Inwardly I’m cringing at the thought, writing about holiday gifts when the kids in most places have barely started in on all those back to school supplies and the leaves are just beginning to change. But once you get past the shock of it, give yourself over to getting a head start on the holidays, you’ll never quibble about doing it again every year afterward.
There’s no feeling like having the right gift for the people in your life. So satisfying, and in the case of business gifts, so valuable too. Yet the chances you’ll be able to pull this off without a bit of planning and preparation aren’t all that likely. Just like the gifts you buy for friends and family, choosing business gifts takes time and thought and a wee bit of effort.
- to think about what you want to give
- to budget how much you can afford to spend
- to plan how you’ll deliver the gift.
These days, more than ever, the investment you make in a token of your appreciation will go a long, long way.
Greeting cards have long been considered a staple of holidays, but before you order
yours, think about exposure. How often is your business name and logo seen after the card is opened? Not all that long. Which is why gifts that bear your business imprint are a much better use of those dollars you allocate to holiday marketing. These items just stick around longer, especially if they’re top-notch quality and everyday useful.
Approach buying business gifts by thinking about your business… the standards of your industry and the image you want to convey. Are you down and dirty or understated and classy? Look for gifts that work within that world… rulers for carpenters, pens for freelance writers, mugs for realtors… Tie something that your target customer likes into your business and you’ve struck gift giving gold.
When budgets are tight, sets are a cost-effective way to up the perceived value of the gift; not to mention giving you more places for your logo. Best of all, these gifts always make a very nice statement… and are remembered long after. Consider knife blocks or knife sets, wine glasses, spa kits or gift baskets… the choices are endless.
Of course you can mention the holidays… and business gifts without talking about food. It’s as much a part of the season as mistletoe. These gift items, arriving in containers that bear your imprint, are an economical choice as a holiday business gift. You can send one giant gift to an entire office or family instead of gifting each person. What’s more, since you’re buying fewer items, you can upgrade your choices of food, container or both.
Of course it’s hard not to go a bit overboard with the generosity of your gifts during the holidays, fortunately when it comes to promotional products as gifts you can indulge this impulse just a bit. Rather than buying the best pen and pencil set, top notch insulated travel mug or a mini MP3 player for everyone on the team, choose elite gifts for your top performers and get a more modest gift for everyone else.
Once you’ve found the right promotional gift item, you’ll need to allow time to review your imprint and have it applied to the things you’ve selected. Different processes take different amounts of time, and a representative can typically tell you how long the processing time will be when you order. Shipping to your location adds more time… one of the most often forgotten steps in the plan. This is why shopping now allows enough time for you to have your promotional holiday gifts on hand in time.
Whatever you choose to do about your business gifts this year… it really is never too early to get started with your planning for holiday giving. We welcome your questions about unique business gifts… we’ll be glad to help solve your gift giving quandaries… or act as a place to share your own ideas and success stories with business gifts.
C’mon, let’s talk!
