Picture this: You have been working on a deal for months and it finally just closed. You want to send a gift to the client, but it has not come across your mind until now. You need the gift now. If this is a relatable scenario, then you are not alone. The truth is, last-minute corporate gifting is not necessarily a failure in schedule, but a fact of life for business. In a business setting, it is simply unavoidable that unpredictable scenarios come up.

Next-business day delivery can be crucial to make sure your gift arrives on time. More than that, it is an elegant and reliable solution for business professionals that want to give a corporate gift to any individual. In a world of business rush, nobody wants to worry about shipping logistics for corporate gifts. Instead, you can choose next-business day delivery on corporate gifts to make everything simpler. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of next-business day delivery and solutions that work best for any company looking to give corporate gifts.

Why Speed Matters for Corporate Gifting

Corporate gifting is important for several reasons. It strengthens business relationships, boosts employee retention, reinforces brand identity, and much more. With something so important, why should corporate gifting be left to a company that may take days or even weeks to ship the gift? Timing can be everything when it comes to corporate gifting strategy. The longer a gift comes after the date, the more it feels like an afterthought or an unprofessional mistake to your recipients. Recipients may have high expectations, which are fueled by the rise of next-day delivery. In an increasingly digital world, next-business day delivery has changed from being a rare, lucky find to being an expectation. Recipients now expect timeliness and may feel ignored if they have to wait a long time.

The problem only gets more complicated when dealing with branding. Branded corporate gifts often have a high impact on the recipients and remind them of your brand. Most companies don’t offer branding in such a short time, however, Shadow Breeze offers free personalization on many items, along with branded boxes. And despite the work involved, branding doesn’t delay orders, meaning they can still arrive by the next business day, or whenever you want them.

Top Corporate Gifting Occasions That Are Easy To Miss

Let’s face it- sometimes it can be easy to forget about the gift until it might feel too late. To have the same impact, it is ideal that the gift arrives as quickly as possible. The easiest corporate gifting times to miss are:

Client Onboarding Agreement

Client onboarding.   

Client onboarding is a crucial time in any business relationship. The client just signed the contract and might be nervous about whether they made the right decision or if they should try to get out as quickly as possible. A well-timed gift can help soothe their fears.

Employee onboarding.

The worst thing you can do with a new employee is have a bad first impression. If you are late with the gift, the employee might see the company as inefficient, sloppy, or unprofessional. It can be difficult to remember to send onboarding gifts to all the new employees being hired, especially in larger companies, but punctuality is key to improving employee retention.

Holiday gifting.

This might seem confusing since it is the same time every year. However, many companies experience a holiday rush that can make it easy for gifting to be an afterthought. It is always better to start your gifting process before the rush starts so you do not forget.

Successful deals.

The time right after a new deal happens can be exciting. You should make sure that you celebrate the occasion before the energy dies down.

Business anniversaries.

Whether a year or five years, business anniversaries are an important thing to celebrate. Rewarding clients and employees for their loyalty can help remind them why they work with you, increasing employee retention and strengthening client bonds.


What to Look For In a Last Minute Corporate Gift

When looking for a corporate gift, there are many things you need to ensure if you want to perfect the process and reduce any stress involved. The first, of course, is punctuality. When looking for a corporate gifting partner, you should ensure that your partner has expedited, next-business day shipping as an available option. For example, with Shadow Breeze, almost all orders placed before 2 PM ET ship out the same business day.

Another thing you should look for is personalization and branding. Most other corporate gifting partners will either not offer personalized items, or have restrictions. These restrictions may include extra time constraints or an extra fee for any personalized items. While impersonalized gifts are still good choices, many businesses prefer personalized ones for the extra brand recognition and improved ROI. Shadow Breeze excels in branding corporate gifts quickly.

The third thing you should look for is scalability. Many corporate gifting companies have a minimum purchase quantity, which is fine if you’re ordering a lot of gifts, but not if you only want a few. Your partner should allow you to choose whatever quantity you need for your business.

Of course, different companies might have different needs. For example, if a company is gifting to a large, diverse group, sometimes it is best to choose a “Let Them Choose” gifting portal such as Breezy Gifting. If you have a value that is important to you or your brand identity, you should focus on choosing gifts that align with those values.

 

Your Last-Minute Corporate Gifting Solution

At Shadow Breeze, our team offers a large variety of products and curated selections. Our gifts are curated by gifting experts to ensure they are functional, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing to both you and your recipient. Next-business day delivery allows you to have peace of mind rather than worrying about shipping logistics. We also offer free personalization on our items to help you and your brand stand out. Curated gift boxes can allow your company to have uniformity in their gifts.

If none of our expertly curated gift boxes are perfect for you, we have a “build your own box” section where you can build the perfect gift for clients and employees. With many thousands of possible combinations, we guarantee you will find something perfect for your recipient. Whether you want a few of the same gift or a lot of different gifts, our gifting experts will take care of the hard part while you just have to choose your items.

Let Them Choose Their Own Gifts

Though if you want a more individualized gift, nothing works better than a “Let Them Choose” gifting portal. These are designed specifically to make it as simple as possible for you and as satisfying as possible for your recipient. The process is simple: once you purchase and send the gift, your recipients will be emailed a link through which they can pick their gifts from a large, curated list. There are 4 different price ranges which Shadow Breeze offers: $50, $75, $100, and $150. These price ranges make sure you are able to get a gift within your company’s budget. This solution is perfect for any company with large recipient lists or unknown preferences.

 

Pro Tips for Stress-Free Corporate Gifts

Having only a short period of time to order and choose gifts can be stressful. Here are some tips to make your gifting campaigns stress-free:

  1. It’s almost always better to ship too early than too late. If you’re worried about time constraints, you may want to pick a shipping method that allows for quicker arrival, such as a next-day-air option.Infographic describing various dates to send end-of-year corporate gifts
  2. Keep a calendar of important gifting dates. Whether it’s work anniversaries, closing dates, or client milestones, keeping a list of important dates will always help you to ensure your gifts arrive on time.
  3. Order gifts in batches. If you decide to go for a uniform gifting experience, it is a good idea to order gifts in batches. This will make sure that you have a gift for the occasion, no matter how sudden or unexpected it may be.
  4. Use a “Let Them Choose” gifting portal like Breezy Gifting. If you are ever unsure about your recipient’s preferences, or simply want to take the guessing away from yourself, it’s a good idea to choose a Let Them Choose portal.

Conclusion

Sending a gift in a short time frame can be stressful. Shadow Breeze makes it easy, sending out almost all orders placed before 2:00 ET Monday-Friday same-day. A last-minute gift isn’t a low-quality gift, you just need the right corporate gifting partner to help ensure your campaign is smooth and successful. Shadow Breeze offers next-business day shipping with free personalization or branding that won’t slow down the gifting process.

FAQs

1) Can I really get my gift delivered the next business day?

Yes, when you order by 2:00 PM ET Monday - Friday, and select Next Day Air shipping, your gift will arrive the next business day.

2) If I add my logo or other personalization will it delay my gift?

No, branding or personalizing your gift will not delay your order. All branding and personalization is done in-house to ensure quality and speed.  

3) Can I ship to multiple addresses on one order?  

Yes, you can ship to multiple addresses on a single order with our Multi-Address checkout.

4) Do you ship nationwide?

Yes, we ship to all locations in the USA and Canada.  

5) Is there a minimum order quantity for next-business day delivery?

No, there is no minimum order quantity. You can order one gift or 100 gifts. 

6) Can I send branded gifts last minute?

Absolutely. All personalization and branding is done in-house, so even custom-branded gifts ship the same business day when ordered by 2:00 PM ET.

7) What if I'm not sure what to send?

No problem. Our Let Them Choose portal lets your recipient choose their own gift from a curated selection. It's a great option when you're short on time or unsure of preferences.  Just purchase, and we will send the link immediately to let them pick.  

8) What if I miss the 2:00 PM ET cutoff?

Orders placed after 2:00 PM ET will ship the following business day. If you need it to arrive as quickly as possible, selecting Next Day Air at checkout will still get it there fast.

 

 

Matt Graham