My favorite store ever online (the one that I order everything from for my businesses) is now selling t-shirts!  I wish they were doing that when I was selling lia sophia, because I would have been a huge customer for that.

However, enough about why I think this is cool.  Let me tell you why you want to use VistaPrint.  First, they are cheap.  I order my business cards from them, because I only have to pay for shipping.  If you want a custom picture on your cards, it is an extra $5.  Another thing I love about Vista Print is that they have anything and everything you need for a business from t-shirts I mentioned before to business cards to stampers.  They are always have sales.  Once you get on their email lists, you will find that whatever you need to order is usually on some sort of sale.  For example, if you use TShirts25 you can get 25% off any T-shirts that you order!  I have also always been impressed with the quality of their products.  I have yet to receive a product that I did not like!

I can only say lots of good things about Vistaprint.  I would highly recommend them for all your personal and business needs.

When I went to San Diego for the Sony Mommy Bloggers Event, I learned that I really like being driven around in a limo to my destinations. It was super cool that they guy who picked me up was also standing there with my name on a sign. It makes you feel super important (whether you really are or not). However, it made me realize that we should have gotten a Limo In Arizona while we were there in February. I wish we would have checked out www.miragelimo.com and their Phoenix Limousine Service. We flew into Phoenix, and their limos go all across Arizona. After being on a plane for 6 hours (that’s including layover time in GA), we were in no mood to drive 2 hours to Sedona. It also was raining when we got there, and we both were exhausted. Since it was just a getaway for us, I wish we would have looked into getting limo and take the stress off ourselves (which was the whole point of the vacation). They have a ton of vehicles to choose from for whatever size your party is. If you are in the Arizona area and have some transportation needs, definitely check Mirage Limos out.

I am a person who never ever knows where she is. I do not have the internal sense of direction that everyone else seems to have. My guy instinct is usually not the right away. I have this problem here in Chicago (which I have an excuse since I did not grow up here), but I am still just as lost in Green Bay, Wisconsin (where I did grow up). When we were on vacation in Arizona, I had no idea whatsoever where we were. We drove up and down the main drag there several times, and I could never tell you which direction our hotel was. I swear, Bill wants to pull his hair out at times due to my inability to locate where I am. That is why I personally love GPS units. We have our own personal portable one (and yes, we did bring it to Arizona with us).

However, I use to work at Schneider National when I lived in Green Bay. They had a GPS tracking system (not sure if was the GPS Insight vehicle tracking system or not) that they used. The GPS devices were attached to all the cabs of the trucks we had. At all times, we knew where each one of the semis were. We also were able to track to make sure they were taking their breaks when they were suppose to and they were going the speed limit (and we had a rule that they couldn’t go over 55 mph. It was pretty easy to determine when they were over that internal speed limit that Schneider has set). I know when I left, they were looking at possibly outfitting all of the trailers also. That was going to be a tad bigger feat, since we had trailers all over the country. However, they didn’t even know where all their trailers even were!

This is just one of many uses for using GPS Insight. It costs around $1.50 - $2 per day per vehicle, but you can see what your employees are really doing. I can definitely see this being used in not only the trucking industry, but also in sales, the trades (like HVAC, plumbing, etc) , delivery vehicles, etc. The best part is that almost anyone can install this on their own on their vehicles. They also have GPS Insight support wiki for customers and a Blog for GPS vehicle tracking too. They make it easy for the customer to install, customize, and get help for any issues that may come up. For the business minded person, this is definitely something you should take a look at for your company.

I am not sure if I have talked about Vistaprint on here before or not. However, I love this company. You can order pretty much anything you need from them for both your home and business needs. You can get get stationary, return address labels, thank you cards, magnets, business cards, checks, stampers, etc. (and I think I have ordered almost everything off that list).  You can get everything personalized to your needs. Their prices are awesome, and their sales are even better. I love that you can pick your shipping. It costs more to get your order quicker. If you are willing to wait, you will not find a better deal anywhere else. I am currently in the process of designing a new set of business cards from them. My old ones only have 2 of my 4 blogs. They have so many designs to choose from, it makes it really difficult to decide which one to get! They also keep a record of the past items you have ordered which makes reorders really easy. I have been using them for about 2 years, and I have yet to have a problem. I really can’t say that about most companies. I highly recommend VistaPrint for all your stationary and business needs.

As many of you know, I run a home business out of my house. When I come across sites that can help both me and other business, I like to pass them on. If you are in need of Custom Labels, Label World is your one stop shop. They have won “Best of the Best – Best Workplace in America” in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007. They have also won “Partnership in Excellence” Award from the Upstate Farms Cooperative and numerous Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards from the Rochester Club of Printing House Craftsmen. They also work with most industries. They have a 6 step process that allows you to get the perfect product for your needs.  I would definitely check them out for all your label needs.

The Booster is one of my favorite online stores to buy supplies for when I was doing lia sophia. They have so many things that you can use if you are a direct sales salesperson. Their prices are great too! They have everything from stickers to buttons to postcards. I think the only thing that they don’t have is custom printed calendars. The also have booster packs that can help you bring in more sales, higher attendance to your shows, training items, etc. They really can help! They even have a thing called “Idea of the Week” where you can learn a new thing to try each week. If you are a needing a little nudge up for your business, this is a great way to get it!

If you are not a member of this bank yet, you really should be. This bank shows true customer service at every turn. We have been with them several years, and I have never been unhappy with them. They helped us sign up for accounts for the kids. We are going to meet with them about setting up college accounts for the kids. They have online bill pay (I know I love this feature!). They also have a Debit Card Rewards Program. The more you use your debit card, the more rewards you earn. The reward points get turned in for gift certificates for places like Best Buy and Red Lobster (sorry, no foot of bed tv lifts or anything like that!).

According to their fee schedule, they will charge you if you need a copy of an old statement. I went into the bank on Thursday and explained my predicament. My old laptop blew up (I lost the hard drive) and I found all of 2007 statements (which I need to be able to do my taxes) except for Jan 2007. I just needed a print out of that. The wonderful personal banker I had worked her magic and got me my printout without having to charge me. I am grateful. This is just one great customer service experience I have had with them over the last several years.

It is a rarity to actually get good customer service, so when I see it, I like to let everyone know about it!