplies Including Pens, Paper, Notebook, Pouch, and Bus Name Badge

Helping Young Children at School

Going to school for the first time can be a frightening experience for young children. With a new environment, new teachers, and new friends, it can be difficult for them to remember important details. Name tags can help children, teachers and parents alleviate confusion at school and on their daily commute.

Name Tags for Students

Students Drawing at a Table, One Girl Wears a Name Tag Labeled "Jane"

Name tags for young children make it easy to find out who their teacher is or which classroom they belong to. This is especially helpful for children who are just starting to learn how to read as it reinforces their lessons and allows teachers and other school faculty to help. Starting off the school year by teaching young students to write their name and bus number on chalkboard name tags is a fun and practical way to build on their education.

Including bus numbers on name tags helps children find which vehicle to board or for teachers and drivers to direct them. Finding the right bus or getting on the wrong bus can be a frustrating or frightening ordeal for children, faculty and especially parents. Having bus numbers easily and readily available for kids and teachers helps prevent confusion.

Keeping Track of Bus Riders

Back of School Bus

With so many children riding buses to and from school grounds, it can be difficult to keep track of who goes where and on which vehicle.

Some schools, such as Biscayne Elementary in Jacksonville, Florida, utilize lists. Stephanie Jones, a Pre-K to 1st grade teacher at Biscayne, details their process.

“We have lists with all the student’s names for each bus. Teachers and paraprofessionals are assigned to monitor the children and usually have the kids and their bus numbers memorized. The bus drivers are also familiar with the students who ride their buses. The students get marked off when they get off the bus in the morning and marked again when they get on in the afternoon. If there is ever a change in the way a student is going home, it should be written in their agenda by a parent so there’s documentation.”

Bus name badges are a useful tool for quickly determining the correct bus for young students. With their name, bus number, teacher’s name, and photo all not easily visible at a distance, bus badges make it easy to direct children to their ride.

Having a child’s name readily available is beneficial, but it shouldn’t be too visible.

What to be Careful About

Child Wearing Backpack with Bus Name Badge Walking Away

Identification that helps kids get to and from their bus and classroom should be used carefully. Easily visible names on backpacks, clothing, lunch bags, and other objects can help strangers learn a child’s name.

According to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, 424,066 reports of missing children were entered in 2018.1

Some children have difficulty determining who is a stranger or who seems dangerous. A malicious individual can easily gain the trust of a child if they know their name. Some children will think that the adult is someone they or their parents know and trust.

It’s important to teach children to beware of strange and unknown individuals. Parents, teachers, and other trustworthy adults won’t always be available or around, so ensuring a child knows how to avoid dangerous situations is imperative.

While name tags and badges can help, they should be kept discreet. Affixing a child’s bus badge on to the inside of their coat or backpack keeps it easily accessible but out of immediate sight. Ensure the child knows to keep their badge safe and tucked away when they don’t need it. Including a bus badge is a great way to help alleviate confusion and stress for a young student, but be sure to teach them the importance of keeping it out of sight and making sure they understand.

Save 20% on Photo IDs with Code NTWSTUDENT at Name Tag Wizard, Photo ID laying on table

Ensuring children know which bus they need to ride and which classroom to go to is an important part of their school experience. What ways do you know of to help children find their way at school? Leave a comment below with your ideas, and be sure to visit Name Tag Wizard for all of your name tag and badge needs.

Related Posts:

References:

  1. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

HC Brands Author Bio - Broderick Cornett

Name Changes: Steps to Remember

Name Tag with the Name "Wilbur"

About Name Changes

Marriage Certificate

There may come a time in your life where you’ll want to change your name just like the thousands of other Americans who do each year. While no one keeps an official record, Bruce Lansky, author of 45,000+ Baby Names, estimates that roughly 50,000 people change their name each year.1 There can be quite a few steps that go into changing your name and there is a myriad of reasons as to why people do it.

Why Change Your Name?

Woman Holding Yellow Question Mark Against White Background with Yellow Border

There are many reasons why someone would want to change their name. The most common is marriage and, by extension, divorce. Approximately 80% of women take their husband’s surname following their marriage.1 Another reason could be adoption. As children grow older and enter adulthood, they may surprise their step-parent by presenting them an official certificate of adoption showcasing their new name. Further examples include distancing from an abusive family, converting to a new religion, simplifying from a complicated name, or taking on a more suiting moniker for gender identity. However, there are certain hindrances when considering a name change. For example, you can’t change your name to avoid bill or other payments. Whatever your reason, the steps for legally changing your name in the United States are generally the same.

How to Legally Change Your Name

Lawyer Signing Papers

With the exception of marriages and divorces, you’ll need to follow the same basic steps for changing your name.2

  1. Prove Residency
  2. In order to change your name in your state, you’ll need to prove you live there. You’ll also need to have lived within your state a minimum amount of time that varies. Each state has unique paperwork to file, so ensure you find the correct forms and provide the appropriate evidence.

  3. Prove Your Current Name
  4. The next step entails proving your current legal name. Each state requires different forms of identification, but it’s generally acceptable to provide your Social Security card, birth certificate, and driver’s license or other valid photo ID.

  5. Fill Out a Petition
  6. Again, this form varies state-to-state. Find your state’s appropriate petition form and fill it out with all of the required information. Since this is an official form, you won’t be allowed to sign it privately and will need to do so in front of a notary public.

  7. File the Petition
  8. After you’ve completely filled out your name change petition, you’ll send it to the court clerk who will then schedule a hearing. There’s usually a filing charge, so be prepared to pay a fee. This charge varies according to the court, so ask ahead of time how much your filing fee will cost.

  9. Attend the Hearing
  10. At this point, all that’s left is to attend your scheduled hearing. You’ll be presented before a judge and may be asked why you are changing your name. It is then up to the judge to approve your name change. Following the hearing if your name change is approved, the judge will file an Order and you will be given a copy. The Order is required for any place needing your legal name, and you can usually request additional copies from the court.

Marriages are different in that you typically won’t need to schedule or attend a hearing nor fill out a petition in the first place. All you’ll need is your marriage license approved to start the process of changing all of your accounts.

Updating Your Information

Woman Sitting at Computer

Now that you’ve changed your name, where should you update with your new information? Any sort of official service you use needs to have your current legal name, so here’s a list of places to update with your new name:

  1. Social Security: This should be first on your list, and you’ll need to fill out and submit an SS-5 Form to adjust your Social Security card.3
  2. Vehicle Information: Visit your local DMV or their website to see how to update your driver’s license and vehicle’s title & registration.
  3. Apartment Lease: Ask your apartment’s staff or landlord if they need to update their records with your new name and how they want it to be done.
  4. Mortgage: Each financial institution handles mortgages differently, so be sure to contact your lender to find out how they want you to update your mortgage information.4
  5. Bank Accounts: Contact your financial institution(s) of choice and ask how you can update your savings, credit, debit, and other accounts.
  6. Work: Get in touch with the appropriate individuals at your work to update your official information with them, including your Name Tag and Desk Name Plate.
  7. Passport: You’ll want to update your passport with your new name as well or you will not be able to travel outside of the country.
  8. Medical: There’s not much reason to update your medical records since your Patient Identification Number should stay the same so long as you inform your PCP of your name change during your next appointment so your new records can be combined with the old.
  9. Insurance: Contact your insurance provider so you can see how to update your information and remain covered.

There are other places you can update with your name such as on your birth certificate, but some places will require you to provide evidence of your previous name for verification. If there are other places people need to update with their new legal name, leave a comment below. We appreciate further information, and for all of your identification needs, visit Name Tag Wizard for a wide selection of name badges and desk and wall plates.

Related Posts:

Resources:

  1. Chicago Tribune
  2. LegalZoom
  3. Social Security Administration
  4. Sapling

Building Professional Relationships with Name Tags and Badges

Your name is more than the grouping of letters that have adorned your birth certificate since the day you were born. Your name is a part of your identity that becomes an element of who you are like nothing else will. Names are shared everywhere, especially via name tags in the workplace. As commonplace as they seem, are name badges really worth all the fuss? Absolutely!

Think of everyone that represents your company, small business, or any other defined group as ambassadors of your brand. Hired for their knowledge and abilities to help your organization succeed, well-designed name tags will help these employees, volunteers, and others make their best first impression and inspire meaningful conversation between staff and guests.

Name Tags Build Brand Identity

Creating a memorable company identity is at the core of every successful business. Branding and company recognition often begins with that first face-to-face introduction where names become a key component of this introductory conversation. Name tags and badges that include your company’s logo that include your company’s logo will immediately link your employee’s name and face with your business, reinforcing your brand and identity. Be sure your team’s name tags are free of scratches, faded text, or other imperfections so their professional best is proudly on display!

Name Tags Encourage Personal Interaction

Once you’re introduced to someone by name, you’re both more likely to feel an immediate level of comfort and approachability. And whether your business has a few employees, hundreds, or even thousands, personal interaction goes a long way toward making everyone feel that ‘We’re all on the same team!’ and are working together toward a common goal. For volunteers and other guests, visitor name badges are a wonderful way to make them feel welcome and a part of the interaction.

Name Tags Inspire Personal Expression and Confidence

If your business is one that allows a bit of freedom with personal name tags, they can be a terrific way to learn a fun fact or two about the person wearing the badge while increasing a bit of self-confidence along the way. Perhaps a name tag could display a museum guide’s favorite exhibit. An airline employee’s badge may include the location of that once-in-a-lifetime trip. Or a name tag could include a restaurant employee’s favorite food. The creative possibilities are endless!

Name Tags Display Status, Promotions, and Growth

Name tags offer a terrific way for new employees to quickly recognize others and their respective roles within the workplace. In addition to learning who fulfills which job, specialized name badges are wonderful ways to highlight those well-deserved promotions and other avenues of growth within an organization.

Name Tags Provide an Added Level of Security

When everyone is required to wear name badges, including employees, volunteers, and guests, it is easy to identify others at a glance to be sure they have permission to be where they are – and especially easy to spot someone not wearing a badge who should not be in a specified area.

Whether yours is a corner bakery, the neighborhood’s favorite pizza parlor, or a multinational company, name tags are ideal for associating your respected employees with your valued guests and potential customers.

Tag Your Bags this Summer

Packed Suitcase and Hat Overlooking a Lake

Summer Vacation Packing Tips

Memorial Day 2019 is May 27, which means summertime is right around the corner. With summer comes the biggest travel season in the United States. According to a 2017 study, 80% of Americans traveled in 2016,1 so chances are you are one of the multitude of people who will be taking a trip in the coming months. So, here are a few basic packing tips to remember for your trip.

Packing Proper Pieces

Suitcase Packed with Travel Items

What you pack for your upcoming summer vacation is dependent on where you plan on going and what you plan on doing. Is your destination meant to be an escape from the heat to the far north? You may want to remember your jacket and hat. Are you bound for a beach side resort? Don’t forget your swim suit and sunscreen. Are you planning a family reunion back in your hometown? Family Eating LunchMaybe you should bring some reusable name tags to help remember everyone’s names. If you have children, then you’ll need to remember distracting activities during travel so they aren’t bored to tears before arriving at your planned location and possibly a photo ID and lanyard with your information in case they get lost. Planning and understanding both your trip and destination are integral to knowing what to pack and are important first steps to starting your summer vacation right.

Essential Equipment

Book, Luggage Tag, Sunscreen, & Glasses on Towel

Regardless of your summer vacation destination, there are a few packing essentials that most travelers will need. Here is a short list of basic travel items you will want to remember before you set off on your summertime romp.

  • Soaps: Body wash, shampoo, and conditioner are all staple items to pack unless you plan on purchasing more at your destination.
  • Dental Care: A toothbrush and toothpaste should never be forgotten when packing for a trip. Mouthwash is a good supplement, but should never be a replacement for brushing.
  • Personal Hygiene: Hygiene products are easy to forget but immediately become a problem when they are missing, so remember deodorant, shaving products, hand sanitizer, and feminine products if you need them while packing.
  • Appropriate Clothing: Pack enough clothes, and possibly extras, for the duration of your trip. Clothing items should be appropriate for your travel destination such as heavy jackets for colder climates or swim wear for beaches and resorts.
  • Minor Injury Items: A small emergency kit should be kept easily accessible in the case of minor injuries such as small cuts and scrapes. Sanitizing wipes and adhesive bandages work great and are easily portable for your travels.
  • Sunscreen: Always remember sunscreen. The sun’s harmful UV rays can cause long-term damage and deadly skin cancer such as melanoma, so no matter where you travel this summer, remember to bring and use sunscreen.

These general packing tips apply to most travelers, but if you are flying by air, then there are some exceptions to remember.

Road Requirements

Kids Playing Behind a Car

Road trips are a classic American vacation. You, your chosen companions, and the open road. If your summer plans include a cross country or other type of road trip, then you’ll want to remember to pack appropriately, so here are a few integral things to have in your car for your upcoming open road adventure.

  • Navigation: Whether you have someone use a map app, an electronic GPS guide, or go analog with a paper map, you’ll want to make sure you stay on route. While getting lost may make for entertaining stories in the future, it is a good way to derail any plans you may have made for the trip.
  • Food & Water: There may come a long stretch of road without rest areas or gas stations, so ensuring you and your passengers stay adequately hydrated and nourished is important for your trip.
  • Emergency Supplies: Flares, blankets, an emergency medical kit, a spare tire, and the tools to change tires are all extremely important items to keep in your vehicle while you travel. Being prepared for an emergency situation can sometimes mean the difference between life and death, so ensure you and your vehicle are ready for the unexpected.

Flying For Fun

Woman Traveling with a Suitcase in an Airport Terminal

Packing for a flight is typically the same as packing for any other trip. However, traveling by air carries an importance on safety for not only you but everyone on your flight. As such, the Transportation Security Administration, more commonly known as the TSA, has a myriad of flight passenger rules and regulations for the safety of vacationing and traveling Americans. This includes restricting certain items from being taken aboard as carry-on luggage or even as checked bags. The list is extensive and includes items such as firearms, axes, and other weapon or weapon-adjacent items as well as unexpected items such as cooking spray and recreational oxygen.2 There is also the endless confusion surrounding how much liquid you can bring in a carry-on bag, so here are the official rules from the TSA’s website:

  • Individual containers may be no larger than 3.4 ounces for carry-on luggage
  • Carry-on containers must all fit in a resealable, quart-sized bag
  • Containers larger than 3.4 ounces must be stored in a checked bag

If you need to check a bag, then you will want to make sure you can easily find your luggage when you land, and a custom luggage tag is a great way to easily identify your property among the multitude of bags. Aside from the TSA’s regulations and ensuring your luggage is easily located, here are a few air travel tips and packing ideas to help make your flight experience tolerable from beginning to end.

  • Clearing Security: Arrive at the airport a few hours early to ensure you make it through security with enough time to make it to your gate.
  • Child Identification: While children under 18 years of age aren’t required to present identification to board a flight, having your child wear a custom photo ID badge with your photo and contact information could prove invaluable should you and your child get separated.
  • Gum or Candy: Pack some gum or candy in your carry-on to help with the air pressure changes during take-off and landing. Chewing and swallowing during ascent and descent helps relieve pressure and chewing gum or sucking on candy helps produce saliva which in turn makes it easier to swallow.3
  • Entertainment: Bring fun activities for long flights, especially if you are travelling with kids. Books, card games, handheld video games, music players, and other items help pass the time while you fly and will help keep children occupied.

Whether you’re going by land or by air, remember these summer packing tips to ensure your vacation goes smoothly, and keep track of your luggage and family with custom tags and badges from Name Tag Wizard.

References

  1. scps.nyu.edu
  2. tsa.gov
  3. spoonuniversity.com

HC Brands Author Bio - Broderick Cornett

Remember Name Tags for Your Next Open House

Open House Directional Sign with Arrow

Open House Basic Tips

Summer is upon us, and with the warmer months approaching, many people will be looking to purchase a new home or move apartments. An estimated 80% of moves happen between April and September1 and home buying season usually starts in March and goes through summer.2 As such, hosting an open house during the following months could benefit your real estate agency in securing your next sale.

What is an Open House?

An open house is an event orchestrated by real estate agencies, rental properties, and home owners to open a property to the public to view and show potential interest in purchasing or renting. It allows real estate agents or property staff to meet and interact with prospective clients and potentially secure a sale or rental agreement.

Do Open Houses Work?

Real Estate Agent Displaying House to CoupleThere is some contention on whether open houses help sell houses or seal a new rental. Many agents find that open houses rarely end with buyers purchasing the property while others meet with frequent success. However, the main benefit of an open house is building a repertoire with prospective clients. Nurturing a trusting relationship between agent and buyer is important, and ensuring that your clients remember your name or the name of your agency with a custom real estate name tag will mean a greater chance of buyers coming to you when they become interested in purchasing a new home.

Open House Checklist

To run a successful open house, you will need to prepare ahead of time. A lot can go into these preparations, so here are six basic items to remember.

1. Advertise

Real Estate Agent in Front of Paper ListingsNo one will attend your open house if they don’t know you’re hosting one to begin with. Spreading the word is a vital early step in preparing your event. Share the event on your company’s website and social media pages or distribute outdoor signs to catch the attention of motorists and other by passers to inform them of your property’s location and the date of your open house.

2. Cleanliness

Woman Wiping CountertopEnsure the property is clean. Showing a filthy house or apartment unit will turn people away and leave a poor impression on the capabilities and trustworthiness of you and your company. Sweep and mop any non-carpeted areas, vacuum carpets and rugs, dust and wipe off counter tops, and clean windows and mirrors to show your clients the best version of the property.

3. Staging

Woman Hanging a Framed Print of a SeahorseStaging refers to the process of strategically placing furniture and decor to demonstrate the potential of a living space. It gives clients an idea of how they could arrange their own furniture, what they like or dislike about the current set-up, and how they can emulate or improve upon it. Showing those attending your open house the property’s potential with proper staging helps them imagine themselves living in the space which could mean the difference in a new or lost sale.

4. Refreshments

People Enjoying a Fruit & Cheese PlatterAs previously stated, open houses are primarily for building a relationship with prospective clients, and providing refreshments is a perfect way to do that. Coffee, juice, meat and cheese trays, fresh fruit, and cookies are all wonderful ideas. Bonus points if the cookies are homemade. This provides you an opportunity to connect with and get to know individuals or groups over a snack while they mull over the property and allows them to ask any questions they may have. Getting clients to trust you will mean there is a greater chance of them turning to you should they decide to submit an offer for the property or utilizing you for further house hunting opportunities.

5. Sign-In

Woman Typing on a Laptop KeyboardKeeping track of guests allows you to follow up with them later if they show interest in the property. Setting up a check-in area near the entrance of the house or rental unit is a quick and easy method of logging visitors. Provide a sign-in book, laptop, or tablet and perhaps a stack of reusable chalkboard name tags near the front door for guests to write their names on so you can easily learn their names.

6. Staying Memorable

Business Partners Shaking HandsSince the general purpose of an open house is to stay memorable to potential and future home buyers, wearing an eye-catching name tag from Name Tag Wizard works well in tandem while you host your event. Customized with your name and agency’s logo, a house-shaped name tag is perfect for getting guests to remember you. Be sure to include your name and title as well as your agency’s name and logo so anyone you meet at your open house can easily remember you and your company.

Prepare for your next open house with these tips and a custom real estate name tag from Name Tag Wizard!

References:

  1. help.movinglabor.com
  2. smartasset.com

HC Brands Author Bio - Broderick Cornett

Summer Camp Name Tag Uses

Make sure safety is a part of summer camp fun by outfitting each staff member and attendee with the proper name tag. Summer camp fun means good times in the outdoors, exploring nature, taking on the challenge of brutal heat and staying hydrated, refreshing playtime in lakes and pools, fireside singing, spaghetti Sundays, and burger Fridays. With a simple name you can keep summer camp fun going all season long.

Custom badges and ID tags improve summer camp processes by helping with medical needs, organization, and communication. Each campground comes with its own set of set of potential hazards. With so many activities available and exciting campground space to explore, taking safety precautions is critical.

Fun & Games

Lanyard badges work well for large camps where counselors take turns overseeing different activity stations. Clarify which staff members are on duty in the mess hall, aquatic area, archery fields, stables and tack shack, outdoor recreation station, or campfire ring. Assign staff roles like wood-working, crafts, jewelry, beading and cleaning. For positions that are consistent all summer long, photo IDs are another good option. These assist with security and build trust with attendees and parents dropping off their children.

Having badges for different locations and activities is helpful for organization and creating a camp culture. Celebrate the theme, mission, or focus for this summer’s activities using images you upload when you customize name tags. From color coated leatherette badges to  engraved plastic name tags with basic logos and artful critters, each type of ID you choose can be unique. Consider organizing by age group, cabins, skill level or teams.

Keeping a policy of identifying all staff members and campers can be especially helpful when there are younger campers present. You can go the extra mile by including name tags for maintenance workers and parents visiting their children.

Health & Safety

Name tags are a great way to identify staff in the aquatic center. As water sports typically require supervision, it is helpful to identify staff roles. Quickly alert campers which counselors are lifeguards, canoeing and kayaking guides, and boathouse directors. Clarifying that someone is on duty and overseeing games and swimming can be a major part of looking out campers.

Camps often include a Health Center with nurses or physician’s assistants available for basic treatment, illnesses and sick calls. You can choose name tags designed specifically for members of the medical staff. You can also add a medical symbol to name tags for staff members that are First Aid certified. Following even minor events like cuts, little falls, rashes, bug bites or bad sunburns, it’s helpful to know who to turn to.

Symbols or messages conveying health information can be useful add-ons for camper name tags. This works well for campers who have food, plant or animal allergies. Use the visual reminder to note anyone that needs inhalers or Epipens for long hikes or mountain biking trips.

Tags and badges are truly a camp essential! They are a great way to get everyone excited about the camp motto, reduce the chance of minor camp accidents becoming major emergencies, and quickly identify supervisors.

Last, but not least, it’s those little name tags that help campers get through the awkward making friends stage which can start on day 1 of summer camp. Anything that makes that moment easier can help an anxious or first time camper. And just maybe, years later, they will think of the festive name badge that helped them make a life-long friend.

 

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