Corporate holiday gifts are both a tradition and a necessity in business. You want to genuinely express your thanks to clients and employees at this time of year. But with tight budgets, there are only so many dollars to spread around. How do you choose the client holiday gifts that both express your appreciation and help to solidify relationships going forward into the new year?

The right business holiday gift has to be more than just the company logo slapped on a product. Company executives should give plenty of thought to what they are expressing with the gift that they choose, as well as the overall costs of company holiday gifts. Overall, you should thoughtfully choose gifts way ahead of the holiday crunch time.

When you're planning your holiday gifts, think about the following ideas.

1. Include your colleagues in your plan to find the right business holiday gifts.

2. Brainstorm a list of people to whom you would like to show your appreciation with a gift.

3. Establish a budget and keep it by factoring in hidden costs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Collaborate on corporate holiday gift ideas

Making the most of corporate holiday gifts means making shared decisions among members of your company. Your employees, who may know the clients more intimately than the executives, can shed light on corporate holiday gift ideas that will be both unique and useful.

I recommend: A business card case that you can monogram from Corporate Snobs is a great choice for employees or clients. The Victory Clock available from ePromos allows for the company logo.

Show your appreciation with client holiday gifts

To brand or not to brand - that is the question. You can make your gift stand out among the others by imprinting your company logo on the product. Make sure that if you decide to put your company logo on a client holiday gift, it's first of all tasteful (small) and in a font that suits the product.

I recommend: Motivators sells an Izod golf shirt that you can customize with your logo and offers a price break at a quantity of just 24. Corporate Gift Showcase can put your company logo on a crystal ice bucket, a globe-inspired vase or etched paperweights.

Get personal with employee holiday gift ideas

When thinking about gifts for your employees, consider personal gifts as opposed to company logo branded items. Monogramming is a nice touch, but make sure you get your employee initials right before you order. Choose gifts that your employees will appreciate and use, such as clothing, briefcases or laptop carriers, or a CD of holiday music.

I recommend: Select-Your-Gift takes the guesswork out of holiday business gifts for employees. Tap into your employees' musical taste with small electronics gifts from Absorbent, Ink.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Find out the particular company's lead time for personalization, as it may add time to delivery of your business holiday items.
• •  There's nothing wrong with picking up great deals on employee holiday gifts that you find on sale that you know your employees will love.

The holidays are the best time of year for reinforcing business relationships. By demonstrating to the people and companies we deal with daily how much we appreciate them, through well-chosen corporate holiday gifts, we spread good cheer that can carry over into the new year, fostering continued good relations.

Regardless of the size of your business, or your budget, you'll find a wide variety of corporate holiday gift ideas and many suppliers of business holiday gifts just waiting to provide the perfect gifts for those on your holiday business gifts list. From the classiest executive holiday gifts and gift sets to the most artfully assembled corporate gift baskets, there's something just right for everyone with whom you do business. You'll find creative employee holiday gift ideas and incentives, to encourage good performance, and will shop with ease for the most elegant client holiday gifts, suitable for your most valued accounts.

Some people you might want to reward for their loyal patronage or service, or attempt to attract to your firm, are:

1. Business associates and partners

2. Corporate clients (CEOs, key contacts)

3. Small business clients (owners, point people)

4. Individual customers

5. Prospective clients/customers

6. Vendors, suppliers, carriers and other service providers

7. Exceptional teams or top performers in your company

8. In-the-trenches staff who handle your day-to-day operations

Action Steps
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Celebrate the season with class by giving corporate gift baskets

Gift baskets filled with wine and fruit, meat and cheese and every conceivable kind of snack or goody come in many varieties, sizes and price ranges to help you find the best ways to remember your colleagues, clients and teams during the holidays.

I recommend: Fresh Fruit Baskets, Wine Country Gift Baskets and Adorable Gift Baskets all offer a wide array of choices along with convenient online ordering

Pick flowers, the corporate holiday gift that's always in season

Online flower shops each offer their own line of flower arrangements, along with other gift products suitable for giving as holiday business gifts. Flowers and plants make excellent company holiday gifts for those businesses and individuals that help you keep your business running smoothly (i.e., vendors, suppliers, carriers and service providers).

I recommend: Floral websites such as JustFlowers.com and 1-800-flowers offer cut flower arrangements, plants, and a variety of other corporate holiday gifts, including corporate gift baskets, suitable for almost anyone on your list.

Make a smart executive decision: give executive holiday gifts this year

Your execs, as well as your most valued clients and corporate accounts, deserve the very best, and many suppliers of business holiday gifts offer items that carry a touch more elegance than the average client holiday gift. Though gift baskets and flowers are always classy, executive holiday gifts are in a class by themselves.

I recommend: Netique offers a line of fine executive gifts with a large selection of elegantly styled, yet practical gift items, many of which are fully engravable. Another featured item is its unique "Chocolate Van Gogh Irises," a framed chocolate "painting" cleverly designed to look like a work of art. e-CorporateGifts.com also carries a wide range of classically styled gifts, as well as corporate gift baskets.

Remember to plan for employee holiday gifts, as well

Your employees are foundational to your business; they keep it running smoothly, day in, day out. Without them, your company could never succeed. So choose gifts they'll appreciate as much as you appreciate their service.

I recommend: A corporate gift card from GiftCards.com would make an excellent employee holiday gift, because, like cash, it gives your employees the freedom to choose where they'll spend it. And don't forget the chocolate! Temptingly chocolaty employee holiday gift ideas abound at Lake Champlain Chocolates.

Make the first move: give promotional company holiday gifts to prospects you hope to woo

You'll want to make a good impression on promising prospects you've met through networking or one-time customers you hope to recruit into long-term relationships. You won't want them to forget you. If you play your cards right, the promotional holiday gifts you give them today could become the client holiday gifts you'll give them next year, when they're safely in the fold.

I recommend: Branders.com claims top billing as "the world's largest online seller of promotional items." Wealthwood Gifts Inc also carries a complete line of promotional products, many of which are suitable for use as executive holiday gifts. And MYMMS.com will print your company logo, or your logo and message, onto "M&Ms" candies, for a novel promotional gift idea.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Choose your corporate holiday gifts with their recipients in mind. The above categories are not written in stone; there's a great deal of overlap between them. Use your imagination, and always purchase the gift that 'feels' right for the client, customer, colleague, employee or other individual who will receive it.
• •  Start early, so you'll have plenty of time for planning and choosing the right holiday business gifts, without stress, without rush and without overspending. You'll have time to comparison-shop, get the best deals and avoid paying rush shipping charges. Some vendors even offer discounts for doing your holiday shopping early.

Corporate holiday gifts are an important way to show appreciation to clients and employees. While not mandatory, many in business expect to receive a gift - at least a greeting card. Sending gifts to people who matter to your business reiterates how important their relationship is to your success. It's also a great way to keep your name in front of customers and improve employee morale.

The holiday business gifts industry has responded to the digital age, and much business happens online. Many gift sources have sprung up on the Internet, while longstanding mail-order companies have responded to stake their claim among the upstarts. Some companies only supply promotional business products and business holiday gifts, while other companies sell to consumers while offering a business line.

When researching business holiday gifts, consider the following points.

1. Consider the wrapping for your business holiday gifts - the fancier the better to add to the excitement.

2. Plan ahead for set-up time, shipping time and delivery to the customer - make sure your gift is timely.

3. Research the recipients' gift policy to make sure they can accept your gift. Some companies cannot accept a gift that costs more than $50.

Action Steps
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Conduct a corporate holiday gifts industry overview

Within the promotional products industry there are thousands of suppliers and distributors who offer business holiday gifts. Two major associations for advertising specialties or promotional products represent the corporate holiday gifts market. The two biggest organizations in the industry are Advertising Specialties Institute (ASI) and the Promotional Product Association International.

I recommend: Advertising Specialties Institute gives an overview of the industry and ranks the top 40 suppliers and distributors. Type in your zip code to locate a promotional consultant from Promotional Products Association International (PPAI). Mac Mannes is a promotional products distributor, handling many different well-known brands, and can help you find appropriate employee holiday gifts or client gifts.

Choose suppliers of business holiday gifts with a proven track record

Several top distributors in the company holiday gifts market have built their success by consistently serving their customers well. Online ordering remains important, but you may want to work with a representative to help you decide the best corporate holiday gift ideas. Popular gift categories include candy, chocolate, food, flowers, wine, desk items and small electronics.

I recommend: Williams-Sonoma offers a 10% discount for volume business holiday gift orders over $1,000 in select categories of candy, chocolate and monogrammed bar items. Call 1-800-332-1648 for corporate pricing. Harry & David has built a reputation for delectable corporate gift baskets of food, perfect for employees or clients.

Consider adding a logo to your executive holiday gifts

One of the most popular areas for client holiday gifts are logo-branded items. You can put your company logo on just about anything. Leaders in this business holiday gift category find success selling calendars, clothing, and greeting cards to barware, coffee cups and desktop distractions.

I recommend: Make sure your choice is high quality, and if you choose to put your company logo on it, make sure it's something your employee or client will appreciate (think, "Would I really want to receive this as a gift?"). NEBS generates great employee holiday gift ideas, including company logo clothing, personalized greeting cards and chocolate personalized with the company logo. GiftTree has many upscale offerings for their Fortune 500 corporate clients, offering everything from monogrammed "part of the team" mugs to a monogrammed antique pub game packaged with a bottle of Merlot.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Your employees may appreciate a gift that makes them feel as if they are helping a cause, such as choosing gifts from eco-friendly companies or American-made products.

The holidays are a wonderful time of year to show thanks and appreciation to those involved in your business. Corporate holiday gifts can be used to improve employee moral by showing appreciation for work done the previous year, to thank important customers or clients for their business, or to represent the importance of a business relationship with suppliers or business associates. Read through the following corporate holiday gifts key terms and use the knowledge as a starting point for searching for the perfect token of appreciation.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Personalized holiday gifts

A personalized holiday gift is a gift that is personalized with the name or initials of the recipient, such as a monogrammed tote bag or drinking mug with a nameplate.

I recommend: See some examples of personalized corporate holiday gifts at MyBusinessGifts.com.

Promotional holiday gifts

A promotional holiday has a business name or logo imprinted or embroidered on it. The holidays are not the best time for business promotion unless done tastefully on a quality gift.

I recommend: Have a look at some examples of the wide variety of holiday gifts that can be imprinted with a business logo from rushIMPRINT.

Gift cards

A gift card is much like an extra holiday bonus, allowing the recipients to choose their own gift. A gift card can be store-specific or it could be a generic card from a credit card company to be spent anywhere.

I recommend: Find out more about holiday gift cards from places like American Express.

Gift baskets

A gift basket is an excellent holiday gift, usually filled with items like fruit, candy, cheese or wine. Gift baskets come in a variety of sizes and price ranges, depending on corporate holiday gift budget and number of recipients.

I recommend: Explore the wide variety of holiday gift baskets available by visiting GourmetGiftBaskets.com.

Desk items

A desk item is anything that can be utilized as an office supply or that simply adds aesthetic value to an office desk. Paperweights, digital clocks, calculators or photo frames can all be used as holiday gifts.

I recommend: Visit e-CorporateGifts.com to discover possible desk items to be used as holiday gifts.

Eco-friendly holiday gifts

Eco-friendly holiday corporate gifts, also called green or environmentally-friendly, are gifts that inflict minimal effect on the environment. Eco-friendly gifts are becoming increasingly popular as more and more people are becoming conscious about the environment.

I recommend: Explore the unique options in eco-friendly holiday corporate gifts from places like Motivators.