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Five Ways to Win with Your Remote Team 

Working from home is likely a thing that’s here to stay. More and more companies of all sizes and industries have discovered a virtual workforce can be just as — if not more — effective. Companies who can best manage remote employees or teams will be primed for the long haul. Here are five ways to support your remote team and future-proof your success! 

Communication is Key 

Setting up periodic virtual check-ins or conference calls is essential to keep remote teams and employees engaged. This is particularly true for teams that rely on the collaborative process to do their best work. No one is looking to add more meetings, but shorter, more frequent, goal-oriented meetings can help employees be more productive and feel more connected, and can often replace longer, less-frequent “catch-all” meetings. 

Surveys are Great Get-To-Know-You Tools

It’s tough being the new employee at any company. Those challenges are magnified for employees joining a new team or company that’s working mostly remote. Send an introductory questionnaire that can be shared across teams to help remote employees can be sent to all employees. It’ll not only break the ice, so to speak, but can also reveal skillsets and talents that may otherwise go unused. 

Create a “Home Office” Catalog or Company Store

Some high-quality, company-branded office supplies are a generous and practical touch to improve your remote employee’s work from home experience. Branded work-from-home essentials have the feeling of a gift with the additional benefit of making your remote team more effective by providing them with tools they need to do their their jobs. 

Ask for Feedback

Why only ask for feedback when an employee is on their way out the door? For a better sampling and trend-spotting, ask all employees and teams for regular feedback on anything and everything. Not sure how to start? Begin simply with short survey, or a prompt seeking answers to a question management is currently struggling with. 

It’s Always the Right Time to Say “Thanks!” 

Gratitude never goes out of style. And let’s be honest, does anyone tire of being appreciated? A job well done, a benchmark hit, a sales goal surpassed, a work anniversary… the reasons for recognizing employee and team efforts is practically endless. From “thank you” notes, to awards, prizes, to company apparel and incentive items, The Dunstan Group can make your team look and feel like winners every day. 

 

 

Five Trends for 2021 

The last thing most of us want from 2021 is more of the same. As much as we anticipate something completely different from a brand new year, we feel there are still a few categories you can bank on. Check out five branded merchandise and apparel trends we’re seeing for 2021. 

Personal Protective Equipment 

Vaccine or not, it’s going to be a minute before personal protective equipment like masks, clean keys, hand sanitizers, and other PPE go out of style— or is no longer required. Businesses that take advantage of these branding platforms their customers, clients, and employees use every day will absolutely have an upper hand on the competition. 

https://shop.dunstangroup.biz/sr/1810451

Work From Home Essentials 

Businesses of all sizes plan to keep team members spread out and working from home well into 2021. As makeshift and ad hoc home offices become more semi-permanent, work from home essentials become just that— essential! Branded work from home products make onboarding easier for new employees, too! 

https://shop.dunstangroup.biz/sr/1823387

Gift Baskets and Boxes

As the story goes, there’s never a wrong time to say “thank you.” Gift baskets and bundles will continue to provide a personal touch between businesses and their clients as we wait for face-to-face opportunities. Conferences, concerts, fundraisers, and other events have all found creative ways to use gift baskets and boxes to connect their virtual audiences. 

https://shop.dunstangroup.biz/sr/1833298

Brand Names Energize the Custom Space 

The North Face, OGIO, YETI, Peter Millar, and more have made it even easier for customers looking to outfit their teams with familiar brand names. The Travis Mathew activewear line is now available at The Dunstan Group in 2021. We’re expecting a very warm reception! 

Personal Privacy Products

A little personal responsibility can go a long way. Blocking webcam and microphone access is one easy way to add an additional level of security to electronic devices you use every day. Our webcam cover combo pack is compatible with phones, tablets, desktop monitors, and laptops. 

 

Gratitude: Now More Than Ever

You don’t need to hear us say it. Everyone, in just about every way, recognizes it’s been an unusual and challenging year on practically every front. That’s equally true for your clients and partners as it is for employees and coworkers. Now more than ever, there’s no better season — or reason — to express gratitude for their business, their partnership, and their teamwork. Here are a few easy ways to show you care:  

Keep the Communications Lines Open 

With so many of us working remotely, collaboration doesn’t come as naturally and it’s easy to become siloed or isolated. Establishing brief but regular check-in meetings can keep communication current and projects on track. Better still, set “virtual office hours” where team members, clients, etc., know you are available and ready to listen. 

Host a Virtual Breakfast, Lunch or Happy Hour 

We know, we know; this one’s been done. So why not find a way to do it better? The Dunstan Group has helped more than a few clients and friends take this concept next level with branded, catered boxes of goodies delivered just in time for a virtual group get-together. 

Read: Hood Hargett Dishes Up Virtual Breakfast Club

Special Delivery 

And speaking of delivery… With so many local restaurants offering delivery service, you’re a call or a click away from making someone’s day with a special treat. Not sure the timing is right? No problem! Some of our favorite local restaurants even offer virtual gift cards that can be emailed directly to the recipient. 

Recognize Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Special Dates 

If social media excels at anything, it’s keeping us in the loop about upcoming birthdays and anniversaries. It doesn’t cost anything to send a quick note or email recognizing their special day. You “planning ahead” types can use your personalized stationery to send a hand-written note. Who doesn’t like getting a card in the mail? 

Yep! We can do customized cards, too!

Check-in “Just Because” 

You don’t have to be a manager, business owner, or chief executive of anything to genuinely care about your team members, coworkers, clients, or employees. A quick call, text, or email just to check in might be just what they need at the moment. 

BrandBuilders Spotlight: Ground 40

One in a series of case studies highlighting creative projects, imaginative clients, and remarkable results.

The Client:

Ground 40 is a Christian ministry that seeks to provide practical Biblical application to the lives of men caught in the grips of addiction, homelessness, and incarceration. Men in the program spend their first 120 days on a working farm as they learn practical discipleship. When ready, they move to a home with others in the program, to continue growing their faith while working with mentors and businesses to learn a skill or vocation.

The Challenge:

Each year Ground 40 sponsors a Farm Fun Day event to raise awareness about the challenge of addiction, and the work Ground 40 is doing in the community. The day of hayrides, pumpkins, volleyball games, food, and music is also a big opportunity for Ground 40 to open the farm to the public and raise funds for the ministry.

The Big Idea:

Lyndsie Davis at The Dunstan Group worked with Ground 40 leadership to provide branded merchandise that would share the Ground 40 brand and message to visitors at Farm Fun Day. Two soft but rugged T-shirts sported the nonprofit’s logo, and the long sleeve (youth) and ¾ sleeve styles were perfect for the crisp, sunny October day. A Christmas ornament in matte black with the Ground 40 logo on one side and “For unto us a child is born” on the other was on-point for the group’s faith-based mission.

The Reaction:

“The Dunstan Group has been a fantastic partner in helping raise awareness.  We were able to do a podcast in late 2019, and of course the gear they make is amazing!”

-Matthew Davis, Ground 40

Holiday Shipping Deadlines for Christmas 2020 

Nothing motivates like a deadline, right? If you’re hustling to get your gifts out the door in time for Christmas, here’s a quick look at deadlines for major US package carriers. Note: These may be moving targets and not guaranteed, so our recommendation is to get them in the mail as soon as you can! 

USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines 

2020 Holiday Shipping Dates for Contiguous U.S. (Lower 48 States)

Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25

Tuesday, December 15: Last day to ship USPS Retail Ground Service 

Friday, December 18: Last day to ship First-Class Mail Service 

Saturday, December 19: Last day to ship Priority Mail Service 

Wednesday, December 23: Last day to ship Priority Mail Express Service 

https://www.usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm

UPS® Holiday Shipping Deadlines 

Tuesday, December 15: Last day to ship with UPS® Ground service for Dec. 24 delivery

Monday, December 21: This is the last day to ship UPS 3 Day Select® packages for delivery on Thursday, Dec. 24

The UPS Service Guarantee is currently suspended for all shipments. Plan for an extra day or two for deliveries. Note: UPS Next Day Air Saver® and UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.® have end-of-day delivery windows

https://www.ups.com/assets/resources/media/en_US/US_Holiday_Operations_Schedule.pdf 

FedEx Holiday Shipping Deadlines 

Monday, December 14, 2020

FedEx Freight no-fee, money-back guarantee suspended for shipments with required delivery dates of Monday, December 14, 2020, through Monday, January 4, 2021

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

FedEx Freight will continue to provide normal pickup and delivery

Thursday, December 24, 2020

FedEx Express will have early station, on-call pickup, and drop box closings in some areas.

FedEx Office will close by 6 p.m.

FedEx Freight unavailable

Friday, December 25, 2020

FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Home Delivery,

FedEx SmartPost, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Office unavailable2

https://www.fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/shipping/images/FedEx-Holiday-Schedule.pdf

BrandBuilders Spotlight: AtlantaINNO

One in a series of case studies highlighting creative projects, imaginative clients, and remarkable results.

The Client:

AtlantaINNO is part of AmericanINNO’s family of digital media and events properties, which focus on covering nextgen leaders in the startup and technology industries. AtlantaINNO’s annual 50 on Fire recognizes the best innovators and entrepreneurs of the region’s startups.

The Challenge:

Like a lot of events in 2020, AtlantaINNO needed to recognize its 50 on Fire winners in a way that reflects their accomplishments, but without a large gathering. The virtual award ceremony on August 6th called for creativity and innovation of its own to support the winners, AtlantaINNO, and their sponsors’ brands.

“I was overwhelmed with the idea of assembling gift boxes with awards and a branded gift, and getting them shipped on time to our winners,” explains AmericanINNO’s National Marketing and Events Director, Cat Francis. This is where The Dunstan Group showed its flexibility and creativity with its BrandBuilders Box.

The Big Idea:

The Dustan Group created a custom BrandBuilders Box for 50 on Fire winners in the Atlanta area, that reflects the AmericanINNO brand and the 50 on Fire sponsor, JLL. Brian Young of The Dunstan Group teamed up with JLL and AtlantaINNO to create custom awards, custom executive power banks, and custom cards, which were placed in a full color, one-of-a-kind BrandBuilders Box. Boxes were then mailed to each winner to recognize their organization as one of the top 50 on Fire in the Atlanta area.

The Reaction:

“The Dunstan Group brought my idea to life and then made it look amazing. The gift boxes we sent to honorees were even better than I imagined! The Dunstan Group streamlined the process, and took all of the stress off my shoulders. Our honorees were surprised and so excited about the gift boxes, as they arrived the day before the virtual event. Thank you!”

-Cat Francis, National Marketing and Events Director AmericanINNO

Santa’s Elves Are Entering Their Busy Season — So it’s Time to Make Your List!

ATTENTION: There are only 90 days until Christmas! And 75 days until Hanukkah begins! And even less than that until your company party! (If you’re having one) And that doesn’t count shopping days, which are even fewer. Do you know what that means?

Yes, it means you should think about getting your orders for your custom, branded holiday gifts in ASAP if you want them to be in your hands by December 1st.

Shop Gourmet Holiday Gifts

Many of us are aware supply chains this year are tight because of COVID-19, and that’s in play for the holiday season. A lot of factories needed time off for social distancing or health and safety reasons, and others are working to meet stepped-up demand for their products. Online shopping has skyrocketed, too, putting more stress than ever on delivery companies and the US Postal Service.

The Dunstan Group, supplier of unique branded apparel and products, is ready for the challenge of supplying your company gifts — but the sooner, the better for those orders!

“We’re trying to get clients to think about planning ahead,” says The Dunstan Group Founder and President Scott Dunstan. “Big companies are putting in orders already, so we need to get on board.”

Get those orders in pronto if you want to send this year’s hottest gift: the Bodega Box, a new and very popular choice for a BrandBuilders Box. The BrandBuilders Box has taken off as a top choice for gifting this year because so many people are working from home. Unique branded items can be assembled and wrapped in a custom box and delivered directly to recipients by mail or delivery service – a sweet, personal touch. The custom box uses your logo and branding to put your company name in front of recipients at a special time of an unusual year.

Shop BrandBuilders Boxes

Bodega Boxes include small, gourmet, and handcrafted items, like nuts, jams, and other tasty treats, along with small, branded gifts that go with a theme. The custom box and personalized notes sent directly to a client’s door finishes with the right touch of, “We’re thinking about you!” But good things take time, says Dunstan.

“Getting an early order makes it easy to customize your BrandBuilders Box, and get it where it needs to go before the holidays,” he reminds us. “It takes time to customize just the right order for you, and make sure it has time to ship.”

Other popular items for holiday corporate gifting include corporate apparel like shirts, vests, or jackets; and branded coffee vessels like Yeti or Corkcicle. This year, branded products for the home are especially useful — think blankets and throws, knives and cutting boards, and even Bluetooth speakers for those Zoom meetings. For employees and clients venturing out to the office, apparel sets like branded scarves with matching hats and gloves are a nice touch.

We’ve all gotten used to those little delays this year, but one thing — the holidays — won’t wait. So make sure you get your orders in early — no one wants to be stuck on the naughty list come December!

Custom BrandBuilders Boxes Create Special Moment for YBLA Teens & Future Leaders

A blazer is a sign that the wearer means business. It is the mark of a sharp, prepared man or woman. At the Young Black Leadership Alliance, it is also the sign a high school senior has done the work required to be an Ambassador — a top representative of the leadership group. And this year, The Dunstan Group is helping YBLA celebrate those teens.

First, some history.

Fifteen years ago, John and Tammy Martin had a revelation: the young, Black men they saw stereotyped in popular culture were not the young, Black leaders they knew our community was producing, or could produce with the right guidance. They were determined to help these young men, who were good students and capable of so much, look sharp and achieve their potential. The Young Black Men (YBM) Leadership Alliance was born.

Nine years later, Tammy created Young Black Women (YBW) Leadership Alliance with the couple’s daughter, Jalyn, and 3 other teens. It wasn’t long before the two organizations became one as the Young Black Leadership Alliance. The YBLA has helped hundreds of teens learn leadership, college and career readiness, and service.

“Our mission is that our young leaders make a positive impact in their community and the world,” says Tammy. The YBLA operates on the pillars of Leadership, Service, and Education.

One look at the photo of smiling, ambitious teens in navy blue and burgundy blazers, and you know they mean business. But those blazers aren’t easy to earn — the young men and women have to work for them!

“We put them through training,” says Tammy. “They are Toastmaster certified. They learn team building, personal branding, communication, and even an elevator pitch!” This year about 300 high school juniors applied to the program, and 150 were offered membership into YBLA. Once a schedule of commitments was ironed out, about 100 moved forward with the virtual workshops. (During a normal year of in-person meetings, usually about 250 take part.)

Each member gets a calendar and must commit to the workshops about college readiness, networking, and being open-minded to new ideas. They work with community and corporate leaders. Then they must pick a “passion project” that will affect at least 10 people, and complete it. THEN they get a blazer showing they are a YBLA Ambassador.

The Blazer Ceremony is a big deal — though this year, it has to be virtual. How could John and Tammy make the big moment special? That’s where they brought in The Dunstan Group and their custom BrandBuilders Box.

“It exceeded our expectations!” says Tammy with excitement. The custom BrandBuilders Box shows a wrap-around photo of the Ambassadors. The tissue inside, wrapped around the blazer like a present, is in brand colors. A similar custom YBLA envelope is used to send out T-shirts and polos as incentives to younger members.

“It really steps up our brand,” continues Tammy. “When you get this is the mail it’s like, ‘Wow!’ — definitely a wow factor!” The extra attention to branding is important this year, as John and Tammy are realizing their dream — through virtual workshops — of taking YBLA to the national level. This year they have young leaders in training from 10 different states! They’ve decided to keep a virtual element to YBLA, even when they return to in-person meetings. Their branding needs to match their momentum, and The Dunstan Group is eager to assist them.

“We’re excited about helping such a passionate group continue to build their brand through merchandise,” says The Dunstan Group President and Founder Scott Dunstan. “It’s exciting to see the work they are doing right here in the community, educating and developing young Black leaders so they have a positive impact on their community and beyond. We’re proud to be a small part of that!”

Tammy calls working with The Dunstan Group “a blessing” because of how Scott and the company were able to meet their needs, making their brand stand out on a budget. And she loves that they are able to work with a local company, which has become “like family” to the YBLA.

“I think they’ve been our greatest vendor, and they’re nice,” says Tammy. “We’ve never looked back.”