Peg Corwin
Using data from American Express, US News identified 10 popular business gifts in 2007 with the potential to please your clients. It also gives the potential pitfalls of each type.
Here are the top categories.
Source: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/070221/21businessgifts_5.htm
"Among small-business owners, 22 percent planned to give food as a gift."
Be sensitive to food allergies and dietary restrictions.
"Fully 48 percent of small businesses planned to mail cards or calendars to valued clients, according to an American Express survey last fall of business owners."
"Some 29 percent of small-business owners planned to give cards or certificates to clients and customers, American Express found."
"About 24 percent of small-business owners in the AmEx survey planned to give company-branded or monogrammed items as gifts."
Separate marketing premiums from corporate gifts, which should not look like company ads.
"About 19 percent of small-business owners planned to do so, American Express found."
The charity should have meaning to the recipient, not the donor.
Be careful about having flowers or plants delivered to a home, because the gift may be misinterpreted. Cultural norms with regard to flowers also vary.
"About 7 percent of small businesses planned to give wine or liquor."
People enjoy books, but it's hard to pick the right topic. Avoid joke books, political books and self-help books, say the pros. And no books with messages.
Choose brand-name, high quality merchandise.
Do be sure the recipient can attend the event and would enjoy it before you buy. But if you attend too, the IRS classifies this as an entertainment expense, not a business gift.
