Six cool gift ideas your freelance clients will adore
As a freelancer, or anyone in business really, there are so many you want to create a memorable client experience—gifting is one of them! And with the holiday season just around the corner, we want to help you do client gifting well. Find out how to gift thoughtfully, and strategically this season with 6 cool gift ideas your clients will adore. By Haley Berryman.
But first, how to prep for gifting season
Depending on your budget, not all clients you’ve worked with may qualify for a gift. And let’s be honest, there might be some clients you love a little (or a lot) more than others! It’s totally fine to have a custom approach to each client and the gift you give. Here’s how I break it down each year.
Pull annual revenue reports for each client
I love to find out who my top 3-5 clients were that year, especially as there are a few on retainer and others that book repeat VIP days with me. Having this information helps you from a baseline for how you want to gift. But you can also break it up by service offering too, for example, maybe all clients who book a full brand identity get the same gift! You choose.
Don’t forget long standing clients too
Some clients may be in your world for a long time, and even if they didn’t spend much this year, they’re still very valuable to your biz. These are the people that come back to you first whenever they need something—they’re loyal (and that’s worth a lot). And they’re probably referring your incredible services to others too which is incredibly valuable. Don’t forget to give them a little extra love too.
Set a budget
Know what you can afford per gift, maybe your top three get a $200 gift while others get a nice card in the mail or digital gift. Maybe it’s a percentage of their spend. Really the choice is yours depending on what you can afford.
Individual gift or team gift
Does your client operate solo, or are they part of a bigger team? If they’re are solopreneur, I like to lean into nice self care or home gifts. If it’s a bigger corporate client who needs to share the gift with a few team members, a plant for the office to enjoy or chocolates to share around can be more suitable. If they’re in remote locations and you have a few stakeholders, sometimes small individual gifts can be a nice touch.
Shop your values
It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of the holiday season and splurge on allllll the pretty things. But don’t just buy for the sake of it. Make sure you choose something that aligns with your personal and business values. If you care about the environment, over the top packaging and single use items made of plastic aren’t going to feel aligned. Likewise if your client is big on heath and wellness, booze and cookies might miss the mark.
Now onto the fun stuff, six thoughtful client gift ideas
As a freelancer, you have the power to choose something fun, personal and values aligned. Here are some ideas to get you started from me and the Cool Wow crew.
Offer services from other freelancers
Your clients would no doubt benefit from the services of other friends and freelancers in your world. Why not showcase them by collating vouchers for free consults and you will be helping our your clients, but you might also win business for your talented pals too.
Create a custom gift pack featuring your clients’ goodies
What better way to showcase all of the cool clients you work with by including them all in a custom gift pack. This works well if you have a number of ecommerce or product based clients. Simply request as a contribution or buy at cost then bundle them together with your own personal style.
Donate to charity
There is a lot of unnecessary waste in the world already, so put your money behind a cause both you and your clients care about instead. Environment, animals, human rights, education, homelessness, mental health—the choice is yours.
A gift that grows
Flowers die, and sure…plants can too, but they have a much longer shelf life! Your client will think of you when they water their new beloved plant friend and you’ll brighten their day with a gift to love. Check out PlantGirl in Sydney, The Botanica Box for the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Northern NSW, and Hello Botanical for Melbourne or Geelong.
A magazine subscription
A subscription to a great magazine is a gift that keeps on giving. It helps your clients learn or unwind now and throughout the year. Breathe is good for clients that love mindfulness, Lunch Lady is a treat for that both parents and kids can enjoy, New Philosopher is perfect for the curious kind, and MindFood blends escapism and inspiration. The cool thing about magazines too, is that you’ll stay top of mind when it turns up to their door on the regular. Clever.
A good ‘ol gift box
Look, sometimes a beautiful box of goodies hits just the right note when it comes to client gifting. Try and align with businesses that consider sustainability too—think low-impact, sustainable, recycled and compostable materials and brands that make a conscious commitment to people and planet.
I love Claya for their beauty, wellness and lifestyle boxes, Retreat Yourself for their mini retreats in a box to encourage relaxation, Afternoon Pick Me Up for a nourishing gift box that feels like a big hug and Mettle who are a social enterprise that employs women who have experienced homelessness as a result of domestic & family violence.
Over to you!
What’s your fave client gifting idea?
Written by Haley Berryman
Almond latte drinking, nature lovin’, mama of two. Endlessly coming up with ideas for others. Hippy at heart. Shares personal musings on topics including freelancing, marketing, wellbeing and happiness. Says ‘babe’ way too much. Connect @haleyberryman__ or haleyberryman.com.