I am quoted in this article titled “Christmas in July” published by Lawn & Landscape Magazine:
About half of small business owners planned to give gifts to customers last holiday season – in one of the worst economic climates in history, according to American Express OPEN’s Small Business Holiday Monitor. Why? “Entrepreneurs understand the importance of showing appreciation for customers’ business especially during tough economic times,” says Alice Bredin, American Express OPEN business adviser.
In the green industry, more than half of respondents to a Lawn & Landscape online poll say they give gifts, but 40 percent say it’s always last-minute – they wait until the fourth quarter to decide what to give. Thirty-eight percent don’t give gifts at all, and 20 percent select gifts in the third quarter.
July – the first month of the third quarter – is upon us, so we thought we’d provide a client gift-giving guide to help the 60 percent of you who plan to purchase your client gifts over the next six months.
Frances Cole Jones, author of “The Wow Factor: The 33 Things You Must (And Must Not) Do to Guarantee Your Edge in Today’s Business World,” also suggests giving at a time other than the holidays.
