It might not feel like it, but the holiday season is right around the corner! Businesses will soon start planning for their annual holiday gift giving. But every year, companies feel like they’re scrambling to put together great employee and client holiday gifts. That’s why we encourage businesses who are serious about holiday gifts and want their gifts to shine, to start planning right now.
The Stress of Last-Minute Holiday Gifting
When I first started Fun Gift Boxes, I noticed that a lot of companies were placing their orders late in the year—as late as December. And I quickly discovered how stressful it is to plan gifts that late in the season. And that’s not ideal for you! Giving a client or employee gift that time of year is a great gesture that can help you and your brand stand out. Make it easier on yourself!
5 Reasons to Start Planning Holiday Gifts Now
It’s crucial to start the conversation about holiday gifting earlier. Aside from the time it takes to package your orders to perfection, there are many other variables that come into play. Some of those variables we can’t control (like the annual craze at the post office!). To avoid the last minute hassles and have a delightful order experience you don’t want to wait until the last minute. Here are the top 5 reasons not to wait:
- Shipping Delays. Perhaps the most obvious reason to plan early is to avoid the dreadful shipping delays. Last year with COVID-19, shipping delays took on a whole new meaning. All shipping guarantees go out of the window, even with expedited shipping. And you just can’t predict disruptions in the supply chain these days. In some cases we’ve seen gifts ordered in early December taking over three weeks to be delivered. The probability of a gift getting lost in the mail system is also a lot higher that time of year. When your business has a specific delivery date in mind, this isn’t something you want to gamble with.
- Inventory Shortage. Our vendors also get incredibly busy during the holiday season, and many have a production cut-off point of November (some are even earlier!). All of our vendors are small businesses, and on top of producing gifts for us, they have their own customer base to satisfy. Many simply can’t meet the demand. And those who do have the capacity, often experience material shortages. We pride ourselves on our diverse selection of products, but in Q4 the selection of available items really narrows down.
- Packaging Design Takes Time. We are currently the only gift box company that offers a full graphic design and branding service. We don’t only add a company logo on top of a box, we design the entire thing. And this can take time—upwards of a month.
- Corporate Approvals. When purchasing gifts in larger quantities, there are usually several stakeholders who need to weigh in on the decision. Everything from approving the budget, gift selection, and the gift box design. Sometimes it’s an easy process where one person has the final say. Other times it requires several meetings with decision makers. Please be mindful of this at your own company and allow enough time for stakeholders to have their say.
- Preparing the Recipient Shipping List. If you’d like us to ship the gifts on your behalf, you’ll need to prepare a shipping list of all the recipients. Oftentimes this step is forgotten until the end, and then it’s a scramble to pull this information together. It may not be a big deal if you’re ordering a dozen gift boxes, but as the quantities increase it becomes a bigger deal. After all, what good is a beautiful gift box if it doesn’t get delivered to the correct address?
Find the Perfect Corporate Holiday Gift
Now you may be thinking this is a lot to keep in mind. But don’t worry! Fun Gift Boxes is here to help you prepare and plan properly. So if you’re thinking of giving out unique and memorable holiday gifts this year, let’s get the conversation started today!