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Choosing to advertise with promotional products isn't really a ground breaking concept but for your company, it could be a giant leap. There are huge choices when searching for promotional items and one item often forgotten about is the useful printed umbrella. Unlike pens and keyrings, printed umbrellas can be sold to make back some of your investment as well as given away.

There are five main types of umbrellas appropriate for printing. Depending on your plans for the umbrellas, goals for promotion, location, shipping options, sales opportunities and budget you'll be able to choose exactly what you want and need.

Types of Umbrellas

Telescopic umbrella handles telescope out and compact down into small, easy to carry packages. These are the least expensive printed umbrellas with a number of color and imprinting options. Most telescopic printed umbrellas will withstand a gentle spring rain shower but may not hold up in gusty winds or hail. These may also be called folding or compacting umbrellas.

Golf umbrellas are usually have a larger canopy than the telescopic umbrellas. Quality golf umbrellas offer fiberglass or wood shafts instead of metal. Printed golf umbrellas come with a stake at the top (again, not metal) used to hold the umbrella in the ground when the golfer takes a swing.

Parasols and market umbrellas are used to protect from the sun rather than moisture. These usually have hooked handles and are made of lighter nylon. The canopy isn't usually skirted since there isn't any water to run off. These may also be marketed as beach umbrellas.

Patio umbrellas are larger and often come with a stand. Printed patio umbrellas are great for purchase premiums for your highest paying customers. These can be a bit costly when imprinted, typically starting at '19.35 with an additional '8.20 per base.

Most other promotional umbrellas are just plain printed umbrellas to be used in rain storms. These may come in a variety of colors, sizes, shapes and contain any number of features.

Spending and Value

How much you can afford to spend largely depends on your advertising budget but you should also consider the value of what you choose as a promotional item. For example ' a printed pen may be used every day for a month but once the ink has gone dry, your advertisement has expired. Choose a promotional coffee mug and you risk giving away almost half of your mugs to non-coffee drinkers. What's more, you are only able to make an impression on one or a handful of people with either of these items.

Printed umbrellas can be used each time there's rain or a bright, sunny day. They can make an impact on dozens of potential customers each time they're used. The value of a rainy day or afternoon at the beach can be enormous.

Don't discount the value of selling your promotional printed umbrellas to the public at large, even if at or slightly above your cost. While you can't expect to make a huge profit on promotional items, you can make back some of the funds you expend to purchase enough for customer or vendor gifts.