The Newton Scarf makes an exceptional business gift.

Giving business gifts is fraught with problems. The Internet is full of stories about things that can go wrong, from inappropriate gifts that are either too expensive or too cheap to cultural faux pas or just not having a gift to give – an embarrassment almost beyond words.

There’s no easy solution, countries and cultures, tax and bribery laws both in the UK and from the point of view of the country you are visiting all add up to create a complex and troubling subject. Giving should be gracious and a pleasure both for you and the recipient. It should create a lasting, positive impression. It should be easy.

So, here are 5 quick rules on giving.

  • Pay attention to detail. Just grabbing something that you think “will do”, probably won’t do at all. You want to give something that your host will appreciate, something unique and something that shows you have thought both about the gift and them. Think, “would you be impressed if you received your gift?”
  • Pick a quality gift. Your gift reflects on your standards and your business’ brand so it should be a quality item. This does not mean it has to be expensive but a cheap gift might be really very expensive when it fails the quality test. So, quality wins every time.
  • Be responsible and thoughtful. This requires some work as you need to assess the cultural considerations of the place you are visiting.
  • Give something from the place you are from. Don’t take coals to Newcastle but rather take something from your neighbourhood or from Britain, something that might be hard or impossible for the recipient to acquire. It will stand out and be remembered.
  • Always add a personal message. This demonstrates your thoughtfulness. However, be cautious about giving something plastered with your own logo or business name as this may fall into “will do” bracket. Far better to associate your brand with something exceptional, considerate and meaningful.

We have two scarves which we know make exceptional business gifts, one is very Chinese centric whilst the other is wholly universal but very special. All our scarves are manufactured in Britain and come elegantly packaged in custom designed boxes and include a pamphlet about the background of the scarf. They are positively unique.

The Xu Zhimo Scarf
Xu Zhimo is regarded as the father of modern Chinese poetry and he studied at King’s College in Cambridge during the 1920’s. One of his poems, On Leaving Cambridge Again, is learnt by schoolchildren throughout China. The poem is reflective and refers to the willows on the Cam and this scarf is a close-up photograph of the bark of the oldest willow at King’s. It is part of a series of abstract scarves based on tree bark. The pamphlet for this scarf gives a history of Xu’s time in Cambridge and is both in English and Chinese. This is an exceptional gift to anyone who is from China and is stunningly beautiful. More…

The Isaac Newton Scarf
Everyone knows the story of the apple and gravity. The Isaac Newton scarf is designed using photographs of the text and diagrams of Newton’s personal copy of the Principia which is held by Trinity College, Cambridge where he was a Fellow. The Principia establishes Newton’s law of universal gravitation and is regarded as one of the most important scientific books ever published. This scarf is elegant, a serious talking point and a celebration of one of Britain’s contributions to science. More…

Both of these scarves make exceptional business gifts from Britain for people from all over the world.

The Isaac Newton Scarf by Howard Guest. Images from Isaac Newton's copy of the Principia printed on 100% silk and Made in Britain.

The Isaac Newton Scarf by Howard Guest. Images from Isaac Newton’s copy of the Principia printed on 100% silk and Made in Britain.