Running a small business is tough these days. During uncertain economic times, you need to be constantly keeping an eye on your bottom line. Although you want to show your employees they are valued and appreciated, you need to do it on a budget. But just because you are looking for ‘cheap’ gift ideas for your employees doesn’t mean you have to give them the impression that you’re cheap.
There are several ways you can show appreciation to your employees without breaking the bank. Here are nine gift ideas that are both affordable and will make your employees happy:
1. Free Movie Tickets
Fandango.com is a great place to get movie gift cards for employees. A night out at the movies for two with popcorn and drink in most parts of the country for around $25. If your employees are movie lovers, this is a gift that is sure to please.
2. Get Your Employees Fit in 2013 with FitBit
FitBit.com has a device called the Zip Wireless Activity Tracker (available for $59.95) that tracks all your steps taken, calories burned, and distance traveled throughout the day. These stats can be kept online and on certain smartphones like the IPhone 4S or 5. FitBit’s Activity Tracker keeps people motivated and moving toward their fitness goals. And it does so in a fun way. We all know that the reason most people do not go to the gym even after spending money on a membership is lack of motivation, and this device helps solve that problem.
Okay, before you object to this idea on the basis of cost, there’s something you should know; you can have a song written about an employee and a video made of someone singing that song for only $10. How, you ask? Through the wonderful world of Fiverr. If you’re not familiar with Fiverr, you need to get to know them. It will open up a whole new world of possibilities for you.
For an employee gift, there are a number of fun and bizarre things folks are willing to do for $5. From puppet rap videos to ‘Scrabblelized’ video messages, the possibilities are endless. Some requests will require more than one ‘gig’. For example, having a song written, then sung on video may cost you 2 gigs or $10, but it’s still a dirt cheap way to make your employees feel really special.
4. Office Snacks for the Workplace
Just about everyone loves to snack while they’re at work. You can get your employees personalized M&Ms with a custom logo for only around $15. For a healthier option, check out Nuts Online. If you have a little bigger budget, Harry & David have customized chocolates, cakes, fruit baskets, and several other foods your employees may enjoy.
5. Buy your employee's domain name
In today’s information age, everyone wants the opportunity to make their voices heard. But sometimes it takes a little guidance to get them set up. Just go to NameCheap or some other domain provider (we recommend avoiding GoDaddy for your sake and your employees!) and register their .com name or whatever other extension is available. Example: joeworker.com or janeworker.net.
6. Give Your Employees Their Own Blog
If you have employees that are sociable and spend a lot of time on sites like Facebook and Twitter, then a personal blog would be a perfect complement for their online experience. And the best part is that it’s easy and cheap to set up.
We recommend BlueHost for WordPress hosting. Wordpress Academy training (use code REVOLUTION1 for a 50% off discount) will help them learn the skills they need (which could also benefit your Company). Once up and running, they can link their blog with their social media accounts and have more fun online.
7. Gift Cards to Well-Known Retailers, Restaurants, and E-Commerce Sites
Gift cards always seem to go over well with employees. Everybody loves to shop, and everyone can make good use of a gift card. There are several options to choose from in finding the right gift card for your office. Amazon sells just about everything imaginable, so they would be a good choice. You may find a wide variety of restaurants and retailers at sites like Giftcards.com and Restaurant.com (where you can get $25 restaurant gift certificates for $10).
8. Tech Gadget Accessories
Whether your employees are Apple or Android fans, Geekorize has a nice selection of accessories that will please tablet, smartphone and laptop users. My favorites are the iPhone credit card case, USB car charger, BlueLounge docks/cableclips, and SuperShell cases that make tablets indestructable. For the best stuff, click on Top Sellers on the navigation bar.
9. Fab gifts from cool designers
I love the shopping experience and products on Fab. They can make anything look stylish from a shower curtain, to a knife set, to even an eye mask. Get a unique gift from every category you can imagine. They've added a Holiday tab that allows you to search for gifts by budget, person/gender, or even interests (such as Food Lovers, Pet Lovers, etc).
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