award certificates

What to Write on a Certificate Inside a Presenta Plaque

by Adam Solender | on Aug 11, 2017 | No Comments

Whether you’re a business owner, non-profit, or a government agency, no doubt you’re needing at least a box of Presenta Plaques to keep on hand.

Even though you have the recipients picked out for the plaque, you might not be sure of the right words to use. Basically, there are no firm rules on how to word an award certificate, but there are some helpful guidelines to make it look more professional.

On most certificates, there are seven wording sections. As long as you put the title and name of the recipient, you can pretty much do what you want on the rest. For example, “Certificate of Appreciation” followed by the recipient’s name.

In between the title and name, you can always put the presentation line. i.e. Certificate of Appreciation is awarded to John Smith. Then you have the option of putting who the certificate is from whether it’s your name or your business. “….is awarded to John Smith by Mrs. Jones or by the Smith Company.”

If you wish, you can write a short paragraph about why the person is receiving the award. You can also add the date and a signature. Signatures make the certificate look more legitimate. Usually, a single signature line is either aligned to the right or centered. A graphic or a seal can also be placed in the lower right or left-hand corner.

So many options are available. If you haven’t already, order your box of Presenta Plaques now so you’ll be sure to have them for that special occasion.

Common steps for buying wholesale plaques

by Presenta Plaque | on Jan 20, 2014 | No Comments

With most businesses look for every opportunity to save money, buying wholesale, including wholesale plaques, is a great opportunity to keep costs under control while still showing appreciation for those who deserve it. Just like with many products, award plaques can be cheaper when you buy them in bulk.

But buying wholesale is not always as simple as it is with Presenta Plaque. For many retailers, buying wholesale means going through the following steps.

Step 1: Obtain Required Licenses and Registration

Often, a general business license is required to buy wholesale plaques. If you plan to sell the merchandise you have bought wholesale, you will be required to get a license to collect sales tax. You should check with the city, county and state in which your business is located to find out what licenses are required. The wholesale vendor will generally request your sales tax license before they sell you merchandise at a wholesale price. They do this to make sure you’re not a retail customer trying to buy wholesale. Additionally, this ensures that the wholeseller won’t be required to pay sales tax. You will also need to obtain an Employer Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service which will be used instead of your social security number to set up accounts.

Step 2: Compare Retail Prices

In accounting terms, the difference between the retail price and the wholesale price is called “cost of goods sold”. Once you determine the average retail price of the merchandise you want to sell, it will set a benchmark for the wholesale price you seek.

Step 3: Select Wholesellers

You can look for wholesale vendors at tradeshows, online, through industry ads or by networking with other businesses that sell merchandise similar to what you will be selling. You should choose vendors based on the level of quality you require and the terms offered by the vendors. Terms you may want to look for include include:

Shipping costs
minimum purchase quantity
length of time you have to pay

Step 4: Arrange for Payment

When your first wholesale order arrives, you should be prepared to make least make a partial payment. The wholesale vendor may waive an upfront payment if your business’s credit is strong and you have excellent personal credit. You can also pay from loans, credit cards or your personal savings. With some wholesale companies, they may offer purchase-order financing, a type of loan that is short term but has higher fees than a bank loan.

There are many advantages to purchasing wholesale, especially wholesale plaques, so please talk to us about how you can benefit from Presenta Plaque’s wholesale pricing!

When is the Best Time to Give Award Certificates?

by Presenta Plaque | on Nov 21, 2013 | No Comments

When deciding to give out award certificates, the first question that must be answered is, “What’s the occasion?” Once that is established, Presenta Plaque can give you a few pointers on when is the best time to reward a student, employee, friend or family member.

When it comes to rewarding students, it really comes down to how you prefer running your class. If you would like to give your kids an incentive to work harder and go the extra mile, it is great to give quarterly award certificates for excellent behavior, maintaining great test scores, etc. This is a long enough period of time for a student to redeem themselves if they get on the wrong track, but it is short enough that students understand that if they work hard enough they have a shot at it.

The same can also apply to employees. You want to make sure you give employees time to show you what they’ve got but short enough to keep them on their toes.

Rewarding family and friends all depends on what you deem appropriate. If you have a structured award process in your home, it is truly up to you to decide when is the most appropriate time to give an award certificate to your kids. But it is important to remember that while award plaques can help motivate children significantly, the time and occasion should be chosen carefully, especially when teaching young children about responsibility.

If you are just looking to show someone that their friendship goes far from unnoticed, any day is a perfect day to give them an award plaque. Whether it is for an important achievement in their life or just a little pick-me-up, it is great to show friends that they are very much appreciated regardless of the time of year.

At Presenta Plaque, we believe that every day should be an occasion to give thanks to family, friends, caregivers or teachers. Often a simple ‘thank you’ or a kind gesture is enough to make someone feel appreciated.

Which Awards Are Appropriate to Display at Work?

by Presenta Plaque | on Jul 17, 2013 | No Comments

Awards give us a sense of pride; they are a tangible symbol of our efforts. Naturally, we want to hang them up for everyone to admire. However, when it comes to the workplace, it’s probably wise to be selective with what you display. We suggest the following guidelines for making good choices for what awards to display in the workplace.

Education: Educational achievements are a fantastic addition to the workplace. If you have a diploma, go ahead and hang it up. A degree is one of the best symbols of credibility, especially if it was earned at a prestigious university. Professionals that require great amounts of trust and investment from customers, such as the medical and legal fields, almost always exhibit educational accomplishments. Educational success serves as a reassurance that the service provider is well-qualified.

Significance: Hang up any awards that are relevant to your current field of work. For example, a photojournalist should display awards for photos s/he’s taken, but should not display awards from the hot dog eating contest s/he won last summer. Achievements related to your current job add credibility and value to your opinions and work. Clients and co-workers tend to respect decorated members of their field because awards show that they have gone above and beyond expectations.

People’s Choice: An award won by popular vote is an impressive sign of well-done work. If you own a business that won an award due to popularity, display it proudly in a visible area. For example, a restaurant may win “Favorite Diner” after a vote by residents of the town. An award like this is fantastic because it validates hard work, gets your business name out there, and builds a positive reputation. Show off these awards proudly.

Irrelevance: Awards that do not belong in the workplace are ones that have no relevance and are frivolous in nature. A certificate from a three-legged race has no value on your desk. The same goes for outdated awards. Your coworkers will not respect you more because of a high school soccer trophy. Old and irrelevant awards are clutter that adds no significant value.

Elegant certificates, stately plaques and shining trophies were made to be on display. Your home can be decorated with every award you’ve ever received. However, it is best to use your discretion when you embellish the workplace. Remember that awards can add or take away your credibility and value, so be smart!

Suggested paper options for award certificates

by Presenta Plaque | on May 22, 2013 | No Comments

As the school year comes to an end, the time for graduations and commencements is near. This is the time of year when certificates are greatly anticipated by students and parents alike, and selecting the perfect certificate is very important. There are a few components to a certificate, one of those being the paper. Many paper choices are available, but which choice is right for your celebration?

First, consider the occasion. Is this certificate going to kids, sports players, education, or government? Each category needs a different look since they’ll all have different interests in the overall look of the certificate.

Children love color, so instead of focusing on quality, look for something that will grab their attention. Certificate paper is available with various prints and colors, so choose something fun and age-appropriate, like balloons or fireworks in the background!

Sports players want something they’ll be able to hang on a wall or put in a plaque. Consider a nice quality paper with some foil embellishments. They probably won’t display their sports achievements forever, but they’ll certainly want their certificates to attract attention as long as they’re featured. Consider focusing your attention on the embellishments rather than the quality of the paper.

Graduates and government officials are going to keep their certificates forever. They have to be visually pleasing, and they have to last a long time. Education and government certificates merit the highest quality paper. They also need to look the most professional once the text and borders are complete. These are designed for long-term display, so courser paper is necessary for expanding the certificate’s lifespan. Remember, this is something they’ll keep forever, so make it something they’ll treasure forever.

No matter what the occasion, you can still manipulate the level of formality by choosing various certificate styles. Standard certificates are great for semi-formal events. Casual certificates are appropriate for kids, casual events, and sports certificates. Custom certificates are probably the best choice for formal events.

No matter what you choose, present it like you’re proud of it! Certificates are automatically a symbol of achievement and respect. Choose the style that works best for you and your students, employees, or athletes. Regardless of the design, the certificates you choose will represent a job well done for the recipient, and that is the most important part.

5 Ways to Boost Morale at Work

by Presenta Plaque | on Mar 27, 2013 | No Comments

It’s easy for your team to lose the pep in their step in the monotony of everyday work. However, that doesn’t mean that they’ve lost their competitive edge. Here are 5 affordable, easy ways to boost morale and performance at your work place.

Have off-site meetings. Showing up to the same place day in and day out can stifle creativity and create a stale work environment. By having an off-site meeting, you will see your employees re-energized and the creative energy flowing. A neutral setting allows everyone to get to know each other in a different light and breathe easier. Even if just for a lunch or quick game of pool, fresh surroundings will get the brain moving again and ideas will come more quickly and easily.
Share improvements. If you’ve seen a big change in the commitment in one of your employees, honor his/her dedication to your company with a certificate displayed in a classy plaque. We suggest you create an Employee of the Month award to honor employees who have shown the most dedication every month. Award personalized plaques for employees to keep in their office as well as plaques displayed in the lobby which are updated with the current and past employees of the month. We even suggest including a gift card or some other incentive to sweeten the deal.
Have a friendly competition. Get your company involved in some sort of challenge or competition against another organization. Everyone is at least a little competitive, and you’ll be surprised to see how quickly your company bands together to become the champions. Try organizing a kickball tournament or a fundraiser to entice the competitiveness of your team. Competitions within the company can also be a great morale booster. Create a plaque for “The Most Generous” when participating in fundraisers to show appreciation for the employee who gave the most or a plaque for “Most Valuable Player” in your kick ball tournament.
Make Friday a “theme-day.” Make Friday a Take-Your-Dog-To-Work Day or have everyone bring in a childhood photo. This will create a new fun environment and encourage conversations between coworkers. The companionship of bringing in employees’ dogs will get the whole office excited to introduce their furry friends to their coworkers. These theme-days don’t have to be every Friday; even just once a month will help relieve the tedium of everyday work and get employees energized about being able to share a part of their personal life with the office.
When all else fails, give free food. If employee morale is really low, lighthearted attempts to lighten the mood and increase morale may be lost on them. However, free food never fails to bring a team together. They’ll be happy just to save a few bucks and spend some time out of the office conversing with coworkers on Pizza Fridays or Bagel Mondays.

15 Tips for Hosting a Successful Awards Ceremony

by Presenta Plaque | on Feb 05, 2013 | No Comments

Whether you’re holding an awards ceremony at the conclusion of your daughter’s soccer club season, to honor class graduates, to pay tribute to volunteers who have gone above or beyond the call of duty or for any other reason you’re looking to honor people, planning the award ceremony carefully will ensure the event goes smoothly and everyone gets the most out of the experience.

Observe these tips and we know you’ll have a successful and memorable awards ceremony!

Order award certificates from PresentaPlaque to be presented to the honorees.
Establish a plan.
Select a date and time for the ceremony that doesn’t conflict with the majority of attendees.
Select a location for the awards ceremony that is large enough to accommodate maximum attendance by attendees, coworkers, friends and family. Make sure there is accommodation for the disabled (e.g., ramps for wheelchairs, an interpreter for the hearing impaired).
Notify award recipients and their guests with invitations long enough in advance that they can plan ahead and let them know if they are expected to make some remarks upon receiving their award certificate.
Recruit a team of helpers to work as part of an Awards Ceremony Committee.
For each member of the Awards Ceremony Committee, assign specific tasks.
Arrange for a special person involved in the organization to present awards.
Invite a leader of the organization or special guest speak on a topic important to the attendees.
Publicize the award recipients and the upcoming ceremony as much as possible, including through press releases, where appropriate.
If possible, hire a musical ensemble to make the event extra-special.
Prepare a high quality brochure with photos, a letter from the leader and description of honorees’ accomplishments.
Arrange to have a professional photographer take photos of honorees receiving their award certificates.
Hire a professional caterer to prepare the food for the award recipients and their guests.
Decorate the room with festive decorations such as banners, balloons, flowers, etc.

How to Find Award Certificates to Place In an Award Plaque

by Presenta Plaque | on Jan 16, 2013 | No Comments

So, you’ve decided you want to give out an award certificate to use in a plaque from Presenta Plaque. Great! But how do you find the right certificate to use? Luckily, there are many options. Below are a few suggestions:

You can easily make your own certificates by following these steps. First, find a border that you like by either using clip art or downloading a pre-made border from somewhere like Success Certificates (http://www.successcertificates.com/). Enter in the standard information found on certificates. We suggest you use large cursive fonts or heavy block fonts near the top of the award and smaller fonts lower down on the certificate. Consider if it is appropriate to add more than one line to include several signatures. You can add photos or a meaningful quote to add a personal touch.
Success Certificate(http://www.successcertificates.com/) lets you browse through thousands of customizable certificates after you sign up for a free account. They offer all types of award certificates including school certificates, sports certificates and many more. The awards come in PDF and Word formats. Success Certificates also has borders you can download as JPGs so you can change their size as needed.
Southworth makes various types of paper including certificates, but they also offer a few free award certificates on their website at http://www.southworth.com/certificates/. The certificate templates are offered in two different sizes. And, for those looking for fancy certificates with pictures and crisp borders, this is an excellent site to visit.
2020site.org provides several free award certificate templates. This site offers blue or brown certificates with borders and sections where you can type or print in personalized information. These certificates can be downloaded, edited and printed. Since the files are in PDF format, you will only be able to add text and print them immediately. Unfortunately, they don’t allow you to save the certificates to your computer.
Microsoft Word has quite a good selection of certificate templates that you can use for free. Many are pre-installed with Word, but if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, then you can search Office Online (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/templates-presentations-spreadsheets-documents-calendars-more-FX101741961.aspx?pid=CL100632981033) to browse thousands of options created by both the Microsoft company as well as user-created award certificates.

Of course, you should take the time to place the award certificate in an elegant plaque that can be hung on the wall or displayed on a desk. Going that little extra mile can turn a generic printed award into something that will make the receiver proud. Presenta Plaque offers pre-assembled plaques or plaque kits, either of which will make the certificate a cherished award.

6 Tips on How to Display Awards and Certificates in Your Home

by Presenta Plaque | on Jan 03, 2013 | No Comments

Once someone has received one of our lovely plaques, they often wonder how best to display their awards. An award from Presenta Plaque can create an impressive focal point in a hallway or entry of a home. Here’s how:

Tip 1: Gather all of the various awards you have received so that you can display them together. This may include certificates of achievement, medals, diplomas, trophies, ribbons, etc.

Tip 2: Order plaques from Presenta Plaque to display your certificates. Choose from one of our two styles: Pocket Plaques, pre-assembled and ready for your certificate or award to slip right into. Or Plaque Kits which come with all the hardware and pieces needed to turn your certificate or award into a beautiful plaque. A grouping of these plaques will bring a polished style to the display.

Tip 3: Accent the plaques with gallery lights to create an impressive presentation of your awards.

Tip 4: To add interest to your display area, create shelves with adhesive hooks to display objects such as engraved trays, trophies or medals. Add drama and interest by creating shadowboxes to display on the shelves. Shadowboxes are ideal for grouping medals, ribbons and other memorabilia in one display case.

Tip 5: Find the wall studs to hang heavier plaques and awards by using a laser stud-finder. Use a level to make sure that plaques and shelves are level with the floor. You can use penny nails into the studs for lightweight items and screws with wall anchors for heavier items.