Friendship Day, as we are all well aware, is a day of celebrating your ties of genuine friendship. It’s a significant occasion that fortifies the bond between friends. The day is not far away. And you may well be thinking of an appropriate gift idea for the occasion.

Instead of going for a rushed, last-minute purchase of flowers, here are some gift ideas to work on to make your friend happy.

1. An eclectic picture perfect photo frame with nice personal touch can be presented. Rummage through old photo albums! Reprocess an old birthday, anniversary or a picnic. An intelligently conceived, calligraphic text will make it look classy.

2. Mouse pad with a message is also worth considering. Many computer accessory stores readily customize the mouse pad with photos or illustrations of your choice. You could redo a ubiquitous penholder or mug in the same manner.

3. Burn a CD of your friend’s favorite duets or solos or classic poems. A music CD with personalized messages sneaked in between songs for you friend will make him or her special. Customize the CD cover with a childhood picture that you can source from your family album.

4. Get a personalized piece of art if you friend is an art lover. Gift him or her one of those beautiful, original prints.

5. Engraving your feelings or simply your initials on a gift will make it a memorable and treasured one. A generic gift may not stand out, but it is possible to give a complete twist to even the simplest and commonest of gifts, making them appear fantastic! For example, by engraving a bracelet or a pretty key chain with a special message for your friend, you can make him or her happy.

Gifting your friend something he or she has been thinking to buy for a while is a perfect way to capture the spirit of the day.

With a bit of thought and imagination, you can come up with an interesting Friendship Day gift ideas.

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In our previous blog, we carried details of a news report, stating that the Zoozoo creator Vodafone Essar intends to release official Zoozoo merchandise with the help of leading retail chain Shopper’s Stop.

Branded character merchandise is a territory not many retailers want to tread upon because of the peculiar market conditions. One of them is intellectual property issues. Customer care associate & chief executive for Shoppers Stop, Govind Shrikhande, elaborated that character merchandising is rather easy to copy. There isn’t much control over violation of IP rights.

According to him, film merchandise has a shelf life of roughly two to three months whereas character merchandising is more challenging, particularly if the official merchandise is costly, thereby prompting the demand for their cheaper knock-offs. He estimates that the branded merchandise market is in the region of around Rs 1,050 crore.

Character merchandise has worked successfully in case of the Disney and other you can make your brother, both a cricket and Zoozoo fan, happy with a ravishing Zoozoo rakhi like SpongeBob, SquarePants, Ben 10, and Hanuman etc. The official Zoozoo fan club page on Facebook has over 3 lakh fans. Such branded merchandise works well for brand promotion. It reinforces the image of the brand.

E-commerce site Indiangiftsportal.com stocks products that feature the Zoozoos. Its MD Manan Sharma claims that his efforts to get an official license for Zoozoo merchandise failed. But he is not worried about infringement of IP rights? According to him, they are simply making the Zoozoos popular so there shouldn’t be a problem?

On the other hand, online merchandiser Myntra Designs Ltd has been a tad more cautious. Their creative designers contribute their own ideas and the site has rejected several Zoozoos based T-shirt designs owing to copyright issues.

Irrespective of pros and cons of the debate, the good part is that you can make your brother, both a cricket and Zoozoo fan, happy with a ravishing Zoozoo rakhi.  

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In today’s hectic work life, your friend or colleague sure would appreciate an offering that eases up their workload. Smartphones are essentially for those who demand literally everything at their fingertips from jazzy voice services to handy productivity-enhancing features, and that too without compromising on the cute looks. There are ample handsets to gift in this category as well.

An overwhelming variety of handsets available in the market only makes the decision even more challenging for those looking to gift something to smartphone lovers. To simplify your task, here is a look at two of the most suitable business phones you can consider for the purpose of gifting.

Nokia E75: the complete multimedia offering
It is a good choice because with it users find easier to adapt to a familiar-looking interface. However, the unique feature that sets Nokia E75 apart from other phones is its ability to allow integration of messaging and email services. Follow a simple three-step process and one is all set to support up to no less than 16 email accounts and this along with third party email solutions like Gmail and Yahoo! Another key feature is a 2.4 inch landscape slide-out keyboard. It will make life a little simpler for executives. You can get this device for Rs 26,299.

Blackberry Storm 9500: A good choice in the business phone category
Blackberry Storm 9500 is another excellent choice that closely follows the leader. Priced at Rs 27,990 it is available on Vodafone networks. The device can serve as a valuable upgrade for those who love Blackberry. Storm can though, disappoint conformists who think that a physical QWERTY keyboard is irreplaceable.

The entire screen of Storm acts as a virtual keypad. Browsing the web, playing music and reading emails is a doodle on the 3.25” screen. The Storm has other usual corporate features like push email as well as administrator control.

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This post will offer more details on the concept of gold ETF and how this instrument can be an indirect opportunity for buying gold bullion to the person whom you gift it.

Generally, the price of one unit of gold ETF represents roughly one gram of gold. These are passively managed funds hence their NAV will basically track the gold price in the open market.  The holder can buy and sell the units just like one would buy and sell shares.

Despite recent correction after a sustained rally, gold prices are expected to firm up further over the coming few years. This will lead to a corresponding increase in the NAV of gold ETFs. Especially owing to the debasement that many countries are subjecting their respective currencies to, bullion would emerge as a valuable asset.

Investment expert Sandeep Shanbhag noted in a recent article: “In times of turbulence, gold has gained over almost 57% in the last couple of years. The moot question is: does it really make sense to invest in the metal at current levels? Look at gold ETF as an investment essentially as a hedge against inflation and its virtue of negative correlation with other asset classes such as fixed income securities, commodities and stocks during uncertain times.

When markets are erratic and unpredictable, the wise thing to do is just to step up exposure to an asset, which would infuse a semblance of strength and stability to the portfolio. The simplest and probably the most efficient way to do this is investing in a gold ETF.”

However, you should weigh its pros and cons. For example, investors should not look at gold on the basis of returns in a small time frame. Give them a long enough period to multiply your wealth. This won’t happen overnight. Someone looking to give a meaningful gift sure should consider gold ETFs.

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Of all the things that are now associated with Easter - jelly beans, Easter bonnets, bunny rabbits, and other tasty treats - the egg is probably the most significant.

It stands for fertility as well as new beginnings, in line with Easter (The resurrection of Christ) Biblical significance.

The festival gets its name from the goddess of Spring and dawn, Eostre, worshipped by pre-Christian Saxons. Her sacred animal was stated to be the hare that explains the Easter bunny’s importance as well.

It’s more of a cultural significance, which has seeped into our lives. People often tend to equate Easter eggs with new life, quite in the same way the Christ rose from the dead for starting a new life.

Easter eggs and sweets have somehow diminished the Easter’s significance, some believe. Easter eggs, the think, are a practice adopted from the West and commercialized, taking away the real meaning and spirit of the occasion.

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In the previous blog, we checked how plans can make a perfect idea on eve of the International Plant Appreciation Day on April 13. In this article, we try to find out how to pick a perfect plant for gifting.

You may be considering annuals, biennials, bulbous plants, cacti, bonsai, succulents, climbers, ferns and creepers, grasses, bamboos, palms, cycads, or flowers’ hanging baskets. Whichever type you go for, you need to be meticulous in your selection. Here are some tips for picking a perfect plant to gift:

You should invariably get healthy, fresh plants while considering them for gifting either to your client, business friend or colleague, or else the ‘green’ gift would turn meaningless. Healthy perennials or shimmering shrubs grow fast, and seem pleasing to the eyes.

Knock the plant you select gently out of its pot. Also, check the roots. A healthy plant will give a filling look to the pot, but it won’t be ‘pot bound’. Avoid those with circling roots or are densely packed and no compost being visible. Leaves of the plant you choose need to be lush green. Watch for pests and infections. Warning signs are discolored leaves, ragged edges or holes in leaves. Avoid plants that carry broken branches or stems.

Ornamental shrubs won’t flower. They are for attractive outlay. Because of their evergreen foliage and ornamental look, they draw visitors. They can be trimmed into various attractive shapes and sizes. Among the popular varieties are Juniperus, Eranthemum, Tuja compacta, Crotons and Aralia.

Hybridized rose plants also make a good gift. Their varieties are miniatures (just a foot or so tall), climbing types (can climb well up to 50 feet), standard tree roses, yellow roses (tapered buds, spicy fragrance) and pink roses (glossy, dark green foliage). White and reds roses are also a visual delight!

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

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‘What do get as a gift for your man?’ This the question women often ponder over with no definite clue. Though there is no unique or even generalized solution, you can certainly learn from experience or get tips from your more experienced friends. 

In fact, there was an interesting article on this topic by writer Joanna Lobo titled ‘The ordeal of buying gifts for men’ that appeared in the DNA News recently. The writer had a rather curious statement to make.” Ask a woman to climb a mountain, she will willingly do it. Ask her to climb it backwards; she may not do it, but will definitely give it a try!  However, ask the same female to get a gift for her husband/brother/boyfriend, and she may perhaps balk at the idea. For most females, getting gifts for their men is rather an arduous job.”

The main reason is non-availability of ideal gifts and also the fact that most men tend to shy away from memorabilia. Women will gush over how the clothes, jewelry, or a small knick-knack gifted to them. They will exclaim that it fits perfectly in so & so place or how the gifted item will match one of their particular outfits.

However, gift a showpiece to a man and his first question would be “where to put this?” The article quotes computer engineer Sandeep Bamane who faced this dilemma. Two of his enterprising friends presented him with a penholder.

It was a skeleton that held a basketball. “They thought it would be useful for me. But I hated it,” was his reaction. Many may believe that gifting a guy something weird and wacky is preferable. But that again does not always hold true. So what is the way out? We shall check out tomorrow…

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Mickey Mehta is among India’s renowned Holistic Health and Fitness trainers for more two decades. He has revolutionized the very concept of Wellness and has redefined Holistic Health by implementing innovative ideas and subtle changes in lifestyle.

He uses Vedic philosophies effectively coupled with the therapies of Tao, Zen, etc. for complete transformation. Some of his top tips as listed on the website are:

• Have vedic diets completely vegetarian with fruits and vegetable juices, sprouts & hot water with ginger and honey. Eat natural, fresh, unprocessed foods.
• Herbs like tulsi, aloe vera, ginseng, wheat grass bolster immunity. They suppress infections.
• Instead of eating 3 meals daily, go for 4-5 small, light meals. Eat every 3-4 hours so as to regularize your blood sugar levels. Never skip meals, especially your breakfast.
• Bananas are recommended for those who are hypertensive in nature as they are low in sodium and high in potassium. They are rich in fibre and provide instant energy.
• Cut down on alcohol as well as aerated waters. Switch to vegetable juices, herbal teas, unsweetened fruit juices and coconut water. • Physical activity helps you immensely. People tend to overeat to overcome feelings of depression and anxiety. Exercise will release endorphins (feel-good hormones).

The fitness guru has listed on his website many such valuable tips to keep your mind and body in shape. In these highly stressed times, making someone close to you to an alternative lifestyle can be the most precious gift you can give. You can contact Mickey Mehta for a switchover to ensure the well-being of your near and dear ones, which is worthier than any expensive gift object under the circumstances.

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Gift is a voluntary act that does not ask for anything in return. In Everyone’s life there are happy occasions that one wants to remember throughout one’s life. Gifts make such occasions memorable.

It is said that the price tag of a gift does not decide its worth. It’s the sentiment and the sincerity that counts. Yet all of us are curious to know how the big and mighty celebrate the special occasions in their life and what kind of gifts they go for?

Not long ago, we had published a blog entry that reported: “If you happen to be David Beckham and are shopping for your moody wife, what is it that you will come up with to pamper her? You do not just spring for her some fine wine, you rather pick up the entire winery. And this is what exactly Beckham did.

Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man (despite the market crash and erosion in the market capital of his group companies including the flagship firm Reliance Industries Ltd) reportedly gifted his wife a swanky Luxury Jet that was complete with a sky bar, fancy showers and entertainment cabins on her birthday. He gifted to Neeta Ambani $60 million Air Bus on her 44th birthday.

And there are rumors that he is even planning to gift her plush $1 billion home on her next birthday, It is going to be a 27 storey home with a health club, six floors of car parking and helipad.

It remains to be seen whether there are any changes in the plan owing to the turbulent times. But then gifting is all about celebration…even in tough times. There are many such instances of lavish gifting when it comes to biggies and celebrities across the world. We shall list a few next time.

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While it may not be the most important factor for men, everyone likes a well-wrapped gift. Women like it for the art of proper presentation and men look upon it as a sign of respect and recognition of their status. No matter what you buy, add a personal touch to it, make the packaging attractive, without going overboard. After all, this is your boss and colleagues we are talking about.

There are a variety of papers to choose in the market today, but don’t even look at the ones that have dancing teddy bears and floating hearts and candy sticks on them and avoid the bright ones that need you to wear sunglasses before you can glance at them. Go for sedate patterns like stripes and the checkerboard effect and muted colours like a deep, matte red, rust orange and pale yellow.

Use the bows, but keep them to a discreet size.

When going for more easy-going patterns, stick to polka dots, geometric designs and you can even create your own paper with the company logo for your boss.

Wrapping up gifts in boxes is infinitely better as a hard casing sub-consciously portrays a more professional approach than a soft one.

However, don’t let your creative mind despair – there are certain occasions that you can safely go jazzy for:

Colleague gets promoted: Now’s the time to go for the super-shiny stars that proclaim him to be one!

Colleague gets married: Bridal red, jhatak gold, shiny silver are the wedding colours you can unabashedly use for this occasion; go creative with your selection of wrapping patterns as well. Oh, and bring on the floating hearts as well!

Colleague is set to become a parent: Now you can go for the dancing teddy bears.

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