5 great ideas for corporate gifts

Corporate gifts are a great way to network, and market your business - as well as strengthen existing partnerships and business relationships.

Knowing how to come up with the right corporate gift ideas is actually a fairly important, yet often overlooked, business skill.

A thoughtful and unique business gift can let clients and customers know that their relationship with you is important.

Buying corporate gifts for clients and customers doesn't have to break the bank either. Since the business objective behind buying gifts for clients is to solidify and strengthen your relationship (and continue to generate business and income in the process), it is more important to select a gift that is personal and relevant.

This article will show off some of the best ways to come up with unique and original business gifts ideas that will both generate goodwill and help to bring in repeat business in the new year.

How to come up with the perfect corporate gift ideas

When deciding on the best possible gifts for a valued customer or client, it is important to think carefully about the following:

• How much that client is worth to your business
• Your corporate gifts budget
• Any personal or unique aspects of your relationship

The first two points in the above list dictate how much you are able to spend on a corporate gift.

The third provides guidance on what an appropriate gift might be, based on a shared experience or interest (i.e. you played in a golf tournament together).

While a generic gift will no doubt be appreciated by a junior clerk who happens by the CEOs office at the right time, a corporate gift that shows a bit of thought has gone into it, will almost certainly be rewarded with a closer personal and business relationship.

The value of a thoughtful business gift far exceeds the monetary value of the gift itself - to both parties!

While you may not have time to personalize and think about every corporate gift you give out (especially if you have a lot of clients), you may want to personalize the top 10 most valuable clients' gifts - or however many you can within budget and time constraints.

5 best corporate gift ideas

In light of the above points, the following 5 corporate gift ideas should give you plenty of room to personalize, customize, and generally excel at providing business gifts that help ensure highly profitable working relationships going forward.

I've also tried to provide a mix of high-end gifts for highly valued clients, as well as gifts that won't break the bank.

1. Corporate getaways/retreats

Buying a corporate getaway as a gift can be a double edged sword.

On the one hand, it is a fanatic gift (provided that it is convenient, well considered, and if possible, meaningful in the context of your relationship - i.e. a golf weekend if you know the client loves golf).

Get it wrong, and it could be a waste, or worse, and inconvenience - if the client feels obligated.

And while booking travel might sound like an expensive gift, it is worth noting that super cheap getaways and vacations are always available online. You might well be able to find the perfect corporate gift that is really appreciated by your client, yet well within budget.

Check out Expedia's vacation package deals for some great potential corporate getaway gift ideas.

2. Customized postcards

If you're on a budget but want to send a gift that still shows off something about your business, a bit of humor, or just get your message across in the way you want, consider sending custom printed cards.

Custom printing online is super fast, reliable and easy to do these days. The only thing you have to worry about is what message you want to deliver, and the look and feel of the card itself. After that, it's easy.

Custom cards are relatively cheap to design and deliver, and are a great way for businesses on a budget to send a personal message out to their clients.

3. Customized sportswear & clothing

If you are looking for a gift that is slightly more substantial than a post card or pen, then sending branded clothing could be the perfect gift.

Branded clothing doesn't have to stop at t-shirts. For example, you might want to buy a team outfit for a corporate client that enjoyed a baseball match against your company. Send them a complete team outfit with their logo (and yours), complete with a friendly taunt (we'll get you next time).

Branded clothing is a great business gift because it is easy to put together online, and offers pretty much unlimited options to suit a range of needs - caps, polos, work wear, bags, sweats, jackets, etc.

4. Gadgets - Kindle Fire HD

The world is moving to mobile. Soon more Internet access will flow through mobile devices than PCs. If you have a few special clients, that you know are missing out on the sheer awesomeness of a Kindle, then take the initiative and get them the latest Kindle Fire HD 7.

This is a high quality gift, so you'll want to deliver it yourself. Order the Kindle for deliver at your own offices, and have your company logo printed onto a few stickers that you can put onto the Kindle (as a gentle reminder of who was awesome enough to give this gift).

Giving a high quality gadget is more expensive than some of the other options - give only to key personnel who you know will appreciate the gift.

5. Fine wines

A business gift doesn't have to be about business. Why not say "Hey, we're friendly people who enjoy having fun just like you" with a great collection of wine, or an expensive whiskey.

Take a moment to notice what clients like to drink before sending them this type of gift. For example, I sometimes receive whiskey or wine, but drink neither. While I do appreciate the thought - I end up passing them on.

You might also want to have the wines delivered to your offices and add a branded sticker to the bottle. Custom stickers are super easy to have printed online and delivered right to you.

So those are my ideas for great corporate gifts that should serve to network, market and strategically strengthen your working relationships.

What business gifts have you given that have seen a great return on investment? Share your corporate gifting tips and ideas in the comments below. I'll add great new ideas to this article in an honorable mentions section.