Businesses often give gifts to their major clients, employees and even potential clients. Reasons for awarding gifts range from acknowledging long-standing clients for their business to thanking a valued worker for working on their off-day or weekend. The primary reason remains the same: to promote relationships and improve the personal affiliation between the recipient and the giver. For businesses, there are plenty of corporate gift possibilities. Here are some of the favourites.

Food items 

They are quite common as corporate gifts. They bode well with the holiday seasons and can be carried home and enjoyed with loved ones. If you wish to win hearts and minds via the stomach, you should be creative. A good example is a tasty smoked salmon packed in a beautiful gift-box; just make certain your recipient is not a vegetarian.

Liquor and wine

These are arguably the old favourites as far as corporate gifts are concerned. After all, if your valued customer's pride and happiness is his or her whiskey collection, what better present than a fine whiskey or wine? Additionally, cigars are also perfect. A packet of the right cigars can build up an exciting business relationship with a cigar aficionado.

Office-related gifts

These may include items such as desk blotters and pen sets. They are simply safe bets and denote practicality and excellent taste. Be careful when considering art prints as well as other attractive items given that taste in office interior decoration is a personal and strategic consideration for many business people. There's no harm in asking what their taste in art is just to be on the safe side.

Tickets to live shows and sporting events

These often make fantastic corporate gifts as they provide a sort of excitement that will make you an idol in the eyes of a business associate or client. Nevertheless, you ought to be certain of your client's preferences.

Gift cards

They boast of much appeal if you wish to eliminate plenty of the guesswork out of corporate gift giving. They are available from quite a number of companies, they provide the recipient with much liberty of choice and they can be sent to all types of people. Gift cards, though they appear simple, they usually send a strong message of the thoughts and feelings held by the giver towards the recipient.

Always think hard prior to buying a corporate gift because it represents an effective relationship-building strategy. Try and find out about your client's preferences beforehand and this will guide you. Note that money is a no-no as a business gift. It's unimaginative, raises moral questions and comes across like a bribe.