Mullingar Crystal

A bright Outlook for Ireland...dotconf

2010-07-23T04:52:00.000-07:00

I attended a conference in Dublin yesterday called dotconf in The National College of Ireland, Dublin. The NCI building is in the heart of the IFSC and not having been there for years, it was like visiting another city. People, average age about 30, were making their way to work, many drinking coffee on the way as the Luas rolled by with its "ding ding" sound just adding nicely to the bustle.
The enthuasism of the speakers was inspiring starting with Mark Little (@marklittlenews) who set the tone for the day. While some of the speakers were a little "teckie" for me, people like Dermot Daly (@dermdaly) of Tapadoo, made it very real. Des Traynor (@destraynor) of Contrast was very entertaining and gave some really good advise which in a nutshell was: if the project, no matter how fancy, is not going to make money, forget it!

The afternoon session advertised "deep dives" and I was glad I didnt bring my wetsuit!
Deep dives apparently are a quick way of going into a subject, in my case, I chose "How to build a Twitter App in 10 minutes" ( which I still have'nt managed) and then "usable language" which was a common sence approach to designing your website.

As with any conference, if you take away just a couple of ideas and make them work then it has been a day worthwhile.

I hope you will see the fruits of the day come to life over the next few months as I strive to give customers of Mullingar Crystal and Bill Butler Promotions better service. @bernardjflynn

Seth Godin, looking at the bright side.

2010-07-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

I love the optimism from Seth Godin's blog today:

Greetings have traditionally been an acknowledgment of the other person. "I see you." "Hello." "Greetings."

Then, we moved on to, "how are you?" or even, "how's business?"

Recently, though, our performance-obsessed, live-forever society has morphed the greeting into something like, "please list everything going on in your life that isn't as perfect as it should be."

In a business setting, this causes bad prioritization decisions. The owner of the bar says to the manager, "how was the night?" and the response is, "the cash register came up $8 short." Suddenly, there's an urgent problem to be solved. How to replace the eight dollars and who do we fire?

If the question instead had been, "what's up?" (as in literally up) the answer might have been, "well, there's a big party at table 12, another going away party. They've been buying champagne all night. And Mary told me she set a new record for tips. And the new beer we added on tap is..."

Highlighting what's working helps you make that happen more often.

Perfect is overrated. Perfect doesn't scale, either.

I'm not proposing you endorse theft or ignore the bad news. But it's clear that one more going away party on table 12 is going to make up for that one piece of bad news, every time.

Greetings have traditionally been an acknowledgment of the other person. "I see you." "Hello." "Greetings."

Then, we moved on to, "how are you?" or even, "how's business?"

Recently, though, our performance-obsessed, live-forever society has morphed the greeting into something like, "please list everything going on in your life that isn't as perfect as it should be."

Highlighting what's working helps you make that happen more often.

Perfect is overrated. Perfect doesn't scale, either.

I'm not proposing you endorse theft or ignore the bad news. But it's clear that one more going away party on table 12 is going to make up for that one piece of bad news, every time.

The Toughest Order

2010-05-10T03:30:00.000-07:00

Last week, a returning customer when asked which pieces he wanted for his awards uttered the words "I'll leave it up to yourself, you come up with something".

That then becomes the toughest order. You (me in this instance) have to get it right.

Time and effort goes into showing that you are good at what you do but also the customer must be foremost with regards to their budget and target audience.

On this occasion, the recipients were delighted, and why shouldn't they, it was the most difficult job of the week!

The Sunday Business Show

2010-04-23T04:31:00.001-07:00

I am reviewing the papers on The Sunday Business show on Today Fm with Conall this Sunday.

Happy Customer.

2010-04-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

A good customer of Mullingar Crystal, who is running an awards ceremony in London today, noticed to their horror yesterday morning, that they had mixed up the winners and runners-up awards. They contacted us and asked what they could do. They sent their email at 12.18 yesterday and UPS delivered the new awards to the hotel in London at 10am this morning.

Result: everybody happy.

Well done to the engraver who did the job so well and to UPS who delivered on their promise.

March 2010 by Bernard Flynn

2010-04-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

A quote for our time

2010-03-19T02:20:00.000-07:00

Just came across this quotation attributed to George Orwell:

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act"

Politicians and Church leaders, take note!

Key to success

2010-03-12T07:59:00.000-08:00

I was reading through some notes from a seminar I attended given by Larry Mays of Boardwalk Marketing Group in the US.
One of his "keys to Sucess":
Key to sucess is to understand what has changed and modify behaviour accordingly.

He was speaking of business in the recession.

Tyrone Crystal Closure

2010-03-11T04:57:00.000-08:00

It is with genuine regret that we learn of the closure of Tyrone Crystal today. Real people and real jobs. We wish them well and hope they can find suitable employment.

The Crystal business has changed dramatically over the past few years particularly in the area of wedding gifts. The big slow down in the retail sector has obviously had an impact also.

Mullingar Crystal would be delighted to accomodate any of the "prizes and awards" needs of any of Tyrone Crystal's customers.

Visit our website, www.mullingarcrystal.com or give us a call on 044 9331572

Rural Design Awards 2010

2010-03-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

Winners of Westmeath's first rural design awards announced

The Rural Design Awards Scheme recognises and publicises exemplars of good building design based upon sustainable principles within the county. The purpose of the scheme is to promote good design practice, increase public awareness of the value of good design in the countryside and to highlight the importance of energy efficient approaches.
The winning projects will, over time, become examples of best practice which will in turn be used to inform future design.

Owners of the winning properties and their respective architects were presented with an innovative piece of Crystal Art designed by Mullingar Crystal.

“Of course you can!”- Katherine Mansfield

2010-03-02T03:25:00.001-08:00

“Of course you can!”- Katherine Mansfield

Posted using ShareThis

Hang in there!

2010-02-25T23:53:00.000-08:00

Mullingar Crystal have had an excellent start to the year with sales very strong through January and February. Part of the reason for this is that some of my competitors have ceased trading over the recent past. The cake may have got smaller but our slice has got bigger!

The message if you are struggling? Hang in there!

Say Thank You

2010-02-19T00:35:00.000-08:00

In the last week, four Mullingar Crystal customers have taken the time to say "thank you". 3 of them by email and one even went to the bother of sending a card.

Its only a small thing, maybe we are a bit childish, but its a great feeling when your work is appreciated. The spirits of all involved are lifted.

I have made a conscious effort to say thank you to any supplier who does a job well.

Try it today.

Definition of insanity

2010-02-15T07:12:00.000-08:00

Einstein's definition of insanity:

"Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result"

A picture paints .....................

2010-02-11T03:32:00.000-08:00

I have taken this image directly from Seth Godin's website. I think it is just excellent.

Check out Seth's website.

LAMA Awards

2010-01-31T03:11:00.000-08:00

Mullingar Crystal is a proud sponsor of the Local Authority Members Association (LAMA) Awards, which represent elected councillors nationwide.
The Local Government, City & Council Awards were created to honour exemplary projects within the community; they seek to generate recognition of the efforts, accomplishments, and positive contributions of the individuals, companies and local government authorities who make these happen.

Congratulations to Ceol, who won the Best piece of Art/Sculpture category sponsored by Mullingar Crystal last night at the Burlington Hotel Dublin.

The National Trade Only Show at Coventry

2010-01-29T23:15:00.001-08:00

Mullingar Crystal recently exhibited at the National Trade Only show at the Ricoh arena in Coventry.

We were very pleased with the show. The quality of exhibitor was very high as was the quality of attendee. We had a good corner stand located at the centre of the action.

Our CrystalArt range received many compliments and the phrase used most often by visitors to the stand was that "it was nice to see something different".

We showed some of the examples of recent jobs we had done and this seemed to impress. Best of all was the fact that so many mentioned that we were very reasonable on price.

Hope it all turns in to more business!

Tomorrow (as adapted by Scott mc Kain)

2010-01-21T07:10:00.000-08:00

I recently attended the PPAI expo in Las Vegas. One of the many inspiring speakers was Scott Mc Kain who finished his excellent presentation with the following poem.

Tomorrow
He would be all

That a mortal could be…

Tomorrow

No one would be kinder

Or fairer than she…

Tomorrow

Each day he would stack up

The letters he would write…

Tomorrow

She would think of the customers

She would fill with delight…

Tomorrow

But the fact is they died

And faded from view

And all that was left

When living was through

Was the mountain of things

They intended to do…

Tomorrow
--Anonymous

Adapted by Scott McKain

Minister in talks with Mullingar Crystal

2009-12-17T01:54:00.000-08:00

Mullingar Crystal were the company of choice recently for the Local Government Awards.

Rarely could you get such a volume of similar people in the one room at the one time!

The minister gave an incredibly boring speech. Didn't quite have it in me to tell him so!

Mullingar Crystal Reach Final of Enterprise Awards

2009-09-14T03:05:00.000-07:00

Mullingar Crystal reached the final of the 2009 County Enterprise Awards. The Awards were held at the Radisson Hotel in Athlone and were presented by Patricia Callan of the Small Firms Association. The overall winners were Robotic & Drive Services Ltd who stood out with their hi-tech assembly systems for industry.

We wish them well in the future as we do to all the finalists.

Mullingar Crystal become supplier of Awards for Chambers Ireland.

2009-07-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

(Press release from Chambers Ireland July 30th 2009)
Mullingar Crystal become supplier of Awards for Chambers Ireland
We are delighted to announce that Mullingar Crystal are the suppliers of Crystal Awards for both the Corporate Social Responsibility Awards and the Excellence in Local Government Awards. Mullingar Crystal was set up in 2006 by managing director Bernard Flynn. Mullingar Crystal offers a wide variety of Prizes and Awards to suit all budgets and offer a promise of “the price you see is the price you pay”. Mullingar Crystal have developed a system called CrystalPrint whereby a colour logo, text or even a photograph can be added to the crystal piece thereby creating a truly unique personalized prize or award.The awards will come from their newly designed CrystalArt range. As the name suggests, CrystalArt is where “crystal meets art”, a new range specially tailored for true winners. The pieces are modern in look and evoke feelings of triumph and success.

Making your Charity Event Work

2009-07-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

In the current economic climate, making your charity event is harder than ever. Golf classics are harder filled and there are so many others looking for funds from the same people.

We at Mullingar Crystal get asked on an almost daily basis to sponsor events. As we make our money from such events, we can hardly work for free.

However, as business is hard, we are willing to talk to event organisers and come up with a solution. We can sometimes sponsor a category or if the event is suitable (whereby we can promote Mullingar Crystal), we can come to some other arrangement.

Talk to us, tell us your needs and we will come up with an affordable solution so that you can have a successful event.

Guide to Crystal Awards by Matt Alderton

2009-06-29T01:47:00.000-07:00

Guide to Crystal Awards
Crystal employee recognition awards are the perfect way to say 'Thanks' and 'Good job'
By Matt Alderton

Crystal awards are stylish. They’re sophisticated. They’re sturdy. They’re also smart, as crystal corporate awards are small tokens that make a big difference in engendering allegiance, excitement, gratitude and respect within the workplace. In fact, crystal awards and crystal trophies -- which are made of brilliant glass -- are the perfect means to many ends. For example:1. Crystal employee recognition awards, used to thank employees and honor their accomplishments, can increase employee motivation and retention.2. Crystal trophies, given as thanks to partners and suppliers, can improve and secure vendor relationships.3. Crystal achievement awards, on display where customers can see them, can improve customer confidence and loyalty.

While most crystal awards have lead in them, those with the 'lead crystal' distinction have upwards of 70 percent lead content; higher lead content translates into crystal awards with more shine, brilliance and clarity.

For an artistic aesthetic, choose optical crystal awards
Optical crystal awards are among the most popular crystal trophies. Known for their incredible clarity and flawless finish, they capture light in order to create beautiful rainbow prisms and refractions.

Corporate recognition awards come in many shapes and sizes. For truly unique crystal employee recognition awards, look beyond crystal trophies and plaques and consider engraved crystal gifts, such as paperweights, figurines and bowls.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
• When choosing a crystal award, consider the occasion for which you're giving it; obelisks and triangles are popular for sales achievements, for instance, plaques for financial achievements or donations, and stars for more personal achievement awards.
• Crystal awards can cost less than $100 or more than $400; the more customized and unique the design, the more expensive the award.
• While vendors tend to offer the same types of crystal corporate awards, what differentiates them is customer service; look for vendors that offer free engraving, discounted shipping or complimentary logo setup.
• Choose traditional clear crystal awards for more formal occasions and treated or colored crystal awards for more innovative achievements.
• Consider where you will be presenting your various crystal awards before you purchase them; taller pieces are appropriate for crystal awards that will be presented in front of a large audience in a large space, while smaller pieces are appropriate for crystal awards that will be presented in a more intimate ceremony.

Best of Irish Awards

2009-06-03T05:08:00.000-07:00

Mullingar Crystal were the awards of choice at the "Best of Irish" awards held recently in the Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin. This prestigious event which is run by TV3 and The Star Newspaper is unique in that the recipients are chosen by the readers/ viewers of both TV3 and The Star. On the night, there was a monthly winner for each of the twelve months with August being shared by our three Olympic boxing heroes. The overall award went to Bernard Dunne.

In previous years, the awards came from Waterford and thus Mullingar Crystal is delighted to have been chosen for such an event.

Make more money from your golf classic

2009-04-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

In this "difficult" year, many are finding it very hard to fill time sheets for golf classics.
One simple solution that I came across in the USA is to use your own grounds.
This of course is only suitable for certain clubs, schools and associations.
The idea is that you"make " an 18 or 27 hole course on your own grounds. This does not need to be long. It can be almost crazy -golf like.
This system has many advantages. The course can be mapped out and mown in a few hours.
You can be much more inclusive with the entry by including kids and of course adults who would not normally play golf.
The big winner is the organiser. As the "classic" is held on own grounds, all proceeds therefore go to the organiser. You can charge teams a lot less and thereby automatically get more entries. You can still have all your sponsors including tee sponsors.

The Mini Golf Classic could be your organisations money winner for 2009.

If you would like any further help or information, just email sales@mullingarcrystal.com

Mullingar Crystal to sponsor annual Rugby Club Golf Classic

2009-04-08T04:13:00.000-07:00

Mullingar Crystal will sponsor this year’s Rugby Club Golf classic to be held at Mullingar golf club on the Friday of the May bank holiday weekend.
Speaking at the announcement, Bernard Flynn, MD of Mullingar Crystal expressed his delight in teaming up with MRC. He went on to say that in this commercially difficult year, it is incumbent upon business to continue to support local and in turn for all of us to support local business.
Mullingar Crystal will use the event to showcase their new range of CrystalArt which will be the prizes on the day.

Pictured are Bernard Flynn, MD, Mullingar Crystal and Brendan Leahy, President, Mullingar Rugby Club at the announcement of Mullingar Crystal’s sponsorship of MRC golf classis.

Dragons Den Revealed

2009-03-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

Mullingar Crystal applied for and were sucessful in getting on to the Irish Version of Dragons Den.
Our pitch: to get €50K to enter the corporate awards market in the US.

We were unsucessful in our pitch but I genuinely have no problem with that.

We entered the programme based only on having watched the BBC version and having been a fan of the programme for years.

I was barred by contract on saying anything about Dragons Den until my episode had aired which it now has.
I, as an Irish Entrepreneur, having set up and sold 5 businesses am disgusted at what Shinawil productions and ultimately RTE have done with the Dragons Den franchise.

Larry Bass, the MD of the production company, in an interview last Sunday said that he wanted to give Dragons Den a uniquely Irish feel and thus filmed the programme in a pub. Mr Bass went on to speak about there being more chat in the Irish version. He just stopped short of Arran Sweaters and a few pints of Guinness.
Ireland is second in the world with the number of businesses per capita.
However, Dragons Den has more of a “freak” show feel to it.
While first and foremost, I understand that Dragons Den should be entertainment, this appears to leave the sound business ideas on the floor while going to air with the “freaky” people, many with quit silly ideas.
I would be worried if RTE decided to sell this programme on, where people in other countries would be laughing at the stupid Irish.
I also have a big problem with the quality of the dragons themselves. I would question whether they actually have the cash. In fact, at least one is going through the courts at the moment for non payment of rent! The token female, Sarah, seems to have a derogatory comment for everybody and also pulls an excuse not to invest. My information is that she actually makes no investment whatsoever in the first series.

In the current climate, it is agreed by most commentators that it is business and ultimately exports that will take us out of recession. The business ideas that are being backed by the dragons are colloquial, lack real imagination. Specific examples include a light for a handbag at a cost of €25 to manufacture and the guy does not make handbags. The Dragons were falling over to back the guy. Why? Because it meant they could tick the box of “having invested”. It is obvious that they could pull out at a due diligence time which was sure to happen in this instance. Anybody with any knowledge of the handbag industry will tell you that they are predominantly made in china, so forget patents etc.

The precursor to today’s Dragons Den was of course The Late Late Show. The guy from Stira still has “as seen on the late late show” on all his advertising material and that must be 30 years ago. If Stira were to appear on Dragons Den, he would guaranteed to be told, “You missed the Celtic tiger”. Others that spring to mind are Ballygowan Water and of course the guy from Tuam with the buckets for calves. His name, John Concannon, who now runs his business, JFC, still based in Tuam with an annual turnover of €40 million. If John Concannon were to arrive on Dragons Den, he would have no chance.
However, he is the kind of guy we need as a Dragon. There are many other names around, real people, self made and most importantly real millionaires with real cash and not a fictional amount of what their property was worth at the height of the boom.

Dragons Den on the BBC has proven itself as a great format. It could and should work here, but not in its current state.

Tip # 6

2009-03-06T00:06:00.000-08:00

Tip # 6
The double door syndrome.

If you are walking through double doors and somebody is following, you might hold the door for them. On doing so, it would be therefore expected that the other person would hold the second door open for you!

In business, it is much the same. If you give something free, it would be good manners to receive something in return.

I was in my local electrical wholesalers recently, just down from our factory. The owner had a coffee machine in the corner with Free coffee for his customers. His customers therefore lingered a little longer and purchased more. It is not a surprise that he has the biggest business of his kind in the area.

This principle is often taken up by big companies with junkets to the Ryder Cup, World Cup etc.
Smaller business can learn from this. It doesn't have to be World Cup tickets. It could just be an invitation to play in a local golf classic or even like my neighbour, a cup of coffee.

The Giver will receive. Try it today.

Business Tip of the Week #4

2009-02-20T01:20:00.000-08:00

Yes But or Yes and.

We all know the type of person, you have an idea, they say, "that's great but" and then come the reasons why not. On the other hand we have the reaction where someone says, "yes, and ", and they go on to further the idea.
In business, you need to avoid the "yes but" people.
Align yourself and BE a "yes and" person.

Business Tip of the Week #2

2009-02-06T12:19:00.001-08:00

SLEEP IN YOUR COMPETITION'S BED TOO!
We're often so busy worrying about what we're doing, we forget our competition might have some great ideas we can use too.

It's called S & D - steal and distribute. An idea doesn't have to be original to be great. And besides, your customer does'nt care where it comes from, just how it affects them.

Value is the name of the game in 09!

2009-01-30T01:26:00.000-08:00

Value, its the new buzz word and if you are in business you have got to give it to survive the current recession.
In 2009, people are more "time rich" than in recent years and with less money about, they have time to search for better value. This is already evident with grocery shopping with the so called discounters increasing their sales at the expense of the higher end retailers.

Internet businesses will thrive through this recession as they don't have the same high rent costs and can pass on that good value to their customers.

We at Mullingar Crystal have adopted this approach from the start. When we set up, we promised value. We have kept that policy up in the hard start up years and now hope to reap the rewards in 2009.

Free Business Tips

2009-01-26T11:11:00.000-08:00

Sign up for our business tip of the week. It's Free, yes, free no catches.
Each week I will email my "Business Tip of the Week".

The tips can be adopted for any business.

Simply go to www.mullingarcrystal.com and enter your name and email address.

like the advertisement says "every little helps" and sometimes that little piece of advice can be the one thing that makes the difference.

And yes, it's absolutely FREE.

Tell your friends and particularly anybody in business or thinking of going into business.

Club Committees Culture of Cronyism

2009-01-23T00:58:00.000-08:00

I am just fed up with the culture of cronyism on golf club committees.
This is my experience over the last few years and while in the good times, not giving value to the club members may have been acceptable, I don't think that members should be ripped off in the name of cronyism any longer.
Precisely, what I mean is that when clubs are buying prizes, they have buying power. They should use this as a means to get the best value for their members.
Currently, many clubs just buy prizes from their buddy's, in many cases receiving a "little thank you" in return (nicer word than bribe).

So, if you are a member of a golf club, make sure you are not being ripped off. Simple rule: if they are buying direct from a factory, then they are seeking the best value.

Raise the issue at your next AGM and embarrass them!

Waterford unable to commit?

2009-01-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

Lately, we have found customers coming to us having got prizes and awards from Waterford Crystal for years. While we genuinely take no delight in the apparent demise of Waterford, who have been the best in the world in his business, we will gladly look after your order.
There are no set-up charges with Mullingar Crystal, we have a very quick turn around time and we will not be beaten for value.
Call us today on +353 44 933 1572 or email sales@mullingarcystal.com

Things I can do to honour my employees effectively.

2009-01-19T00:20:00.001-08:00

Things I can do to honour my employees effectively (that won't make me look cheap).

I was very impressed and intrigued last year when on a school morning, my 9 year old son who was visibly ill, still wanted to go to school. This was a long way from my day, when even a hint of illness left me pleading to stay at home. I might add at this point that we do have a nice home with all modern appliances etc. He wasn't trying to get away from us!
The real reason for him wanting to go to school was that he did not want to break his record and ruin his chance of receiving an attendance award.
Yes, just a simple attendance award was the lure to pull a sick child out of his bed.

Would your employees do the same?
Are you missing people this week?

It's not always about money.

Learn from a 9 year old. Put an attendance award scheme in place today.

Christmas Delivery Cut-Off

2008-12-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

The deadline for Christmas Orders is Monday December 22nd. Our delivery partners, DPD, have ensured us that any delivery leaving our premises on December 22nd will be delivered in time for Christmas. But, and this is a big but, please do not leave it to the last minute.

Wishing you and yours the very best of everything this holiday season. (taken directly from the Budweiser advert)

Looking to Invest?

2008-12-02T00:42:00.000-08:00

Would you like to invest in a company with a great future ?
Mullingar Crystal are looking for investors to help finance the entry into the US market.
The plan is to enter the "corporate recognition" awards market in the US in mid 2009.
We aim to do this by creating an American website and exhibiting at a number of exhibitions targeted directly at the people we want. We don't just want your money however, we want expertise and a semi hands-on approach. Like any investment, it has its risks, but these will be kept to a minimum and we will operate an "open book" system. In other words you will know exactly where your money is going. The rewards? Well, we will give you equity in Mullingar Crystal and as the company grows, so too will the value of your investment.
Interested? Call Bernard on 087 9152823.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Photo laser engraving

2008-11-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

Mullingar Crystal now offer photo laser engraving (2D). This is the process whereby we get a good quality photograph , generally a head shot, manipulate this through a software package and laser the image into crystal. The effect is fabulous.

We have a special offer to get us started with this process. We are offering a laser engraved image in a block , 150 x 100 x 25mm for just €25. ( this does not include postage)

All you need to do is send a good quality image (at least 300dpi).

tell us what text you want on your piece. We have no limit to the amount of text you can put on the piece but would recommend keeping it short .

You can email your photograph to sales@mullingarcrystal.com or you can post your photograph which we will send back to you.

Mullingar Crystal win at Enterprise Awards

2008-09-25T07:29:00.001-07:00

Normally the giver/maker rather than the reciever, Mullingar Crystal were delighted to pick up the pestigious Entrepreneurial Spirit award at the recent county enterprise boards awards.

Speaking after the event, Bernard Flynn, MD of Mullingar Crystal expressed his delight at recieving the award. He went on to say that Mullingar Crystal, through a policy of honest and open dealings, were being recognised by its customers and this was now paying dividends.

Pictured are Christine Charlton,CEO, Francis Guckian, Chairperson, Bernard Flynn, MD Mullingar Crystal and Mr. Willie Penrose TD.

Mullingar Crystal for Enterprise Award?

2008-08-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Mullingar Crystal were today announced as a finalist in the County Enterprise Awards.
The Enterprise Awards have a number of categories which include, best woman in business, best new business and best overall business.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony to take place on September 12th 2008.
It may be better to give than to receive, however Mullingar Crystal would love to receive one of these awards.

Radio Advertising Campaign Begins

2008-08-13T04:29:00.000-07:00

Listen out for the Mullingar Crystal advertisments which go to air on Today FM from Monday August 18th 2008.

What is Mullingar Crystal?

2008-07-18T01:22:00.000-07:00

Generally, when people think crystal, they think of wine glasses, decanters and cut crystal bowls from such well known names as Waterford Crystal etc.
However at Mullingar Crystal there is not a wine glass or decanter in sight.

Mullingar Crystal use a crystal called Optical Crystal.
Optical/Optic Crystal is 100% Lead Free and extremely hard. It is this hardness that provides the basis for the brilliant cuts and bevels, as well as the ultra high polished surfaces. Each piece of Optic Crystal is hand polished and beveled. Optical /Optic Crystal, as its name suggests is used in binoculars and camera lenses as it is pure, totally clear and represents the ultimate expression of excellence. Optical Crystal is manufactured in large sheets up to 3" thick, and while still molten, is subjected to tremendous pressure to ensure no bubbles, flow lines or other distortions.
Optic Crystal is seen as being the “king” of Crystal in that it can have no imperfections.

Mullingar Crystal also uses black optical crystal for many of the bases of the awards. Black crystal is produced with special additives (Fe2O3, CuO, MnO2, CO2O3) that change the color to black. Black crystal posses almost the same physical qualities as lead free clear optical crystal. However it does not allow light transmission. Black crystal is by far superior in quality to black color glass, it has no bubbles or swirl marks and its surface are perfectly smooth and flawless.

The Ryanair Syndrome

2008-07-07T03:13:00.000-07:00

The Ryanair factor, that's what we are calling it.

On our website, http://www.mullingarcrystal.com/ we have beside each item, our price.
The price is clear, not in small text or in a different window.

The following is a list of the top 6 of queries we receive :
1. Does the price include engraving.
2. Are there set-up charges.
3. Is vat/taxes included.
4. How much extra is CrystalPrint.
5. How much extra is a presentation box.
6. If only want one piece, how much of a surcharge.

We have clearly stated on our website that the price shown is inclusive of all of the above.

Having asked many people what is unclear, the answer we get is that it looks too good, almost like the "free" flight that turns into an expensive flight with taxes and charges.
This therefore is the Ryanair Factor.

Mullingar Crystal, the opposite of Ryanair where prices are "crystal clear".

Credit Crunch- Good for Business.

2008-07-03T00:04:00.000-07:00

The Credit Crunch has been good for Mullingar Crystal. Companies and Clubs have become more price conscious and are thus shopping around. One example is of a very large well known company. Last year we quoted two middlemen or Corporate Gift Companies, to give them their correct title, for awards for this well known company. This year the well known company came to us directly, got their quote, ordered their awards and saved themselves a packet.
We are also getting this same result with golf clubs this year. In previous years, golf clubs have been using sourcing companies. These sourcing companies have then put a high margin, sometimes in excess of 100% and have thus cost their clients a lot more for their prizes.
The only negative part is that when the clubs get the price direct on their prizes, they can't believe it and assume that their is some mistake or that they are somehow getting inferior goods.

In these "tighter times", it makes good sense to shop around. The Internet is a valuable tool. Make it work for you.

Graduation Gift

2008-06-19T02:43:00.000-07:00

Give something new, something innovative, something which will last and something that will be cherished forever. That something? A photograph of the graduate with an inscription, commemorating the day, set into a block of crystal.

All you need to do is take a photograph with a digital camera, email to sales@mullingarcrystal.com with the required inscription, choose your piece and we do the rest.

The price? Choose from a large range, view our products, with prices from €20 inclusive.

We sell directly from the factory: no wholesalers, no distributors, no retailers, no middlemen.

Fathers' Day Present.

2008-06-05T06:07:00.001-07:00

The Ideal Fathers' Day Gift.

Surprise your dad with a fabulous image of his loved ones embedded in a piece of Mullingar Crystal (8005) for only €30 (plus €10 p&p Uk and Ireland)

Send us your photograph by email.

Tell us your chosen caption,e.g. " World's greatest Dad"
Size of piece: 150 x 100 x 25 mm.

Email: sales@mullingarcrystal.com

Wales Open 2008

2008-05-19T04:13:00.000-07:00

Mullingar Crystal will be exhibiting at the Wales Open 2008.

A full range of crystal trophies,prizes and awards will be on display. There will be many examples of CrystalPrint on the stand which will be located beside the Rolex stand .

The Wales Open 2008 takes place from Thursday 29th May to Sunday June 1st with the pro-am taking place on Wednesday 28th.

Web Site Upgrade

2008-05-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

The Mullingar Crystal website has been upgraded to include revolving photographs of the crystal pieces, a shopping cart, a facility to upload graphics/photographs and system to pay by credit card.
This upgrade is part of the ongoing commitment by Mullingar Crystal to create a clear and easy to use site.
The upgrade continues to adopt the policy of "no hidden charges",i.e. that the price you see is the price you pay. Basically the opposite of the Ryanair website!

We appreciate your comments and any helpful ones would be welcomed.

www.mullingarcrystal.com

London Golf Show Success

2008-04-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

Mullingar Crystal had a very successful show at the London Golf Show. Most visitors to the stand were impressed with CrystalPrint and a good number of samples using this technology were on display. One piece on display that won the day was the image of the instantly recognisable 13th hole at Agusta. Many visitors brought brochures back to their clubs, so expect something different,more interesting and above all, something worth winning from the prizes table this year. Even with the recent fluctuation of the Euro, most agreed that the prices for the crystal prizes on show were very reasonable. Mullingar Crystal were the only "prizes" company displaying at the London Golf show. This is because Mullingar Crystal are the only company to sell direct from the factory thus cutting out the middleman and thereby offering great value for money.

Christening Present Sorted!

2008-04-08T04:08:00.000-07:00

Christening presents generally conjure up images of silver tooth boxes, "my first curl box" or even silly rattlers which eventually end up in the attic. Now with Mullingar Crystal you can give a gift that will give pleasure to the proud parents forever and will remain on the mantlepiece for many years.

Just get a nice photograph of the baby, preferably with a bit of colour in the background and not too much white, and send the photgraph to sales@mullingarcrystal.com. You can then pick your required piece of crystal, (I would recomend the waves piece 8120 pictured) and hey presto, you have a winner.

CrystalPrint

2008-01-22T09:58:00.000-08:00

Mullingar Crystal introduces “CrystalPrint”.

What is CrystalPrint?

CrystalPrint is a process whereby an image, logo, text or even a photograph can be embedded into crystal. This is only possible with very high grade crystal which Mullingar Crystal Use.
CrystalPrint is easy for the customer, just upload the required image/photo in jpeg format and send by e-mail. Yes, it is that simple!
The Cost
CrystalPrint is FREE on all Mullingar Crystal Products.

For the full range, log on to http://www.blogger.com/www.mullingarcrystal.com

Agents Wanted

2008-01-11T02:05:00.000-08:00

Mullingar Crystal are looking for Agents in all parts of Ireland and UK. The job of the Agent would be to sell the range of Mullingar Crystal products to Clubs, societies, associations etc. It is expected that the agent would have a good knowledge of her or his own area and therefore know the people who make the decisions in the various organisations.
As most clubs etc operate with committees on a voluntary basis, most calls would possibly take place in the evening time and therefore may suit on a part time basis.
Remuneration (the pay) will be generous but will be commissioned based. In other words you get a percentage of everything you sell ,the more you sell, the more you get.

Mullingar Crystal do not supply "middle-men" and with this system, the prizes will be sent directly from the factory direct to the customer. No deliveries or invoicing is required from the Agent.
If you are interested, e-mail or phone Bernard
sales@mullingarcrystal.com
087 9152823
00353 87 9152823 (from UK)

2008 A Great Year For Winners

2008-01-08T00:36:00.001-08:00

Mullingar Crystal will launch the 2008 range before the end of January. Work is at a frantic pace as the samples are put together. Mullingar Crystal is keen to keep the competitive price structure on all pieces in the expanded range. The centrepiece of the new range is a fantastic "creation" weighing in at a whooping 12KG. We will put some photographs on the blog as soon as we are entirely happy with the finish.

London Golf Show

2007-12-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

Mullingar Crystal will take part in the London Golf show which will be held in the ExCel centre in London's Docklands from 25th to 27th April 2008.

More details to follow.

Is Greed Good?

2007-11-29T02:55:00.000-08:00

Bernard Flynn from Mullingar Crystal was featured in a recent radio programme on Irish National Radio (RTE). He spoke on air to the resident Business expert, Mr. Neil Hughes, a partner in a very prestigious accountants and business advisory firm.

The pretext for the interview was the difficulty of establishing a new business with limited funds. Mr. Flynn from Mullingar Crystal explained that as it was a new company, running TV advertisements and big campaigns was out and was basically seeking ideas from the listeners as to how to proceed.

The main piece of advice that was dispensed on air from Mr Hughes was that Mullingar Crystal should increase their prices dramatically. How much is dramatically?
An example was given in the radio studio of a crystal plaque which was on sale for €67 (approx $100) including taxes. The recommendation from Mr. Hughes was that this piece should be increased to €199 ($300). The reason given was the “perceived value”.
The question therefore is - Do we only appreciate something if it is expensive?

What does a business like Mullingar Crystal do?

Mullingar Crystal has set itself up as a company with a great product range and offering excellent value for money, however, if the perception is that because prices are low then the quality is not good, then there is only one option.
The mantra, “Greed is Good” as expressed by Gordon Gecko in the 1987 film
“Wall Street” is now a living reality for everybody and not just stockbrokers.
A pair of shoes that cost $300 is perceived to be better than a pair that cost $100. This may be true but not necessarily. It could be just a smart retailer and that same retailer discounts the pair of shoes at sale time to $150 and a “bargain” is had!

Similar madness to this happened in the property business in the UK prior to the crash in the early 90’s. People were experiencing increases in the value of their properties of up to £30,000 in a week. Houses were bought off plans and resold before the house was built for huge increases. A conversation anywhere could not take place without property prices being mentioned.
Are we therefore heading for a retail crash?

All the signs are there. We need a sense of reality to return. We need to value by quality and not by branding and price alone.

One piece of advice given following the radio programme read as follows;

“Turnover is vanity, Profit is sanity.”

Mullingar Crystal now needs to sort out its future in relation to its price structure and secure its future while still offering value for money.

RTE Radio interview

2007-11-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

The Mooney Show on RTE radio one featured Mullingar Crystal on Wednesday November 21st. The topic was around business advice to Bernard Flynn of Mullingar Crystal. Resident Advisor, Mr. Neil Hughes (pictured)of Hughes Blake Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors gave "on air "advice to Mullingar Crystal. Among his recommendations were : that the pricing should be looked at. Mr Hughes even suggested that some of the pieces were possibly seriously undervalued and that they should be increased by up to three times their current price.
Listeners were invited to submit suggestions as to how to increase the profile and ultimately the customer base of Mullingar Crystal and some great suggestions have already come in.
We will be posting the full interview on our website, http://www.mullingarcrystal.com/ soon.

Sponsorship Available

2007-11-14T02:25:00.000-08:00

Mullingar Crystal are currently looking to sponsor an event or events. There are no specific criteria but there would be a preference for a non profit making organisation or underage sports. Mullingar Crystal would provide the prize or prizes for the event and in return receive the publicity, perhaps photographs in local or national papers etc.

If you or your club or organisation have an interest in having prizes sponsored, please email basic details to sales@mullingarcrystal.com

To view the full range of trophies,prizes and awards, visit www.mullingarcrystal.com

GRADUATION SPECIAL

2007-11-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

For the month of November we are offering this piece with cap & scroll image & text engraved for €85.00.

Price includes VAT & Delivery to anywhere in Ireland & United Kingdom

visit graduation special for more information

Waterford Crystal Down, Mullingar Crystal Up

2007-11-07T00:33:00.000-08:00

Waterford Crystal have been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons but mainly because they are losing a fortune every week.
So why is Mullingar Crystal thriving?
The simple answer is costs. At Mullingar Crystal we have "subbed out" the expensive part of making crystal .We design our pieces here and we finish every piece here but the bit in between, ie: the cutting etc would cost too much if we were to do this at our factory here in Mullingar.
The future of crystal is good. We wish Waterford the very best for the future as they have been world leaders in the sales of crystal .

Mullingar Crystal will continue to offer good value for money in the trophies,prizes and awards market.

You can view our full range of products at www.mullingarcrystal.com

Jazz Up Those School Prizes

2007-10-31T00:36:00.000-07:00

A school prize is special. To achieve a prize in school is a real achievement. The winner has proved themselves and thus stand out from the crowd.

Parents and relations love to see a prize coming home from school. The prize will be shown to every visitor and it will be put in a place of prominence.

Special effort should therefore be put in to choosing the correct prize. A visit is therefore necessary to http://www.mullingarcrystal.com/ where a wide variety of prizes to suit every budget is on offer. At Mullingar Crystal, the school logo can be incorporated on to the prize thus giving the winner a piece that can be cherished forever.

Get the most from your awards ceremony

2007-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Mullingar Crystal, producers of crystal trophies,prizes and awards share their experience of how to get the most out of your awards ceremony.
After all the hard work is done, be it on the field, course or even on the factory floor, the winners are announced. Now it's the time for the organisers . The prize giving ceremony, the event, the invitations and most importantly, the awards themselves.
It is pointless if you have a sponsor and do not give them the acknowledgement they deserve. Also, the event itself must be acknowledged and if it is an annual event, then the year is important.
All of the relevant details should be engraved on the award. If the award is on a mantle piece in years to come then it is nice for the winner to be able to point to the awards and say "I won that for ....whatever....in that year"
Engraving is therefore very important and thought should go into the process. A good quality logo, text of the actual event and a date or year. It is important also not to put too much text on a piece, thereby taking away from the actual beauty of the crystal.
http://www.mullingarcrystal.com/ finish every engraving in silver thus giving a quality feel not only to the engraving but adding to the crystal award as a whole.
Mullingar Crystal currently has an offer where they will engrave one logo and text free on any crystal trophy in their range.

Ryder Cup Course 2022 ??

2007-10-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

Even if you don't like golf, you will enjoy this
KabulGolfCourse

Introduction to Mullingar Crystal

2007-10-19T04:45:00.000-07:00

House of Crystal Price Comparison

2007-10-17T00:56:00.000-07:00

We must be mad.........
Look at the money we could be making! Here is a price comparision between a piece from Mullingar Crystal (pictured here, code: 8040) compared to the same piece from www.houseofcrystal.co.uk

House of Crystal............................Mullingar Crystal

Type: Optical Prism......................Type: Hexagon 8040

Unit Price: £73.95stg....................Unit Price: €40.00

Logo Engraving:£17.00stg...........Logo Engraving: FREE

Text Engraving: £1.20stg per.....Text Engraving: FREE

letter

VAT: additional 17.5%..................VAT: Included in price

Sample piece with one logo and text engraving of

"The great awards 2004"

House of Crystal Price: £112.50 stg (€169.00)

MULLINGAR CRYSTAL PRICE : €40.50

To see more of our fantasic prices visit www.mullingarcrystal.com

Free Draw For Round of Golf at New Forest

2007-10-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

New Forest Golf club have kindly donated a round of golf for two people at their fabulous new course in Tyrellspass www.newforest.ie
I have not played this course myself as yet but some friends of mine have and say it is excellent. To win this great prize, simply add your name to the Mullingar Crystal newsletter www.mullingarcrystal.com . This newsletter will be a monthly edition and wont be jamming your inbox all the time. It promises to be interesting with a "whats on " section for sports fans .

I would welcome pieces for content including perhaps, charity golf opens, any club or company fundraiser and photos of same.

Bernard.

Quality prizes from €11.50 (16usd)

2007-10-15T00:14:00.000-07:00

No more plastic please. I have just seen those awful plastic figurines on the marble bases presented to a local team. This team had put in a lot of time both training and then in games to win the competition and only received 1970's style plastic trophies.
If your club is on a tight budget you can still give a quality prize. Mullingar Crystal has a special on the "bridge" range with prices starting at €11.50 (16 USD).
This price includes the cost of engraving!
To view the bridge range click here: bridgeaward

See how our Mullingar Crystal is made

2007-10-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

This video clip shows you the process by which our hand made crystal trophies are cut and engraved.

Bernard

Price Comparison

2007-10-09T00:27:00.000-07:00

This morning, I took a peek at one of my competitors websites to get a price comparison.
The site I chose was www.crystalartusa.com
They have a piece they call sterling award which is very very similar to our vita award (item number 1049). vitaaward

Their Price : $161 plus up to $75 for logo and up to $75 for artwork. Total $311.
Our Price : €37.50 inclusive of logo,artwork, engraving,taxes etc.

Result: I think it is obvious, if you do not buy from Mullingar Crystal , you are wasting money.

Why we are the cheapest

2007-10-05T00:04:00.001-07:00

One of the most regular questions I am asked is how come Mullingar Crystal is so much cheaper than our competitors. Well firstly, I am not greedy. I want to make a living, hopefully a good one, but not screw people in the process.
How we actually operate here is in a "no frills" kind of way. We get our crystal pieces cut by outsourcing. Most of the crystal prizes are cut in China and we buy in bulk thus making it very cost effective. If we were to cut the crystal here with high labour costs and insurance, we would be at a disadvantage straight away.

We have invested in good technology meaning that when we recieve a logo or text from a customer, we can engrave any piece in our range quite quickly.

I think that almost every customer who has purchased from us once has come back again for more.
We genuinely make life easy for our customer, no contracts or crap, just order, receive and pay.

New Range of Crystal Trophies Launched

2007-10-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

Mullingar Crystal has launched a new range of Crystal Trophies....

See the Trophy Range on our Website