Tag Archives: Business Extension Bureau

BEB Wins Constant Contact All Star Award

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2016-03 ALL STAR AWARD BY CONSTANT CONTACTWe are so honored to have been awarded the 2015 All Star Award by Constant Contact.  Every year, Constant Contact recognizes customers that have demonstrated exemplary engagement with their audience through email.  Less than 10% of all (250,000+) users earn this prestigious certificate annually.
Criteria for the award include higher than average open rates and click-through rates (consistently exceeding 25%), low bounce rates, and high engagement levels that include incorporating other digital interaction such as social media venues.

We are thrilled to have been named a Constant Contact All Star twice since 2013!  This is a great representation of our expanding products and services.

Postal Rate Decreases Coming in April

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BEB POSTAL RATES DECREASING APRIIL 2016The USPS & PRC (Postal Regulatory Commission) have started preparation for the end of the exigent surcharge that’s been in place since January 2014.  The surcharge removal is projected to end in early April, but that date is only a forecast at this point, as it’s based solely on when the full amount authorized to be derived from the surcharge ($4.63 billion) will be collected.

For obvious reasons, the PRC is interested in ensuring that the correct date is set for the end of the surcharge and, accordingly, had directed the Postal Service to provide biweekly updates on the amount collected beginning in the postal quarter when the end of the surcharge was anticipated. Also, the agency must give 45 days’ notice of the end of the surcharge.

In its February 14 report, the USPS explained that it had collected an estimated $4.347 billion, including $827.1 million so far in FY 2016.   For the 750 days that the surcharge had been in effect through February 14, the USPS averaged about $5.796 million per day in additional revenue. At that rate the total should take just over 799 days to collect, or until about April 3, 2016.   As the PRC has noted, the USPS is entitled to collect only the amount the commission authorized, and there’s no process for refunding any excess collected from ratepayers, so the need to be as precise as possible in setting the end date is clear.  In the meantime, the surcharge revenue continues to accumulate, mailers look forward to lower rates in April, and the Postal Service worries how it will replace the 4.3% of revenue.

See below for rate changes and comparisons:

2016-04 NP STANDARD LETTER AND FLAT COMPARISON

2016-04 STANDARD LETTER AND FLAT COMPARISON

2016-04 FIRST CLASS AND PC RATE COMPARISON

If you have questions or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

 

AND THE WINNER IS…

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AND THE WINNER IS

AVA DIGITAL AWARD PLATINUM
Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP)

BEB was awarded the AVA Digital Award for outstanding achievement by creative professionals involved in the concept, direction, design and production of media that is part of the evolution of digital communication. Our first place winning entry was for the use of QR Codes in our annual company interactive calendars.

The competition received over 2,500 entries from across the globe. The AVA Digital Awards is sponsored and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). This international organization consists of several thousand production, marketing, advertising and free-lance professionals.

GRAPHIC EXCELLENCE AWARD
Printing Industries of the Gulf Coast (PIGC)BEB BUSINESS EXTENSION BUREAU GRAPHIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2015 PIGC

This annual regional print competition recognizes the finest printed materials produced by leading printers and designers in this region. We competed with over 300 participants representing over 40 companies in the Houston area. BEB is thrilled to have received three (3) honors:

Award of Merit BEB 2015 Interactive Calendars
Award of Excellence Enroll Gulf Coast Postcard – The City of Houston
Best of Direct Mail Enroll Gulf Coast Postcard – The City of Houston

The Helsley Lifetime Achievement Award
Epicomm Southwest

Epicomm-Southwest presented its lifetime achievement honor, The Helsley Family Award, to our Joy ZeVector yellow metal golden on bronze plaque with curve on the wooden backgroundhrbach, BEB Vice President.

The presentation was made at the association’s 2015 annual convention in April. Since its inception in 1971, this award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated a long history of significant and outstanding achievement in the marketing service provider industry. It can only be won once, and past recipients select each new winner.  Zehrbach is the third member of BEB to be honored with the award. Ron Royall, President and CEO was given the distinguished honor last year, and his father, Robert “Bob” Royall, founder of BEB-Texas, was presented with the award in 2001.

Winner of Distinction
Houston Better Business bureau
2015-05-13 Houston BBB Awards for Excellence Winner of Distinction
This honor is in recognition of a company’s commitment to quality in the workplace and superior service to the community and businesses served. Less than .2% of companies in the Houston area are honored with this prestigious award! Judges base their decision on 10 factors surrounding each business which include changes within an industry and how the company has adapted to those changes, how the organization stays on top of the latest processes, technology and trends, and how the business has contributed to the betterment of their industry.

BEB is delighted to have been selected as a Houston BBB Winner of Distinction.

The Bureau 2015 Year in Review

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THE BUREAU BANNERRON BIO PIC

2015 was a year of tremendous change at BEB. As many of you already know, my father and former President Emeritus Robert “Bob” Royall passed away in November. We are a family owned business.  My brother Ro (Executive Vice President) and I had the pleasure of running the operation alongside my father for over 20 years. His passing has had a profound and lasting impact on all of us, and his legacy remains strong. Thank you to everyone that reached out to us regarding our loss. We are deeply moved by the outpouring of condolences, and appreciated hearing so many stories about how my father touched so many lives. As we sustain the solid foundation of the company he cultivated, we face the coming year with confidence and clear direction. He is deeply missed.

Our business continued to transform during 2015. Existing clients required a deeper, moreBOB WITH THE BOYS BUSINESS EXTENSION BUREAU'S THE BUREAU comprehensive relationship and demanded broader service offerings to meet their needs. Data acquisition and mining increased over the past year, as did our digital fronts including, website design, email marketing and social media services. We saw a steady growth in printing (digital, offset and large format), and direct mail climbed doubled digits as our clients continue to see the value of direct mail marketing.

Based on the current political and economic climate, we anticipate the coming year to be a challenge on many levels. We believe that marketing dollars will be scrutinized, campaigns will be more closely monitored, and higher returns expected. As a result, our goal for 2016 is to continue expansion of our service offerings while strengthening our core competency as a marketing production company. Because we believe that companies will expect more from fewer people, the need for a partnership with our clientele is more valuable than ever. We will continue to be extremely agile and promise to develop stronger connections with you, our valued clients and partners.

This marks our 4th year of the annual “Year in Review” edition of The Bureau. In this issue, we’ll introduce you to our newest Business Development Manager, Kathy N. Hall, formerly with the United Postal Service, we’ll reveal some new service offerings and review highlights from the past year. We included updates on postal rate increases, and changing marketing patterns within the social media world as well as information on our upcoming Marketing for Small Business Seminar Series- The Basics (blogging, social media, email marketing and SEO) that started in February.  In April we offer three new intermediate classes that focus on social media for business on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

We hope your 2016 is a great year, and thank you for your business and partnership.

Sincerely,    YEAR IN REVIEW COLLAGE

Signature - Ron Royall

 

Ron Royall – CEO

 

2016 Calendars Are Here

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FACEBOOK CALENDAR PITCH BEB TEXAS BEBdataOur award winning, interactive calendars are ready!  If you haven’t already received one, and would like one (or more), click here and we’ll send you yours right away!

The BEB Calendars have a QR Code for each month.  Scan it, and you’ll receive a special message from us throughout the year!  Last year, our calendars were scanned over 1,500 times.  Join in the fun today.  Check out the January QR Code message here.

SAMPLES OF BEB CALENDAR

2015 JINGLE BELL RUN

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team bebCongratulations to #TeamBEB (L-R) Angel Vierna, Angel Wiener-Vierna, Joy Z, Terry Hall and Kathy Hall for completing the 2015 Jingle Bell 5K Run last week!

Angel, Angel and Kathy crossing the finish line

(L-R) Angel Wiener-Vierna, Angel Vierna, and Kathy Hall cross the finish line!For Bob on the sleeve

All #TeamBEB runners shirts had a black band on the sleeve to honor our founder, Bob Royall.

Winter Classes Scheduled

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BEB Texas Marketing for Small Business 2016 Winter Seminar Series The BasicsWe are excited to announce that our ALL NEW Marketing for Small Business, Winter Seminar Series have been scheduled.  We are offering two different programs:

Marketing for Small Business, The Basics

Blogging:    Tuesday, February 2, 2016 11:30 – 1:00pm

Social Media: Tuesday, February 9, 2016 11:30 – 1:00pm

Email | Direct Mail: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 11:30 – 1:00pm

Search Engine Optimization: Tuesday, February 23, 2016 11:30 – 1:00pm 

Marketing for Small Business, 2.0

TWITTER 2.0: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 11:30 – 1:00pm

FACEBOOK 2.0: Tuesday, March 22, 2016 11:30 -1:00pm

LinkedIN 2.0: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 11:30 – 1:00pm

Classes have a maximum of 15 students for personalized learning and maximum interaction.  Cost is $30 per person, per class (with discounts for multiple class registration), and lunch is included.  The series is held at our facility in the heart of the Houston Museum District.

We’ve had over 60 attendees in the past year, and classes fill quickly.  Register today.