Great Business Gift Ideas

Finishing your tenure with the company? Rewarding a colleague for a great speech or spreadsheet? Or just simply saying happy birthday to your workmate? Small gifts play critical roles in maintaining strong business relationships and leaving lasting impressions on co-workers. In some cases they can be the key to moving up a level in the office if given to the right people. However picking the best gift can be as difficult as remembering the boss’s birthday and can even end up just as expensive as his gala party. This article looks at different business gift ideas that will impress but not break the budget.

A nice wine is a sophisticated business gift and you don’t have to be an expert to choose the best bottle. If you don’t already know the recipient’s favourite wine, many sites online can help you with your choice that fits the ideal budget. In addition, most bottle shops sell decorative bags and ribbon and the sales staff will happily use these to spruce up the bottle to give it a more ‘gifty’ look. One caution to avoid any disappointments or awkwardness is to make sure that the recipient does actually drink wine. Asking a colleague or even the person themself can clear this up and you might even get a golden tip - their favourite wine.

Printed coffee mugs are a very common and simple business gift in the office. Not only are they useful and fun but they are a very affordable gift. In addition, they will sit on the recipient’s desk, providing a constant reminder of your thoughtfulness. Your local department store should have personalised or funny coffee mugs as do many sites online, which will deliver your mug to your doorstep.

Ties are excellent business gift ideas for males. They can be either professional and sleek or themed, if you know the recipient has a particular interest. For example a tie printed with a logo of their favourite sporting team is an excellent idea. In addition, ties make great business holiday gift ideas and really brighten up the office in the days leading up to Christmas or Easter. Some internet sites even have large databases of tie designs which you can select and get delivered.

For business gifts with an affable touch, books can be the ideal solution. However, unless you know that the next big thriller is on the recipient’s wish list, it would be a good idea to stay away from novels. Selecting a novel is generally very personal, with people having different preferences for different genres, which can be hard to pick when choosing a gift. Instead, look for illustrated books with large, eye-catching pictures as these stand out and will look great on a coffee table. Another advantage of illustrated books is that there is one for just about any theme or hobby. If you don’t know the recipient’s interests or hobbies just pick a book related to the line of work they are in. For example a well illustrated book about skyscrapers would be an excellent gift for a structural engineer.

Pens are always useful around the office and make great gift ideas. They come in many different styles and prices so there will be a perfect pen for just about any situation. For a personal touch look for pens that can be engraved as this allows you to leave a short personalised message. Ideas for messages to an employee named Bill Smith for example, would include: “Happy Birthday Bill 2009”, “Best Wishes from Your Name 2009” or simply “Bill Smith 2009”.

Calendars are a very cheap business gift idea that can be used in the office and come in many different themes. Since calendars are predominantly released near the end of the year they make great business Christmas gift ideas. If you want something more personal, business card holders can be a great gift. They are normally made from metal or leather and can have personal messages engraved, just like pens. For a man, cufflinks or a gents watch can also be great business gifts ideas and come in a range of styles and prices.

Once you have selected your gift, how do you wrap it up to look sophisticated? Below is a video which demonstraites just this.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnfVWXWxB58)