Corporate houses do everything possible to garner goodwill during the festive season. These are the times when companies gift their employees and clients. For example, to let their employees enjoy the Navratri festival, they even gift free passes for occasions like ‘Dandia Raas’.

Navratri, the season of nine nights, is celebrated with much glitter and glamour. It entails traditional dance types like garbas, dandia with the devotional songs in respect of Mother Amba and Mother Kaali. The people come together to have the blessings of the eternal mother, celebrate her presence within them and wish each other. Even celebrities join in the celebration of this traditional ritual of dance.

The profile of employees has become younger so it’s not surprising that several firms opt to celebrate such joyous occasions in the campus itself. Many companies join in the celebrations by gifting them traditional Navratri robes and free passes to the nine festive nights.

Many corporate houses sponsor local Navratri groups as part of innovative marketing methods to join the camaraderie during Navratri. Many of them come up with novel ideas like ‘designer dandias’.

True essence of corporate gifting is embedded in the fact that companies want to build a good relationship with their clients/customers. If the act of gifting motivates employees, corporate gifting at another level is part of a larger marketing & branding activity. It helps reconnect and re-establish a relationship with the key clients.

Festivals are a form of gettogether for most people across India. Festivals like Holi, Diwali, Christmas, Ganesh Festival and Navratri are rituals that are celebrated with great fervor, fun and frolic. This is the time of the year when corporate gifting takes place in a broader social context imparting a larger meaning to it. It acquires a whole new connotation during the festive season.

Gifting clients on such occasions is a must to spread brand identity and generate goodwill. Corporate gifting during  festivals is an opportunity to grow a company’s business that must be fully capitalized.

Tags: Business etiquette, Gifting events, Corporate gifting, corporate gifting for employees, Gifting occasions, corporate gifts companies, business gifting, business gift baskets, Business Gifting
Corporate gifting, gifting etiquette

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As the festive season begins with Ganesh Chaturthi in the months of August-September each year, it his a crescendo in the next couple of months with popular festive occasions like Navratri, Diwali and Christmas.

The mood of celebration and joy lasts well up to December and extends right into the new year. This is the time for corporate entities to uplift the spirit of their employees and celebrate the festive season by involving them in all the glitter and glamour.

The festive season essentially marks as a perfect to increasing the relationship and the bonding with your employees. Most corporations take this opportunity to spread goodwill. Many of them come up with different incentives to strengthen the bond with their employees.

The ideas include a festive bonus for Diwali and New Year or even a performance linked bonus. The latter may be in cash or kind i.e. a corporate gift, or even both. Business houses looking to retain their efficient employees and reduce their attrition rates, come up with attractive ideas to encourage them.

Such schemes that boost the team spirit help increase their productivity market and ultimately the company’s core value as a brand. Many corporate entities use the festive season to achieve the same. The top managements realize the importance of this and even opt to celebrate the festivals in-house with their employees.

The best way to seek their participation in such festivities is to present them with apt corporate gifts. No surprise, many of them make plans to order gifts on a large scale for their employees well before the festive season.

This exactly is the reason why Giftex show is held every year in the months of August-September. For those keen on sourcing the best corporate gifting options, Giftex 2009 provided the perfect opportunity.

If you have missed out on the event, there is no need to worry. The site will act as a perfect touch point to access the best from the corporate gifting industry. 

Tags: business gifting, Gifting events, low cost gifts, business gift baskets, corporate gifts companies, gifting etiquette, gifting to clients, Best business gifts, Cheap corporate gifts, promotional products

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Gift cards are just one among the various types of prepaid cards that are offered by banks. Other types comprise forex cards like those offered by HDFC and SBI. They can be utilized for purchases and cash withdrawals in the requisite foreign currency overseas.

Other prepaid cards are meant primarily for corporate entities and not individuals. For getting a gift card, you need to fill a basic form and hand over the identity proof plus the cash to any local bank branch. You will be issued it on the same day.

You need to check about the fees and limits, if any. Processing your gift card application incurs a fee. The amount is in the range of Rs 100 to Rs 200. It varies from one bank to another. The amount is higher in banks such as IDBI and Axis, where the activation fees are one percent of the amount that is loaded onto the card provided the card value is more than Rs 10,000.

You can get a gift card for any denomination, from Rs 500. The ceiling on the gifting amount varies depending on the bank you approach. The cap roughly ranges between Rs 10,000 (at banks likes HDFC) and Rs 50,000 (at Axis and ICICI).

Though the gift cards are supposed to be easily available at all local bank branches, this is not always the case. Smaller bank branches may not stock gift cards at all times. The personnel there may ask you to visit the main branch. Also, your cheque may take an additional day to be processed and the card will be activated only after that.

If the gift card has been presented before the activation has been done and if the receiver immediately uses it, the transaction will be declined.

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We have already discussed how to use a gift card, but you may want to know how and where to purchase one.

Purchasing a gift card is indeed hassle-free. You just need to visit your local bank branch, fill in a form and pay cash or issue a cheque. You are not even required to have an account in the local bank branch in order to get a gift card. You do need to, however, carry xerox copies of identification and address proof along with passport size photographs.

You need to carry the cash equivalent to the worth of the card you intend to gift. Once you pay the cash, it will be loaded onto the card. Of course, the job will get that much simpler if you have already an account in the bank because then no proof is required. Also, the amount will be directly transferred out of your account, from your account in the bank.

Activation of your gift card will take a day or so. In case the money is paid through a cheque, it will take one more day before the cheque is cleared and the card is activated.

You need to visit your local bank branch, fill in a form and pay the money for a gift card to be activated. Are there any hassles in the process that you need to be aware of before getting a gift card?

Well, not all banks, especially cooperative banks, offer the facility of prepaid gift cards. Most leading banks do offer this facility, just to mention a few - IDBI, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, and SBI, among others.

Though the whole procedure is simple and, theoretically, should not take more than an hour, you can run into practical issues like identity proof. So avoid getting a gift card at the very last moment.

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In one of our previous blog posts, we checked the various features of a gift card that make it user-friendly. We shall continue with our informative series on gift cards that are perfect for personal and corporate gifting.

As we have explained, a gift card offers flexibility to both the receiver as well as the giver. Importantly, it is not limited to one time usage. It is valid to be used on more than one occasion, and at different shopping avenues, for purchasing items of varying amounts until, of course, the card exhausts its value.

Check for their validity as these cards invariably come with an expiry date. Of course, the time span allowed to use it is quite extensive. It can be anywhere between a year to five years depending on the issuing authority.

However, it makes sense to use a gift card without delay because rising inflation can eat into its value as the cost of something you want to purchase might well increase before you know it.

If you fail to use its full value and there’s any amount balance on the card after the date of expiry, the bank will most probably return the amount pending after deducting certain fixed charges.

Also, banks usually impose a time limit after the expiry date within which the gift card must be returned to it in order to collect the balance amount. If the outstanding amount on the gift card has been used up fully before expiry, you should return the card to the bank.

If the card carries substantial amount of value, it may become a tedious task to constantly keep track of the amount spent and the balance remaining on it. To overcome this issue, each card carries the Internet banking user name and secret password, as well as a personal ATM pin.

The balance amount may be checked either through the issuing bank’s ATM services or its net banking facilities. We have discussed how to use a gift card, but you may want to know how and where to purchase one. We shall check the details in the next blog…

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Here are some more thoughtful gift ideas for your teacher on the eve of Teacher’s Day tomorrow (September 5).

Painted Glass Vase: Using your imagination, you can recycle a jar into a nice gift vase or pretty pencil pot, which will add some color to your teacher’s desk. The materials you need for creating a gift vase are a clean, empty jar, paintbrushes or cotton swabs, acrylic or liquid tempera paints, white glue and clear glaze, which can easily be available at a craft stores.

First, make the acrylic or oil paints stick to the glass, mix them with white glue. (Keep the color solution thick so it won’t drip or run.) Outline a deft design on the jar. Using cotton swabs or brushes fill in the colors. Use a paper towel to sharpen the painted edges before they dry up. Seal the finished jar design with a coat of glaze.

A few simple steps and just an hour’s time, that’s all it takes for your wonderful gift to be ready. You can also present a personalized flowerpot made of a clean, dry terra-cotta pot. Sketch a nice design on it with a pencil. Then decorate it with oil pastels.

For a more colorful and attractive base, brush on a smooth coat of acrylic paint first, let the paint dry overnight, and then color on the pot. As a finishing touch, add a flowering plant to the pot before presenting it to your teacher.

Pen & case set: You can present your favorite teacher, principal or mentor with a pretty pen and case set. It’s an essential tool they will require each day. This gift combines practicality with creative design, and hence is perfect!

Academic glass nameplate: You can go for a solid-glass nameplate that will make a lasting impression. Ensure that it is meticulously and correctly engraved with your teacher’s name and, if possible, along with a personalized message.

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Instead of buying a ready made gift or even a greeting card, you can use your creativity and come up with an off-beat, handmade and customized gift to express your gratitude toward your school or college teacher on the occasion of Teacher’s Day. Here are two simple ideas that will make a wonderful gift with a personal touch.

A note of gratitude: Another interesting idea to make your teacher happy on this special day is a note of gratitude. Think about what make your favorite teacher so special and which are the attributes for which you respect him or her so much? Jot down your thoughts neatly. Teachers would appreciate the fact that you offer your heartfelt thanks.

Picture it forever: Take a picture of your class and put it nicely into a special or even simple picture frame for the teacher to proudly hang up in the classroom or retain in his/her home office. You can opt to personalize the frame with the teacher’s name and your feelings about the teacher engraved. Ask an artistic student to paint it right onto frame.

Memory album for your teacher: Here is another variation of the above idea. You can put together a memory album for your teacher. Take a photograph of each student creatively against a nice background; develop the roll of film right away.

You can then have many colors of scrap-booking paper cut into same sized triangles for the students to choose from and to write a message for the beloved teacher. Each kid will also sign his or her name on their triangle.

You can then put the photographs and the matching triangles together in a creative album that will make an everlasting memory. You can title the first page with your teacher’s name, class and the year. It will sure prove to a big hit as the teacher can share it with his colleagues and family members as well.

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Teachers Day is right here in the first week of this month. As a sign of respect and tribute to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, his birthday is observed all over the country as Teacher’s Day in India.

We have been celebrating Teacher’s Day on September 5 since 1962. Dr. Radhakrishnan was considered one of the most learned persons and a great scholar and teacher of his times.

You can thank your teacher, coach or guide who has been a great source of help, inspiration and motivation to you. Here are some really thoughtful and nostalgic gift ideas that your teacher will definitely appreciate.

Picture it forever: Take a picture of your class and put it nicely into a special or even simple picture frame for the teacher to proudly hang up in the classroom or retain in his/her home office. You can opt to personalize the frame with the teacher’s name and your feelings about the teacher engraved. Ask an artistic student to paint it right onto frame.

Memory album for your teacher: Here is another variation of the above idea. You can put together a memory album for your teacher. Take a photograph of each student creatively against a nice background; develop the roll of film right away.

You can then have many colors of scrap-booking paper cut into same sized triangles for the students to choose from and to write a message for the beloved teacher. Each kid will also sign his or her name on their triangle.

You can then put the photographs and the matching triangles together in a creative album that will make an everlasting memory. You can title the first page with your teacher’s name, class and the year. It will sure prove to a big hit as the teacher can share it with his colleagues and family members as well.

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Teacher’s Day is celebrated in India on September 5 as a sincere tribute to the hard work and devotion of the teachers. The occasion is dedicated to the first ever Vice President and the second President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. He was known to be a passionate advocate of education to all.

Here are some of the touching themes we have collated for you from online greetings sources. You can pick the one of your choice.

Love You Shower: Give this card to your teacher and shoe your love and respect to him or her.

Sincere Efforts: Appreciate your teacher for his or her unconditional support & efforts through this card.

You are my parents at school: Thanking you for being there.

Your helping hand…: Express your gratitude to your teacher.
Adjectives for a TEACHER: Express the respect you hold for your teacher.

Dear Teacher, Remembering You With…: A Thank you card! 

You Have Helped Us…: A card to your favorite teacher.

God Understood our…: Tell your Teacher that he is the best through this Card

Helping, guiding and tutoring me…: Wish a very happy teacher’s day!

You have always shown me the right way: Show your gratitude.

The Best Teacher!: For your all-time favorite teacher.

Award For A Teacher…: A charming way to make your teacher smile.

Guidance And Support!: Thank your teacher/ teachers for all what you have got from him/ her/ them.

Really Can’t Be Like You…: Send this fun card to your teacher and make him/ her smile.

You’ve Been A Friend…: A beautiful message for your teacher who has been a friend to you.

Missing You…: A cute ecard to let your teacher know how much you miss him/ her even after leaving the school.

‘Happy Teachers’ Day!’ greetings serve as an expression of our gratitude towards them.

Teachers’ Day wishes sure will make a touching gesture.

Take this opportunity to wish your teacher/s with some nice greeting cards and ecards.

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