One doesn’t normally think about business Christmas cards in February. February brings visions of snowflakes and candy hearts for Valentine’s Day. However, the mild temperatures are making the predictions of one certain Pennsylvania groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, seem silly. Six more weeks of winter? If it continues like this, everyone will welcome it!

So with a prediction of six more weeks of winter, it turns my mind to Christmas cards in February. There are many reasons to order your cards early. One of the best reasons is that because this is the off season, cards are offered at greater discounts. This is a winning situation for both business and customer. Employers are able to keep employees productive and customers reap the benefit of lower costs. Ordering early also gives you the best selection of cards. When waiting until peak season to order, you run the risk of that special card being sold out. During the holiday season we usually feel rushed with way too many things to do. Before you know it, you are in complete panic mode and wondering how you are going to get everything done.

While everyone else is scrambling in November to get their Christmas card order in, you can devote your time to other important matters. Just don’t forget where you stored your cards!

I don’t think it’s possible that anyone could receive too many Christmas wishes.  With so many families separated by hundreds or even thousands of miles, cards are the main way we are able to personalize and send greetings.  My holiday was brightened tremendously by  not only receiving  a card from my distant family, but also company Christmas cards from a local ‘mom and pop’  hardware store that I shopped frequently when I lived in that town.   Imagine my surprise when I opened the envelope to find a Christmas card complete with a picture of the store and the owners who still run the place inside.  The greeting was, “We all miss you here, but wish you well as you embark on your life journey”.   I have to admit, it made me quite homesick for a while, but as far as cards go, I’d have to say that one is my favorite.  I plan on keeping it out all year for motivation and inspiration to follow my dreams.

In my opinion, it’s great to receive these types of cards. Even if you receive business Christmas cards that aren’t as personal as mine was, you can be sure that the company behind them values you as a customer or colleague and truly does whish you and yours well.  After all, isn’t that what the holidays are about?

About two years ago I moved from Danbury, Connecticut to Seattle, Washington. This was a big step in my life. I was starting a new career and moving away from all my friends and family on the East Coast. After a couple months at my new job the holidays rolled around and I received beautiful company Christmas cards. The quality of the card was outstanding from the paper, to the raised design, to the writing inside. I was in awe. I was also caught by surprise because I had never received a holiday card at my old job, in Connecticut, and I had been an employee there for 4 years. This immediately made me feel special but I could not get over the quality of this card.

The next year the holidays rolled around again and I get another Christmas card from my boss. This time the card was even more dazzling. It came on blue paper with silver snowflakes and the inside had silver writing. I couldn’t resist asking my boss where he got these cards from. He told me The Gallery Collection. That day I visited the website and found hundreds spectacular cards. I knew right then I wanted to share these cards with my family.

This year I am sending all my family back on the East Coast some of these beautiful Christmas cards. I am selecting a card that has a breathtaking picture of the Seattle skyline. I love this picture because it will really give my family back home an idea of what I get to see everyday and how much I love it here in Seattle. So, don’t think corporate holiday cards are just for at work. Give them a personal touch and I’m sure your family will enjoy them as much as I have.

So you think not sending business Christmas cards this year is a good way to help save money in this recession? Think again! Now is not the time to cut back on your advertising. Sending Christmas cards is one of the best ways to increase your company’s visibility in a most economical way. In fact, now is the time to increase your mailing list. The companies that will make it through these tough times the best are those that are able to retain as many clients as possible, and sending cards is one of the best ways to accomplish that. Send Christmas cards, send Thanksgiving cards, send birthday cards – all of these will make a big impact on your recipients.

Not sure which cards will have the most impact? It’s really not that tough, just try to decide on the overall message you want to convey. The Gallery Collection offers a great array of designs from traditional to light-hearted, so you really can’t go wrong. We’ve even categorized the offerings to make your choice as easy as possible. You’ll see categories for Business, Personal, Themed, etc. You can choose whether you prefer to say Merry Christmas or a more generic Season’s Greetings wish. You can show your clients that you care about our environment by choosing a card from our Eco-Friendly category. You can’t go wrong with whichever design you choose, but you can go wrong if you don’t send your corporate Christmas cards. And remember, if you ignore your customers, they will go away!

Tis another Holiday Season before us …Bah Humbug! Another year of  business Christmas cards. It seems like the same old cards get sent year after year. But alas! I actually received  beautiful corporate Christmas cards from a company I had done business with in the past. It was one of the most intricate pieces of art I have seen in a long time. I sat back in my easy chair, read the card, and held onto every word. These days it seems that everyone is way too busy to really embrace the holidays, especially in the business world. So when I received my Christmas card I was thrilled to see that although I had not done business with them for a while they still took the time to remember me.

I was so excited about my receiving my Christmas card that I nearly forgot about all my family members coming to celebrate the holidays with me later that evening. I knew I had to get ready and had just remembered that I forgot to pick up the traditional holiday centerpiece for my table. I would have to think of something, and fast. There was no time to run back out. I hurried to gather everything needed for a warm and inviting family gathering, the fireplace was lit, the hors d’oeuvres were placed strategically around the table, the wine was chilling, Christmas lights and decor flavored the room, and the centerpiece of it all…. my business Christmas card!

There are a number of good reasons I send corporate holiday cards to my customers. The rationale is simple; it’s good business. I use them to impress my customers with the fact that I truly appreciate working with them and working for them. At a time of year that’s all about goodwill, sending a card is a great way to connect with the VIP’s of our business…the customers. Christmas cards work for me, but for bigger companies with a more diverse customer list the solution is easy; go with more general holiday cards.

The biggest problem I have is selecting a card! But it’s time well spent, because there’s only one thing better than sending the card, and that’s sending a card that really gets noticed. I get compliments on the cards I send every year; how stunning they are, how original, nostalgic, sophisticated, etc. What started out as a sincere effort to say “thanks” turned into an amazing marketing tool. It’s a  real win-win proposition.

I’m usually pretty traditional with my selections, but this year I might go out on a limb. I’ve been looking at a couple Christmas cards for business on black paper. With bright gold, green and red foils they’re really attractive and classy. They caught my eye right away, and I’m thinking they might be just the right touch this year!

We have all heard of the age old saying, “It’s the thought that counts.” You would usually refer to this saying if you receive something that you either did not want or felt someone put very little thought into presenting you with. The same comparison can be made about holiday cards for business. You get a card, open it up, and it is so flimsy that you only response can be, “Well, it’s the thought that counts…I guess.”

When a company chooses to order their holiday cards from The Gallery Collection, they are demonstrating the fact that they care about the message that they’re sending to their customers and clients. They can choose from many appealing and appropriate designs. Next they can select a greeting from the many offered, or they can customize their own greeting. Next they choose the coloring of the print inside from one of the lovely ink choices or elegant gold or silver foil. A company can further personalize their corporate holiday cards by adding a company logo or employee signatures.

From the time the recipients open up one of these holiday cards and see the elegantly lined envelopes, and after pulling out the card and seeing how beautifully it is adorned, they will realize that this is a card experience like no other. Once they feel the weight of the sturdy card and proceed to open it they will be excited by the elegance within. They will definitely know that a lot of thought went into the selection of that card and that their business relationship with the company was appreciated.

As a business you do have the option of buying a box of ordinary holiday cards, but when your customers receive Gallery Collection business holiday cards, they will know that they were well thought of…and that is what really counts!

I love getting Christmas cards – the pictures, the messages, the feeling you get each time you open one and realize someone was thinking of you.  These feelings aren’t just for family, friends and neighbors.  Christmas cards for business are also a big part of the season.  When people have so many choices as to who gets their business, its heartwarming to know you are appreciated.  Actually, a business Christmas card does double duty.  It lets customers know how much their loyalty has meant over the year, but it also puts their name back in the customers’ minds.  Remember, the holidays are a hectic time of year – everyone searching for just the right gift.  Sometimes that card arriving at the opportune time could be just what the doctor ordered.  Some businesses keep their names in customers’ minds all year long by sending a calendar card – another great idea.

I know around the holidays I sometimes get a card with a little something tucked inside.  Dare I say it, but these are my favorites.  Advertisements of special sale dates or coupons are a real treat.  Businesses know that you’ll spend the coupon money and more, so for them, it’s “win/win”.

And what about a card from your doctor or dentist?  Sometimes those visits are a little nerve racking.  But lots of us end up having a wonderful relationship with the folks in those offices.  I know for the holidays each year, my mom bakes cookies and delivers them to her doctors and their staffs which is her way of saying thanks for all the help during the year.  So, a card from them says they are thanking and thinking of her too.

Some people are skeptics and think businesses are cold, but clearly getting business holiday cards says the exact opposite.  Someone spends quite a bit of time choosing just the right card – be it a wreath, tree, bells, or something a bit more whimsical – maybe penguins decorating a tree – to send that holiday message.  So actually, quite a few people have their hand in making your holidays a little brighter just by sending you a Christmas card.

I’m not a sentimental person. In fact, my co-workers would be more likely to describe me as a cynic by nature; always playing “devil’s advocate”. Holiday cards meant little to me, especially the ones from my employer. I always thought they were just an attempt to get everyone to work harder.

I changed my mind last Christmas.

It was a snowy morning, and it had been snowing much of the night. I was just getting around to opening the mail from the previous day, and had one envelope in my hand as I looked out my back window at the falling snow. The landscape was bleak. An ominous sky, deep snow, icy bare trees. A scrawny evergreen provided the only sign of life. I opened the envelope in my hand and it was this year’s corporate Christmas card. Without thinking I took minute to look at it. On glossy white paper was a photo of a brilliant red Cardinal on an evergreen branch. It was in an embossed “window-like” frame, with sparkling snow falling and a simple “Season’s Greetings”. A classic and timeless scene: the beauty of nature braving the harshness of winter.

Then, I had to smile. When I looked out the window again, there was a hardy Northern Cardinal in the evergreen, brightening up the yard…and my day. The card in my hand had come to life! I’ve been singing a different tune ever since. Maybe I am just a little bit sentimental after all…  Live and learn!

Corporate Christmas cards help spread holiday cheer to clients and patrons alike. And they can be good for business too, seeing as they are a great way to advertise. But during the holiday season, it’s a good idea to share some of that Christmas cheer with the people who help make your business possible—your dedicated employees!

I’ve been working retail the past three years, and, most of the time; it feels like a thankless job. Let’s be honest, there isn’t much glamour in cleaning out messy fitting rooms. And sometimes, customers can be rather…interesting, to put it nicely. It’s hard not to feel like just another cog in this well-oiled machine, being that I have sales goals to hit, and levels of service to reach. Every day. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. The under-appreciated life of a sales clerk.

But there is hope! I work for a company that sends out company holiday cards. My bosses take the time to show us that they do value the work we do, and sometimes, all it takes is a small token of appreciation to help you make it through the day. And they don’t just stop at holiday cards. I’ve also received cards for my birthday, and one card every year for my job anniversary. It’s nice to know I work for a company that cares about me.