Sales and Marketing - Jen Jordan

Holiday Gift Giving for Small Businesses

Many small business owners want to express their appreciation for employees and customers during the holiday season. It’s an excellent way to thank your clients for their business, solidify professional relationships, and care for your employees. There is also a tax benefit allowing you to deduct some of those costs from your taxable income.

Though there are many potential benefits to giving small, meaningful gifts to clients and employees during the holidays, it’s essential to be strategic to get the most out of the gesture.

Benefits of Giving Employee and Client Holiday Gifts

Some of the benefits of holiday gifts are more immediate, while other benefits are long-term. A thoughtful gift that communicates gratitude can immediately impact a client by showing that you value their business and look forward to a continued partnership.

Reaffirming that you value your customers goes a long way to combat churn and increase customer and employee retention. Thoughtful employee gifts can also boost overall morale.

A useful gift to your customers can help keep your business top-of-mind year-round as they use the item regularly. They may even talk about the gift with friends and family, bringing an added marketing benefit.

Types of Customer and Employee Holiday Gifts

Choosing the right appreciation gift is a critical step. Different types of gifts can communicate different things or accomplish slightly different goals.

Memorable gifts:These gifts consistently remind the recipient of your business. People often forget specific events or experiences but rarely forget how you make them feel.

Useful gifts:Gifts in this category help solve a problem or improve the recipients’ daily lives. For example, a lawn care company might gift their clients a beautiful calendar that includes crucial lawn and garden care dates. The calendar is valuable, and customers will appreciate knowing when to schedule services.

Fun gifts:Designed for pure pleasure, these client and employee appreciation gifts put a smile on the recipients’ faces and spark joy. Whether it’s something clever and funny or beautiful, there are endless options for fun gifts.

Employee and Customer Holiday Gift Ideas

From special discounts to holiday raffles, there are countless creative holiday gift ideas for small businesses to give clients or employees. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• A holiday contest with raffles or holiday-themed contest series. This is an opportunity to get many of your customers involved and excited yet keep the overall cost low.
• Holiday-themed email or social media campaign. Offer various discounts with posts that express your gratitude for your customers. Email or social media campaigns have the added benefit of people sharing them with friends and family.
• Donate a portion of purchases to a cause or charity in your customer’s honor. This deepens trust with your clients, reinforces your values, and can boost employee and customer loyalty.
• Offer knowledge or meaningful experiences by hosting a class. Share your expertise with valued clients. Make it a fun and memorable experience with food and other festivities if you decide to host an in-person event.
• Partner with another small business to exchange goods or services. Offer your top customers or employees an experience with a different small business, and you can do the same in exchange. In this way, you are expressing gratitude and promoting fellow small business owners.

The specifics of the holiday gift aren’t as important as communicating that you put thought and effort into expressing your gratitude for your clients and employees. While many businesses stick to a simple holiday card in the mail, you can make your business memorable with just a little planning and creativity.

Works Cited

https://www.vistaprint.com/hub/12-gifts-for-customers-and-clients

https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/client-gifts

https://jagracelaw.com/tax-rules-on-holiday-gift-giving-for-small-businesses