Etiquette for Giving an Owner of a Business a Gift
Business owners often work long hours and spend large amounts of time away from their friends and family to ensure the success of their business. Whether you are an employee, a vendor, a business associate or an acquaintance, a gift to these hardworking people will be very appreciated, but must be balanced with appropriateness.
Other People Are Reading
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Technology
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Technology is the path of success for a business. Giving an owner of a gift of technology to help better his business is an innovative choice but must be done appropriately. Be careful not to assume the owner is out of the loop with technology, a basic guide on using a computer could be insulting if the owner is actually well-versed in computer technology. A web cam for holding face-to-face meetings over the Internet or a video camera to help add video components to the company website are well-thought-out business gifts.
Literature
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A book on leading a business or on leadership in general are appropriate choices. Refrain from comical and humorous choices, such as boss-bashing quips and jokes. Unless you have a thorough knowledge and experience with the business owner's sense of humor, refrain from books that walk the line of appropriate and incorporate questionable humor. A book can be uplifting and bring a smile to his face without invoking questions about his sense of humor.
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Personal vs. Professional
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Even if you have knowledge of the owner's personal life such as hobbies, tastes and family life does not mean you should capitalize on this to try and find the perfect gift. Business life and personal life are often preferred to be kept separate. Displaying any intimate knowledge you have of the business owner, while well-intentioned, could be misinterpreted as being prying. Stick to more generic choice such as a general book on golf rather than a lesson on improving a handicapped backswing.
Competition
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While you might believe giving the owner of a business a gift card to his competitor's store or a product of a competitor all in good fun, this may not be interpreted as such. Be wary of trying to poke fun at something the business owner likely takes very seriously. In business, competition can be devastating to your livelihood, therefore even if given in fun and good humor, poking fun at this competition may not go over well. Refrain from bringing a competitor into a gift that is suppose to be positive and light-hearted.
Expectations
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Gifts are tokens that are meant to be offered out of the goodness of one's heart, not with a hidden agenda or expectation. Do not give a gift with the intention of getting something in return. Whether it be a promotion, a business deal or some free or discounted products, it is inappropriate to give a gift with these thoughts of reciprocation. If the gift isn't given freely and without expectations of something in return, rethink giving the gift altogether.
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References
- Photo Credit gift boxes.christmas gifts. image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
