Keeping Track of Orders in Progress with Suppliers

Ask the Accountant… Question: What report will tell me what orders are in progress with suppliers? Answer: Open purchase orders in QB Premier are orders that have been submitted to suppliers and are in production. Once you receive the invoice from the supplier, you adjust the purchase order to match the supplier invoice exactly, and…

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17-second Sales Pitch at Expo East

I joined thousands of suppliers and distributors last week at Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Expo East. This was my first chance to experience Expo East combined with the Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS). Quite a few Geiger colleagues, as well as a few other PPAI board members, joined me. I saw several vendors that I…

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Should You Upgrade to QuickBooks 2016?

Question: Is it time to upgrade to QuickBooks Premier 2016? Answer: QuickBooks Premier 2016 was released in November 2015. Every year when software comes out, it takes time for the bugs to get worked out, and Premier 2016 is no exception. It’s wise to wait a few months after the initial release to upgrade. My…

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CPSC Reveals Top 10 Reported Products

On the eve of SaferProducts.gov’s one-year anniversary, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has released its list of the 10 most-reported product categories.

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4 Signs that the Promotional Products Industry Will Improve in 2012

This year is going to be one of strength and growth for the promotional products industry, and I have four (completely unscientific) reasons why.

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“Surf’s Up”: Our Industry Is At A Tipping Point

This week, I attended the PPAI North American Leadership Conference and inaugural PPAI Product Safety Summit, where it became evident the promotional products industry has arrived at a critical industry tipping point.

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I’m Switzerland

A morning trip to the eye doctor means I can’t technically see that well right now, which should make this blog post extremely interesting for everyone involved, particularly the poor soul who has to proofread this.
Anyway, so I’m working on a feature for our upcoming issue on products made in the USA, and that old Dave Mason song just kept going through my head: “There ain’t no good guys, there ain’t no bad guys, it’s only you and me and we just disagree.”

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Extreme Office Makeover

I’m surrounded by promotional products—and I mean that literally. For the upcoming June edition of Promo Marketing magazine, we will be doing an Extreme Office Makeover, which is very similar to the reality television home makeover shows, only on a much smaller scale (and, of course, limited to promotional products).The response from suppliers wanting to participate has been amazing and products are starting to stack up (one of the publishers started calling me Fred Sanford because of the junkyard quality of my cube as boxes roll in).
To my right are a rainbow collection of new-fangled letter openers/staple removers. At my feet, sits a

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