Steve King is director at the gifting specialists Bottled & Boxed. Here, he gives his top tips for ensuring you pick the perfect corporate gift each and every time.
As a personal or executive assistant, you wonโt be phased by the daily to-do lists and busy days. However, when the time comes to pick a corporate gift for other employees or clients, it can be easy to get stuck in a rut.
Corporate gifting can affect how your company is perceived by others, so getting it right is crucial. And, while the process can be stressful, itโs good to know how to pick the perfect gift. So, if you frequently find yourself lacking inspiration for corporate gifting, read on to find out more.
Set an appropriate budget
Knowing how much to spend on your clients or employees can be difficult: spending too much money can look showy, while being more modest could seem unappreciative. In order to decide on a suitable budget, itโs good to think about the value of the relationship between your business and the person or company being gifted. For example, clients who have been with you for many years and invested a lot of money with you should be rewarded in return. So, may require a higher portion of your budget than a newer or smaller client.
If youโre going to be giving many clients or employees presents, it might be a good idea to set a total budget you want to put aside for this, and then divide this amount among the number of gifts you need to buy. Although, as mentioned above, remember that some gifts may require a bigger budget than others, so think logically.
Bear tax in mind
When youโre gifting clients, HMRC will allow you to claim back tax on any business gifts that cost ยฃ50 or less. To qualify as a business gift, the items you choose must be relevant to the work your business does, so a diary planner will be permitted, but a box of chocolates might not be. The gift will also have to carry an advertisement for your company, such as your company logo or slogan, to be recognised as a corporate gift. If the amount spent on a client is more than ยฃ50, HMRC wonโt grant you tax relief on any of it.
If itโs a staff gift, remember that these are all taxable. However, you can spend up to ยฃ150 per employee on company parties, which can take place at any time in the year and can be spread across more than one event. Similar to client gifting, if you go over the set amount, youโll have to report these costs to HMRC and pay National Insurance on these.
Choose gifts wisely
Brainstorming what to get a client can be difficult and nerve-wracking, but there are some tried and tested ways to ensure the company you work for is successful with gifting year on year.
First and foremost, itโs best to stray away from impractical items that are just going to act as clutter. If your client spends plenty of time taking notes, a personalised diary planner and pen set may just be the way to win the gifting game. Additionally, the items you pick should also be ones that can last a while, rather than being something with a set time limit, like food. This will ensure your clients are thinking of your company for longer.
If you want to give your gift a special touch, personalised products always go down well. The aforementioned diary planner could be embossed with the clientโs initials and company name to create a standout gift, for example. Alternatively, you might want to pick something that clients can share among themselves, like a group experience, so everybody can benefit from your thoughtfulness.
There are many tips you can use when deciding on a corporate gift but, whatever you choose, make sure itโll be a conversation starter for all the right reasons.
Do it meaningfully
Picking the right time, place, and way to give your client or employee their present will have a big impact on whether it is positively received or not.
General gifting etiquette is to send the corporate gift rather than give it in person. This is to ensure the recipient receives it in an inconspicuous non-showy way, deterring any unwanted attention. However, this doesnโt have to mean you downplay the efforts youโve gone to picking a gift. You can add attractive touches with gift wrapping services, thatโll indicate how much thought was put into picking the gift from the minute the client sees it.
Picking a corporate gift doesnโt have to be stressful. By following my four tips, youโre sure to be choosing perfect presents each and every time.
