If you are not the business owner, make sure you know your company's policy and the recipient's company policy on gift giving. A lot of companies, especially if they are or works with government (city, state or federal) have policies on how much you can spend on a gift as well as the value of a gift you are allowed to receive; sometimes even the type. For example, government offices usually do not allow cash gifts. This typically means no gift card either - even if it is just Starbucks! So make sure you know the policy before choosing what to give or what you or your recipient can accept.

2. Look and Listen for hints

This is the number one piece of advice that I give to anyone, even if it is not a corporate gift. Notice if someone wears a certain color more often then not, do they wear certain accessories all the time (IE: a broach or a tie clip), listen during conversations or meeting for things the person may enjoy doing (IE; eating at a certain restaurant, playing golf, gardening). These are just some examples. When you look for the clues you will be amazed how easy it is to get just the right gift.

3. Try to get something that the person would not get for themselves

I know, this is sometimes easier said than done. Sometimes it is just a matter of a change of color or a trinket. One time I worked for someone on a particularly large project. It lasted for a few weeks and I definitely did some overtime on making sure the project was done right and on time. As a reward the person bought me a handbag. Now I know what you are thinking, "what is the big deal about a handbag?" Well, the handbag was a beautiful aqua blue color. Even though I would have never purchased that for myself I loved it! I use it all the time to this day and it was still a practical gift. It was that simple to get a completely appropriate gift and still put a personalized spin to it.

4. Make sure you like it

This is by far the simplest rule. If you don't like what you are giving as a gift, odds are the person you are giving it to will not like it either. This isn't always the case but it a good rule of thumb.

5. Think outside the box

It is really easy to get the typical office gift - a pen, a paperweight and golf balls. When you think outside the box your gift becomes more memorable, which in turn makes doing business with you more memorable. You can still stay within the realm of regular gifts and be original as well.  more