Holiday promotions can be a useful tool for any type of business. However, you will still want to be creative. For example, if you send your clients holiday cards around Christmas or other December holiday, your card will most likely be one of 25 (or more) cards that your client receives. For this reason, I challenge you to set yourself apart from your competitors by being more creative than this year!

6 Simple Secrets to help your business stand out from your competition:

1. Send a Halloween, Thanksgiving or New Year's card instead of a December holiday card.

2. Consider sending a gift instead of a card. There are many gifting services/businesses that can handle this for you, some of which can be very affordable.

3. Stop by to visit your contact and bring them a card, mug, or other personal gift item that they would appreciate receiving.

4. Hold a client appreciation event. This is typically best when held in November or January and not when your clients are busy in December.

5. Ensure that whatever you send stands out. If you do decide to send a card, be sure to just buy the cheapest ones. Instead, put some thought into it. For example, send a card that opens up into a calendar or that has a place for a photo of your staff. Remember, you will need to plan ahead for ordering/shipping time.

6. Most of all, enjoy the holidays yourself by having someone else assemble and send cards/items to your contacts (that is, if you are doing a mailing). However, make sure you personally sign all the cards and include a note. People like to know you thought enough of them to write something personally and did not just rely on the preprinted name or logo.

Proper Ways to Give Gifts to Employees & Clients

It is very important for business owners to remember his/her employees during the holidays. Likewise, businesses should also take care to remember clients and referral sources during the holidays. Whether your client celebrates Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah or other December holiday, you can do something to thank them for their support, business and/or their loyalty. This can also be done during the Thanksgiving and New Year's holiday time

Recently, a few small business people have asked me "What should I send out for the holidays?" They explained that they either send calendars or King's (basketball team) magnets. Those are great items, so continue to send them if your business does well sending them. However, if you gave a little more thought, you and/or a few friends could identify something that is a lot more creative and that may not cost any more to do.

Where do you go to look for new ideas and items?

9 places to get ideas to make your business stand out from your competitors:

1. Call and/or visit your local promotional products companies. You can find them in the local chamber, leads group or phone book.

2. Consider using gift basket companies. You can be much more creative with a gift basket that you used to be with the help of one of these companies.

3. Try your hand at making your own personalized gift baskets with items from your business, food and wine from the local gourmet food store, or other items your clients would like receiving. Be careful thought; this route can be more costly if you are not careful where you make your purchases.

4. Search online with your favorite search engine with keyword "gifts". There are many different companies that will show up in your search results. There will be a variety, which will help you find a gift within your budget and style.

5. Consider working with local gift incentive companies. You provide them with the amount that you wish to spend and they will send the recipient a catalog of items in that price range. This allows the recipient to choose the gift that they want.

6. Purchase a gift card from a store like Sam's Club or Wal-Mart. They offer gift cards in any denomination and will upload your company logo or any photo you want to the front of it. Then you can send gift cards valid for Sam's and Wal-Mart branded with your company logo/photo on it.

7. Consider co-promoting. I talk about this a lot. Arrange for a local service business such as a car wash, massage therapist or any other retail business to provide you with free gift certificates to their business that you can send to your database. The company gets exposure to your entire database (free marketing) and you get to "give" a free gift to your contacts.

8. Give gift cards that are pertinent to each recipient. For example, give cards to Starbucks for the caffeine freaks, Jamba Juice for the health nuts, REI for the sports enthusiasts and Bath & Body Works for the divas.

9. By sending hand-made gifts and/or thank you cards, you can make a huge impression and save some money in doing so.