'Tis the Season for Giving

And for some, it’s not an easy task finding that perfect gift—especially when it comes to your swanky clients or management execs. You want to find something that’s affordable, yet still says “I really appreciate you and the contributions you make to my business.”

Gifts that look and feel cheap will be obvious and won’t make the receiver feel valued. On the flip side, you don’t want to spend too much because there is a chance it won’t be appreciated anyway. You never know, the receiver may already own something similar, and possibly of better quality, which makes your gift rank somewhere below a door stop or paperweight.

Some Hints for Buying Nifty Gifts

Knick-knacks, pens, planners, stationery, and anything else that feels like that generic “re-gifted” thing your Aunt Judy gave you last year at the last minute, is a no-go. Anything you’d be able to nab in the exit aisle of any office supply store? That is also out. Do you feel special when you receive such gifts? Probably not. Your customers and team won’t either.

Think useful, unique, something that exposes your brand consistently, yet is tailored to the receiver’s interests. Make it something they don’t already have and can enjoy for many years to come.

3 Keys to Finding a Unique and Perfect Corporate Gift:

• Know who you’re buying for. Is it an employee? A few key client accounts? A large number of people?
• Know your budget. Stay within said budget, but make sure whatever you choose is of great quality.
• Know the details. Choosing gifts with food means you need to make sure no one has any allergies to said food. There’s nothing like the gift of anaphylactic shock to make one feel cared for! (Kidding.)

Still feeling stuck? Never fear. Keep reading for fantastic, upscale (i.e. NOT cheap or cheesy) gift ideas that will make your customers and team feel all warm and fuzzy this holiday season.

Corporate Gifts Your Clients and Employees Will Love

1. Keep fingers warm with these special gloves.

Source: Strawberry Stitch Co.

We all have that one person we need to buy a gift for, you know, the “difficult” one. Whether your boss or a key client they always leave you scratching your head when it comes time to buy gifts. They are usually the ones that already seem to own everything they could want or need. You could buy something related to their favorite hobby, but unfortunately hobbies usually stretch beyond reasonable budgets. Stylish, custom stitched logo gloves to the rescue!

When the weather gets cold, no one likes having cold finger and none of us are going to stop texting. Touchscreen gloves are a utility item that almost anyone can’t have enough of. These touchscreen gloves from Agloves are extra special and useful, along with offering unrivaled responsiveness.

Corporate branding options mean that you can find the perfect item to match uniforms and let team members show off their pride. Again, touchscreen gloves offer the advantage of being an item that almost anyone can find great use from. No matter how large your organization is, keep them outfitted with an item that is sure to attract the attention of others.

2. A little of the exotic, from the comfort of home.

Source: Find Subscription Boxes

Even though sending your clients or employees on a luxurious trip as an expression of gratitude would be amazing, it’s not something that’s always affordable. However, with a little creativity and ingenuity, you can still give them a taste of a faraway land, without breaking the bank. And they can share the taste with their family, too. Try a Kitchen Table Passport subscription, and take your recipient on an imagination getaway, helped along with:

• Welcome cards that talk about the country’s culture
• Discovery cards with facts and photos
• A recipe card and taste package of herbs and spices
• Local souvenirs as mementos of their “visit”

3. Help your client or team member travel with style.

Source: Scarborough & Tweed

During the holiday season, there is always lots of travel going on: people flying home to be with family, as well as holiday business trips and client meetings. If you think chic, stylish, and insanely useful, you can’t go wrong when choosing a gift. And nothing is as chic, stylish, and useful as these Scarborough & Tweed durable canvas bags. These are especially perfect for people who work in a travel-heavy industry (or take frequent-flyer vacations). Made in the good old US of A, you can customize these and feel good about your gift too, by feeding someone a meal through Scarborough & Tweed’s Give Back Program. The program provides a meal to someone needy through the World Food Program USA.

4. Feed their sweet tooth. Most can’t resist a little holiday treat.

There aren’t too many people who will complain about getting ice cream for Christmas. Not only is it a delicious treat, but with eCreamery, you get to pick the title on the carton and even add your company logo. So with every delicious bite, your recipient will be reminded of where the gift came from. eCreamery also has a Corporate Gift Guide to provide more stellar ideas on giving that perfectly creamy gift, if you’re still feeling stumped.

5. Healthy home and office snacks make for happy employees.

Source: snacknation

Snacking in the office is pretty much a given. Staples did a study a few years back that showed how potentially 2.4 billion hours were stolen from U.S. companies every year, just due to breaks to grab snacks or coffee. Giving the gift of snacks contributes to more productivity in the office and keeps your employees smiling. The cool thing about a SnackNation gift is that you can choose snack boxes that help fight childhood hunger. So not only do you feel good about the gift, your recipients do too because you’re both contributing to a worthy cause.

6. A little healthy initiative goes a long way.

Source: Fitbit

Obviously, this is a gift item that really requires you to “know” the recipient. It’s always possible someone could take it the wrong way, but if your office is already focused on health and wellness, a Fitbit fitness tracker is a stellar gift idea for individuals and teams alike. Not only are they exceptionally wearable, they look chic and provide long-lasting health benefits that will outperform the life of the gift itself. Science has shown that good health increases productivity, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, your team may even use fewer sick days as a result of their new healthy habits.

7. Choose gifts with a little edgy, tongue-in-cheek humor.

Knock Knock offers a variety of fun and funny office supplies that will suit just about every budget. Even though giving office supplies for gifts is kind of played out, everyone still gets a kick out of the funny ones, especially when you have a younger crowd in the office. Humorous gifts can work extremely well and serve as a daily reminder for people to laugh at themselves and not get too uptight with each other around the watercooler. Clients often love a good funny gift too. “Action item” notepads, “deal with this” sticky notes, pen-to-paper mouse pads, “I gotta be me” water bottles, and “you rock” coffee mugs are just a few of the quirky items available to tickle your recipient’s funny bone.

8. The gift of time is priceless.

Of course, you can’t give someone time, although it would be pretty awesome if you could. You can, however, give gifts that help someone free up some of their time so they can use more of it on things they love to do. And since almost no one actually enjoys cleaning, what better way to free up someone’s time than by giving them a gift certificate for a maid service like Molly Maid? This type of gift, while a little unconventional, is sure to be a hit with the recipient, because if we’re being honest… nothing beats a little extra free time coupled with pampering.

9. Fruit and nuts: healthy treats everyone loves.

Just make sure no one receiving this gift has a nut allergy. That would not be good! Provided they have the green light to eat such deliciousness, The FruitGuys Holiday Harvest gift crate is an awesome and tasty gift to give. Hit the road, chocolate. Fruit and nuts are taking over the town. Inside the crate you’ll find bags of seasoned nuts and farm-fresh fruit, ready to be eaten. FruitGuys offers four different box sizes, so there is sure to be something that fits the budget, and they will even let you include a personalized message. Talk about gift-tastic!

10. Wine, anyone? care

Like ice cream, for most people wine is sure to be a big hit. An even bigger hit is a subscription to a wine club that will deliver unique wines they won’t be able to find in stores, right to their front door. Winestyr is a great gift idea that comes beautifully packaged, with superior quality wines to delight the tastebuds like nectar from the gods. Plus, you can include a handwritten note to make it personal, and they even offer nifty add-ons like branded gift boxes and engraved corkscrews. For the vino lover, what’s not to love?

11. Personal-care items are a hit for those who like to pamper themselves.

It’s the season for chapped lips, dry skin, and fly-away hair. Because of this, many people love personal-care gifts that help them treat their winter woes. Some of these items are travel sized, which means customers or employees who travel a lot may really appreciate such gifts. Remember that feeling good just feels good, and Kiehl’s offers great gift options to suit a variety of budgets and serve a variety of needs, without sacrificing quality.

12. Go for a classical and heartfelt gift idea.

Source: Pinhole Press

Yes, I’m talking the personalized holiday card. Sometimes, sitting down and spending a few minutes writing a heartfelt note expressing your appreciation to your clients or employees for their loyalty and service shows a lot more gratitude than giving them a gift they may or may not want or need. The fact that you spent time to think about them and write something personal and encouraging may mean a lot more to the recipient than you realize.

Benefits Unique Corporate Gifts Bring to Your Business

The holiday season is a time of loving, giving, and showing appreciation to those around us. We always get more in the giving than we do in the receiving, so make sure to show your clients and team how valued they truly are to you and your business. And since they are corporate gifts, you get an added brand boost, prompting your customers to remember you and smile fondly.