The holiday season will creep up quickly on the unsuspecting small business owner and before you know it, it’s time to start buying and delivering holiday gifts to your clients.
Many small business owners want to give their clients a memorable—but not too pricey—gift around the holidays to show appreciation for their business. Food is often the go-to choice. After all, who doesn’t like cookies or chocolate truffles?
But if you want your gift to stand out from all the other truffles arriving on your clients’ doorstep, consider thinking outside the, ahem, gift box. Here are five unique holiday gift ideas that will make a more lasting impression:
1. Reusable tote bags.
Reusable shopping bags are hot right now, especially since California has passed a law requiring stores to charge for disposable bags. Consider having your company name and logo printed on the bags. “Not only will your customers appreciate and use it, they’ll be carrying around an advertisement for you,” Janice Slater, owner of Concepts in Advertising in Jacksonville, Oregon, told USA Today.
2. Small, handy gadgets and gizmos.
Many businesses hand out tchotchkes to their clients, whether calendars or coffee mugs. But try to come up with something creative that your clients don’t already have 50 million of. A high quality web cam for video meetings, a laptop stand, luggage tags or a digital photo frame are three gifts suggested by Small Business Trends.
3. Healthier treats.
Rather than doling out sweets, consider giving out healthier—though still delicious—food items. Edibles are, after all, the way to people’s hearts. Flavored popcorn and gourmet granola are just a few possibilities.
4. A unique experience.
Like most Americans, your clients probably have plenty of stuff. So, consider giving them a real experience—whether that’s a gift certificate to a local restaurant, movie tickets or a culinary tour. Of course, experience gifts can run the gamut, and often aren’t cheap. So you might want to reserve them for your most valuable clients. But even if you give someone a $10 gift card to a local coffeehouse, it may be an experience they will relish.
5. Personalized gifts.
If you want to go all out—and put more time and energy into your gifts—consider giving your best clients gifts tied to their personal interests. After all, this will show that you really know them and pay attention. “If you have a client who golfs every weekend, send him or her a set of personalized tees,” suggests Jacqueline Whitmore, an etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School on Entrepreneur.com. “Or if your client is a coffee aficionado, gift a tasty, hard-to-find variety.”
Whatever gift you decide to give your clients this holiday season, make sure to stress your appreciation. Give them a holiday card with a personal message thanking them for their business and their loyalty. Grateful and generous words, after all, can be the most lasting gift of all.
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View Comments (11)
I would not recommend giving a donation to a charity unless you knew for sure the client liked that charity's work. I have been given such to charities I would never support given only because the company giving the gift wanted to support their charity for a big tax write off. Something less controversial might work like a donation to a food bank or animal shelter. Just saying your donation could do more harm to the relationship with that client than doing good to honor or reward the client for their loyalty to your company.
The more directly related the gift is to your client's needs and wishes the better. That, however, requires a lot of thought beforehand.
Thank you, these are all so helpful. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Thank you for reading and for your kind comment.
Thank you for educating me...I had never heard of the term "tchotchkes" before.
Thanks, Robert!
I think giving a gift of charitable donation to a local charity in the name of the client can be appreciated without the perception of conflict of interest. It also allows me, my client and the actual recipient of the donation happy, especially during the holidays.
Thanks for your feedback, Randy!
Best "green" gift I ever gave to environmental pros was an evergreen wreath. It was fragrant, recyclable, reasonably priced. Men & women clients alike loved that gift! It was under $25/ each so it didn't have to be reported to mgmt.
Great idea, Rose!
Thank you.
I appreciate the articles, they are very helpful.