INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

PAGE 2 Gaining a Business Edge

PAGE 3Establish Your Brand

in Print

PAGE 4Featured Branded Merchandise

Wireless Charging Pad & Econo Mobile Charger

PAGE 53 Business-Card Basics to

Boost Your NetworK

PAGE 6Staying Sharp

PAGE 7 Overcoming Adversity

PAGE 85 Tips for Remembering

Names

N E W S L E T T E R

A p r i l 2 0 2 0

Under the

Down to Business

Build Smart Systems Smart, well-thought-out systems ensure that everyday tasks are accomplished in the most efficient and effective way possible with fewer hassles for everyone involved. Things don’t get overlooked or slip between the cracks. Everyone knows what’s expected of them and how what they’re doing affects those around them and the bottom line.

Hire Like-Minded People We all like to feel that what we do matters. People who embrace your vision will feel happier, better appreciated, and more fulfilled—qualities that translate directly to higher retention and better outcomes in dealing with coworkers, managers, and customers alike.

Create a Caring Culture A healthy organization starts with a healthy company culture built on shared values and direction. Make sure yours is a place where people want to invest their time, their talents, and their experience.

Everybody Sells Different people hold a wide variety of roles within any organization. Still, each has an important role to play in making sure the business is one that customers and prospects want to engage. Make sure your employees find value in the work they do and that they know you find value in their contributions, too. Share customer success stories throughout your company and thank everyone for the part they play in making those stories happen.

Staying ahead is the key to success in any industry. Here are some

tips to help you gain and maintain a competitive edge:

GAINING A BUSINESS EDGE

Make Your Team Your

Ultimate Business Edge

» Share your vision. Paint a bigger picture for your employees that goes beyond the bottom line.

» Encourage buy-in. Take a “we, not me” approach to company goals and opportunities.

» Set expectations. Make sure everyone knows, understands, and appreciates their role in driving your company forward.

» Compensate and reward. Show your appreciation when team members go above and beyond the expected.

Under The Sun Newsletter Page 2

Building a brand takes time and commitment. Robust design, memorable imagery, relatable content, and repeated exposure create a memorable brand.

Print plays a vital role in brand-building in several ways. From corporate stationery such as letterhead and business cards to printed forms, invoices, statements, and envelopes, every official communication from your company to a customer, prospect, vendor, media member, or the general public is an extension of your brand.

Direct mail is another great way to build your brand through print. A consistent direct-mail marketing campaign will put your brand in the hands of buyers, helping create the

name recognition you’re looking for at a manageable cost.

Of course, building a brand means more than just slapping a logo on everything. A logo is only one element in an overall identity. Corporate colors, logos, typefaces, layouts, and slogans, used consistently across multiple platforms and media, will help build and establish a clean, professional corporate identity.

If you’re looking to refresh or establish your brand, we can help. Give us a call or visit us online today to learn more.

Building a brand your customers will look to and remember...

That’s the Print Advantage!

Ask any marketer to list their keys to a successful campaign,

and brand recognition will appear near the top.

“Hope lies in dreams, in

imagination, and in the

courage of those who dare to

make dreams into reality.”

— Jonas Salk

ESTABLISH YOUR BRAND IN PRINT

Business Quotes

“Your clients are critical to your business. Don’t lose touch with who they are and why they’ve chosen to do business with you.” —Lewis Howes

“Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.” —Albert Einstein

“Don’t worry about people stealing your design work. Worry about the day they stop.” —Jeffrey Zeldman

“People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

“He, who every morning plans the transactions of the day, and follows that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through a labyrinth of the most busy life.” —Victor Hugo

“Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” —Steve Jobs

Print Advantage

GAINING A BUSINESS EDGE

Page 3

Under The Sun Newsletter Page 4

Featured Branded Merchandise

CALL FOR PRICING AND ORDER TODAY!

803-791-1786

BUDGET WIRELESSCHARGING PAD

ECONO MOBILE CHARGER

CUSTOMIZE WITH YOUR BRANDMini wireless charging mat designed to

charge most remote wireless charging

enabled smartphones (including iPhone 8,

8+, X, XS, XS+, XR, 11 and 11 Pro). Check your

device specs prior to purchase. Operates at

a lower temperature than most traditional

chargers. Instructions and charging cable

included. Patent pending. Complies with CE,

FCC, Prop 65, RoHS. 2.75” Diameter x 0.25” D.

CUSTOMIZE WITH YOUR BRANDEncased in an ABS plastic shell, this portable lithium

battery allows you to charge your devices virtually

anywhere. Measuring 1 1/2” x 2 3/4”, this power bank

includes a standard USB connector cable to charge

batteries from your computer or any USB port with a

power supply. With a 5 V rated voltage and 2200mAh

rated capacity, this charger has an input (DC IN) of

5V-500mA and an output (USB OUT) of 5V 1000mA.

It has a charge time of approximately 6 hours and is

both CE and FCC approved. This item can only ship to

the contiguous United States via ground.

A unique item that you can order

with your brand - custom color

socks! Call our team at Sun for

unique ideas like this.

803-791-1786

Branded Footwear

3 BUSINESS-CARD BASICS TO BOOST YOUR NETWORK

Featured ProductFEATURED SOLUTION

Keep It Simple Limit yourself to a single typeface or two with just a few simple formats (perhaps boldface for the name and standard text for everything else). The goal is to look professional, not to stand out for the wrong reasons.

Use White Space Effectively Don’t over-clutter your card with a lot of useless information just to fill the space. A logo, basic information, and perhaps one small image should suffice. Leave space, if possible, for recipients to jot notes on your card, as well.

Consider Your Audience If appointments are a typical part of your business, add an appointment reminder to the backside of your card or as a fold-over option. If you’re prospecting for new business, include a coupon or incentive for first-time purchases.

A simple, well-produced business card can make a positive

impression without overdoing it.

Page 5

Get Active Exercise is good for your body and your brain. Increased blood flow and blood oxygen stimulate brain activity and help to clear a foggy mind.

Socialize Engaging conversation and social interaction stimulate the brain, so get out of the house and get involved.

Play a Game Word games and number games help to exercise the brain and keep it sharp. Board games and card games are also excellent choices.

Get Plenty of Rest A lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your concentration, memory, reaction times, and overall mental acuity. Sleep helps the body eliminate waste particles in the brain.

Do a Puzzle Jigsaw puzzles, Rubik’s cube and similar hands-on puzzles put the brain to work and encourage mental clarity.

Read a Book Reading about a variety of topics promotes brain activity while also entertaining and informing the mind.

Play a Musical Instrument Playing a musical instrument improves memory and the parts of the brain associated with planning skills.

Eat Well The foods you eat can have a dramatic effect on your mental clarity.

Drink More Water The human brain is about 75% water. A well-hydrated brain can remain focused and function more effectively.

Health & Wellness

Staying up-to-date with the news can feel like a never-ending battle. If your time is limited but you want to stay informed, Nwsty might be your answer. The app provides daily news summaries of the 5-10 biggest stories of the day. Access to top news stories from across the Web is available in-app, and breaking news headlines are updated every hour, as well. An audio option allows you to listen to the news, rather than reading it.

Nwsty Android, iOS & Web

Zomato offers menus, reviews, photos, and other useful information about restaurants in communities across the globe. Search by food type, location, or restaurant name. Rate and review restaurants you visit, bookmark your favorite places, and journal your culinary adventures. Curated lists make it easy to find hotspots for great burgers, date-night experiences, and more. Follow your friends who also use Zomato, and book reservations at select restaurants where available.

Zomato Android, iOS & Web

SwiftKey replaces your phone’s default keyboard with an AI-driven alternative that adapts to your writing style and helps you type more efficiently. The software “learns” your idiosyncrasies, word choice, slang, jargon, etc., so it can offer better predictions and autocorrections. A swipe-typing feature, themes, emojis, and gifs help round out this feature-rich offering.

SwiftKey Keyboard Android & iOS

Apps Scene

Staying SharpEver felt like you’re in a mental

fog? Most of us have. If you’re

struggling with mental acuity,

here are nine things you can try

to keep your brain running at

peak efficiency:

Under The Sun Newsletter Page 6

Try Not to Internalize It Many times, a setback is beyond your control. A client leaves due to budget constraints. An employer lets you go for the same reason. A coworker gets a promotion you were hoping for. Such things are not your fault, and they aren’t a reflection on you and your value as a person. You have value beyond any bottom line. Remember that.

Focus on the Future Necessity often dictates your early reactions to a setback. Make sure those reactions are future-focused. You’ve lost your job. Now what? The promotion you wanted went to somebody else. What’s the next step you can take to move forward? The past is the past. You can’t change it now. Focus instead on where you’ll go from here.

Lean on Those You Trust Most of us feel vulnerable and possibly even ashamed after a

setback. The natural reaction is to pull away and isolate ourselves from the world. Instead, reach out to friends, family, colleagues, and your network of peers. Let people in. Trust them. Work your contacts. You never know where the next opportunity might come from. Closing yourself off will only make the next opportunity that much harder to find.

Look for the Lessons Introspection isn’t always possible while you’re amidst a setback. It can even be counterproductive sometimes. Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic won’t keep the ship from sinking or prevent you from going down with it. Your primary focus often needs to be on damage control and moving on. But once the chaos has passed and the dust has settled, take some time for reflection and introspection to see if there are any lessons you can learn from the experience you endured.

Trailblazer: The Power of Business

as the Greatest Platform for Change

by Marc Benioff

Marc Benioff is the founder and CEO of Salesforce, the world’s leading customer-relationship management (CRM) platform. In Trailblazer he explains how values beyond the bottom line have contributed to the continued growth of his company and its flagship product.

Benioff started with three bedrock values that drove his company’s vision: trust, customer success, and innovation. He later added a fourth: equality. From early on, the company has followed a 1-1-1 philanthropic model. One percent of the company’s equity, product, and employee time is devoted to charitable causes. Today, the company is valued at more than $120 billion, and Benioff credits much of this success to this early decision to focus the company’s culture around values over all else.

Benioff believes we’re on the brink of a “fifth industrial revolution.” Trailblazer lays out his vision for how that revolution might unfold and how others can benefit from the lessons he’s learned in running his business.

OVERCOMING ADVERSITYWe all face setbacks in life and at work. Job loss, sales slumps,

missed opportunities. How we deal with those setbacks plays a

crucial role in our future growth and success. When you’re facing

adversity, here are four tips that might help:

Books in Review

At the Office

Page 7

Under The Sun NewsletterSun Solutions345 Dreher RoadWest Columbia, SC 29169

Phone803.791.1786 Local800.523.7058 Toll FreeE-mailLetters to the EditorJacob.Cook@SunSolutionsUSA.comCustomer Serviceinfo@SunSolutionsUSA.comFax803.794.9487Webwww.SunSolutionsUSA.com

SUN SOLUTIONS IS PROUD TO BE A

*Please note that anniversaries are recognized beginning at 3 years, followed by 5 years and then onward in increments of 5.

April Birthdays

April Anniversaries

Andrew Casto 04/07 Michelle Pratt 04/08 Owen Bolin 04/09Andrew Reininger 04/11Shawn Bunnells 04/16

Betty Chavis 20 yearsMichelle Kelly 20 yearsFreda Green 10 years

Belinda Neese 04/19Trystan Tingberg 04/19Bill Worman 04/21John Burrows 04/21Frank Neill 04/29

Shadoe Allmon 5 yearsDave Jenks 3 years

Repetition Helps Whenever you meet someone for the first time, use their name right away and throughout your conversation. Addressing people by name builds rapport and helps to ingrain their name in your mind.

Jot It Down When you first meet somebody, write their name out on a piece of paper. If the name’s unusual, ask the person to spell it out. This not only shows the person that you’re interested in getting to know them, but it also provides a visual cue in remembering the name.

Take Notes After your meeting, write a few notes about the person you met, noting any interesting information you learned about them, along with a quick physical description you can use to jog your memory later when you’re reviewing your day.

Try to Make Associations Simple word associations that link a name with a characteristic about a person might help in remembering a person’s name. A simple rhyme or alliteration might seem silly at first, but many people use such devices to commit the names of people they meet to memory. Associating the person with someone else you know with the same name might help, too.

Don’t Be Embarrassed to Ask Even with the best of intentions, it’s not possible to remember every name. Do your best, but if you have to ask someone’s name the next time you meet, ask. They’ll most likely appreciate that you made an effort to try remembering them.

Remembering someone’s name can be the key that unlocks the door to a relationship that is mutually beneficial.

Working Together

5 Tips for Remembering NamesWhether meeting a new

coworker or a new contact at

a social event, remembering

names is a challenge many of

us face every day. If you’re not

good with names, here are a

few tips to try:

Page 8Under The Sun Newsletter