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Showing how much you appreciate your colleagues (Affiliate Link) and contractors is so important in a good give-and-take relationship. At the end of the year, is the perfect time to give creative colleagues (Affiliate Link) and contractors gifts. People will remember others that take the time to acknowledge them. This week, we will be discussing some creative colleague and contractor gift ideas that they will love and treasure. Feel free to share this post with other self-employeed people.
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Gift Guide and Tips Sections
Colleagues (Affiliate Link) will be divided into two categories: A person who works with you at the same level in the same company. Also known as a workmate, teammate, partner, etc… This could be a manager you coordinate with from a company you work with regularly. Or a peer owner who owns a business you may use regularly.
Meanwhile, working with subcontractors could involve people who work for you to help your clients (Affiliate Link). These people are usually sole proprietors or entrepreneurs who wish to be called subcontractors and have their own clients (Affiliate Link) besides you.
I divided the gift ideas into these two categories (Colleagues (Affiliate Link) and Subcontractors) to clarify what to give to each of these coworkers.
Remember to avoid the everyday gift-giving items – mugs, calendars, key chains, notepads, etc… Everyone has so many of these items, so try not to add to their clutter.
Note: The Amazon Associate links below are affiliate links. That means if you purchase something off of Amazon after you click through, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost. The other links in this post are just online stores I love. I will not get a commission from these stores. Happy shopping!
Click the sections below:
Can I deduct colleague or subcontractor gifts on my tax return?
Colleagues Gift Ideas
Colleagues (Affiliate Link) might enjoy hobby gifts. Think about the conversations you had with your colleagues (Affiliate Link). Was there anything that they enjoyed talking about? Did they mention activities they do with their kids? It may give you direction on what to give them.
Things like food are always nicely received. Make sure you purchase a general gift unless you know they are willing to take risks and try something new. Pick fruit or nut baskets that don’t have too much unusual stuff. No one wants to waste food.
Make the gifts unique but convenient to the colleague’s location.
I remember years ago, my boss gave everyone a gift card for a free ham to Honey Baked Hams Co., but what they didn’t realize is that I had to travel over half an hour to pick up mine. <sigh>
Note: If you have colleagues (Affiliate Link) in other states, consider visiting popular places near them and sending them a gift card.
Consider the recipients’ dietary restrictions.
Unique muffins or cupcake gift packs are nice gifts for colleagues (Affiliate Link). Especially if you are seeing them before the holidays, make sure you consider their dietary restrictions before buying these items.
You can easily find gluten-free options these days. Below is one idea I found on Amazon (affiliate).
Buy Now → (Affiliate Link)
Another option is to create DIY mason jar dry ingredients mixes. They are also a creative way to share food items. If you find a recipe you like, you can make it in large quantities and save even more. I made a few of them over the years. I recently made one to give to family, clients (Affiliate Link), and friends. HOMEMADE FRENCH VANILLA CHAI TEA MIX GIFT JAR DIY
Using what you know about the person to determine the gift is the best way to show them that you care.
Now, let’s discuss the gifts for Contractors.
Contractor Gift Ideas
You probably don’t always see your subcontractors, so keeping their gifts small and easier to ship will save you time and money.
I had clients (Affiliate Link) send me things like a locally made fruit platter. Others gave me funds so I could pick my charity. Read the article “The Act of Giving Makes a Nice Gift if done correctly” from the New York Times for more advice on the topic.
Other clients (Affiliate Link) have sent me products from Small Batch Kitchen. They are out of Lansdale, PA. They offer things your subcontractors may enjoy. The entire family loved it.
We also enjoyed sending food from popular local businesses like Di Bruno Brothers in Philadelphia, PA.
You can also give these subcontractors gifts from online stores. Some of my favorite stores for giving unique gifts are Uncommongoods.com and Etsy.com. You can purchase them and then ship them directly to them.
There are also places to ship things like wine or beer. If you live in PA, you will need to ship wine through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control website for recipients in Pennsylvania.
Can I deduct colleague or Contractor gifts on my tax return?
Remember that you can only deduct $25.00 per person as a gift in a calendar year. Read more about the details on the IRS website. If you wish to give to these people, run it by your accountant to see how much is OK to spend and how you should do it.
I hope this post helped you decide what creative colleague and contractor gift ideas you can give to them. If you want more ideas, visit our other gift ideas posts.
