News/Blog
Welcome to the Koala Tee Blog and News Page!
We would love to share your company news with everyone in our Koala Tee Community! Keep reading for special event announcements, marketing and branding tips, and other helpful information...
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Meet Koala Tee at Sarasota's Ringling Bridge Run Registration Tonight!
Sarasota Runners: Don't forget to come by the YMCA tonight to register for the Ringling Bridge Run! The race is tomorrow!! We'll be down there handing out t-shirts and gift bags from 3:30 - 7:00 tonight, and we'd love to see you! :)
http://www.sarasota-ymca.org/events/eventDetails.cfm?datID=1030
Mote Marine Golf Tournament at Laurel Oak Country Club on Jan. 20
Help marine life out of the “rough” — sign up now for the Third Annual Mote Marine Laboratory Golf Tournament, which supports Mote’s ocean science, conservation and education programs. This shotgun-start, four-person team tournament takes place Jan. 20 at Laurel Oak Country Club, 2700 Gary Player Blvd., Sarasota. The event is sponsored by Mote’s Advisory Council [...]
The Holidays at Koala Tee
What is it about this time of year that makes time fly faster than any other month??? We've been just as busy as you have, and we're so looking forward to the holiday break!!! Our office will be closed Monday, December, 26th and Monday, January, 2nd to celebrate the holidays, and our production departments will be shut down during the week in between. From all of us here at Koala Tee, we wish you [...]
Corporate Holiday Gifts... Don't be Late!!!
It's time to start thinking about those end-of-the-year holiday gifts for your clients and staff! Get in the spirit and let Koala Tee customize some snuggly fleece blankets or jackets or maybe some snazzy new desk calendars for your crew... what's on your Christmas list this year???
Koala Tee Seeking Twitterer With Same Name...
OK, folks... it is long past due for Koala Tee to get on Twitter. The question is, who is the Aussie with the KoalaTee Twitter account who hasn't tweeted since April of 2009?? Paging Trevor Sheahan of Kingscliff, Austrailia!! Trev, give us a shout, mate!! We need to talk twitter or tweet or whatever the heck... are you willing to give up your handle to help a wee t-shirt company out?? ;)
How Did We Keep Up with Your Orders in Our Busiest Month of the Year???
The Answer: by offering "Perfect Attendance" awards to all of our production employees for the month of October! October has been insanely busy here at Koala, and we have been working nights and weekends to keep up with your demand. To bang out the maximum amount of decorated shirts and keep employee absense to an absolute minimum, Koala Tee offered a $100 gift card to any production employee who [...]
Koala Tee Prepares for the Sarasota Blues Fest!!!
Please join Koala Tee and the thousands of other music fans at this year's Sarasota Blues Fest! This affordable day of entertainment features music legends, up-and-comers, food, crafts, and fun! Koala Tee will be manning the t-shirt booth, and we'd love to see you there! Visit http://www.sarasotabluesfest.com/2011/ for more details...
Koala Tee Makes the Inc. 500I5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies
Inc. Magazine has included Koala Tee, Inc. on its annual ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country. The list is the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy – America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy.
“Our fifth annual [...]
High School Booster Club Fundraising Ideas
Pom poms, mini footballs, seat cushions, stadium cups, megaphones, foam fingers, and more! If you're a member of your school's booster club, cheerleading squad, or football team, consider letting us customize one of these products for you. They make great fundraising items to resell and promote school spirit! :)
Koala Tee Website Gets a Face Lift!
So... what do you think? Easier to navigate and to contact us? We welcome your feedback! :)
New Koala Tee Website Coming Soon
We are very excited about what is going on "behind the screens" of the Koala Tee website. The designers at Site Spring Web Design are busy giving our website a facelift and adding several new site functions, such as... a new Product Search Bar, an easier and faster to use Contact Form, and rotating product ideas and testimonials on our home page. While they are working, we are unable to update our [...]
Sarasota Summer Fun For Kids
Want to get your kids out from behind their Playstations and Xboxes? Check out the cool summer camps available at Mote Marine Laboratory www.mote.org and the Sarasota YMCA www.sarasota-ymca.org ! Then take them to the Old Salty Dog www.theoldsaltydog.com on City Island or Captain Curt's on Siesta Key for a cool kid's meal served on one of our very own Koala Tee summer fun frisbees! If you l [...]
Friday the 13th!!!!!!
It sure has been a Freaky Friday the 13th at Koala Tee today!! Thanks to all of our customers for having a sense of humor and for keeping us SO BUSY!! We love you, and be careful out there tonight!! :)
Koala Tee Boss, Jeff Manley, Wins Biz 941's "Best Boss 2011" Award!!!
Koala Tee Boss, Jeff Manley, Wins Biz 941's "Best Boss 2011" Award!!!
Congratulations, Boss!! We are so proud to announce that our boss was named BEST BOSS by Biz 941 Magazine!! Thanks to all of the Koala Tee employees for their heartfelt nominations that helped Jeff to win such an awesome title! And thank you to Biz 941 for all of your hard work in collecting submissions, selecting the [...]
Koala Tee is proud to be the newest wholesaler of the "Doodle!"
The “Doodle” is a fully customizable speaker that allows you to put your favorite digital photo, personal artwork, company logo, or any message you like on the front of a cool, compact speaker. The cord wraps up neatly inside the back of the speaker, and you can plug it into your Ipod, Blackberry, Droid, or MP3 Players to share your music with your friends. Custom electroni [...]
Please excuse our dust...
Koala Tee will be adding products and categories to our website this week to better serve our customers. If the categories look a little squirrely as we upload images throughout the week, you'll know why. Have a great weekend! :)
The Penguins are Coming... to Mote Aquarium!
Koala Tee is proud to be a corporate partner of Mote Marine Laboratories in Sarasota, Florida. We're also very excited to share the announcment that Mote will be welcoming some truly cool guests later this year: a group of black-footed penguins will call City Island home during a special new exhibit called Penguin Island! This exhibit will be included when you purchase a regular admission t [...]
Earth Day is April, 22nd!
This is your last chance to get your eco-friendly promotional item orders in for Earth Day special events! Check out our custom eco-friendly products available for your special event!
The Greater Sarasota Chamber Member-to-Member "M2M Rewards"
The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce is pleased to introduce the "M2M Rewards" - the member to member discount rewards program that offers Chamber members big savings on practical, everyday items and services that every business needs and uses.
Participating Chamber businesses have created exciting discounts and offers for Chamber members only, on various products and services. Simp [...]
Koala Tee Selected as Exclusive Supplier for DONZI Apparel
MEDIA RELEASE:
Koala Tee Selected as Exclusive Supplier for DONZI Apparel
SARASOTA, FL, March 15, 2011 — Koala Tee, Inc., a Sarasota-based company specializing in custom imprinted and embroidered apparel, corporate gifts, and promotional products, has been selected by DONZI Apparel as the exclusive supplier of its high end product line featuring apparel and accessories. Koala wi [...]
USB Flash Drive Costs Skyrocket after Japan Quake
*Please know that while usb flash drive prices will be fluctuating greatly over the next few weeks, Koala Tee will do its best to research and find you the best deals out there.
"As rescue and cleanup efforts continue in northern Japan, the impact of last week’s devastating earthquake and tsunami is beginning to be felt in the global economy. Most immediately, the price of Japan [...]
Running Mon John Pyle
What a great article by the Herald Tribune! John Pyle and his wife, Toni, are long-time friends of Koala Tee, and we are very familiar with the "Running Mon" logo and the plethora of marathons that John has been involved with over the years. Back in the 90's, Koala Tee used to be a key contributor to the "Jamaican Me Crazy" line of apparel sold in John and Toni's store on St. Armand's Circle [...]
Supporting Our Troops
Rich Hacker with Lockheed Martin Gyrocam Systems was proud to wear his Red Shirt Friday polo shirt to work on Friday to show his support of our troops. You can join him by visiting our Koala Tee Red Shirt Friday Page and shopping for your own Red Shirt Friday apparel for yourself and your staff. Koala Tee will donate 25% of the proceeds to a four star charity that provides direct benefits to t [...]
Cortez Fishing Festival, Feb. 19-20, 2011
Koala Tee was excited to work closely with the Cortez Village Historical Society on their annual Cortez Fishing Festival T-shirts, Tanks, and Sweatshirts. The design this year is very intricate map of Cortez Village and was purchased from a local artist. Come down and join the locals for great time!
What, when, and where...
Live Music, Fabulous Florida Seafood, Arts and Museum Displays, Fami [...]
Happy Valentine's Day!!
We'd like to wish all of our customers a Happy Valentine's Day!! We love you and appreciate your business!!
P.S. These custom collapsible flower vases fold flat and make great mailers for inexpensive desktop gifts for your clients! When you can't send flowers, send the vase instead!
Lameille Plans the First Annual "Fore" Autism Charity Golf Event
Sarasota's own up-and-coming golf star, Joey Lamielle, asked us to help advertise the charity golf event that he is putting on this Spring. All proceeds will benefit Beyond the Spectrum, a nonprofit educational and therapeutic center for children with autism and related disabilities.
Joey writes, "The school specializes in treating kids with Autism and a range of other behavioral issue [...]
Koala Tee Welcomes and Appoints Alesha Hacker as Customer Relations Coordinator
Koala Tee is proud to welcome Alesha Hacker, formerly of Lockheed Martin Gyrocam Systems, to its growing staff as Customer Relations Coordinator for the Florida Suncoast.
In her new role, Ms. Hacker will provide exceptional customer service by serving as the primary coordinator and point of contact for all telephone and face-to-face new customer inquiries. Additional responsibilities i [...]
Koala Tee Team takes part in the YMCA Ringling Bridge Run!
Koala Tee was proud to be involved with and screen print the long sleeve participation t-shirts for this year's New Balance Ringling Bridge Run that was put on by one of our favorite customers, the Sarasota Family Y! We even had a team comprised of employees and friends dressed in awesome royal blue dri-fit tees and tanks... thanks for making us look good out there, guys!
Gearing up in the New Year!
Koala Tee has been gearing up this January, creating new designs for our military fashion line over coffee and donuts and printing stacks and stacks of hoodies, including our newest fashion line of "all-over prints."
Corporate Holiday Gift Giving
OK, guys and gals... the countdown to the Season of Giving has begun. What will you be giving your clients and employees this year? Need ideas? We have custom products for every budget. Give us a call, and we'll be happy to help!
Let's Say Thanks
As you may know, Koala Tee works closely with the military, designing and producing thousands of t-shirts and other fashion apparel for their stores on base. We wanted to share this holiday greeting card program with you so that you can join us in giving thanks for our troops this holiday season...
To show appreciation to the hundreds of thousands of troops stationed overseas Xero [...]
Wonderful Winter Promotions
With a month of autumn remaining, smart promotional products distributors are doing their part to fire up creative cold-weather campaigns. Keep in mind, some like it hot.
Case in point: A recent winter self-promotion campaign got far from a frosty reception for Bert Brander, vice president of Sim & Brander. He found that looking on the sunny side could turn cold-weather promotions on t [...]
Sarasota Blues Fest 2010 and Koala Tee IN THE NEWS
The Koala Tee Team was excited to be a part of this year's Sarasota Blues Festival! Check out this Sarasota Hearld-Tribune article where Jeff Manley, our fearless leader, is quoted sharing his memories of festivals past. Thank you to all of you who visited our T-shirt booth and to all of you who helped work on that blustery day!
Promotional Swag More Effective Than Ads
As marketers continue their debate over the next great advertising medium, a new study released today by the Advertising Specialty Institute found it's not TV, print or radio that gets consumers' attention, but good old promotional swag. This includes coffee mugs, pencils, retractable solar-powered flashlights or any other product bearing a company logo. Promotional products made up [...]
Cotton Prices Hit Record High
A variety of factors, including high demand in Asia and disappointing crops in several countries, have driven cotton prices to their highest level since the Civil War. Before trading stabilized yesterday, cotton futures reached $1.19 per pound, an increase of 80% compared to last year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this is the fifth consecutive season that the [...]
Don't Wait Too Late for Holiday Gift Planning...
OK, folks... the countdown begins today for holiday and end-of-the-year gift planning. I know it's early, but don't you want to find out about the hottest and most unique holiday gifts for 2010?? Do you really want to wait until the last minute to scrape together a gesture to say "Thank You!" to your best clients and hard-working employees?? No, you do not. Call or email us. Let us do the res [...]
What is Swag?
Swag is a slang term used to describe, in part, free stuff and giveaways offered by vendors at trade shows to encourage attendees to visit their booth. It is usually company-branded merchandise and is given away as a form of advertising. Swag can also be obtained through blogs and websites when a company wants to promote their brand or products, and many companies will distribute these g [...]
Survey Says Bags Are Top Trade Show Branding Tool
When it comes to promoting a business at a conference or event, conference bags are the best way to get a brand name across, according to a new survey. The study, released by Nexus Collections, found that 23% of respondents selected conference bags as the most effective branding option. "What people are looking for is exposure at the show – not necessarily that people are g [...]
17 Reasons to Use Promotional Products
Do you really believe in promotional products? Sure, you use them to promote your company, but would you really like to be somewhere else in marketing? Do you dream of 60-second spots during the Super Bowl as you sign off on a promotional products order? Shame on you. Promotional products are the most cost-effective (make that most effective, period) ad vehicle around. If you've been ig [...]
Let's start the week off right!
Let's start the week off right!
"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." - British Novelist and Dramatist, James Matthew Barre
We have plenty of sunshine here at Koala Tee, so give us a call if you need help getting motivated this week!
Koala Tee is very excited to be a new member of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce!
Koala Tee is very excited to be a new member of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce! We've enjoyed meeting the other members, new and old, and we look forward to attending the "Sarasota Prime Time - Exhibit, Meet, and Greet" on Wednesday, June 16th at the Sun 'N Fun RV Resort (7125 Fruitville Road). Here are the details...
Wednesday, June 16 | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Loc: Sun 'N Fun RV Resort (7125 [...]
Set up a joint venture with friendly, indirect competitors.
Set up a joint venture with friendly, indirect competitors. Partner with other businesses who are likely to sell to the same people you do. You can cross-promote each other to your client lists or even provide a finder's fee on any referred sales. Simply interacting with others who sell to the same people you do can spur ideas, sales and profits.
- David Blaise
Vary your approach.
Vary your approach. Sales success requires intelligent repetition of contact, which means you must keep it varied and interesting. If you've ever traveled in a car with small children, you understand why this is important. “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? How about now?” they will ask repeatedly. That is not intelligent repetition of contact, yet some people take a similar [...]
Reach prospects and clients with an aggressive marketing campaign.
Reach prospects and clients with an aggressive marketing campaign. Aggressive doesn’t have to mean expensive. In fact, it shouldn't be. If it is, you’re either not targeting well enough, or you don’t have a proven customer-acquisition process in place. Get through to your targeted prospects. Quickly determine those that are qualified to do business with you and those that ar [...]
Target better.
Target better. Instead of just waiting to see who stumbles through your door, proactively choose your prospects. Compile a list of the Top 25 companies you think you’d like to do business with right now. Contact them, learn the names of their buyers and put them through your customer-acquisition process. Don’t have one? Shame on you. Every wildly successful business has a proven p [...]
Reactivate your current and former prospects and clients.
Reactivate your current and former prospects and clients. Now is the time to talk to the people you know. Take their pulses and find out what's going on in their heads. Ask how things are affecting them. Regardless of the economy, there always are two kinds of people: those who are ready to do something and those who are not. Find out where each of your existing prospects and clients stand.
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Recognize that an economic downturn doesn’t have to be your downturn.
Recognize that an economic downturn doesn’t have to be your downturn. This is not your recession. You didn’t order it, so you don’t have to take delivery of it. I’m not saying you should pretend the situation doesn’t exist. Rather, you can simply refuse to participate. Don’t automatically accept the idea that a downturn is inevitable for you. Some of the gre [...]
David Blaise, an entrepreneur and business consultant
We've been taking advise lately from David Blaise, an entrepreneur and business consultant with more than 20 years of experience in the wearables and promotional products industries. The next few posts will focus on the following idea: A troubled economy doesn't have to mean trouble for you. In fact, while some businesses are trying to scrimp, save and cost-cut their way to success, others ar [...]
"A Common Character Trait of Top Performers"
"A Common Character Trait of Top Performers " by David Blaise
It takes a lot of self-discipline to buckle down and consistently do what we know we need to do on a daily basis. In fact, it takes a lot of self-discipline just to force ourselves to determine exactly what we need to do on a daily basis.
We all know how important it is to prioritize our actions, but very often we fail to do it. As [...]
3 Hot Tips on Cold Calling...
3 Hot Tips on Cold Calling...1. One of the easiest ways to "warm up" cold calls is to send prospects a small -- and unique -- promotional product. (It's amazing. A $2.15 crazy little item you send out can help you to land Fortune 500 accounts.) When you do make the call, they'll say, "Oh yeah....you were the one that sent me that..." It gets you remembered. It makes you immediately stand ou [...]
Koala Tee...Facebook...like us!
Check out Koala Tee's Facebook Page... we'd love for you to become a fan!
Pacific Tomato Growers 11th Annual Golf Classic
Coming up on April 17th is the Pacific Tomato Growers 11th Annual Golf Classic that benefits the Migrant Education Program at USF. Koala Tee is busy embroidering dri-fit performance tees, hats, and golf shirts for the event. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor and/or playing in the event, please contact us so that we can get you involved!
Share your news story with us!
Share your news story with us! Remember, we're in the business of promoting YOUR business!
The Children First Golf Tournament
The Children First Golf Tournament will take place next Friday, Feb. 19th! Sponsorship opportunities are available, and it all goes toward helping the kiddies. As a plus, goodie bags will include a sharp Koala Tee embroidered golf shirt, and the winners receive Nike golf caps! :)
Check out this crazy long list of the cities we serve...
We're very excited to introduce our new blog and news page! If you're wondering where your fellow Koala Tee customers are located, check out this crazy long list of the cities we serve...
Sarasota, FL, USA; Bradenton, FL, USA; Tampa, FL, USA; Venice, FL, USA; Palmetto, FL, USA; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; St Petersburg, FL, USA; Clearwater, FL, USA; Gulfport, MS, USA; Atlanta, GA, USA; Dallas, T [...]