ePraise^® is Baudville's free recognition ecard tool that is an easy and fun way to incorporate daily recognition into your workplace. Our ecards are available in many of our popular recognition themes so you can easily coordinate with other gifts.


It's been a while since ePraise launched and it was about time to update it and make it even easier for you to find and send ecards!

Wow! Check out these great enhancements:

• Find the perfect card easily with the new selection layout
• Save time and schedule your ePraises with the new date and time scheduler
• Share ePraise with your colleagues, co-workers and friends to pass on the recognition with our easy to share buttons
• The recipient can easily print the ecard with a click of a button
• Easily allows the recipient to quickly send a special thank you ePraise to the ecard sender
• Quick links to top products and resources to help keep those recognition ideas flowing after you send your ecards

Also, just in case you didn't know, you can also...

• Sign in to your Baudville.com account to save your ePraise history
• Use the handy tips writing guide to help you write the perfect note on any ecard
• Know exactly when the recipient views the ecard with the automatic email that is sent to you after pick up

So make sure to take advantage of this fanstastic free tool offered by Baudville and send an ePraise now!

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Kimberly is the Baudville Website Manager and star of our online product videos. She applies her knowledge of the web to create the ultimate online experience for Baudville customers.

There I was sitting at an intersection…just patiently waiting for the red light to turn green and then inspiration hit. I reached to the backseat to grab my padfolio to jot down this light bulb moment and just then something else hit me – the cacophony of a fellow driver’s horn. Now this was no courtesy toot – this was a six-second blast. I mean, I had time to look in the rearview mirror and see a normally kindly gentlemen with a look on his face like I had just insulted his grandmother. And for what? Five seconds of inconvenience?
 
You probably know that here at Baudville we try to promote frequent and sincere appreciation of our fellow team members as a way to boost camaraderie, engagement, and motivation in the workplace. But my little brush with a fellow human’s short fuse got me thinking perhaps I need to widen my focus a bit.

 
Do you need ideas to give appreciation and kindness? Try our You are Truly Appreciated recognition theme and new Random Acts of Kindness ideas eBook!

Well, it just so happens that Random Acts of Kindness Week is coming February 13-19, and for me the timing couldn’t be better. Perhaps our country at large is in need of a little love as well? Just think about all the people we interact with on a daily basis: the store clerks, letter carriers, public servants, fellow commuters, and complete strangers. What can we do to send some goodwill their way?
 
We can start by laying off the horn – figuratively and literally. 
 
If you need ideas or free tools to join this mission, visit our Recognition Resource Center. There’s a new free download all about Random Acts of Kindness and a whole lot more there as well. Go ahead, give it a try!

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Brad Darooge is President and CEO of Baudville and a positive mojo aficionado. He brings the positive mojo to work every day along with his bike. In addition to leading Baudville, Brad is also an amateur triathlete.

Tomorrow is National Compliment Day, and the day serves as a reminder of the power of positive words. When you give someone a compliment, you express appreciation for something that’s unique about them or something they did. Compliments can create a more positive work culture, improve relationships, and make your organization more successful.

This 2005 article from USA Today reminds us that compliments at work are not just about making us feel good, but it’s also “about company performance. Employees function better when their positive efforts are noticed and valued.”

The truth is negative comments are much more prevalent in our world today, and they’re more powerful, too. Psychologists have found that it takes 10 positive comments to offset one negative comment. That means you’re going to need a lot of compliments in your workplace!

Make it a priority today to give five compliments to the people around you: your coworkers, boss, family, even the cashier at the grocery store. Here are five unique ways to give compliments and make someone’s day:

1. Send an ePraise. Browse our ePraise card collection and choose the ecard that is the best fit for your recipient. Add your compliment in the space available for a note and send. It’s a free, quick, and easy way to give a compliment.

2. Mail a Letter. In our technology-driven society, receiving a tangible piece of mail makes a big impact. Write a letter to a coworker or friend complimenting a recent accomplishment. Drop it in the mail to make a big impression with your compliment.

 
A Print and Post in action!

3. Surprise with a Print and Post. We created Print and Posts and made them available for free on our website to spread fun and cheer in the office. They’re also a great way to deliver a compliment. Download one of the pages and cut out a sentiment for your recipient. Tape it somewhere unexpected – like their computer monitor, locker, or car window. The note is certain to provoke a smile!

4. Deliver Verbal Praise. Giving a compliment in person is a powerful way to make someone feel appreciated. Stop by your coworker’s desk and be specific with your compliment. You can even emphasize your appreciation with a high five, fist bump, or handshake.

 
A Baudville employee's Compliment Corner - full of handwritten notes she's received from managers and coworkers.

5. Write a Handwritten Note. Compliments that are tangible have staying power. Put your praise into a handwritten note, and I guarantee the recipient will treasure it! At Baudville, employees keep and display their Shout Outs and Pocket Praise from managers, coworkers, and executives at their desks for years. The compliments are proudly displayed for others to read, or when the employee needs a pick-me-up.

What is your favorite way to give compliments and praise? Share your ideas with us here!

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

In Michigan, though we never seem to fall short of ways to joke about the weather fluctuations, we can usually count on January to be consistently cold and snowy. Yet, somehow, the thermometer has peaked at nearly 50 degrees several days this week. The forecast for the rest of the week? Between 8-10 inches of the fluffy white stuff! There’s nothing like the unpredictable to overcomplicate getting dressed for the work day—as well as our commute to start or end the day.

It’s definitely nice to have options when Mother Nature throws a curve ball, and my co-workers and I are really happy that we’ve earned new Take a Casual Day and Take a Free Hour tokens that we can cash in for just these occasions. (In anticipation, I'm using one of mine today, by the way!)

These new products are part of our new Token Super Bundle that was designed with save and redeem employee recognition programs in mind.

Here’s what’s in the bundle and what you can do with them:

Star and Kudos Point Tokens: Hand out these tokens on the spot when you see everyday greatness in action. These are meant to be casual forms of recognition, so think small: maybe James helped Laura fix a paper jam just in time to get her printout for an important meeting. Or, Melissa stayed late one evening to finish a project.   
Employees can collect them to cash in for prizes of your choosing, or save and redeem them for other tokens in the bundle, like:

Take a Casual Day and Take a Free Hour Tokens: What’s better than a low cost employee reward that has a really high value to the members of your team? In a bundle, tokens are just under $1.25 each and the rewards themselves cost you little or nothing. Use them in conjunction with the other tokens, or on their own for bigger recognition moments. But, remember, they’re still informal for day-to-day, so don’t wait until someone solves world peace to give one out!   

Have a Treat on Me Tokens: I like these tokens for giving your employees a little face time. When you award one of these tokens, make it special by doing something as simple as having a nice chat with your team member as you walk to the vending machine. Or, make it more official by setting up a time to take a short coffee or snack break together. They’ll enjoy the free treat as well as the personal one-on-one time that shows you care. Plus, who doesn’t need a warm bevvie to perk up the day? (Especially us Michiganders!)

If you’re looking for small, affordable ways to engage your team and motivate them to go above and beyond, Tokens of Appreciation are your ticket. Incorporate them into a save and redeem program to create an added incentive and you’ll see everyone stepping up their game!

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Allison is a self-proclaimed Copywriting Diva and has the certificate to prove it! She’s been writing for Baudville for three years and has worked in a variety of business settings for more than 18 years. Before becoming a professional writer 11 years ago, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!

Most of the time, I cruise along, churning out competent work that everyone is happy with. Once in a while, I knock something out of the park and, on occasion, I flat out fail. This probably describes many people’s day-to-day work life, or at least I’d like to think so. (That you’re all human, I mean).

A couple of months ago, I had one of those crash and burn moments and, I have to tell you, it really stunk. It hurt my confidence so badly that I wasn’t sure I was going to bounce back. But eventually I did, and in doing so, redeemed my reputation with my colleagues. I also got a high five from someone whose opinion in this company really matters—our CEO.

It was around this same time that I was working on a really tough project that required me to think analytically, rather than the way I normally think, which is random, scatterbrained, and…ooh, look, it’s snowing outside!

Everyone knew this was so not the job for me; but, for a number of different reasons, I was doing it. At a particularly frustrating point in this task, our VP of Product & Merchandising stopped by and rewarded me with something she knows I value greatly: a casual day.

After these two experiences, I was really struck by how easy (and cheap) it can be to make a person feel good. I felt encouraged. And motivated. And really happy that I was noticed and valued for my contributions.

With so many companies still struggling through the economic downturn, it’s reassuring to know that there are affordable (even free) ways to recognize your employees for their hard work and dedication.     

As you plunge into the New Year, think about how you can make an impact on employee morale through simple acts of recognition and appreciation. That’s what we had on our minds when we developed these new, low-cost products:

Our new Note Pods, which Cori mentioned last week, give you an on-the-spot reward that includes a fun lapel pin and a small note, packaged in a cool plastic capsule—all for just a little over $2.50 each.

Or, if you want to give out a casual day, consider these new “I earned a casual day” stickers.

At just $0.35 each, your awardees can proudly display the reason they’re wearing jeans when no one else gets to!

And, finally, there’s still the good ol’ high five. Works every time.

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Allison is Baudville’s one (and only) Copywriter. She’s been writing for a variety of media for more than 10 years, so if she tells you she has been there and done that, she probably has. Before embarking on a career in writing, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!