Learn the History Behind the Lanyard

October 27, 2011 admin

You may be interested to find that the lanyard actually has an interesting history. They actually go all the way back to the end of the 19th century. Originally, lanyards were used to help secure weapons during wars or to help secure jack-knives. This made it easier to both carry and grab a knife. Lanyards were also used on ships as well for a variety of different duties.

Somewhere along the line, lanyards became an ornamental item that could be used in a variety of different ways. Knives are no longer attached to them, but many other items can be attached to the lanyards. Today a few things that lanyards are designed to hold include keys, ID badges, cell phones, and more.

Over time, lanyards have become very popular with companies. Not only are they used for employees so they can easily carry ID badges, but they are often given away as promotional gifts as well. Schools often use the lanyards as well to allow students, faculty, and staff to wear their ID badges for the school. They can definitely be both decorative and functional.

Today you’ll find that contemporary lanyards can be made from various materials. Some are braided tubs, others are made from nylon, while others are designed from polyester. Various printing techniques are used as well so that these printed lanyards can easily be customized. Some of the printing techniques include dye sublimation and hot stamping.

Lanyards have come a long way from their start. They have a lot to offer you and can be personalized easily by choosing various styles, colors, patterns, lengths, and attachments.

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The Importance of Safety Lanyards

October 23, 2011 admin

No matter what type of company you have, safety is definitely important. It is a top priority and you always want to make sure that your employees are kept safe. If you’re considering lanyards for your employees as a way that they can easily wear ID tags, you may find that standard blank lanyards are not the right option. In situations where employees are using machinery or undertaking other dangerous tasks, standard lanyards may cause an accident to occur. However, you can purchase safety lanyards that can be worn safely by your employees.

Safety breakaway lanyards are options that those with dangerous jobs still can wear to keep their security badges or IDs available for easy use. For those who work in dangerous situations, you want to avoid having the lanyard accidentally caught in machinery. Accidents can occur quickly and can be devastating, so it is best to avoid these accidents by looking out for the safety of your employees in the first place.

Safety breakaway lanyards aren’t just a great choice for those who work in dangerous situations. They are also a great option for children. Children often play on swings, climb trees, or play on sliding boards. Once again, traditional lanyards could be dangerous, since they can easily be caught on something. With the breakaway lanyards, the lanyard will simply break away if it is caught, which can help prevent a tragic accident from occurring.

Safety is important in every situation. This is why these safety lanyards are such a great choice for many companies or even for personal use. Don’t forget to make safety your first priority. Go with breakaway lanyards if you think that there is any risk that the lanyard may be caught and cause an accident.

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Using Badge Lanyards

October 18, 2011 admin

Badge lanyards are a specific type of lanyard that is designed to be used along with an identification badge. Then, the badges can be easily worn around the neck without a problem. Many companies use these lanyards, such as medical facilities, hospitals, and many more. Also, using different colors can help to distinguish between different types of employees. In the case of schools, colors and printing can help to make teachers stand out from students. In many cases, this is a security feature that can definitely come in handy for many companies custom badge reels.

A variety of different options are available to companies that want to make use of badge lanyards within their companies. Depending on your needs, you can choose between several different materials, including nylon, woven, polyester, and tube lanyards. Many sizes are also available to you, allowing you to customize the lanyards for your company’s use.

Once you decide on the basic size and material for the badge lanyards, then you need to decide how you want to personalize them. You can add a logo or an image to the lanyards or you can have a message or company name printed on them. Various colors are available to choose from, which means you can choose the colors that you want, depending upon the colors you use for your logo or for your organization.

After you give a company the design you want done on badge lanyards, they should provide you with a digital mock up of the lanyard design. This way you can approve the digital mock up before they begin making the lanyards. After your approval, then the lanyards will be made for you and usually you can have them shipped right to your company within 7-14 days, depending on the company that you use.

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Why are Lanyards so Popular?

September 8, 2011 admin

If you’re not familiar with a lanyard, it’s simply a piece of nylon, cotton, polyester, or other material that is woven into a long piece to wear around your neck or on your wrist. We see them all the time, but they are kind of second nature, so you don’t really know it unless someone tells you.

For instance, if you walk into a hospital you will see doctors, nurses, and other staff with ID badges around their necks. Guess what is holding them in place? Yep, it’s a lanyard. However, there are several different uses behind lanyards. You can find them at schools, given away as gifts, used on keychains, and a variety of other uses.

However, there is one reason why they are extremely popular in today’s world and it’s because they’re a great promotional tool. Companies love the fact that lanyard are inexpensive. You can also purchase them at bigger discounts if you’re willing to buy in bulk. The end result is a lot of long-term advertising for a minuscule amount of money.

Brand name clothing lines like Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, as well as many others utilize this simplicity to continue branding themselves in the world as we know it. Keep in mind; it’s not always the big name companies that take this course of action either. A prime example of this would be a local school that is having a fundraiser.

Schools are the perfect platform to sell lanyards, because kids want to support their team’s colors at games or just during school hours. Parents do as well, which means it’s an inexpensive way to create money for the school. Our local school offers lanyards with the name of the high school and the colors for $5.

It’s one of the cheapest items to purchase, which makes it a steal for most parents on a tight budget. Since the actual cost isn’t even close to $5 the school is creating additional revenue.

Another arena that has made lanyards popular is professional sports. Just head to the local apparel shop and you’re bound to find sports team names and colors on lanyards. They are usually right at the checkout counter. These can be anywhere from $10 to $15 depending on where you purchase it. The point is; professional and collegiate sports teams know how big of a money maker this type of industry can be.

Over the years there have been several reasons why lanyards became popular. They were once used around swords, knives, and pistols. Later on people took advantage of them to keep their ID badges handy. Now they are more of a decorative choice, but can help keep your ID, keys, or even your camera more secure.

If you haven’t ever owned a lanyard we definitely recommend one. It can be a great conversation piece with friends, family, co-workers, or even someone admiring it from afar.

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FY 2001 Appropriation for HHS & Lanyards

September 7, 2011 admin

Private Finance Investing of Lanyards
Our niche within the private equity capital markets is to provide long-term debt and equity capital to primarily private, middle market companies in a variety of industries. This includes providing senior loans, second lien debt, unitranche debt, or subordinated debt (also known as mezzanine investing) and buying substantial equity stakes in middle market companies (also known as buyout investing).

We seek to achieve current income and capital gains from our investment portfolio by following guidelines that emphasize preservation of capital, appropriate returns relative to risk, current cash flow, and the opportunity for capital gains.

The common elements among these investments are that they are generally long-term in nature and generate strong current cash returns. Allied Capital targets companies in less cyclical industries that can produce significant free cash flow and high returns on invested capital. When we make an investment, we enter into a privately negotiated arrangement where our ultimate exit from that investment may be five to ten years in the future.

Historically, we have also been an active investor in commercial real estate securities. From 1998 through early 2005, we invested in commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) and real estate-backed collateralized debt obligations (CDO). In May 2005, we sold our portfolio of CMBS and CDO investments and are no longer active in this area.

Portfolio Development
A good private equity investor works to make its portfolio companies better so that returns are thereby enhanced. Middle market companies can often benefit from the managerial assistance we offer and our assistance does not stop at the boardroom. We work with portfolio company management teams and offer assistance with corporate finance matters, mergers and acquisitions, executive recruitment and human resources, marketing, and general business guidance. This takes significant time, talent, and resources, but we believe that it is this combination of capital and resources that makes us a unique investor and a good, long-term business partner.

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What’s in a Lanyard Kit?

September 5, 2011 admin

Even though there are plenty of different lanyard choices, a lot of people don’t really know what are in the starter kits. Since there are four main types of lanyards (cord, flat, beaded, tubular), you have to purchase one that will suit your own personal needs. Plus, the reason you’re making it is going to come into play as well.

Today we want to focus on everything involved with a starter kit. Sure you could go look through them all yourself, but we wanted to spare you the time. It could also be a huge help for anyone who wants to start making lanyards themselves, but doesn’t really want to spend the money on a starter kit full color lanyards.

If this is the case we do have to tell you that in most cases; it’s less expensive to purchase a starter kit. You have all the essentials handy, and you don’t have to travel to the closest hobby and crafts store to get everything. So here is what you will find:

* Plastic Cording- These are essential pieces to making your lanyard. Granted, it’s not always cording that is used. You could end up with other materials like nylon, polyester, or even cotton strands. No matter what you receive, these are used to make the lanyards.

* Measuring Wheel- In order to end up with a complete lanyard you will have to do a lot of measuring with the strands. A wheel is given to you in a starter kit to make it a bit easier. Don’t worry, these are usually made of foam. The best part about it is the amount of time you save making the lanyard.

* Keyrings- Since a lot of people make lanyards to hold their keys, several starter kits will automatically come with keyrings. The actual amount depends on the product, but you can see anywhere from 1 to 15. If you’re a beginning lanyard maker then we recommend utilizing the keyring before jumping into other options. It’s by far the easiest approach.

* Clasps- There are several variations when it comes to clasps. You can go with plastic ones, metal ones, or even magnetic ones depending on your need. Most starter kits will offer a plastic or metal one, because they’re the most common. These are used to keep the lanyard around your neck or wrist.

These four pieces can usually be found in almost every lanyard starter kit. When purchasing a starter kit you should consider the color, design, and approach you want to take. There are several different customizable features associated with lanyards. You can definitely create a unique approach if you have all the supplies in front of you.

So will you go with a starter kit or purchase everything yourself? If you decide to do a beaded lanyard then we highly recommend a starter kit. The beads alone could be quite expensive when purchased individually at a local craft store. Whatever the case may be, you just need to figure out what you want to make.

If you have no idea then try an inexpensive choice first and see if you like it. Chances are you’re going to love it, because lanyard making can become quite addictive!

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Lanyard Patterns for Kids

September 2, 2011 admin

Bringing the family together every now and again can also be a healthy thing for everyone. Unfortunately things like video games, the Internet, and other pieces of technology has seemed to separate a lot of us. If you want to make sure this doesn’t happen with your kids then take the time to create lanyards with them.

It can be very enjoyable and can teach them many things. You can provide encourage, build their self-esteem levels, and help them if it’s necessary. They will be able to feel great after completing a task like this, which could eventually spill over into other areas of their life and full color lanyards.

Plus, kids love carrying around customized lanyards to set themselves apart from everyone else. After all; most children want something where all the other kids will come up to them and ask about it. This is an important feeling to enjoy, because even if for a moment they are the center of attention with their friends and classmates.

So what we want to do is give you a little inside look at all the lanyard patterns for kids out there. Even though you might be thinking some of them are going to be quite boring, others will blow your mind. Seriously; we’re talking about lanyards with Mickey and Minnie Mouse on them, Transformers, Scooby-Doo, and a variety of other cartoon characters.

Take a look at some of the other options available:

* Sports Teams- Both boys and girls usually have a favorite sports team. Sure they might have different interests, but you can definitely find lanyard patterns for kids in the form of recreational sports. Maybe it’s the local baseball team, their school’s football team, or even their own soccer or basketball team.

* Movie Patterns- These are usually customized unless you find a lanyard where a cartoon is also a movie. Things like SpongeBob Square Pants is a great example. The Transformers, Spiderman, Superman, Dare Devil, Batman, or any of the others will work as well.

* Favorite Celebrity- Even though there won’t be too many patterns offering up images of your child’s favorite celebrity, there are various ways to make it look like it. Take the iCarly team for example; all it takes is one saying they have all the time in the show and it can be turned into a text lanyard. This also holds true for Big Time Rush, Victorious or any of the other Nickelodeon shows.

* Just Sayings- Some kids take certain sayings that others present them with and start saying it themselves. Hopefully that makes sense. If not, the best example we can give you is from the movie Super 8. One of the kids said; “That’s Mint!” Now all of the sudden there are tons of kids around the country saying the same thing. Chances are it will turn into a lanyard if it hasn’t already.

There is an endless supply of lanyard patterns for kids. All you have to do is be a little creative and you will find one for your child. Heck, they might have already found it themselves.

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What Type of Supplies are used for Lanyards

August 30, 2011 admin

If you want to make a lanyards yourself it can be extremely time consuming. If by chance you mess up then it’s going to turn into a complete frustration. Most people just purchase lanyards from a reputable company, but if you’re looking to make your own then it’s important to have the right supplies.

Just for hypothetical purposes, let’s say you’re about to make a beaded lanyard. After all, it’s the most common choice amongst lanyard crafters. It doesn’t matter if you need it for an ID badge, to hold your keys, or anything else, because we want to focus on making sure you have all the essentials.

Here is a list of what you will need to make a lanyard:

The Beads- It’s important to figure out what type of lanyard size you need. This will play a major role in how many beads you will need for the lanyard. We’ve seen anywhere from 20 to 30 and as many as 200. Actually, we’ve seen people make lanyards with over 330 beads. Oh, and don’t forget the size will play a role in the expenses.

A Magnetic Clasp- Actually there are several different options here, but we recommend the magnetic clasp. It’s the best “breakaway” option out there. This way if an unexpected pull occurs, it won’t break. The downside to this is you might lose it because there are times when it’s unnoticeable.

Beading Wire or Nylon Thread- The whole idea behind the beading wire and/or nylon thread is to make sure the beads are secure. Without it they would simply fall off. Unfortunately there are cases where the beads break, but the majority of the time it has to do with the construction of the lanyard.

The Empty Key Ring- This is not a mandatory option, but today we want to use it. Whatever piece you put in its place, make sure there is nothing attached to it. For example, if you’re making a lanyard for your keys then use the key ring without any keys on it. You will be able to add them later on in the process.

Another thing to consider is that you will want scissors and tacky glue if you’re not going to tie knots. Most people do end up tying the knots, but it’s another option if you’re considering a different approach

When it’s all said and done you need to have your supplies before deciding to make a lanyard. Without everything in place it’s only going to create delays and you might not have a successfully finished product. If you do then everyone is going to wonder where you got it.

This has spawned others to ask lanyard owners to make them one. When you go down this path it’s easy to see how this could turn into a business or you could simply give them away for birthdays or holidays throughout the year.

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Different Lanyard Stitches

August 27, 2011 admin

Purchasing lanyards is easy these days, especially since a lot of companies use them for promotional purposes. If you’re looking to get your own customized lanyard or want to purchase several of them for marketing, learning the different stitching options will be important.

There are 5 main lanyard stitches available. Today we want to take quick look at each one so you can figure out the best option. However, it’s important to understand that there are several other things that go into lanyards than just stitching. You have to consider the comfort, the design, the colors, and the size. Plus there are other variables as well.

Here are 5 different lanyard stitching options you can choose from:

#1 The Box Stitch

If you want to make a lanyard on your own, this is definitely not the first choice. While this is true it still provides a unique appeal. We consider this to be a complex and boring choice, but one that offers several different choices. If you make a box stitch then you must utilize the 4 step process:

a. Cross two strands in the middle

b. Make loops at the bottom of each end

c. Weave other two strands over and under

d. Pull tightly

Granted, it’s a lot easier said than done, but once you get the hang of it, it’s quite simple.

#2 The Butterfly Stitch

You can only imagine how the process works for the butterfly stitch and customized lanyards. This choice is best used to make bracelets since it lies flat, but over the years it has also become popular amongst lanyard makers. This is a 3 step process consisting of:

a. Knot 2 strands together

b. Use 1 strand to make a loop

c. Push 1 loop through the other until tightened

#3 The Circle Stitch

Probably one of the most intriguing stitches available, the circle stitch offers a unique approach. Keep in mind; it’s very similar to how you would Box stitch, but one variation makes all the difference. All you have to do is bring them down to the side as opposed to crossing the strands. Very cut and dry.

#4 The Cobra Stitch

This is probably one of our favorite options when it comes to stitching a lanyard. The whole idea is to use a central strand and then create several knots around it.

#5 The Triangle Stitch

If you consider yourself an avid lanyard maker then the triangle stitch will definitely challenge you. It’s an odd combination of the box stitch with a little circle stitch thrown in there. A lot of companies that use machines prefer this choice when multiple colors are being used.

You also have other choices like the Chinese Staircase, Diamond Braid, and many others. Most people won’t really find this important, but those who manually make lanyards will enjoy trying something new.

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Lanyard Marketing Methods- Imprinting Options

August 24, 2011 admin

Anyone that wants to use custom lanyards as a marketing tool has several different options available. You can promote them for your business, to help out the local school, or a variety of other reasons. However, there are tons of different ways to imprint your lanyard. Today we want to cover each one of those areas.

Fine Woven Printing or Imaging- When utilizing this option the lanyard is woven from polyester. It is extremely strong and reliable. Plus, it’s one of the best choices if you want to put text or designing imprints on the lanyard. You are also able to choose any attachment you like with this choice.

Satin Fabric with Silkscreen Printing- If you’re looking for a higher standard then we recommend using satin fabric with silkscreen printing. It provides you with an unbelievable appeal no matter what type of design or logo you want on the lanyard. This is done by placing a screen over top the lanyard and then pouring the ink over the screen.

Offset Printing- This option is considered to have the highest quality amongst all the imprinting options available. It’s an indirect printing choice where four colors are individually placed on the material. You end up with a fantastic looking design, and the lanyard itself is quite soft in comparison to others.

Reflective Color and Silkscreen Printing- Places that utilize this option are usually hospitals or other places where safety is a necessity at all times. The reflective ability is a great choice during the evenings, especially if you’re walking to your vehicle alone, or even at a nightclub with friends.

One thing to note about the reflective color and silkscreen printing choice is the non-absorbent characteristics. If the lanyards you’re about to purchase will be given to younger kids, then it’s the best choice. All it takes is a simple wipe down and the lanyard will be clean time and time again.

Heat Transfer Printing- Anyone who is looking for heat transfer printing probably want to promote something. It’s also one of the best ways to use a variety of colors. A great example of this would be having lanyards built to promote an all-girls Catholic school. The plaid design might be difficult with other choices, but heat transfer printing provides the perfect solution.

In the end it really comes down to your individual marketing need, how many you plan on purchasing, where the individuals will be wearing the lanyards, and what type of comfort level is considered a necessity. Once you’re able to cover each one of these areas it will be easy to figure out what type of imprinting option is best for you.

You could even consider trying different ones if you are purchasing a mass amount of lanyards. When you have them it will be clear why lanyards are the perfect marketing method.

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