By Karen Mollison

Whether you are buying the most basic kind of jewelry box or are in the market for high-end luxury boxes, it is a good idea to know which companies make the best boxes and to be able to identify the brand names associated with quality jewelry boxes. So, let me give you a short guide to the makers of jewelry boxes in the various price ranges.

If you are looking for the most affordable jewelry boxes, then you will be able to find a variety of high quality, mass-produced boxes. In this price range, a good choice are the products offered by the Mele Jewelry box company. They do a good job of combining quality construction and classic style with attractive prices. Over 100 styles are offered each season in prices ranging from $25 to $375

Their designs include child ballerina boxes, white wood girls jewelry boxes, travel jewelry cases, women’s wood jewelry boxes, men’s valet boxes and floor standing jewelry armoires.

Mele’s wood boxes are available in a variety of finishes including oak, cherry and walnut. They also offer faux leather and genuine leather boxes as well.

In case you are wondering about the manufacturer, the Mele Jewelry Box Company was founded in 1912 and managed to survive the Great Depression by building the boxes that held the Purple Heart’s given to war veterans.

They prospered in the late 1940s after introducing a jewelry box with an automatic tray that rose when you lifted the lid. In 1948 Life magazine listed it as one of the top ten holiday gifts. This was followed by a children’s box with a spinning ballerina, which also became top selling item. By the 1950s the company was established and was a household name. 50 years later, Mele remains as a leader in its field.

Another affordable brand to look for is Royce Leather. They do a wonderful job of producing quality genuine leather jewelry boxes, jewelry travel organizers and watch boxes at reasonable prices. Their most popular products are travel wallets which sell for $40-50 and watch cases which range in price from $60-100. These items can be personalized with your initials and are available in a variety of colors. Royce’s leather products feature hand-selected leather hides and quality stitching.

Royce has been in business for 35 years and they have established a reputation for finely crafted and innovative leather products.

In the mid range of jewelry boxes one of the leading manufacturers is Reed & Barton. Their jewelry boxes range in price from $100 to $400. They are crafted in old world style and tradition and big enough to house full jewelry collections. The two most popular Reed & Barton jewelry chests are the ‘Regal’ jewelry box and the larger ‘Athena’ jewelry box. Both are popular gifts for Christmas, weddings, anniversaries and graduations.

Reed & Barton boxes, with their traditional design and generous jewelry storage, make a perfect heirloom jewelry box gift. Their newest styles which are more contemporary have also been well received by those looking for a fresh take on the classic jewelry chest. Reed & Barton is a well-known company, renowned for producing high quality flatware and giftware. They have been in business since 1824.

In the luxury range of jewelry boxes the RaGar name is a brand to look for. Their boxes are distinguished by original designs, high gloss finishes, brass hinges and luxurious linings and range in price from $100 to 1450. Every RaGar jewelry box is shipped in a two piece white gift box. In the past 15 years RaGar has established itself as a leading manufacturer of luxury jewelry boxes.

Another high quality box maker is Jere Wright Global. Their Constantine line of products are handcrafted with exquisite attention to detail. Each individual jewelry box takes over 20 days to complete. The care and attention this manufacturer gives their products is clearly evident in over 80 unique styles including exotic wood jewelry boxes, fine leather jewelry travelers, watch cases and winders and crystal trinket boxes.

When you are shopping for jewelry boxes, whatever the price range, lookout for these quality brands and you will surely find a quality gift item or box for your own cherished jewelry collection.

About the Author: Karen Mollison is the editor of ChasingTreasure.com, an online store featuring high quality

jewelry boxes

, jewelry chests and jewelry armoires.

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By James Calvin

Direct response marketing techniques should be used according to your budget. Some techniques are simple, while others require a larger investment.

Sometimes is seems that direct response marketing techniques should be anything but direct. Direct response marketing specialists are very fast to prove that there is one envelope color that always works better than another. Sans serif font type pulls 22% more than serif. Multi step marketing of the three steps provide more back end potential than other processes involving four or more steps. Typically these direct response marketing pros have all the documentation to prove that their methods work better than the next

However, sometimes to take advantage of direct response marketing techniques, they should be used in ways that are indirect. Rules can be broken if the situation and campaign calls for it, and new rules need to be established.

I was hired by another company to manage the marketing for a very nice hotel in California. The job was an easy one. It was to announce the opening of a gorgeous new, upscale, very expensive hotel. Easy, right?

Keep in mind that I was just brought on for this job, so I did not have much experience if any with the company that I was dealing with. So I was ready to conform to their rules and see how I can fit it. What was I going to bring to the table? I was going to apply my basic knowledge of direct response marketing techniques by the book.

So I started out using a standard letter in a standard windowed envelope, and I was ready to get it out. I was also hoping and ready to do a lot more because the hotel deserved a better launch, or at least thats how I personally felt. A hotel as nice as this needed to be introduced to the new people who would stay inside its beautiful luxurious walls. And sleep on its amazing beds looking out over the Pacific Ocean.

I was hoping for people to experience the experience of this hotel through my sales offer, and I was not too convinced that a standard letter in a windowed envelope would convey that message I was hoping.

So what did I do? I did what I always tell others to do, I took care of the project as they wanted me to, then I did what I felt would be best. I showed them the ideas that I had with the envelope and the standard letter, the serif type, but then I took it a step further.

I showed them something that I thought was worthy of that amazing hotel. It was a multifold, full color, bleed brochure that looked amazing, because it was exactly what the hotel felt like, inside and out. Rather than try and sell this hotel in words, I did so in pictures, capturing the grandeur of the hotel. Now, Im not saying Im a genius, but this direct response marketing technique really worked!

So what was the result of going against the grain so to speak? It was a staggering success. So looking back, yes, your direct response marketing techniques should be anything but direct!

So what did I learn out of all this? I learned that its best to follow directions, then take it one step further and follow your intuition.

About the Author: James Calvin is an avid studier of direct mail and direct response techniques. For more details on his most recommended products check out his website.

Direct response marketing techniques

and other resources can be found here!

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Bring Some New Life Into Your Independent Grocery Store

by

Kris T Ann

If you are in the position where your customer base is dwindling because of nearby chain grocery stores then waste no more time. You better do something quick before your only business dribbles down to nothing but cigarettes and beer, or those items that people forgot to buy at the big store. It is a good time to get your place a face-lift and think of some new options for attracting new customers. If you no longer have people buying staples from your store then you should become more of a specialty market.

You need to carry all those things that the big stores don’t. Why bother with paper products and other bulk items. What you have to do is sell those things that the big store doesn’t carry. There are many small businesses that produce small amounts of quality products. These are not sold in bulk and can’t be found for cheaper. That could be the niche that you are looking for. Focus on certain specialties rather than a small more expensive selection of what big chains carryIf you look around you will see all sorts of small artisan companies that you can offer. Don’t give up your bread and butter though. If you make most of your money selling beer and tobacco products then beef those up. Add some small home brew types of beers. These are very popular and will attract new customers. You need to let people know that you are updating your store too. So do something obvious. Make it show outside your store and in. A great way to let people know about the new things that are going on is using promotional products. Order some shirts and aprons that bear your logo. That way your employees can be sporting a new look that goes with your store. Give these and other items a nice look with a good design. Make them attractive enough that people will want to buy them. Give them some color. Color is always good to make things more attractive. Flowers are good for that too.If you have updated your wine list then offer some promotional wine keys for sale. If you are selling more organic cheese from small dairies then have a cute little bamboo cutting board customized with your store name. You can get the word out locally with making some door hanger style fliers complete with a magnet so they can hang on the fridge. These can be hung on mailboxes, doorknobs, and fence posts at homes all around your store. Tell them the new items you are carrying and wait for them to come visit.

If you are hoping to get

promotional t shirts

for your store then look online. You will find those and tons of other items like

promotional hats

for your employees and customers.

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Bring Some New Life Into Your Independent Grocery Store}

Submitted by: Simon Johnnson

Clothes make a man_ when it comes to power dressing for men, this adage fits the bill completely. In the corporate world, your personality plays a major role in getting you the success you deserve. So, your clothes, being your second skin, should be a personality enhancer rather than a hindrance. In the competitive corporate sector, success comes to those who are presentable, confident and can create a positive impression on their superiors and clients. It goes without saying, that well-planned power-suits are the best bet when it comes to creating an impact.

The most important part of mens formal attire is the shirt. Yes, it is your formal shirt that can make or mar your business suit! So it is worth the while to give some moments of consideration when it comes to selecting the right kind of shirt to create your signature corporate persona. In our fashion trend-driven society, every person, whether man or woman, is eager to make a fashion statement. Generally, a man never confesses to be shopaholic, but this does not necessarily mean that he is an ignorant and disinterested buyer.

The average metro-sexual man is so meticulous about his appearance that he can put most women to shame. Be informed buyers and look for certain key features while shopping for your formal shirts:

The fit and mould of the shirt should enhance your build and frame.

The color should not be too loud or too dull since it is the shirt that augments the glamour of your power suit. But remember that formal wear does not mean boring, understated and dull apparel. A smart dresser makes the best of the palette of colors available to him and keeps his suits/ trousers in mind while he is out shopping for shirts. The proper balancing of the patterns and solid colors between your shirt, suit, and tie would give the desired effect.

A shirt with subtle detailing adds a touch of glamour to your look. But the detailing should not be too ornamental or loud. You should try to add a new dimension to your appearance but not overdo it.

Break the monotony when it comes to the style and design of your shirts. Every shirt should offer a new dimension when it comes to the detailing of the fabric, pattern, collar, buttons and cuffs. Some men prefer tailor-made shirts as these would give the flexibility to play around with detailing and design. A well-stitched shirt with a firm construction is an indicator of a mans attitude and status in the corporate world.

Take Proper Care Of Your Shirt: A careful dresser pays special attention to the maintenance of his shirt. After you have made a good purchase, it becomes your responsibility to maintain your shirts. Proper care would preserve the sheen and increase the longevity of your shirts. This would ensure that you need not buy shirts oftener than you would want to. Even an expensive shirt fails to make an impression if it is faded and sloppy-looking.

Wear: A responsible dresser would always make sure that his shirt is well-cleaned and well-ironed. Remember that you only have the first two minutes to make an impression, so make the most of it.

Keep these pointers in mind while you are going shopping and you would always be a smart buyer. Keep yourself updated about the latest fashion trends because the key to smart dressing is smart buying.

About the Author: Simon Johnnson is the director of content for Executive Gift Shoppe. They feature a large selection of mens gifts like

laser pointers

, cufflinks and

zippo lighters

.

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By Diane Hess

One of the most difficult tasks that a companys management team has is building effective communications within their departments. Effective communications with all levels of management as well as co-workers is essential to employee morale as well as increased productivity. The rationale behind that is that a lack of communication skills within the team leadership structure causes stress and tension among the workers. These feelings then develop into feelings of worthlessness and into feelings of inadequacy and inferiority.

Team leadership skills are essential to the creating a work environment that is both productive and loyal. If the management team leaders are tuned in to the needs and feelings of the workers on their team, the workers are going to care more about the productivity and quality of the work they are assigned to do. Communication involves everyone within a management team, both supervision and employees. A lack of communication in any area within the management team structure will break down the morale, and once moral has decreased for the team, they will no longer be interested in doing any more than the minimum that is expected. In a production environment this may not be as noticeable since there will always be those who dont pay attention to anything that is going on around them, concentrating solely on their own work; however, in a sale environment, the results can be disastrous.

Unfortunately, some management styles prohibit the thought of developing a rapport with employees, let along communication, but be assured that this is the least productive management style and does nothing to help with the moral of the department or the efforts of the corporation in increasing productivity or sales volume. The manager who continually uses this approach without seeing the detrimental effects will certainly be on the losing end of the bonus list at years end when its too late to turn things around.

What is your management style? Do you tend to rule the department with an iron fist or do you effect communication between workers and supervision? Look at the statistics of your team and see if there are areas needing improvement, and if so, decide if communication that is more effective is the answer to that improvement. The better a team communicates with management, the more equipped each is to understand the need for meeting and improving goals. If you are not communicating effectively with your team, now is the time to improve your communication skills.

About the Author: Diane M Hess, the Executive Officer of Hess Business Professionals & Associates, specializes in limitless virtual business administrator services aiding the entrepreneur and small business in growth. Visit

hbpassociates.biz

for more info.

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