Holiday client gifts and year end print.

The year end order list

Year end orders usually come down to the same six things.

• Client gifts: engraved tumblers, cutting boards, bottle openers and desk pieces with your logo.
• Closing gifts: for agents, lenders and builders who hand a gift over at the closing table or the final walkthrough.
• Holiday cards: printed cards with your team photo or a simple branded design.
• Year end thank you mailers: a postcard to every past customer with a thank you and one clear next step.
• Staff gifts: hoodies, jackets and hats your crew will actually wear.
• Holiday market and parade gear: banners, feather flags and tents.

One ticket can hold all of it. That way one person approves every proof and one invoice covers the season.

Ordering windows before Thanksgiving

December fills up fast. Shops get busy, carriers slow down and everyone wants their order the same week. Work back from Thanksgiving instead.

• Late October: pick the gifts, set a budget per client and pull your client list.
• First week of November: send counts, logos and any names for personalization.
• Mid November: approve proofs. New jobs get proofs back in 1 to 2 business days.
• Before Thanksgiving: every proof approved and every order paid, so production is not fighting the December rush.
• First week of December: pick up in Hutto, take local delivery, or mail cards and gifts.

Apparel takes 7 to 10 business days from approval and payment. Rush is available down to 1 to 2 days, but holiday rush is a bad bet. Order early and enjoy December.

Engraved gifts and drinkware

Engraving is the classic client gift because it lasts. A laser cuts your logo into the surface, so there is no ink to fade or peel. We do laser engraving in house.

• Drinkware: insulated tumblers and mugs get used every day, which keeps your logo on the desk.
• Wood: cutting boards and coasters make a warm gift for homeowners and long time clients.
• Small pieces: bottle openers, keychains and pens work as add ons for a larger list.

Keep the logo small and clean. A one line message like the client's name or a year reads better than a paragraph. Pricing depends on the item and count and is quoted on the ticket. See the full range on the promotional products page.

Lists, names and personalization

The gift is the easy part. The list is where year end orders stall. Sort it out before you ask for a quote.

• Tiers: split clients into two or three groups. Top clients get the engraved piece, everyone else gets the card or mailer.
• Counts: order a few extra of each gift for the client you forgot and the new hire in December.
• Names: if each gift is personalized, send the names as a typed list, spelled exactly as they should print.
• Addresses: for mailed cards, send one clean spreadsheet with no duplicates.

Send your logo as a vector file if you have one. If the only copy is a blurry JPG, layout cleanup is $45 per hour and graphic design is $65 per hour, and it is better to fix that in October than in December.

Closing gifts for agents and lenders

Teams at Keller Williams and RE/MAX print here, and closing gifts are a steady part of the year for agents and lenders. The trick is to order once and personalize as you go.

• Order a batch of engraved pieces with your logo before the holidays.
• Add the buyer's family name or the street address for each closing on a separate ticket.
• Pair the gift with a printed thank you card and your business card.

A cutting board with the family name stays in the kitchen for years. A tumbler with your logo goes to the office every morning. Both keep you in front of the people most likely to send a referral. The real estate print checklist covers the rest of an agent's print kit.

Holiday cards and thank you mailers

A printed card still gets opened. A year end mailer to past customers is one of the cheapest ways to get remembered in January.

• Holiday cards: a team photo or simple branded design, a short signed note and your logo on the back.
• Thank you postcards: one message, one photo and one next step, like booking spring service or leaving a review.
• Stock: heavier card stock feels like a gift. 14pt and 16pt are common choices for cards and postcards.

Add a QR code that goes to a review page or a booking page, and count the scans. The print plus digital QR guide shows how. Clean your mailing list before you order, since bad addresses waste postage. Card and mailer pricing is quoted on the ticket. More paper options are on the printing page.

Branded apparel for staff gifts

A good hoodie or jacket is a staff gift that also works as a uniform. Crews wear them on the job all winter.

• Minimums: 12 garments for one color, 24 for two colors.
• Turnaround: 7 to 10 business days from approval and payment.
• Method: embroidery for jackets, hats and polos. Screen printing for hoodies and tees in bulk.

Collect sizes before you order. A simple list with each name and size saves a round of swaps. If you are deciding between thread and ink, the embroidery vs screen printing guide breaks it down. See what we stitch on the embroidery page.

Banners for holiday markets and parades

Holiday markets, tree lightings and Christmas parades fill Central Texas weekends from Thanksgiving through December. A booth or float needs to be read from across the street.

• Vinyl banners: 15oz vinyl, hemmed and grommeted, in stock sizes 2x4, 3x6 and 4x8 ft, with $5 flat shipping on banner orders.
• Feather flag: a 14 ft feather flag is $149 and shows your booth from the end of the row.
• Tents: event tents (10x10 and up) from $999 with free design and free shipping, 2 to 5 business days, then FedEx with tracking.

For a parade float, use a 3x6 or 4x8 banner on each side and tie it at every grommet. A moving float catches a lot of wind. More options are on the signs and banners page.

Paying, Net terms and published prices

Year end orders often come out of a set budget, so we keep the paperwork simple.

• Payment: cash, check or card.
• Net terms: Net 15 or 30 for approved organizations.
• Tax exempt: churches, schools and other exempt organizations are handled on the ticket.
• Design: logo design is $250 flat if your brand needs one before the gifts go out.

We only quote published prices up front. Gifts, cards and mailers vary by item and count, so they are quoted on the ticket. Send your counts and dates with a job ticket and we will quote every piece together.