In 2017 we shared our blog Planning for Corporate Christmas Gifts. Two years on, the advice is still relevant, but there are some new ways you can show your clients and your staff how much you care.
Connecting at Christmas is more important than ever
Saying “thank you” is one of the best ways to engage your team and your clients. In a world that is increasingly digital, Canadians are trading convenience for loneliness. The ability to order groceries online and have them brought to your vehicle, to use self checkout if you do go into the store, to telecommute and even take part in important social occasions such as weddings and funerals by viewing an online link, means that personal connections have suffered.
Christmas remains an important time to reach out to the people that enrich our lives. For business owners, the holiday season presents an ideal time to pause and re-establish the connections that may have grown distant over the year.
Don’t think “we are too busy” to do cards, a staff lunch, or any other recognition that shows you care about your clients and your team. You don’t need expensive, grand gestures. Spending the time to acknowledge these important people is appreciated more than the gift itself.
That being said, the gift should have meaning
In this “Amazon economy” where we can get whatever we desire cheap and fast, the idea of giving yet another trinket is falling out of fashion. So, think outside of the box this season. Some gift ideas include:
- Find local and/or home-based businesses and compile gift baskets with their items. From beef jerky to speciality soaps, candies to pottery and hand painted tumblers, you’ll not only provide useful items, you’ll be showing your team and clients that you support local businesses.
- Support a community cause in lieu of gifts. You can wish your team and your clients holiday greetings via cards or e-cards and note that your gifting budget is supporting the community this year (food pantry, school programs, homeless shelters – your choice) since strong communities give back to all.
- Time is a priceless gift. Allowing your team to leave a day or half a day early to start their family celebrations or giving the team a day off with pay to volunteer at the charitable organization of their choice as their gift, is appreciated by all parties.
- Feasting is a time-honored tradition that helps alleviate loneliness and fosters human connection. That’s a nice way of saying a staff lunch that you provide is a great way to show your team how much you care while fostering team building. Few things are more fun than a pizza party at work!
Your gifting could also benefit you
While you gift from the goodness of your heart, some gifting and charitable donations have favourable tax results for your company. To learn more about how gifting and donating affects your corporate tax return, contact us at AF Accounting. We are happy to help small business owners in Canada with tax planning and advice, bookkeeping, migrating to cloud accounting, and more. We even have services specific for those in the e-commerce space, such as sellers on Amazon Marketplace and Shopify.
Have a wonderful holiday season
However you decide to celebrate, we at AF Accounting wish you and yours all the best of the holiday season and wonderful things in the new year.
