You Heard it here first, ASAP Event Advertising is officially certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s largest third party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the U.S. As a team, we couldn’t be more proud of this certification, We are looking forward to what’s ahead and continuing to offer exceptional products, service, and communication to all of our clients vendors and partners.

Being a WBE Certified Business also means that our company is over 51% owned, controlled, and operated by Women, March of this year marked the transfer of ownership of ASAP Event Advertising to the New President and Sole Owner, Brittany Ulrich,  We are honored to have been certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), what this means for ASAP is that we’ll have opportunities to access businesses who seek out women-owned and certified business’,  as well as the opportunity to further education through specific leadership seminars, and of course certifies ASAP as a Women’s Business Enterprise.

So what does that even mean? It means we have been recognized by the City of Cincinnati for doing our part to lessen the environmental impact of our operations. For example, we recycle an extensive amount of material from across our operations including the batteries and ink/toner in our office, food packaging and containers in our breakroom, and the vinyl and polyester scrap from our sign production. And of course, recycling all the paper and cardboard we use!<

Our clients can rest assured knowing we are doing everything we can to ensure the materials from their events are being recycled or reused in a responsible way.

Are you local and want to learn more about how to lessen your impact, either at home or in the workplace? Please visit https://www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org/ for more information.

Colors – yes, they’re pretty and everyone has a favorite. But did you know – it’s possible for them to influence your mood and alter your perceptions?

Let me explain further. It has been observed that being in a room painted a warm color (such as orange or red) can cause people to perceive the room as warmer than it is actually. The opposite is true of rooms painted in cool colors (blue or light purple). (Morin, 2014)

It’s also been studied that the color green causes broader thinking and fosters creativity (Morin, 2014). Not surprising considering green is the primary color seen in nature. Green = nature = adventure and possibilities (… or something like that).

Other surprising color psychology facts are: Blue is the favorite (think blue skies and fresh water). Yellow is generally disliked, pink tends to calm the nerves, and white is boring. Huh… who knew? (Morin, 2014)

So why does color matter where work is concerned? Take a minute to consider where you see color? Um, everywhere! The effects of color touch everything: the room you are sitting in, your desktop background, company logo and website, even your email signature!

How is color making your customer, clients, or employees’ feel?

Morin, Amy. “How To Use Color Psychology To Give Your Business An Edge.” Forbes. Forbes.com LLC, 4 Feb 2014 Web. 7 Feb 2014.

Dust off your hat and gloves! ‘Tis the season for apple cider, bonfires and, of course, holiday shopping. Over the years, we have begun to see ads for holiday sales immediately following Halloween. Walking through your favorite stores, Christmas trees, lights and dancing elves greet you beginning on November 1st. It seems like America’s favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, has been lost in the shuffle of Fall sales. Should you say “my favorite holiday” instead?

More recently, Black Friday hours have been pushed earlier and earlier. This year, retailers are going as far as to have their stores open on Thanksgiving. Many people are speaking out and voicing their opinions – the question is, will retailers who are choosing to remain open Thanksgiving evening see a backlash?

Here are some thoughts from friends and family chiming in on the subject:

“Lots of people believe Black Friday is the day (and night) of the best deals for the holiday season. Being in retail, I have noticed retailers offering these deals prior to the official Black Friday date and also offering even better deals than Black Friday the week before Christmas. For customers, this means you can avoid the late night/early morning madness and get better deals without having to suffer lack of sleep and dark under eye circles! As an employee I am fortunate my company puts value in family over profit and allows me to work normal every day hours during Black Friday. I feel for those without that luxury who rush through Thanksgiving dinner or, even worse, don’t get to spend time with their family because they have to be at work Thanksgiving evening. It contradicts the entire meaning behind the holiday not getting a chance to spend time with those that you are most thankful for”.

“While I feel bad for employees that are required to work on Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other holiday, that is what you signed up for. It’s called working in retail. Restaurants are open on Christmas Eve – what’s the difference?”

“I think it’s crazy being open on Thanksgiving and I feel sorry for all of the people who have to work. I am choosing not to shop with companies that are remaining open, versus allowing workers to enjoy the holiday with their families – I would rather spend a little more money, then support a company that does not value their employees”.

Retailers are split – some holding true to tradition and waiting for Friday to kick off their holiday shopping, while others are opening around 4PM, or even earlier Thanksgiving Day. All are speaking out, in many cases, to defend their choice to open their doors early for Black Friday sales.

Nordstrom Inc. wrote on its Facebook page: “We won’t be decking our halls” until Black Friday because “we just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time.”

A Macy’s Inc. spokesman said, “We are opening because customers tell us they are interested in shopping on Thanksgiving evening”

“Some things are more important than money”, said Ace Hardware about keeping its 4,600 stores nationwide closed on Thanksgiving.

“Almost everybody to date has moved up, at least one hour, if not more,” said a Walmart’s representative. “We thought 6 o’clock was the exact right time to win the weekend.”

Many retailers, like Macy’s, are emphasizing that their decision to remain open was prompted by customers expressing an interest in shopping on Thanksgiving. Some are providing employees with increased pay, a higher percentage off personal transactions and even a Thanksgiving meal. Some made the decision to remain closed, not so much to honor the holiday, but because in past years their Black Friday sales numbers have not been worth dragging employee’s out of the house and away from families.

There is always going to be someone disappointed, or in many cases, outraged with the decision. Regardless, it seems like the majority of the companies made their decisions based on financial gain, be it they remain opened or closed. Maybe this is just the name of the game now? Retailers are changing their strategies in the fight to win sales and compete with online only companies.

Or maybe, in our fast paced, profit driven world, we have just lost sight of what is really important…family.

Let us know how you feel about the Black Friday controversy.

For a full list of retailers, both open and closed on Thanksgiving, please see the below links.

Stores open for business:

http://www.theblackfriday.com/stores-opening-on-thanksgiving.php

Stores closed on Thanksgiving:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/11/04/costco-publix-lead-charge-as-stores-refuse-to-open-on-thanksgiving-day/

If that just made your stomach drop, you’re not alone. I think it’s safe to say there are a lot of Monday-haters out there. I get it – it’s hard to come back to work after a fun weekend. Monday means back to the daily grind. For the next five days.

So, what can we do about it?

I’ve learned to appreciate a few things about my workweek. To start, I like the structure of it all. You might think that sounds terrible, but just bear with me. Lets say you have an off day, and your schedule is free. You probably have a list of all the productive things you want to get done that day. But my guess is a few to none will get accomplished because the entire day will be spent binge watching something on Netflix.

If I have all day to do something, it will probably get done last minute, if at all. However, if I’m forced to make due with every hour I’ve got, suddenly I’m superwoman. I can work all day, go for a run, stop at the grocery, and even have time to sit down and watch a movie. And it feels great! It doesn’t matter who you are – that sense of accomplishment feels so rewarding.

Something else I find helpful is to start small and look for pleasure in the little things. For example, enjoying your morning coffee or telling your co-workers a funny story from your weekend can make Monday morning a little less gloomy. Give yourself a “Monday” treat – whether that is going out with friends or making your favorite dinner or dessert. Looking forward to something can make Monday seem a little less like a waste of a day.

Soon we will be ringing in the New Year. Personally, I plan to enjoy the festivities by my fireplace watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. This year I want to forgo those unrealistic resolutions and make SMART goals instead.

The SMART methodology is a management strategy, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Based. Setting a goal will enable me to work smarter by creating a path with goals along the way to help me achieve my final outcome.

Specific (pick an area for improvement)
Measurable (criteria for measuring progress to achieve goal)
Attainable (objective is within reach)
Realistic (goal must have meaning to you)
Time- bound (time-line for accomplishing goal)

Don’t set yourself up for failure making unrealistic resolutions. Now go write down a detailed goal you would like to achieve professionally. Be specific, set deadlines and work daily on the steps that will help you achieve your goal. Do your best to record the results. This will help you to pinpoint problem areas where you can improve to get better results.

This methodology can be applied on a number of levels in both professional and personal goals. It doesn’t guarantee success, but at least it gives you the ability to apply a measuring stick.

I hope everyone has a safe, warm holiday with plenty of joy and laughter!

If you would like to learn more read, The SMART Goals Book by Anna Stevens.