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Business Christmas Cards

Business Christmas Cards

Business Christmas Cards – The Guidelines

The Christmas season will soon be upon us, which means that it’s time for businesses to start thinking about business Christmas cards. Whether you own a sole proprietorship or are the CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation, sending business Christmas cards can serve to boost your customer relations and ultimately improve your bottom line. About half of all businesses send holiday cards – sometimes with unintended negative consequences.

In this article we will be suggesting some guidelines to ensure that your thoughtful gesture will be interpreted in the best possible light.

Selecting the Right business Christmas cards

Every business has an image it portrays, whether through its logo, its branding efforts, or its marketing plan. The design of business holiday cards you select should reinforce that image. If, for example, you are a stockbroker, a Wall Street winter scene might be appropriate. On the other hand, if you are a pediatric dentist, more whimsical greeting cards are in order. For most businesses, and elegant and tasteful card is always appropriate.

When it comes to choosing a greeting card company, there are many online sources for business Christmas cards. Make sure to choose one that is well established and has a track record of satisfying customers. The best online greeting card companies will send you sample cards upon request, and offer personalization, free coordinating foil-lined envelopes, and printed envelopes.

When ordering business Christmas cards, keep in mind that not everyone celebrates Christmas. A card expressing “season’s greetings” or “warm holiday wishes” will prevent you from unintentionally offending those who aren’t of the Christian faith.

Sending Your business Christmas cards

In business, timing is everything. Although you have some leeway in sending business holiday cards, the rule of thumb is to send them between December 1 and December 15. If you’re a business-to-business company, keep in mind that many businesses close or have reduced hours during the holiday season, so make sure that your card arrives in advance of the holidays.

In order to send your holiday cards out in a timely fashion, make sure to order them early. Personalized business Christmas cards can take a few weeks to produce, so try and place your order by mid-October.

The Personalized Touch

The purpose of sending business greeting cards is to engender warm feelings in the recipient. That won’t happen if your Christmas cards have address labels and are run through a postage meter. Expend the extra effort and have someone on your staff (who has nice handwriting) address the envelopes by hand. In addition, use a postage stamp instead of a meter when applying postage.

In the same vein, although you should have your cards printed with the company’s name, the cards should also be signed by hand. The best approach is to have those who most closely work with the recipient sign the card by hand. If yours is a small enterprise, have a card signing party one afternoon, and have each person on your staff sign each card. This will go a long way towards making a positive impression on the recipient.

Be a Gracious Recipient

There’s little doubt that your company will also receive business holiday cards from your vendors and associates. Be a gracious recipient and display the cards in your workplace. It will not only bring a bit of holiday cheer to your office, but it will also please those who have a sent a card to you and see it displayed.

5 Reasons to Send Business Christmas Cards

If you’ve never sent business Christmas cards, or don’t make a point of sending them out every year, here are five reasons why you should start:

1. Meet Expectations. Although the adage, “It’s better to give than to receive,” is a sentimental favorite, those with whom you do business expect to be remembered during the holidays. Holiday greeting cards help smooth your business relationships during the rest of the year by meeting expectations during the Christmas season.

2. Improve Customer Relations. Whether you have a business-to-business enterprise, provide a professional service, or own a retail store, chances are that your success is built upon maintaining relationships with your customers and clients. Business Christmas cards show your customers and clients that you appreciate their business, and that you want to share the spirit of the season.

3. Cost Effective. Perhaps you already buy holiday gifts and remembrances for your best customers or clients, but business Christmas cards allow you to reach many more people for relatively little money. You can purchase personalized business holiday cards for as little as $1.40 each, including options to select among many different styles and verses, several colors of ink, and imprinted envelopes. This is an excellent investment in your business.

4. Excellent Return on Investment. Chances are, you and your company receive business Christmas cards from your vendors and suppliers. So, you understand the warm feelings that arise when you read their holiday cards, and you probably experience a “carryover” positive impression when you do your purchasing in the New Year. If you doubt that business holiday cards generate an excellent return on investment, ask yourself this: All other things being equal, which company would you choose to do business with – the company that sent you a holiday card every year or the company that only contacted you when it was time to reorder or collect payment?

5. Limitless Choices. With the rise of Internet and ecommerce, companies have an unprecedented opportunity to select business Christmas cards that reflect their company’s image and values. The best online sources for business holiday cards have a wide variety of high quality card designs. In addition, the best online greeting card companies offer a free choice of verse, free coordinated foil-lined envelopes, free samples of Christmas cards, and a multitude of choices for personalization.

In today’s business world, you need to take advantage of every opportunity to differentiate your company from your competition.You really can’t afford not to send holiday cards to your customers, clients, and associates.Sending business Christmas cards is a small gesture than can mean improved customer relationships and an excellent return on investment.

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Valentine’s Day is one of the most special days of the year for many couples. Although there are many who will argue that Valentine’s Day is a commercialized holiday created for the purpose of making people buy cards, flowers and candy. However, there are others who do not care how Valentine’s Day started and are just happy for a day where they have the opportunity to plan a romantic day with someone they love. For many this day includes giving a gift of some sort. Whether it is a small token gift or an extravagant gift, deciding what to give your loved one for Valentine’s Day can be a difficult decision. This article will offer a few suggestions for gift ideas on Valentine’s Day.

One of the simplest, and most popular, Valentine’s Day gifts is a simple card. It may not seem like much but many people, women in particular, would say a card is one of the best gifts they could receive on Valentine’s Day. However, not just any card makes a great gift. The best cards are cards which really express your feelings about your loved one and your relationship. You can find cards available with a printed statement which may work well for your situation. You can also find cards which are blank inside where you fill in the card with your own emotions. If you can’t find a card that suits your needs, you can even try making your own card.

Jewelry is another great gift idea for Valentine’s Day. Simple earrings might be appropriate for a new relationship while a more expensive gift would be appropriate for a relationship which is more deeply rooted. Regardless of the price of the gift, the jewelry you give to your partner on Valentine’s Day will be something she will really appreciate. Pay particular attention to the type of jewelry she already wears and this will give you a good indication of the type of jewelry she likes. For example, if she always wears silver or white gold jewelry, purchasing yellow gold may not be a great idea because she may not particularly like this style.

A weekend getaway is another great gift idea for Valentine’s Day. Although this type of gift is definitely most appropriate for couples who have been dating for awhile or who are married. If you and your partner have never traveled together before, it may still be okay to give this type of gift for Valentine’s Day but you might want to discuss the gift with your partner beforehand as opposed to surprising him or her with the gift. This will help to make sure your partner is comfortable with this type of gift.

What would Valentine’s Day be without candy? One of the most traditional gifts on Valentine’s Day is flowers and candy. While this a gift which is most appreciated, most women will agree the candy is their favorite part of the gift. Flowers are beautiful and are always appreciated but chocolates are also always appreciated. If you are planning to give chocolate for Valentine’s Day try making the gift a little more unique. Instead of a traditional heart shaped box of assorted chocolates, try making a bouquet out of your partner’s favorite candy bars. You can even wrap up the candy bouquet like flowers. This puts a unique spin on a traditional gift idea and helps to ensure your partner will love the gift.

Finally, there is no reason why Valentine’s Day gifts have to be any different than gifts you would give for other occasions such as a birthday or Christmas. You can certainly give items such as clothing, DVDs, CDs, electronic gadgets or any other item you know your partner will appreciate. As long as you are giving your partner a gift you know he or she will appreciate, it can make a great gift idea for Valentine’s Day.

Have a green Christmas celebration!

THE season of giving and sharing is here, so why not do our part and give back to the environment by reusing and recycling? I’m sure you are aware that our Mother Earth is suffering. So let us stop torturing her and do our part to prevent further harm.

Before I reveal what I’m doing this Christmas, let me forewarn my friends and family members that I’m not trying to be a cheapskate here. Please, look at the bigger picture. All I’m trying to do is to contribute my share to help our home – the world.

So here goes, the four simple ways, which you could do too, to preserve our environment:

1. Donate books: I’ve organised a little book donation this Christmas and have successfully donated boxes full of great reads to an orphanage. It’s a win-win situation here. First, the books donated have been saved from being thrown away. Second, no new books need to be bought. Save paper, save energy, save the environment! Third, the children get to read new stories!

2. Reuse wrapping paper: To those who are receiving presents from me, I’m unashamed to admit that your presents will be wrapped using my previous Christmas gifts’ wrapping paper which is still in good, beautiful condition! (If you know me well enough, you’ll know that I open my presents very gently and carefully.) Don’t worry if the paper’s a little creased, because once you’re done wrapping, it’s hardly noticeable. Anyway, if your friends or family members care about the environment, they will understand.

3. Reuse presents: Yes, I’m guilty as charged. I give away gifts that I don’t use. Don’t get me wrong. I give away useful, practical gifts. Just that, I happen not to use them. For example: new bottles of perfumes and cosmetic creams (I have one too many of those) as well as books (I don’t really dig chick lit and romance).

And just so you know, they are all new and branded. Come on, don’t stock up all your unused things in your storeroom pleeeease. And don’t keep telling yourself you’ll be using them one day, because most probably, you won’t. But if for certain reasons, you have to buy new presents, try getting them from an eco-friendly store!

4. Use only one plastic bag: Yeah … I’m still trying to remind myself to take my recycled shopping bag with me whenever I go out. But if I happen to forget, I make sure I remember to use only one plastic bag. And I’m happy some others are practicing it too. Just the other day when I was at a cashier, a lady in her early 40s in front of me rejected a plastic bag and told the cashier she already had one. She then took her newly bought things and placed them all into a big plastic bag that already had some other purchases. She did it with such pizzazz that she made the act of recycling superbly stylish. Kudos to you, lady!

The Thought of Christmas

THE thought of Christmas usually conjures images of dazzling Christmas trees and a fat, bearded man in a red suit bearing Christmas gifts.  The idea of Christmas is very much influenced by the American tradition, but all around the world, almost every country has its own unique way of celebrating Christmas. Some even have their own versions of Santa Claus.

In Brazil, for example, Papai Noel (Father Christmas) is believed to have come from Greenland; he dresses in silk due to the tropical heat.

In China, people hang lanterns to light their houses, and Christmas trees – or “trees of light” as they are known in Chinese – are decorated with paper flowers and paper lanterns. Santa Claus over there is known as dun che lao ren, which literally means “Christmas old
In Greece, St Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors and he rescues sinking ships.

In place of a Christmas tree, a Greek home has instead a wooden bowl containing a wooden cross wrapped in basil, which is believed to keep goblins away.

In Sweden, there is the Feast of St Lucia, complete with processions and special events, but no one knows how a Sicilian saint came to be celebrated by the Swedes. Then there’s the gnome called tomte who supposedly comes out from under the house bearing gifts.

In Malaysia, they have their special way of celebrating any festive season with “open houses.” And so, too, with Christmas. While more and more Christians may be reminded that Christmas is a time for self-reflection rather than big parties, still, Christmas decorations can be seen in malls and our multi-cultural make-up naturally leads to boisterous open houses.

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