AboutBail.com's 2010 Holiday Gift Guide for Bail Agents

• November 29, 2010
• by Collateral Staff
• Business Tools

[caption id="attachment_2360" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Holiday gifts for bail agents"][/caption]

What do you get the bail agent who has everything? It's a tough question, but we figured we'd take a shot at providing you with some gift ideas just in time for the holiday season. Most of our ideas are geared toward growing and improving your business in 2011. Enjoy AboutBail.com's holiday gift guide and we hope you'll add a few of our suggestions to your wish list.

For the technology enthusiast
The holidays are a technology lover's dream. If you are one, you're probably having visions of iPads or smartphones as you read this. For the technology-minded bail agent, one gift idea that springs to mind is bail bond software. We have covered this technology over the past year and documented how it can streamline things at your business while making your life much easier. Check out our articles on 7 Essential Software Elements for Bail Agents and Choosing the Right Software for Your Bail Business to learn how it can help you manage tasks such as arrest record monitoring, court date tracking, reporting and more.

And if your career as a bail professional is hazardous to the well-being of your technology, AboutBail.com staff members compiled a list of Tough Technology for Bail Agents. The cell phones, laptops and digital cameras covered in that article are built to withstand extreme conditions, so you know they'll function properly even if things get a little hairy.

For the social butterfly
They say it's not about what you know, but more about who you know. We'll leave the accuracy of that statement up to you, but we can definitely help you get to know more people. One tool you can use to meet new people who might turn into potential customers is social networking. By now you have probably been bombarded with people telling you should be on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., and you might have resisted so far. Take it from us, though: creating a company profile on these social networking sites is a great way for you to market your bail business. It puts your business name in front of millions of people, and it allows you to interact with them virtually. Oh yeah, it's also free, and it's hard to complain about a free holiday gift that you can give yourself. To get you started, check out these articles we've published about Using Social Media to Build Your Bail Business and Tying Your Social Media Together.

As a bail professional you likely meet scores of new people every day, and leaving them with a good impression isn't always enough. It's a good idea to also leave them with an attractive business card, as well as some branded marketing materials. Pens, calendars, water bottles and other items are all useful to people on a regular basis, so they can help to keep your company's name in their memories. You can think of these marketing expenses as a gift to your company.

For the traveler
The urge to take a brief vacation from the rigors of work might strike you every now and then. If you have been looking for an excuse to skip town for a few days, we have just the destination for you. The Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS) is holding the association's annual winter meeting Feb. 21-24, 2011, in Las Vegas. Not only will you get to partake of the well-documented entertainment that Vegas offers, but you can rub elbows with your industry peers while boosting your knowledge about everything related to bail. And as an added bonus, you'll have the chance to meet the exceptionally fun AboutBail.com team during the event.

For the artistic-minded
Offices don't need to be drab and nondescript. Many companies will personalize artwork and other office decorations for you, which will give your office a personality that your co-workers and customers will appreciate. For example, you can have your company's logo turned into a pop-art painting that resembles an Andy Warhol piece. These days, everything is easily personalized, so you can also look into getting anything from calendars to wall clocks to company vehicles branded with your company logo and/or slogan.

For the savvy business person
AboutBail.com membership is not something you can physically grab onto, but it's the gift that keeps on giving because you'll be reaping the benefits of effective, affordable online marketing. Having your company's profile and contact information featured on AboutBail.com means that the millions of people searching the Internet for bail bonds will be guided in your direction. And setting your business up for higher revenue and more customers in 2011 may be the best gift of all.

For the fashion-conscious
It's a good feeling when someone compliments your clothes and asks where they can buy what you're wearing. It's an even better feeling when that piece of clothing is branded with your logo. If you and your staff spend a little free time brainstorming some clever or comical phrases to accompany your logo on a shirt or hat, chances are good that you'll attract some admirers who would be interesting in sporting your gear and advertising your business around town.

To learn more about becoming a member of AboutBail.com's trusted network of bail agents, contact us online.

If you would like to redistribute this article or any other content for your website, newsletter or other publication, e-mail [email protected] to find out how. And if you're interested in writing articles about the bail industry for Collateral Magazine, AboutBail.com is always looking for guest writers to share their industry knowledge.