Custom USB Emergency Delivery

During Mid-January to Mid-Feb it’s mayhem as companies and schools looking for custom USB sticks scramble to secure the limited amount of stock that is readily available in the UK. Of course if you can wait a few weeks it’s not a problem but if you need them quickly then it’s best to start looking for a supplier that has stock in the UK and can get them printed and delivered in your timeframes. Unfortunately there are very few companies that hold stock and even fewer that can print them and get them delivered in a day or two!

If you find yourself hunting around for custom USB sticks during Chinese New Year you’ll soon realise that it’s not pleasant. It’s a bit like being a parent at Christmas trying to hunt down that elusive “must have” toy for your child – you end up in a war pitted against other parents all after the same thing and all desperately hunting down the elusive toy/gift.

Of course if you’re working on a project, a show or a press event and you’re up against a hard deadline then, the last thing you need is to be told by your supplier that they can’t deliver your order on time.

All the planning and preparation in the world can’t accommodate these little “bombs” when they happen but what you can do is try and factor in a little contingency in your plans. Granted, it’s not always easy and contingency has a nasty habit of just being “absorbed” in the project.

If you do find yourself in a tight spot and you need custom USB sticks in a hurry then don’t panic. At USB2U we pride ourselves on being the “4^th Emergency Service” of the custom USB  stick market. Unlike our competitors we do hold lots of plain, unprinted stock in the UK which we can print and get delivered to you in as little as 24hrs!!

You won’t have the full range of USB sticks we sell to choose from and you might have to compromise of colour and memory size but iif you are up against it or you’ve been let down by another supplier we can normally help.

Just give us a call and speak to one of our experienced sales team – they’ll talk you though the options and our in-house designer will work with you to make sure we can deliver a custom printed USB stick that not only gets you out of trouble but delights you as well!

Oval Classic USB

They might not be being sold in quite the same numbers that they used to but we still get the occasional order for these classic custom USB drives. Part of their enduring appeal is that they’re a little larger than many of the newer (smaller) models, the core piece that carries the print (or engraving) is made from tactile brushed aluminium and when they’re printed they look fantastic.

The slightly larger physical size of these classic USB sticks gives a little more scope for printing larger and more complex images. The outer “trim colour” that runs around the edge of the USB drive can also be changed to compliment the colour of any logo or design printed.

Harbour Classic USB

If you’re a fan of “old school” USB flash drives then the “Harbour” or “Oval” models that we sell will be right up your street.

If you want something a little more contemporary but you need the drive to accommodate a large or complex print then you might want to consider the new USB Credit Cards – these are super thin at only 2mm thick, they are the same shape as a standard bank or credit card and you can print on the whole surface area on both sides of the card.

Despite being only 2mm thick these USB Credit Cards are available in all the standard memory sizes up to a whopping 32GB.

Whether you order classic style USB sticks or any of our more contemporary models remember that we offer free design, free mock-up’s free samples, free 4 colour printing, free gift boxes and free delivery to any address in the UK.

If you’ve not ordered from us before you might want to check out what some of our customers are saying about us on the TrustPilot review website.

USB Credit Cards

Interested? Give us a call or fill out the on-line quote enquiry form and we’ll get back to you in a flash!

Custom USB Nike

Standard shaped USB flash drives that are over printed with your logo or artwork are “OK” but if you really want to grab peoples interest and get them talking then Custom USB sticks are the way to go.

Surprising fully customised USB sticks are only a little more expensive that standard USB stick but you do, understandably, have to allow a little extra time for the design to be developed, approved, a mould built and for the sticks to be hand crafted. A typical lead for a bespoke USB stick is around 3-4 weeks from concept approval.

Custom USB sticks work in just the same way as a normal USB flash drive and you can specify the size of memory used in the sticks. Ideally to get the best return from any investment in Custom USB sticks you also need to pre-load them with your sales brochures, press release information, media files etc.

At USB2U we appreciate that not everyone has access to in-house designers to develop the initial concepts and then to

Custom USB Cherry

work these up into 3-D CAD drawings that are then used to build the moulds from so our experienced team will work with you from idea to delivery. We have years of experience of designing and developing customised sticks on behalf a wide range of customers so if you come to us with the basic outline of an idea we can normally turn it into something special and more importantly something that will work and be functional as a USB stick.

Over the years we’ve produced custom USB sticks for a wide range of clients including Nike, Orange Telecom, Adville and Disney to name but a few. If you’re interested in getting your own custom USB sticks produced then either give us a call on our Freephone number (Tel: 0800 008 7079) or fill in our on-line quote form on the website.

1. 

   USB2U Product Range

   The first thing we have done to help select the right branded USB memory stick is to separate them into 11 categories:

   1. Classic USB Range – A collection of the most popular branded USB flash drives.
   2. Metal USB Range – A little tougher and durable and can be very sophisticated and stylish.
   3. Leather USB Range – An executive and professional option that allow for a stylish embossing.
   4. Credit Card USB Range – A very functional use of a USB flash drive that allows for a large printing area making them great for promotion.
   5. Key USB Range – An easily portable and impressive use for a USB memory stick that usually makes an impact.
   6. Pen Range – Perfectly living up to the name ‘USB pen drive’ this range doubles in functionality and is perfect for conferences.
   7. Wood Range – A tactile option that shouts ‘eco-friendly’.
   8. USB People Range – This fun USB option expresses individuality and can be personalised to a profession or personality.
   9. Novelty Range – This branded flash drive range includes wristbands, carabineers, batteries, metal cans, etc.
   10. Eco Friendly Range – This range of flash drives are a mixture of other models but the cases are recycled.
   11. Custom Range – This range is completely dependent on you, if you can imagine it, we can make it.
       

       USB2U Sample Product Range

2. Now you understand the various branded USB memory stick ranges it is important to understand what your company flash drives will be used for and what you want to get from them, that will largely help you decide which model is most applicable to you.  For example, if you need them for purely promotional purposes and want to hand as many as you can out at a trade fair then a cost effective flash drive from our classic range would probably be best.  However, if you want to say something through your flash drives to your customers, such as, ‘we are an experienced and professional brand’ a logo USB flash drive from the leather range may be more fitting.
3. What artwork do you want on the custom USB flash drive?  If you just want, say, your logo and a web address then all of our flash drives will usually accommodate for a standard logo size however, if images and a lot of colour will better portray your brand then something from the credit card range will be perfect for a large printing area and full colour printing.
4. The budget for your promotional USB memory sticks will no doubt be a major deciding factor.  We do not publish the prices of our flash drive due to the volatility of the cost of the flash drives but if you make an enquiry via our enquiry form we will get back to you within 2 hours (during office hours) with the costs and help you in your quest to find the perfect promotional USB memory sticks within budget.

These guidelines and points to consider should give you a good idea of the kind of branded flash drive that is right for your company.  However, if you are still no closer, then give us a call or make an enquiry and one of our dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable account managers will help you find out which USB model is best for you.

Lego Custom USB Memory Stick

Searching ‘cool USB drive’ on Google Images is not the most effective way of keeping up to date with new USB flash drive news but can certainly be an entertaining 5 minutes looking at some wacky things that people have come up with.  Nintendo Wii remote controls, Lego bricks, wine corks, cars, clothes pegs, vegetables and figurines are a small number of the shells that people have made to case their USB flash drive in.  We think that these flash drives are certainly cool and deserve some kudos, some of them can even make you laugh or have you stare in amazement at the level of attention and detail.  These novelty drives, although extremely imaginative, seem also very impractical.

One of the greatest benefits of USB flash drives is that they are portable and can be stored with a large amount of data for their size (up to 256GB for one specific flash drive).  It has to be asked how often some of these novelty USB drives would be used for what they were made for, or how much they would sit on a desk as an ornament.  I’m sure many of us have had the situation where our USB flash drive fit into our laptop or the back of a computer tower because they pack the USB slots so close together and our flash drive is a little too bulky to fit between the leads and existing USB connectors.

A Selection of Our Custom USBs

We also sell a variety of novelty branded USB flash drives disguising themselves as other things.  Although in most cases our Promotional USB memory sticks are not as bizarre as some that can be found on Google but fortunately, they are much more functional.  Take, for example our USB mini people which can be customised to our customers requirements.  Our USB pill drive, not surprisingly resembles a pill, the credit card range are almost exactly the same size as the real thing and our USB key drive disguises itself nicely on a key ring.  We sell many more in our standard range of Logo USB memory sticks; metal and plastic USB bottle, USB pen range, USB bottle opener, the list continues.  All of these drives are easily portable and extremely functional.  If however, a custom USB flash drive really is what you are looking for then we have just the thing for you.

We can cater for your custom USB needs by customising the shape, colour, size, almost everything about the USB flash drive.  Contact us via telephone, email or via our quote form so we can work with you to produce your perfect custom USB and who knows, maybe your USB will be seen in our next search for ‘cool USB drives’ on Google Images.

New Standard Offer

We now have a standard, permanent offer that includes the following:

• FREE Delivery to one UK mainland address
• FREE 4 Colour spot printing
• FREE Data load up to 100mb
• FREE Lanyards or Key Rings
• FREE Gift box
• Minimum Order Quantity of 25 units

These great offers apply to apply to every standard order regardless of USB style, quantity, or memory size.

USB2U Offer

Free Delivery
Yes, standard delivery to one UK mainland address is FREE.  This applies to all standard orders regardless of order quantity, style or memory size.  We think that free delivery reduces the complication of different added costs and that it is good to know up-front how much your branded USB flash drives will cost.  Standard delivery is sent first class however; any times deliveries such as guaranteed next-day delivery will be charged for.

Free Printing
All of our flash drives now come with free colour printing up to four spot colours.  Multi-coloured logos and complicated designs are not a problem either as we are also offering free Resin Dome Stickers on our most popular USB model, the Twister.  To find out more about the Resin Dome Stickers click here and to see the Twister USB flash drive in more detail click here.

Free Data Load
We’ll load or copy any data you want onto the sticks for FREE. The only constraint is that the data must be less than 100MB otherwise a small charge will apply. We have our own in-house professional USB data duplication equipment so we can load you data right at the last minute if you struggle to get the data ready till then.

Free Lanyard or Key Ring
With all orders we are offering a selection of free coloured lanyards and key rings to accompany your USBs.  Our lanyards come in a range of 8 different colours, Black, White, Grey, Blue, Green, Orange, Red and Yellow.  Lanyards and Key Rings are ideal for School’s giving the USBs to their students.

Free Gift Box
With every order for branded flash drives we can supply free gift boxes. Please remember to ask for these, as we know not everyone wants them. As well as these free standard boxes we offer a wide range of presentation boxes and tins for your branded USB flash drives and these can be branded up with your logo as well to really compliment the memory stick. Ask for samples if you’re not sure. These can be seen here: USB Packaging.

25 Unit Minimum Order Quantity
Unlike some promotional companies, our minimum order quantity for printed flash drives is set at a realistic 25 pieces. If you just want plain (unprinted stock) then you can order from 5 pieces upwards.

New Homepage

To accompany our new great offer we have also just launched a brand new homepage that looks better, loads quicker and offers easier navigation.

Better Looking
We think that the new style of the homepage is much more tidy and sharp, the same way you feel when you have had a haircut.  The modules separate the different areas and links featured on the homepage easier on the eye and the new slider banner is much sleeker.

Quicker at Loading

Our homepage changes don’t only have an aesthetic appeal; it is now also quicker at loading.  This will make it much more convenient to visit our site and browse through our wide range of USB drives.

Easier Navigation
The new homepage has been revamped so that you can find what you want faster.  We have organised modules so that the more important and more frequently used sections of our site such as the product range, 48 hour rush service and Quote page are more accessible.

So, to see what all of the fuss is about and to view our new homepage click here.

These bespoke USB poker chips were designed and manufactured by us for our customer. Despite their appearance they work just like any regular USB flash drive, they’ve got an internal memory of several Gigabytes, they can hold thousands of documents and files and they connect to any PC or Mac via a standard USB connector.

The real benefit of commissioning a USB flash drive in a custom shape is the impact they make when they are handed out. Lots of companies now use standard USB flash drives that are printed up with their logo on but far fewer go to the trouble of getting USB flash drives produced in a custom shape.

Custom USB Poker Chip

Custom USB flash drives take a little longer to produce (allow around 3-4 weeks) and they are a little more expensive than standard, printed USB drives but bear in mind you are getting something unique produced and you’ll “own” the mould and design so no-one else can have flash drives produced in exactly the same shape.

Most custom USB flash drives are made from PVC, rubber or some form of silicon compound and pretty much any shape or design can be manufactured. At USB2U we’ve designed and supplied custom models in the shape of pieces of fruit, outside toilets, floor heaters, eggs, Nike trainers, fork-lift trucks and removal vans to name but a few!

Just like standard flash drives we recommend pre-loading any custom USB drive with your company information (sales data, press releases, presentation slides, white papers, price lists etc.) before they are handed out. The more information you can pre-load onto them the more printing and distribution (postage costs etc) you can offset to help cover the cost of buying the USB drive. Not only this but customers seem to prefer getting sales brochures etc. in an electronic format because they have less to “lug around” (particularly useful at trade shows and conferences).

If you’ve already decided that you want a Custom Shaped USB Flash Drive then the next challenge will be to find a supplier you can trust to help you turn your concept into the finished article. There are lots of companies in the UK that will claim they can offer a custom service but our advice is to go with a supplier that has been around in the industry for a number of years, has a proven track record of delivery and ideally ahs in-house designers that can help you with the early stages of the product design. As I mentioned custom USB flash drives take a little longer to produce so you don’t want to have to repeat the process should your first choice supplier let you down.

Substantial criticism caused by the proposition lead to an independent review.  The review suggested the following amends to the original proposition: to have managed competition as opposed to more promoting competition, nurses and hospital doctors would also be included in the control of the budgets alongside GP’s and the roll-out would be slowed down and the consortia of nurses, doctors and GP’s take control in areas of the UK where they can.  As the review has called for a more managed approach to competition in the NHS it will take additional marketing touches like a branded USB drive packed with pre-loaded marketing material to stand out and secure the business.

Yesterday David Cameron spoke about the independent review of the original proposal.  He said that although the reforms general aim of wanting better care for patients was kept, the details and how that is achieved has changed.  Surprisingly the prime minister admitted that they had made mistakes in their proposal, but they had called for the review and they were amending the proposal accordingly.

Similarly to the new aim for the NHS, ours is to meet the individual needs of our customers whatever the purpose and shape of the USB drive.

Custom USB Plane

Our custom USB planes are made from solid stainless steel so they’re heavy but the combination of their weight and their polished finish gives them are real quality feel. They make great executive gifts and they double up nicely as a paperweight. We can engrave or print them with your logo and of course we can pre-load them with your own data files that could for example include all of your sales brochures, press releases and media files.

Most companies are still buying standard USB flash drives and just getting their brand and/or contact details printed on them which is fine but custom USB flash drives that either represent a product you sell or “dovetail” into your overall marketing campaign create a much greater impact. Custom flash drives simply have more impact they are more memorable they typically create lots of “chatter” that standard flash drives can rarely match.

The lead-time for our USB planes is around 14-days but if you wanted your own custom shape then that’s not a problem. Our in-house design team will work with you to come up with a series of design concepts (rough ideas) that we’ll then ask you to narrow down to one particular design. We’ll then create a physical sample of your flash drive for approval and once you’re happy we’ll move onto full-scale production.

Custom Aeroplane USB Flash Drive

If you opt for your own shape then be prepared to wait a little longer – the typical lead time for a fully customised USB flash drive is around 6 weeks compared to 2 weeks for our USB planes and around 10-days for our standard USB flash drives.

If you’re interested just give us a call on our Freephone number (0800 008 7079) or just fill out our on-line quote form and one of our team will get back to you in a flash!

Shenzen

The expression “custom USB flash drives” defines a wide spectrum of USB flash drive products including standard “factory” designs that are printed, engraved or embossed but it can also include fully customised flash drives that are designed and manufactured to a customers specification.

Typical flash drives used for promotional purposes have a memory capacity of 1GB or 2GB. At this size the flash drives have enough memory (storage capacity) to carry any files the company giving the USB drives away want to pre-load onto them and they are large enough to have some value to the recipient.

The vast majority of USB flash drives produced in the world today are manufactured in China with most factories concentrated in the city of Shenzen. Situated just a few miles north of Hong Kong, Shenzen is an economic powerhouse – in just 30 years its population has grown from that of a small village to around 12 million people, it has received over $30 billion of foreign investment and is arguably the most successful of the five “Special Economic Zones” established in China.

The products of many global brands are manufactured and assembled in the factories in Shenzen including much of Apples product range. The factories in and around Shenzen are, in the main, state of the art factories and competition for business is intense.

Most promotional and custom USB flash drives are manufactured in relatively small factories with staffing levels ranging from circa 50 people to around 300 people. The degree of automation in these factories and the emphasis on quality varies so when engaging with any USB factory in China it is vital that you first meet with them and see at first hand how they work and thoroughly examine their work practises and QA checks. If you order USB flash drives from China and they don’t turn up or they turn up and they are not what you wanted or they have a high failure rate then your options to resolve the issue are pretty limited.

Custom USB Sticks

The high levels of competition help to ensure prices are kept low but it is easy for some factories to cut corners and use cheap components like re-cycled or “masked” flash chips so its critical when you engage with any factory that you undertake factory, product and social audits before committing to any orders. Alternatively, work with a local supplier that either has their own factory or works with known and trusted factory partners. This way you not only have some recourse in the event of any problems but you have the peace of mind that your supplier will (or should) have undertaken these checks on your behalf.