Although the Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone, at Baudville, we don’t see any reason to stop being thankful. In fact, we like to think we’re just getting warmed up!

As we reflect on the year, we can’t help but feel deep appreciation for those who make our business thrive: that’s you! We realize that you, our loyal customers, are truly essential to our success. Thank you!

We hope we can give back to you by continuing to provide you with products and resources that help your company be the best it can be. To do just that, we’ve been working over the past months to bring you a great batch of new products that you can use to start off the new year with excitement and enthusiasm. Watch for them in January, and until then…

Cheers to a happy and prosperous holiday season!

 
Happy Holidays from the entire Baudville team!

 

The Recognition at Work blog will be taking a break over the holidays, but we'll return after the New Year on January 3rd. Looking for more information and ideas? Visit our new Recognition Resource Center!

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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.

From the entire team at Baudville, we hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We will be closed Thursday and Friday for the holiday and to give our employees some much-deserved time off with their families.

Before you leave the office for turkey and pie, hop over to Baudville.com and send a free Thanksgiving ePraise. ePraise is a free ecard system created by Baudville to help managers and employees say thank you on a regular basis. Thanksgiving is a great time to let your team know you’re thankful for everything they do. And what better way to say it than with a free ecard? 

Thanksgiving is a great time to let your team know you’re thankful for everything they do. What better way to say it than with a free ecard?

 

Be sure to check the blog first thing Monday morning. We’re going to have a Cyber Monday special that will knock your socks off!
 

The time around Thanksgiving causes us to pause, reflect on the things we’re thankful for, and express our thanks and gratitude. At Baudville, we asked our employees to share their thankfulness with us through a picture and brief description. 

We received many submissions from our thankful employees expressing gratitude for their families, friends, homes, and even co-workers! You can read all the submissions on the Baudville Facebook page.

What am I thankful for? I'm thankful to live in Michigan - one of the most beautiful places on earth! - and be close to my friends and family. This picture says it all! It’s from Northern Michigan in early October. Aren’t the colors amazing?

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Add your thankfulness to our Facebook page! Then send a Thanksgiving ePraise to a coworker, friend, or family member to show your thankfulness.

 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
 

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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.

Award certificates are a great way to show off achievements, but I can think of a few reasons why a department manager might not use them for everyday employee recognition:

They’re more formal than some occasions merit. With the exception of a couple of our newer contemporary styles, most of our certificates feature ornate, sophisticated designs with traditional colors or foil accents. While these are just what you need for recognizing prestigious moments, they don’t necessarily fit the bill for day-to-day recognition.   

They take a little more time than an on-the-spot note. Baudville does offer easy-to-use templates for printing certificates, but you may not have time to download a template, type out your message, and run a certificate through the printer. (In truth, this only takes a few minutes, but I’m trying to make a point here…)

They require resources you might not have. If you work on the go or visit multiple locations—or you simply don’t have access to a computer or printer, certificates just won’t work for you at all.

Or will they?  

Ta-dah! Our new Day-to-Day Certificate Bundle Binder goes where you do and contains a variety of informal, all-occasion certificates that you fill in by hand. No technology required!

With theme sentiments that recognize everything from great moments to great attitudes, you will never be without a way to show appreciation for your team. Each binder includes tabbed dividers that organize 10 each of six different certificates for you to use when you want to:

Recognize all-around greatness. Maybe someone on your team helped out a coworker or finished a task ahead of schedule. The You’re Awesome certificate from our new Positive Praise theme and the Positive Mojo certificate from our ever-popular Exclamations™ theme are both perfect for when you need to acknowledge someone who goes the extra mile.

Say thank you. The You Are Truly Appreciated, Shining Star, and Thanks for All You Do! certificates are there when you need to show your team members a little gratitude—whether it’s for consistently providing great customer service or taking on extra work when you’re shorthanded.

Applaud a job well done. Ideal for when someone gives a great presentation, meets a goal, or completes a challenging project, the Great Job certificate says it all—simply.

Easy to use, ready for any occasion, and less than $1.00 each, these day-to-day certificates can’t be beat!

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Allison is Baudville’s one (and only) Copywriter. She’s been writing for a variety of media for more than nine 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!

A thank you gift doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate to make an impact. We recently received this letter from Phyllis in Pennsylvania who used our recognition themes and milestone awards to give her volunteers and teachers some much deserved recognition!

 

“I became aware of your products last year about this time. Although they are geared toward the workplace, I have incorporated their usage in my Sunday School with students and staff. When looking for a gift for our teacher appreciation brunch for the teachers, in 2009 we chose the note paper “Making a Difference.” We stressed that they each were making a difference by teaching our children. In addition, as the Sunday School Coordinator, I gave each of the teachers and helpers a Helping Hand milestone  as my personal thank you for their commitment. 

This fall, our Sunday School theme was “You are an Essential Piece of our Sunday School.” Each child was given a cardboard puzzle piece to decorate and put their name on, and we have put them together to make the whole. My gift to the teachers and helpers this year will be the Essential Piece milestone I just received. I will have a tough time keeping them until May when they are presented!

 

Your themes are terrific and the prices and quality of your products are outstanding. I just thought I would share with you how your products can be appropriately used outside of the usual workplace. 

Keep up your good work, and I’ll keep spreading the news of your products when possible!”

Phyllis demonstrates that regardless of where you work or the type of organization you serve, there are people who deserve your thanks and appreciation. This spring, write a thank you note or give a small thank you gift to express your appreciation! Tell us about your thank you gift this spring, and we'll post it on our blog and send you a free gift! Submit your stories on the blog, via email or on our Facebook page.

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Cori is a Certified Recognition Professional at Baudville and a member of the Gen Y generation. Get her daily employee recognition tips and special discounts by becoming a fan of Baudville on Facebook.