First impressions mean everything in today's world. Whether you are going on a blind date or interviewing for a job, you work hard to give off a positive image. In these situations, physical appearance is emphasized. You have to dress to impress in order to blow away the competition.

Our visually oriented society emphasizes the importance of a professional physical appearance in the business world. This is why women sport high heels and men wear ties. Not only is a person's physical appearance necessary to consider in this setting, but also the work he or she presents plays a role in first impressions.

Small business owners and large corporations also want to appear professional. One of the best ways to do this is to always make sure business materials are polished inside and out. Annual reports, sales proposals, presentations and employee manuals are just a few of the documents that require a little bit of special attention when it comes to presentation.

Sure you could staple or paper clip those materials together. You could even throw the loose sheets into a folder. However, if you really want your materials to turn heads, you should consider binding your documents. Not only is this more convenient for those who utilize the material, it also looks impressive to anyone and everyone who comes across it; and that is the kind of project you'll be proud to put your name on.

If you need to bind more than just a couple of documents, it probably makes sense to purchase a binding machine and do the job yourself. Costs for outsourcing bound documents can add up quickly and outsourcing services can sometimes take days to complete the job. Depending on the volume of binding that you need to bind, there is most certainly a binding machine that will fit your needs and your budget.

There are many different types of binding machines depending on your needs. Desktop binding machines are perfect for the home office or small business. They're smaller and more convenient for a smaller volume of work. There are a number of other types of binding machines depending on what type of binding you want to do. GBC / Ibico, a top office product manufacturer, offers a wide variety of these machines along with several other companies.

When choosing which binding machine you want to purchase, you must first anticipate what type of binding materials will best suit your needs. Here are some of the most widely used binding options:

* Plastic Comb Binding: Comb bindings are made up of plastic teeth that insert into the holes along the edge of the documents. This is a simple and inexpensive way to bind materials. Plastic combs generally have 19 loops (for 11" documents) and are available in twelve different colors.

* Spiral Coil Binding: Coil bindings consist of one long coil that spirals though the holes in the paper. These bindings are most popular in notebooks. When done properly, the ends of the coils won't catch or snag on other materials. Plastic coils are ideal for documents that need to be mailed and are available in over sixty different colors.

* Twin Loop Wire Binding: Wire binding is one of the most elegant binding styles available on the market. These binding spines come in a C shape and close to form an elegant round wire spine along the edge of your document.

* Thermal binding: Thermal binding and Unibind both use a preformed cover with glue in the spine to provide the look and feel of a perfect bound document. Unibind and thermal binding provide some of the most professional looking documents of any of the different binding styles.

If you find it difficult to choose between these different binding styles, there are some binding machines that can do multiple kinds of binding. For instance there are machines that bind both wire and plastic combs or coil and plastic combs. These are great for companies that aren't sure what types of documents they'll be working on. However, regardless of which binding machine you choose to purchase, all provide a great service; they allow you to present important information in a professional way. A good first impression: What more could a business owner or an employee ask for?