Our greeting card system has always been an easy to use web-based service for sending real, printed greeting cards through the mail. It takes a minute or so to pick out a card, add your message and click send. Then, within the next day or so, the folks at our company print it, stamp it, and send it, including a gift... if you chose that option. Easy, right?

But, hard as it is to believe, this company has just released the next version of their web-based card editor and it is even slicker than the original model. It's now much more of a WSIWYG interface (what you see is what you get), where you type your message right into the card. You can upload your own photos, create your own unique signature font, and more.

Only thing is, the new card editor is so much fun to use, it might end up taking you longer than it used to, playing with all of the options. But you won't mind, trust me.

If you haven't heard about the value of sending greeting cards with this system, then check out the frequently asked questions page on my site to get started on checking out this great way to nurture the relationships in your life, whether personal or business-related. You can even try it out for free ... on me!

Mary

There's no question... we are undergoing lean times, and many Americans are struggling financially at present. But I'm doing OK, thanks to a couple of work at home businesses, one that sends printable greeting cards to business associates and personal contacts and one that helps your build a content-based website, even if you know nothing about building websites.

The card company I use is a network marketing company, but without the pressure and hype that often goes with that type of business. Instead, it's all about building relationships, both business and personal.

The world today is often impersonal. People are busy, busy, busy... The technology that makes all our lives so much easier than it was for our grandparents also isolates us at times by removing the need for personal contact.

That can make it hard to build the kind of solid personal and business relationships that are the foundation of a happy, successful life.

But, nothing makes someone feel more appreciated than a kind word contained in a personalized greeting card. Cards work because they're unexpected and communicate your message in a way that's virtually guaranteed to be well received. When you send a card, your card sends a powerful message that you care, that you remember and you take no one for granted.

Learn more here about sending cards

The other strategy I'm using for prospering during the financial crisis is called Site Build It (SBI for short), and it's a platform for building a business on the Web. I use it to educate people about sending cards, but there are so many other directions you can go. Check out SBI here

Do your customers or clients know you appreciate them? Really know? Here are some tips for proving your customer appreciation:

1. Make others know they are important.
2. Show them what's in it for them in what you're doing.
3. Put yourself in your customer's shoes.
4. Show them you're human.
5. Refrain from negative advertising... always emphasize the positive.
6. Ask your customers how you're doing... and act on their feedback.
7. Defuse problems quickly.

I've found that one technique that helps to do almost all of the strategies above is to send greeting cards. It's such a caring way to let others know you're thinking of them and it is so unexpected... especially from a business. Sending cards is almost a lost art, you know?

You can read more about these customer appreciation ideas in greater detail at my main website, GainCustomerLoyalty.com...