Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Employee Gift Ideas

Over the years, I have tried searching for something "just-right" for my individual employees. I try to get to know them, learn about their hobbies and their families. But, I'm sure that "World's Greatest Golfer" statue that I got for Bob five years ago is either in a box or in the landfill by now. Eventually, I turned to food.

I started out with fruit baskets, but those get pretty boring. I found personalized baskets with coffee or soup and mugs or bowls. Those are pretty cute. But, once I started giving cheesecakes, everyone seemed a lot happier.

In fact, now they would be disappointed if I started looking for other employee gift ideas. They sort of "expect" their cheesecakes. In the beginning, I was surprised to learn about all the different luscious varieties that are available from the better companies. I thought you might find them interesting.

Pumpkin Cheesecakes

These are particularly popular around the holidays. They've pretty much taken the place of pumpkin pies, in my mind. You get that same kind of flavor in a light airy dessert that literally melts in your mouth.

Not a fan of pumpkin? How about mangos, pecans, blueberries, chocolate or caramel? The best bakeries offer a large number of choices.

Personalized Desserts

"Happy Birthday, Bob!" "Happy Anniversary, Judith!" Anything that you can say on an ordinary cake can be said more scrumptiously with a cheesecake. These are great employee gift ideas and you can always include an E-card or greeting to make it even more personal.

Samplers

When I have new employees, I tend to stick with the samplers. That way, I can be sure that at least "one" of the choices will be appealing. Then, I try to make a note of remarks that they make about specific flavors. If he didn't like the raspberry swirl, I'll order something different next time.

The first time that I ordered a cake, I got it from a bakery in town. I had to go there one day to place the order. I had to stop in again to pick it up. It was good, but I have found that ordering on-line simplifies the process. Cheesecake Delivered.Com, for example, has a variety of cakes and other employee gift ideas. I have one employee that only eats "organic" food. Believe it or not, they make an organic cheesecake!

Get it Delivered!

Having it delivered is just the easiest and simplest option, but local bakeries charge a fortune and you can never count on a delivery date or time. There's nothing more frustrating than having the party delayed, because the dessert hasn't arrived.

The tarts and truffles from Cheesecake Delivered are delicious, too. We have never been disappointed with their employee gift ideas and I think that's the most important thing. Give it a try and see what you "your" employees think.

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