4. Laugh and Have Fun. Laughter increases your energy level since you need to intake oxygen during laughter. By having fun, people become more relaxed and their creativity increases along with effectiveness and productivity.

5. Teambuilding Exercises. Conduct exercises to build “esprit de corps”. Take your staff out for a pizza lunch or organize “walk outside meetings”. These exercises improve communication and foster synergy.

Building a positive work environment will improve your chances of success. Your staff will be energized, your leadership will be respected and energy will be high. So, what can you do today to bring positive energy to your work environment?

MORE TIPS ON REDUCING YOUR PRINTING COSTS

>Don’t include information that can get outdated quickly, such as prices. Instead consider creating a price sheet on your computer that you can quickly update, print from your desktop printer, and insert inside brochure. That way you don’t have to reprint your brochures every time you change prices.

>If your brochure can fit into same envelope as your invoice or other material you mail to customers, stuff brochure inside. You save on postage.

>I believe printed brochures are preferable to electronic versions. They’re easier to read. However, if you think your prospects are computer savvy, you might consider putting a pdf version of your brochure on a diskette or CD. It’s a novel and inexpensive way to distribute it.

If you’re not sure how computer literate your target market is, then you should stick to a printed brochure.

You can also buy pre-designed brochures sheets for your desktop printer. You just add text and graphics. Paperdirect.com has a good selection.

HOW TO GET BETTER CUSTOMER RESPONSE FROM YOUR BROCHURE

Here are some suggestions you should consider.

>Make sure your address, phone and fax numbers, website and e-mail are easy to find.

>Give your reader a reason to open brochure. Start selling on cover. And list benefits your product or service offers.

>Use testimonials. Nothing helps sell a product or service better than reading comments from satisfied customers. (Be sure to get your customer’s permission before quoting him.)

>Have a “Frequently Asked Questions” section. Your brochure should answer common questions a prospect is going to ask about your product or service. If your business does quotes, include a separate questionnaire that prospect can fill out and fax to you.

>Include information that prospect would find valuable. He’s then more likely to keep brochure longer. For example, you run a computer repair service, so you include in your brochure a small section called "Ten Ways to Boost your Computer’s Performance” or “Little Known Windows Shortcuts to Improve your Productivity.”

>Tell prospect what next step he or she should take. Call for more information? Call for a free estimate?

Designing your own brochure will save you money. But I still think it’s worth expense to hire an experienced graphic designer. If you don’t have a talent for design, your brochure will look amateurish and will reflect poorly on your business.

David Coyne is a copywriter, marketing consultant and president of DC Infobiz. Get his FREE REPORT “Start A High Income, Low Risk Home Business And Never Create A Product, Write An Ad or Talk To Anyone.” Send a blank email to dcinfobiz@GetResponse.com