Companies are looking to cut costs in any way possible. While quality should never be sacrificed for the sake of saving a few pennies, you can realize cost savings by packaging your product as efficiently as possible. Sunrise is a custom packaging manufacturer and we firmly believe in the added value of custom packaging. We also know there are some projects where a custom solution is just not in the budget. We would like to show you a variety of high-quality CD/DVD packaging options that are all available for less than 50 cents!

First off, there are the standard size 14mm black CD/DVD cases. These cases feature quick release hub prongs that are strong and durable. They can hold up to two discs and include literature clips to hold DVD booklets or artwork. These are also available in either premium or standard qualities. The premium model cases are made from partially virgin material to protect your discs, and they are machine-loadable. This can save an enormous amount of time by not having to insert everything by hand. There are also premium quality cases made from 100% raw material in white. This is a great option for weddings or to package Wii gaming discs!

There are also slim CD/DVD cases being introduced if you would like to save space without giving up quality or protection. There are premium quality slim 7mm DVD cases, as well as clam-shell cases, square-shell cases. These cases are all clear to display the artwork on the discs.

And for only a few pennies a disc, paper sleeves with a window, protect your discs from damage and display its artwork too.

There are even more CD/DVD case options to choose from. There are premium quality jewel cases available in either the standard 10.4mm style or the 5.2mm style. These cases offer high protection to prevent damage to your CDs/DVDs, and the clear cover allows artwork to be displayed. The trays are available in either black or clear, whichever best suits your needs.

Lastly, using Blu-Ray cases is another low cost approach to packaging your discs. There is a higher perception value associated with Blu-Ray discs, which should be matched with premium packaging. As soon as the customers see the signature clear-blue packaging, they will know that they are getting the high-definition Blu-Ray discs that they desire.

In the coming year, budgets are going to be tighter. With that in mind, Sunrise Packaging is proud to announce the new stock CD/DVD case product line that is currently being launched. These cases will be available for less than 50 cents each and many are priced under 25 cents! The 14mm DVD cases are now available for order, and the rest of the product line will be launched in February. Visit http://shop.sunpack.com for more information.

Recently, a colleague of mine passed on a story called “Lessons of the Square Watermelon” The story of the square watermelon is a story about positive thinking and the power of thinking outside the box — or in this case, inside the box.

Japanese groceries stores had limited space and wanted a more space-efficient watermelon. Many people would have immediately thought there was no way to create a more “space-efficient” watermelon, but some creative Japanese farmers believed they could and made it possible.

Watermelons are mostly water, as the name implies. So, when Japanese farmers attempted to grow watermelons in the square boxes, the fruit took the shape of the boxes (we love the packaging implications here). This solved the problem in the grocery stores and made it more cost effective to ship the watermelons.

What can we learn from the square watermelon? According to the article, we should learn to stop assuming, to question habits, to be creative, to look for a better way and that impossibilities often aren’t.

This article generated a lot of interesting responses. As it turns out, square watermelons are only the beginning. Check out what can happen when you open your mind to unheard-of possibilities and explore your creativity.

Imagine if this kind of creative thinking existed in your company. Use this as inspiration. What at first seems impossible, could many possible creative solutions. When we move away from our comfort zone and think positively about a problem, we can come up with innovative solutions that go above and beyond our initial needs.

“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”
-Maya Angelou

With the holidays fast approaching our instinctive response it to kick into high gear, running from store to store taking care of all of our holiday related errands. But before the Holiday buzz sweeps you away, stop for a second to help those less fortunate than yourself. Not only will helping out in the community make you feel better during the holidays it will truly benefit someone who is experiencing difficulties. Too often kids seem to be the most affected. Sunrise wants to give needy children hope this year by donating toys to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program.

Marines picking up toys at Sunrise Packaging

The goal of this program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during the months from October to December and to distribute the toys as a holiday gift to needy children in the surrounding community. The U. S. Marine Corp states that the mission of their program is to “spread the message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens, and community leaders.”

Over the 58 years of this programs existence, Toys for Tots has collect over 332 million toys and helped over 158 million needy children. This program has been fortunate to help many children throughout their years of service but their overall goal is to help 14 million needy children each year. This year, in our area they are especially in need of children’s toys for ages 0-2 and 15-17, although toys for all ages are encouraged and welcomed.

Today is the last day to drop off toys at Sunrise. So far, we have collected more than one-and-a-half containers. If you’re in the area this morning, please stop by with an unwrapped toy for those kids whose holidays may need a little extra cheer. Every little bit helps!

It is in small efforts that we help one another. We want to than the Sunrise employees and surrounding businesses for their generous contributions to give back and to help the children in your community.

Have a happy holiday season.

Improved innovations and quality have increased demands for Blu-Ray technology. Blu-Ray Discs are read and written with a blue laser, rather than the red laser in the DVD format. The blue laser has a much shorter wavelength, which allows Blu-Ray Discs to store a substantial amount of more data than DVDs. Blu-Ray specifications call for a higher transfer rate of 36 Mbps (megabits per second) then DVD which is only 10 Mbps. This allows for faster recording time and it is expected to speed up even more in the future.

The qualities of Blu-Ray technologies have already proven themselves by defeating HD technology. Psystar’s president Rudy Pedraza claimed, “Blu-Ray has won the format war. Not only is there fully functional and mature support for Blu-Ray in other operating systems but you can now rent Blu-Ray discs from almost any rental chain. Blu-Ray has become pervasive technology that is being widely adopted by consumers everywhere.” There is a growing availability of Blu-Ray movies across the world. Ritek, one of the world’s leading optical disc makers, believes that BD-R discs will reach a crucial market size of 20 million units in 2009.

Now that we know there is a growing demand for Blu-Ray Discs, what does this mean for packaging? Since Blu-Ray Discs are a different format than CDs/DVDs and are used in different drives, you may want to differentiate your Blu-Ray Disc packaging from your CD/DVD packaging to avoid confusing your customers. Many Blu-Ray Discs are packaged in a Blu-Ray case. These cases are much like DVD cases, but are typically a little shorter and come in a transparent electric blue color. Implementing this packaging idea could help your company meet the growing demand for Blu-Ray technology.

Imagine Christmas morning. If you are like many families, there will be mounds of gift-wrap and packaging taking over your living room. There are countless amounts of decorations and unused gifts. Then think about the meal. Some resort to prepackaged food or paper products if there are not enough dishes or to make cleaning easier. It is an eco-friendly nightmare. The holidays can increase waste by 25 percent. Amazon.com provided a few ideas to make your holidays a little “greener” this year:

• Gift Selection. Try to pick out a gift that you know the recipient will use. Handmade gifts are always thoughtful, as well as spending time with the person or performing a service for them. Amazon allows you to search for eco-friendly gifts, as well as has the option of “Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging”, which features recyclable boxes that are easy to open and free of excess materials such as hard plastic clamshell cases, plastic bindings, and wire ties. If you don’t know what to get, try a gift certificate. Then the recipient can get a gift they know they will use, and it uses less packaging.

• Gift Wrapping. Gift wrapping makes up a large portion of the waste during the holidays. Much of it is not recycled or is not recyclable. Reuse gift wrapping or consider buying or making reusable cloth gift bags. You can use materials from around the house for gift wrapping, or even try wrapping the gift in another gift, such as a t-shirt, pillowcase, or towels.
• Decorating. Some people do go overboard with their holiday decorations, but you do not have to give up festivity for eco-friendly. Find decorations that you will reuse for years to come. Think of things around your home that remind you of the holidays. You could even create a collage of photos or string photos on yarn in place of streamers.
• Preparing the Meal. Prepackaged food may be more convenient, but think of the benefits of a home-made meal. Not only would it use less packaging, but home-cooked foods are generally more healthy and flavorful. Also, try to stay away from disposable dinnerware. If you do not have enough dishes, you could ask guests to bring extras, or you could purchase reusable dinnerware for special occasions. Cloth napkins are also an eco-friendly option. These options bring a little extra work of washing, but it is worth it to know you are helping the environment.

The holidays do not have to be an environmental disaster. You can still be eco-friendly without giving up your traditions and festivities. Try some of these helpful tips to make your holidays a little “greener” this year.

Ever wonder how often consumers actually use the cases their DVDs come in? The NPD Group conducted an interesting study commissioned by the Content Delivery and Storage Association (CDSA) and the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA). This study tested how consumers store their DVDs and video games. The study showed that most consumers actually do store their DVDs and video games in the original cases, rather than throwing the cases away.

The average DVD collection contains 114 titles and the average video game collection has 48 titles. There is a large demand for DVDs and video games, so it is important to pay attention to how important the packaging is to the consumer. If it has high significance, companies may want to invest in more durable and eye-appealing packaging. If the packaging does not have much significance, they may not want to invest as much money into it.

Eighty-nine percent of DVD owners and eighty-eight percent of video gamers do store the discs in the original cases. Five percent of DVD owners and eight percent of video gamers use plastic sleeves to store the discs and save the cases. Only six percent of DVD owners and five percent of video gamers throw away or recycle the original cases. This could partially be because the majority of consumers would rather give away, sell, or trade their DVDs and video games when they are finished, rather than throw them away.

There are a number of reasons why the packaging is important to the consumer. Cases provide protection for their discs, which can be easily scratched. The printing on the cases allows for easy organization and title identification. The packaging also brings personality to the product. The artwork is eye-appealing and the consumer associates it with the title. Some see the disc cases as a part of the actual product.

Since DVD and video game packaging is so important, companies may want to invest in high-quality, durable cases that are offered at a reasonable price.

On Wednesday, we talked about Vision Statements and Mission Statemensts. In a nutshell, your Vision Statement is what you want to accomplish in the long term, or could also be called your big picture goal. Your Mission Statement is your purpose.

Milestones
To fulfill your purpose and become what you envision, you need to determine the milestones and major resources that will assist you to achieve your big picture goals. You use your milestones to create steps that you need to take to fulfill your mission reach your vision

Creating Milestones
Building the roadmap to your success starts by listing the major milestones that will enable us to reach our big picture goals. They are simply steps we need to take and the resources we need to acquire.

We then break down our milestones into the things we need to do to take those steps and what needs to happen to get the resources we need. These are our goals.

Goals
Once you have determined your milestones, break them down into very small, detailed pieces that when placed together will help you achieve your milestones. These small pieces are your goals.

Creating SMART Goals
So, how do we create goals that we can actually accomplish and that will keep us on track to achieve our big picture goals? Remember the acronym SMART:

Specific – Ultimately there will be a number or something that can be measured. It should be large enough that it is a challenge, but not so large that you will not achieve it (more on this later)

• A non-specific goal might be: “Make more prospecting calls”
• A specific goal might be: “Make 25 prospecting calls each day”

Note: The numbers and goals I use are simply examples. Only you can determine the exact details of your goals.

Manageable – Be careful to set a goal that is a challenge but not so overwhelmingly that it becomes daunting.

If you find yourself in this situation, make that overwhelming goal a milestone and break it down into smaller goals.

• A non-manageable goal: “Increase sales by 10% over last year”

It is something that almost everyone needs to do and it is measurable, however it is too large to be manageable goal. This is a milestone wearing goal clothing.

So, make “Increase sales by 10%” a milestone and now set up several SMART goals that will help you accomplish this.

For example some goals to achieve the milestone of “Increase sales by 10%”:

• Research 3 new prospects each work day
• Call 3 customers during the first 15 minutes of each work day
• Call and qualify 3 new prospects during the first 15 minutes after lunch each work day

None of the above taken by itself is overwhelming. And once all three have been made a daily habit, you will be well on your way to increasing sales.

Turn a goal into a milestone whenever need to. There is no rule that your roadmap has to have only 4 layers. You may need several layers of milestones. Some underlying milestones, when taken together with other milestones, will achieve some really big milestones on your way to your vision.

Attainable – The measurable part of goal should be something larger than what you are currently achieving but it should also close to what you are achieving. This helps you to avoid setting yourself up for failure. We are here to achieve our goals; and growth is something achieved with effort.

• A non-attainable goal might be: “Calling on 50 customers each day” when what you are currently able to do is call on 10 customers in a day.
• In this example an attainable goal might be: “Call on 12 customers each day.”

Realistic – Your goal should be something that is not out of the realm of possibilities.

• A non-realistic goal might be: “Attend 21-25 networking events a week”. Working seven days a week, you would need to attend 3 or more networking events every day.
• A realistic goal might be: “Attend 3-7 networking events a week”. This goal requires you to network every week, however, it also let’s you spend time with your family and friends.

Timely – each goal should have a due date or some timeframe involved with it. If your goal is “call on 12 customers”, you don’t know if this is a daily, weekly, monthly or even an annual quota. Having an ending date or recurring time period will allow you to set due dates into calendars which will help keep you on track.

The best goals are created using this acronym. This ensures you are setting specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time targeted objectives that are designed to reach your vision statement.

Using the acronym SMART helps you to quickly identify milestones from goals. Once you know your milestones and have your plan for achieving them, you have created your roadmap to making your vision a reality.

Creating goals should be taken seriously. The better thought out a goal is, the more attainable it will be. Goal planning is not an isolated activity. It should be done in conjunction with your team. First, this ensures that your team knows the goals for the upcoming year and when they help to set the measurements and due dates, then you also get their commitment to achieving the vision statement.

It is essential for every business to set goals that will take you into the future. This year sit down with your team and create a plan. In doing this all employees will be on the same page and focusing together to reach the same vision.

And don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments. Set high goals but don’t forget recognize when you achieve or exceed them. Each goal that is conquered or made a habit should be recognized and rewarded. This will keep your motivation and your team’s motivation high.

As we close 2008 and look ahead to the future year it is important for you and your business to look to the future ahead, not simply by thinking about the up coming year but by creating a vision and goals that you want to reach in the next twelve months.

Goal setting will help you to excel in the new year. Taking time to create a step by step process to help meet your goals will send a clear message to your whole company as to which direction you want to head this year.

A mission statement tells what business you are in and what products and services you offer. It is a clear statement of purpose. A mission statement may last for decades.

A vision statement transforms the organization. It provides a picture of what could be. It is a catalyst that can impel an organization to move toward that dream. As dreams come true or realities change, visions change. It is a goal of the highest order.

Both people and organizations need to establish a strategic framework for significant success. This framework consists of:

·         a mission that defines your organization and it’s purpose,

·         a vision on how what you want to become in the future,

·         Milestones that zero in on your success , and

·         goals and action plans to guide your daily, weekly and monthly actions.

Your organization’s success and your personal success depend on how well you define and live by each of these important concepts. Today we will discuss the difference between a Mission Statement and a Vision Statement and what part each of these play in your success

Mission Statement
Mission or Purpose is a precise description of what an organization does. It should describe the business the organization is in. It is a definition of “why” the organization exists currently. Each member of an organization should be able to verbally express this mission.
A Mission Statement defines the organization’s purpose and primary objectives. A Mission Statement answers the following three questions:

• What do we do?
• How do we do it?
• For whom do we do it?

Mission Statement Creation

1. To create your mission statement, first identify your organization’s “winning idea”. This is what you do that makes you unique from your competitors. It is the reason why customers want to work with you rather than your competition. Your “winning idea” is not only what you make or do, but it involves knowing your customer and their needs and how your product or service fulfills those needs. Your “winning idea” is what you do to make your customer’s lives better.
2. Next identify how you accomplish your “winning idea”. This will take into account what you make to do and how you get it to your customers. The answer to “How we do it” should fit the need that the customer fulfills to you when they purchase your product or service. This will define the key measures of your success.
3. Though many small business owners would like to believe otherwise, not everyone is a potential customer. Customers will almost always have both demographic and geographic limitations. When starting out, it is generally a good idea to define the demographic characteristics (age, income, etc.) of customers who are likely to buy and then define a geographic area in which your business can gain a presence.
4. Combine your winning idea, you success measures, and your customer into a tangible and measurable goal.
5. Refine the words until you have a concise and precise statement of your mission, which expresses your ideas, measures and desired result and inspires your organization.

An example of a Mission Statement from Dole Foods:
“Dole Food Company, Inc. is committed to supplying the consumer and our customers with the finest, high-quality products and to leading the industry in nutrition research and education. Dole supports these goals with a corporate philosophy of adhering to the highest ethical conduct in all its business dealings, treatment of its employees, and social and environmental policies.”

Vision Statements
A vision is a statement about what your organization wants to become. It should resonate with all members of the organization and help them feel proud, excited, and part of something much bigger than themselves. A vision should stretch the organization’s capabilities and image of itself. It gives shape and direction to the organization’s future.

Your Vision Statement answers the following questions:

• What does success look like?
• What will our business look like in 3 to 5 years from now?
• What new things do we intend to pursue?
• What future customer needs do we want to satisfy?

Vision Statement Creation

1. First identify your organization’s Mission Statement which includes an analysis of who your customers are and the needs you fulfill for them.
2. Next, identify what you, your customers and other stakeholders will value most about how your organization will achieve this mission. These are the key values that your organization has or should have.
3. Combine your mission and values, and polish the words until you have a vision statement inspiring enough to energize and motivate people inside and outside your organization.

An example of a Vision Statement from AT&T:
“We aspire to be the most admired and valuable company in the world. Our goal is to enrich our customers’ personal lives and to make their businesses more successful by bringing to market exciting and useful communications services, building shareowner value in the process.”

Some resources used:

• An article from inc.com on creating Mission Statements. (http://www.inc.com/resources/startup/articles/20050201/missionstatement.html)
• ·         An interesting article on what makes a powerful vision statement. (http://www.clickz.com/3565491)
• ·         An article on strategic planning for individuals and organizations. (http://humanresources.about.com/cs/strategicplanning1/a/strategicplan.htm)
• ·         An article on Core Competence Analysis to help you define the “what you make or do” part of your Mission Statement. (http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_94.htm)
• ·         An article on defining your Unique Selling Proposition. This is a practical tool for salespeople, but it can also help you understand the “how you solve your customer’s problems” part of your Mission Statement. (http://www.businesstown.com/advertising/basic-usp.asp)

It is Friday night and you are gazing at the DVD shelf trying to decide which movie to watch for the night, but I doubt you are thinking about all of the different kinds of DVD cases that are available. DVD cases come in a variety of different sizes, grades, and colors. If you need to purchase DVD cases for your business or personal use, it is good to consider the different factors to decide which cases best meet your needs.

DVD cases are available in many different sizes. Typically, the standard DVD case has a depth of about 14mm. Some people may like the look of a smaller case better, or they may want to save on space or shipping. For those, there are options of 7mm or 5mm in depth.

There are also different grades of quality for DVD cases. There is a standard grade made out of recycled materials or a premium grade made out of 100% raw materials, which would last longer. There is even the option of cases made from a mixture of recycled and raw materials. Your choice depends on if you want to focus on price or durability. Some DVD cases are also machine grade, which means that they are machine loadable. This could save an enormous amount of time if you have a machine that can load the DVD’s in the cases for you.

The majority of DVD cases come in black, but you may want to invest in color to stand out on the shelf. Special occasions, such as weddings may prefer white cases over black cases. DVD cases may come in a variety of different colors, such as red, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, clear, frosted clear, white, or the traditional black. There is also the option of Blu-Ray cases if you would prefer that for Blu-Ray discs. Some video game cases may break easily, so there is the option of buying these DVD cases to replace them. Standard DVD cases are compatible with many video games, such as the Nintendo Wii.

Injection molding also allows suppliers to provide high-quality, durable DVD cases at a reasonable price. There are more options in choosing DVD cases than one might think. It is important to determine your needs and then figure out which DVD cases best suit your needs at a reasonable price.

The term, “injection molding”, is often thrown out in reference to packaging and storing DVDs, but many people do not understand the concept of injection molding.

The following information is a brief explanation of what injection molding is and how injection molded products like lawn furniture, thermal coffee cups and even DVD cases are made?

Injection molding is a manufacturing process used to produce parts from thermoplastic pellets and is similar to making candles from a mold.

Some of the common types of thermoplastic are: polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These different thermoplastics vary in durability, resistance, and flexibility

First, a mold is custom designed from metal and detailed to form the desired finished product. Molten plastic is then injected at high pressure into this mold that is the inverse of the product’s shape. Hydraulic or mechanical pressure is applied to make sure all the cavities within the mold are filled. The plastics are allowed to cool and then removed with ejecting pins. There may be excess material, which is then trimmed off and recycled.

So the next time you consider purchasing a plastic product, you will have a much better idea of just what it takes to make it!

Watch this video if you are also interested in how thermoforming works: