BOOKS

BUSINESS

COMPUTING

ENTERTAINMENT

EVERYDAY

FAMILY

HEALTH/BEAUTY

HOUSE/HOME

LEISURE

SHOPPING
Baby Gifts
Children's Gifts
Teenage Gifts
Men's Gifts
Women's Gifts
Gift Vouchers
Flowers
Misc. gifts

 

USEFUL STUFF

Christmas Sales  

Christmas is the biggest retail time of the year, but it still takes effort to make sales. If you are in party plan, try these ideas for increasing bookings and sales.

Being prepared is more than a motto for the Scouts! It makes good business sense, and preparing for Christmas sales as a party planner will save you time and stress in the long term.
 

Christmas Promotions

Christmas is a great time for sales, but unless people know your business exists, they won't buy anything from you. Now is the time to let people see who you are and what you sell.

Christmas Gift Giving 

For Christmas gifts, try to keep business and personal separate. If you have friends in your business, give them gifts as a friend away from the office.

Think about who to give Christmas gifts to. Some people to consider are regular clients, major clients, suppliers, support staff, couriers, cleaners, mentors, people you network with, people who have referred business to you, business partners, senior staff, professionals who help you and joint venture partners.

Set your self a budget for Christmas gifts. Once you have a budget and an idea of how many people you want to give gifts to, you can decide how much to spend on each gift.

Don't forget the staff who have got you through the year - your assistants, receptionists, mail room staff and so forth. Check out our Corporate Gifts and Office Professionals' Day Guides for some nice ideas to reward your staff's efforts and loyalty.

Giving gifts as a business can be tricky, but here are some guidelines and ideas to start with.

Christmas card giving 

Christmas cards are a great way to keep in touch with clients and suppliers, as well as people you network with.

  Whether you use individual cards or have some made to your corporate image, the best course is to hand write a message on each one. It doesn't have to be a long message, but something more than "Dear John, From Mary" is worth the effort.

Some sources of cards are:

Christmas Functions

Xmas Party offers ideas and tips on where and how to hold your office Christmas party this year. Don't leave it too late to organise!

Developing a Christmas Feel

It doesn't have to be a huge fir tree, but having a Christmas tree somewhere in the shop of office is a welcoming and warm touch. It could be a small tree on the reception desk or a fully decorated tree in the centre of the room, but it does add to the feel of the season. Take your pick between tree decorations that are colourful or perhaps go for understated style with simple white bows and a silver star on top.

Christmas decorations are a great way to brighten your shop or office. The bright colours and change from the ordinary often brings a smile to people's faces, as long as it's not in September anyway! Think of it this way, if your shop looks Christmassy, customers are more likely to feel in a Christmas mood and buy more gifts...

Christmas web graphics Free to use graphics to give your website a Christmassy look!
 Courtesy of 

Add this free java script to your website for a Christmas tree with random light patterns to brighten it up.

Get involved yourself, along with your staff. if you serve in a retail shop, why not wear some Christmas earrings, a Santa hat, some tinsel, or at least dress in traditional red and green. And remember to smile and wish everyone a Merry Christmas, no matter how busy and tired you get.

Christmas Giving

Christmas is a great reminder that we have plenty when others don't. So why not use Christmas as an opportunity to help others, and perhaps encourage others to do likewise. Here are some ways you can give to everyone this Christmas.

Tear Australia helps people in poor countries learn and develop sustainable lives for themselves and their families. For as little as $5, you can purchase school books for a child and receive a Christmas card to give in return.

Barnados Foundation for Children runs an annual Star of Wonder Christmas Gift Appeal so that every child receives at least one new gift for Christmas. It's not much to ask for, is it?

World Vision offers gifts that will aid the poorest people in the world for Christmas and beyond.

The Salvation Army Christmas Appeal are a worthwhile place for money and goods your business can do without.
 

Christmas Organisation

As Christmas approaches, people tend to get busier with social events, present buying and end-of-year commitments and tasks.

Before getting overwhelmed with the whole season, consider the tips in this Silly Season article.
 

Other Christmas Ideas (not directly business related)

  Eating at Christmas can be overdone, but you can make food and Christmas a healthy experience without losing the pleasure of the event.

Helping Children learn how to say thank you by giving at Christmas time

Making a Baby's first Christmas something to be treasured

Tips for having an

"I will hold Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." - Charles Dickens