Every employer will receive a variety of corporate gifts they do not want at some point. However, instead of throwing them directly into the bin or allowing them to go to waste, you could potentially make a cash lump sum from the items, which you can reinvest back into your business.
1. Sell the Items Online
The likes of Google like to present marketing companies with corporate gifts. For example, every year the search engine giant presents their AdWords’ partners with holiday gifts such as Christmas lights, or they will present books, pens and more at various corporate events. However, there are some big Google fans out there that would gladly pay good money for those items. So, why not sell them on the likes of eBay, Amazon or Craigslist for a small or large profit.
2. Gift Cards
Many clients like to send their suppliers gift cards during the holidays as a thank you for their hard work and service over the year. Many business owners might simply place the cards in a drawer and have no intention ever to use them. However, doing this is a mistake because your company is missing out on a monetary amount, even if it is just a small one.
As we all know, every little helps when it comes to the profit margin. So, grab those unwanted cards out of the drawer and sell your gift cards online. Once the money is in the bank, you can reinvest the cash into a sponsored Facebook promotion, employee travel expenses or to simply treat your staff to a round of drinks after work.
3. Re-gift the Items
If an item doesn’t have company branding, you could always re-gift the item to another client. For example, if you have a stationery client that presents your company with various notebooks, pens or diaries, you could always wrap up the items and send them to a key client. You can guarantee the client will appreciate the kind thought, which could help to improve your relationship and secure their business.
4. Present the Gift to an Employee
Employee morale is a fundamental factor in business productivity. If morale is low, then your performance levels will be just as low. So, instead of leaving the items to go to waste in a box or drawer, why not give the items to a valued member of staff? An employee is bound to be touched that you thought of them, which means they will feel more satisfied in their role and will work harder for the company. Now, you cannot possibly put a price on that!
There is no such thing as a bad corporate gift, as there will always be someone who will appreciate the item even if you do not. So, sell the item online, re-gift it to a client, trade a gift card for cash, or present the gift to a member of staff, which will help you to boost your annual profit margin.
Community manager at Visual Contenting. Jacqueline loves to talk about social media trends, new technology and how they help businesses accelerate their marketing efforts.
