The beginning of the year is when all of us take down old calendars and replace them with new ones. It's also the time when we start off a new journal or a new planner, with high hopes of living up to our New Year's resolutions. It's no wonder that year-end promotional items such as portfolios, planners, and calendars are some of the most popular gifts during this time of the year. They're effective methods to stay visible all year round because people use them ever day.

September to November is the best time to start planning for and buying year-end promotional items. This is when you should check out different online catalogues, compare prices, and check samples. Planning ahead is important not only because it will save you a whole lot of stress at the end of the year, but also because you will have enough time to find alternatives should things go wrong.

The year-end season is when most companies order promotional items such as calendars. Pocket, wall, or desk calendars?you name it! They're in during this season. Planners and diaries also make great end-of-the-year presents to employees, clients, customers, family, and friends.

If you are tired of receiving and giving calendars?and in truth, one can have only so much of it?here are other end-of-the-year suggestions to encourage your recipients to begin anew:

- Fitness products are perfect year-end promotional items. The turn of the year is when most of us start drawing up New Year's resolutions, and one of the most popular resolutions is to stay healthy. Instead of promotional calendars, which surely your recipients will be receiving so much of during this season, why not support their personal resolutions to pursue good health by giving them logo pedometers, jump ropes, fitness sets, yoga mats, and fitness books?

- Give gifts that boost people's productivity. Promotional alarm clocks and custom watches are meaningful gifts that will, hopefully, get recipients to value their time. Planners, journals, and fine writing instruments will help them manage their schedules.

- Choose gifts that will instill better spending habits. Piggy banks, calculators, coin sorters, bill paying organizers, and conserving energy key points make them more aware of how they spend their income and hopefully will teach them to save for the rainy day.