Updated: November 17, 2023
‘Tis the season to give another company-branded mug to your clients.
Nope, that’s not right. We can do better than generic holiday gifts this year!
There are many holiday gift ideas for small businesses that will make your clients happy.
And—the best news—it doesn’t have to break the bank.
Whether you’re a solopreneur or a business owner, here are 12 cost-conscious gift ideas for small businesses that your clients will actually love.
How to Choose Good Holiday Gifts
What makes a gift great? We can all think back to some of our favorite gifts over the years. Chances are it was something special and unique or something super useful.
And that’s what a good gift is all about—giving people what they want or need. This means that your holiday gift ideas for small businesses need to be one of two things:
- Useful: Something practical and needed by your clients.
- Creative: Synonyms being awesome, unique, cool, or fun. Basically, you want something besides the generic things people already own.
A good gift is something people will enjoy and not just stuff in their office desk drawer.
Beyond that, a good gift can be an important marketing tool. Branded gifts that meet the above criteria are a way to get the word out about your business. It can increase brand visibility and show something about your company’s culture, mission, or values.
Choose the right branded gift, and your clients can’t help but think of you every time they use it. And—bonus—the more they use it, the more other people will also see it.
25 Holiday Gift Ideas for Small Businesses
We’re focusing primarily on holiday gift ideas for small businesses or solopreneurs to give to their clients here. But, these gift ideas can also be used for your colleagues, too!
All these holiday gift ideas for small businesses meet at least one of the two criteria listed above—useful and creative. Many of them have the option to add some branded marketing element to them as well.
1. Travel accessories
Ideal for the traveling professional are accessories like a leather passport and document holder. These upscale and sleek options are practical and will help keep your clients organized while they travel.
- Go deeper: Websites like Etsy or Amazon have a variety of options to consider, including personalization options like name or initial engraving.
2. K-Cup coffee sampler
Coffee is a crowd-pleaser of a gift, but take it up a level by gifting a K-cup sampler pack for your client to use with their Keurig and enjoy different flavors and blends. You can buy variety packs on Amazon.
- Branding opportunity: You can also create custom K-cups with your company’s logo through companies like Imprint Items.
3. Essential oil diffuser
Bring your client some zen this holiday season with an essential oil diffuser. Depending on the type, essential oils can help you destress and stay calm while purifying the air and making a room smell great—ideal for any office space.
- Go deeper: Use this list of the best essential oil diffusers to compare your options.
4. Bento box
Bento is a Japanese single-portion packed meal and bento boxes—lunch containers with small compartments—have become popular in the US for their convenience. Your clients will appreciate an upscale bento box to inspire them to pack healthy and delicious meals from home each day.
- Branding opportunity: Personalize a bento box with your client’s name or add your company’s logo with Monbento or Baudville.
- Go deeper: You can learn more about bento boxes and recipe inspiration from this Masterclass article.
5. Bluetooth speaker
Whether it’s listening to calming music for focus, upbeat tunes to energize, or an interesting podcast during a break, there are so many ways professionals can use a Bluetooth speaker in their day.
- Branding opportunity: Add your company’s logo to the speaker by ordering from companies like CustomUSB or 4imprint.
6. Food Gift Baskets
You can’t go wrong with a high-quality and delicious food basket. It’s particularly meaningful if you choose something you know they really like (i.e., specific baked goods, cheeses, snack items) or pick something up from a local establishment.
- Go deeper: Here’s a list of the best food baskets that break the norm and offer something unique to your client.
7. Coffee table book
If your client has a private office or space where they take meetings, consider gifting a coffee table book. It’s both interesting decor and a meaningful conversation piece for years to come. You can personalize it by adding a handwritten note or message on the inside cover.
- Go deeper: Choose something related to your client’s industry or location, if possible. You can also check out this guide of the most giftable coffee-table books for inspiration.
8. Custom golf balls and tees
If you know your client likes to golf—or is planning to start—get them some custom balls and tees to use. You can also make a point to invite them out for a round of golf to deepen your professional relationship.
- Branding opportunity: Add your logo through Par Golf Supply.
9. Indoor putting green
Continuing on the golf theme is an indoor putting green. It’s perfect for golf enthusiast clients who want to practice their strokes. Sometimes getting up and moving around is a great way to boost creativity and focus, so your client will be thanking you!
- Go deeper: Check out this list of the best indoor putting greens to compare your options.
10. Photo books
If you’ve put on an event like a product launch or party for your client, consider commemorating the event with a custom photo book. Mixbook makes it easy to upload photos and create a simple but memorable album they can flip through and enjoy the stroll down memory lane.
11. E-reader
Though one of the more pricier gifts on this list, an e-reader is a great gift for your special clients, especially if you know they love to read! You can pair it with a cover or an Amazon gift card (either cash or for Kindle Unlimited) so they can purchase a few books, too.
12. Gift card
Okay, so gift cards may be the “lazy” option on this list, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering! Since there are so many types of gift cards out there, you can choose something that aligns with your client’s interests, needs, or industry.
- Go deeper: Think outside the box and consider gifting one of these unique and thoughtful gift card ideas.
13. Cocktail shaker
If you know your client enjoys trying out new cocktails, why not pick up a personalized cocktail shaker? You can pair it with a liquor of choice and your own favorite cocktail recipe to follow.
- Branding opportunity: Etsy has a few options to order cocktail shakers with engraved or stick-on logos.
- Go deeper: Check out these classic cocktail options for some inspiration.
14. Book and handwritten note
Most professionals consider themselves lifelong learners. And reading is an important way to do this.
Pick out a book that impacted you personally and combine it with a handwritten note mentioning your takeaways and why you’ll think they’ll like it. It’s a great way to bring something simple and personal to your client.
- Branding opportunity: Choose a custom-designed card with your company’s logo on it. VistaPrint has a number of creative options and templates.
- Go deeper: A book you personally love is best, but you can also check out the top-rated books of 2023 for inspiration.
15. Potted plant or flower
This gift is only useful to people who have their own office space or, for example, a dedicated desk at a coworking space. A small potted plant or flower is a great way to spruce up your workspace! Succulents are a low-maintenance and attractive option.
- Branding opportunity: Create a custom, branded pot with your logo; check out Lively Root, who designs corporate plant gifts.
16. Custom-label coffee, tea, or wine
Choose your poison and spruce it up with a creative custom label. Your client will appreciate the high-quality drink and will remember you when they sit down to unwind to enjoy it.
- Branding opportunity: A custom wine or coffee label with your company’s logo or slogan can make a big impact. Zazzle, for example, is an online platform that lets you create custom labels.
17. Notebook
We know, notebooks are a pretty common gift. But if you give your client an upscale, high-quality, customized notebook—that’s a different story.
- Branding opportunity: A platform like Etsy allows you to choose high-quality products to add your logo to.
- Go deeper: Check out this comprehensive review of the best notebooks of 2023 to choose something your client will love.
18. Meeting room credits
Give the gift of a productive workspace. Meeting room credits at your local coworking space is a gift they’re sure to use. We’d love to have you and your clients join us here at The Post if you’re local in Tucson!
If your clients are entrepreneurs or contractors, they’ll appreciate a fully-equipped meeting space to get work done.
19. Portable charging dock
The battle against battery life is a real problem for busy, on-the-go professionals. A sleek portable charging dock or pack is a highly practical solution to charging up devices.
- Branding opportunity: An online service like 4imprint lets you put your company logo on the device.
- Go deeper: Check out this guide to the 18 best portable chargers for all your devices.
20. Subscription service
Consider a gift that keeps giving each month with a subscription service.
- Go deeper: Some good client options include Audible, Calm (meditation), Book of the Month, or Blinkist (an app that gives key ideas of the best business books in minutes).
21. Online classes
There are so many awesome online learning platforms today—you can learn just about anything! Gift your client with some online classes, either something specific you know they’ll appreciate or access to a platform.
- Go deeper: Check out the article we wrote on 9 low-cost online learning platforms.
22. Ergonomic office gear
Anyone who works in an office or at a computer most of their day knows the aches and pains of a sitting-heavy job. Consider lightening the load with a thoughtful gift of ergonomic office gear!
- Branding opportunity: Depending on what you buy, you may be able to customize it with your company logo.
- Go deeper: Depending on your budget, this could be something like a lumbar support cushion or a standing desk table topper. Here’s a full list of essential ergonomic gear for a home office.
23. Charitable donation
Depending on your client, a charitable gift in their name may speak volumes. Pick a charity that aligns with their company’s values and vision; a local one in their community is ideal!
- Go deeper: If you’re local to Tucson, we’ve previously profiled some charities and non-profits in the city in our Corporate Social Responsibility guide.
24. Custom Tile Tracker
Your clients are busy, on-the-go professionals. It’s easy for things to get lost in the hustle and bustle! Get them tile trackers to clip onto their keys or purse to make sure nothing gets lost again.
- Branding opportunity: Add your logo to your custom-designed tile tracker (option available here).
25. Event tickets
Experiential gifts are always memorable. Consider purchasing tickets to a conference in the industry, a concert for an artist you’ve connected over, or a local event in your community. This may come with a higher price tag than some of the others, so reserve it for your most important clients!
- Go deeper: If you’re in the area, you can check our monthly Best of Tucson event roundups to see what’s happening in the city.
The best gifts are those that people will use and enjoy. And, branded gifts can be a great way to boost brand visibility and get the word out about your company.
We hope this list gives you some holiday gift ideas for small businesses that your clients will love!
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