Business Gifts - 23 Tell Which One Was Best
by Ron Ameln
For some entrepreneurs, it was a book that transformed their sales team. For others, it was technology, like a Palm Pilot or CRM software. For others, it was attending a free seminar. Regardless of the gift, savvy entrepreneurs have turned an act of kindness into a productivity tool.
We asked a group of entrepreneurs to share their best gifts and how those gifts helped them in business.
Darren Clay, Tri Mech
“My wife gave me an educational disc titled, Small Business Complete. After being in business for two years, I often find myself reading and comparing my business experiences with the examples provided in the program. Sometimes you need a reminder to apply yourself to the best of your ability.”
Iris Salsman, Salsman Lundgren Public Relations
“When I first started out in business, Mike Fishman, owner of Krawll Printing, invited me to attend a mini-course sponsored by Printing Industries of St. Louis. In just a few short weeks I learned everything about typesetting, printing presses, ink, paper, graphic design and binding. Over the years that information has saved me thousands of dollars in costly mistakes, and the printers and designers I work with appreciate the fact that I can talk their language.”
Gladys M. Schubach, GMS Incentives, L.L.C
“The best gift I received was a magnetic calculator/pen combo. The case allows you to screen print your company name on the outside. So, when you close it, your message is read by your client. It’s the coolest product, and people are just dazzled by its practical use and its entertaining packaging. It has opened up many conversations, which led to many sales. The other item is a letter opener, which I hand out at each appointment. It is very simple, but my clients tell me they use it all the time.”
Lisa Paden, The Personal Gift Basket Company
“The best gift I have received that helped my business grow was a paid ticket to a Cheri Reagor’s Basket Connection Convention this past July. To be around others who had the same drive as I did to make their companies successful was fuel for me to make strides I never thought I could. I absorbed so much from others who are successful and were willing to help me be successful too. It was the first convention I had ever attended, and I know it will not be my last.”
Willie Spratt, Fyre Boy Entertainment
“It was a Motorola Timeport. A pager that allows me to schedule, email, surf the net, save contacts and task manage, while working on the road.”
Julie E. Meyer, Global Event Solutions
“Recently, one of my vendors, Hargrove, sent me to an event industry conference for professional development, the show is called TS2, in Washington, D.C., as its complimentary guest valued at around $700. This was a wonderful gift and learning opportunity. It gave me a chance to network with other industry professionals, build awareness of my company and the services I offer, and expand my potential network of new clients.”
Rodney M. Loesch, Professional Speaker, Facilitator And Coach
“The best gift I ever got for my business was probably 30 years ago when someone gave me a copy of Earl Nightengale’s ‘The Strangest Secret.’ It was about attitude and motivation. It gave me a quest for more personal and attitudinal enrichment, and I believe that is critical for any small-business person to succeed.”
Dorris Burch, Image And Style Coach
“The best gift I ever received to help my business was the book titled ‘The One Minute Millionaire,’ by Mark Victor Hanson. This book gave me a whole new abundant way to expect great things all the time.”
Mark Gorman, Gorman & Gorman
“The book ‘Lessons From The Edge,’ by Jana Matthews, because it relates to all of the challenges business owners face every single day.”
Brian Robinson, Cost Containment Strategies
“The best gift I’ve ever received that helped me to improve my business is the Dale Carnegie Sales Advantage training class. You simply cannot be an entrepreneur without the capability to present to your potential clients or customers. This class gave me that capability.”
Mike Lockette, Commworld of St. Louis
“The best gift my business received was a lesson on how banks see me as a borrower, given to me by Don Reed, a retired banker from Mercantile Bank.”
Connie Fisher, Center For Growth & Change
“I have three gifts. One was a NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) membership. I doubled my income the year I joined by learning and using the business advice I got there. And the second is a book called, ‘Building Your Ideal Private Practice,’ by Lynn Grodzki. The third gift was a book called ‘The Wealthy Spirit,’ by Chellie Campbell. This book is a great daily reader on prosperity thinking.”
Sue Flacke, KSF Personal Concierge Service, LLC
“For me, it was signing up for the Woman Entrepreneur program at St. Louis Community College. The program gave me the ‘cliff notes’ on such things as business plans, record keeping, time management, marketing, setting up a business, etc. From that class I was able to meet and network with so many individuals that have made themselves available for questions. I came away with a sense that I wasn’t alone.”
Amy Puchta, AMI Telcom LLC
“I received free minutes for audio conferencing services! It was terrific! That’s one of the ways I came into the business. Conferencing helped me conduct sales and management training sessions and sales meetings while being more productive and effective, saving money, and doing what I do best…run my businesses.”
Ron Tanner, AcceleratedMarketing
“A client treated me to a business seminar on sales in 2002. The results of that experience were so powerful that I developed ‘Sell It Forever—The Principles of Lasting Business Development.’ Today, my company and its core business are centered on teaching small businesses and startup companies how a customer-centric culture creates lasting sales.”
Richard Shea, SBP Image Solutions
“When I started my business, I got a very simple, nonelectronic wheel called the Profit Calculator. This provides me with a very quick reference for figuring mark-up schedules and markdowns as a percentage of the selling price or the cost. It is an invaluable tool I still use today for quick reference when trying to figure cost and selling prices.”
Carl Harris, Artistic Concrete, Inc.
“I received a book from a friend called the ‘E-Myth,’ by David Gerber, that helped me to understand my business in ways that I hadn’t thought of. And it was a gift! Even today I quote from this book and refer small-business owners to it.”
Kathy Franklin, Select Personnel Resources
“The best gift I’ve ever received was a 3×5 mirror that has four words at the bottom. It says, ‘The Ultimate Sales Weapon.’ The mirror reminds me to not sweat the small stuff and smile. I keep it by my phone.”
Zoe Feast, Indigo Image
“The best business related gift I’ve ever had was a cordless mouse. As a web/graphic designer, I spend many hours with ‘mouse in hand’…so much so that I have developed a ‘mouse’ muscle in my right hand! The ergonomics of my workstation are directly related to how productive I am and a cordless mouse has certainly been an asset.”
Randy Johnston, Custom Entertainment
“The best gift I ever received that helped my business grow was given to me some years ago when I first started in business. I received a few pieces of apparel—polo for spring and summer, blue jean shirt for fall, and a jacket for winter—all having my logo embroidered on them. I received more compliments on them and it seemed to open doors to talk about my business. It also made me appear more professional to my clients. I have received other books and management tools over the years, but nothing has helped my business as much as these simple gifts.”
Darlene Davis, Davis Associates, CPAs
“One of the best gifts I received was a Successories desk plaque titled ‘Be The Bridge.’ A client/friend gave it to me in celebration of our new office space. The motivation on the plaque was meaningful to me because it represented the vision that I have in operating my business—being a bridge for my clients to help them achieve their business goals. The gift had so much extra value because it was unexpected.”
Julie Greenspoon-Kelly, Destination St. Louis, Inc.
“It was an Access database program that a colleague in a similar business, in Nashville, designed for her own business. As a gift, she re-wrote it for my business and gave it to me. It revolutionized my business and saved me at least two people. If I hadn’t joined an association of similar businesses from around the country and attended the conventions to learn from others, I never would have met her.”
Dennis Barnes, Marketing Direct, Inc.
“The best ‘gift’ that I received came just months after our company was founded in August of 1997. Within one week, I had Greg Johnston of Thumbs Up Telemarketing, a call center partner and my landlord at the time, and Keith Baizer of Artmart, our creative supply resource, recommend that I join the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization (YEO). YEO provided interaction with entrepreneurial peers, more formal business education through monthly local programs and international events, and a sounding board for strategic decisions.”
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