Top 10 Mother's Day Gift Certificate Ideas

This Mother's Day, don't stress out driving all over town looking for the perfect Mother's Day gift. Instead, give your mother a gift she's sure to love, a gift certificate. In this article I will give my top ten gift certificate ideas for Mother's Day. When choosing a gift certificate, spend some time thinking about what your mother's hobbies are. Does she enjoy sewing? Then perhaps she would love to have a gift card to a fabric store. Is she a painter? How about a gift card to an art supply store? Does she play a musical instrument? Consider a gift card to a local music store.Think about your mother's house. Does she collect anything such as plates, Hummel figurines, coins, vintage jewelry, or stamps? Why not give her an eBay gift certificate so she can purchase more items for her collection?Is your mom a movie buff? How about a gift certificate to her local video store. Or perhaps she would love to have a gift card to her local movie theater. Be sure to add a little extra to the card so she can splurge on popcorn and snacks.Does your mother enjoy live theater? Find out which theaters are near her and purchase gift certificates for a night out of live theater. Include a schedule of all of the upcoming performances.Most mothers love to have a night off from cooking. Purchase a gift certificate for her favorite restaurant or surprise her with a gift certificate from a restaurant or coffee house that she has been wanting to try.

Does your mother enjoy reading? Consider a gift card to a local book store. You may also want to consider gift certificates to used book stores if she has a good one in her area. Is your mother Internet savvy? Why not purchase a gift certificate for online stores such as Amazon, Overstocks, or eBay? She is bound to find something she would love at one of these online stores.Mother's Day is the perfect time of the year for moms who love gardening. Consider buying her a gift card to a local nursery, or to stores such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, or Menards that have large garden centers.What mom doesn't love to get new clothes? Find out which store she normally shops at, or consider purchasing a mall gift certificate so she can choose from a large selection of stores.Would your mother enjoy a day of pampering? Consider a gift certificate at a salon or spa for a facial, massage, manicure, pedicure, tanning session, or a new hair style. To add a more personal touch, I recommend presenting the gift certificate in a basket filled with goodies that relate to the gift certificate. You don't need to spend a lot of money, it could be as simple as a coffee mug, a packet of seeds, a bookmark, a Bible verse, an assortment of chocolates or a fun magazine for her read. And be sure to include a nice Mother's Day card along with the basket.The number one gift you can give your mother this Mother's Day is your time. Offer to take your mother out to spend her gift certificate. Accompany her to the movies, drive her to the nursery, take her out shopping, join her for a night out at the theater, or just sit and watch her favorite DVDs with her. Like they say in the MasterCard commercials, "Time spent with your mother: Priceless." By Julie Lind

How to Create a Gift Certificate Program

It's that time again - you’re starting off a new year and thinking about your business goals for the year. One of those goals will most likely include an intention to bump up your business a little and bring in some more revenue. One promotional idea worth exploring is a gift certificate program. Retailers almost always have a gift certificate system in place, but a lot of service businesses don't. Why not? The answer I hear most often is "I haven't got around to it yet!" So I'm going to share a couple tips to get you started. What kind of gift certificates do you want? There are 2 basic types. It's really nice to have both: The paid-for kind of gift certificate is purchased by one of your customers for another person. Not only is it a way to serve new customers, it's a way to serve your current ones. People love sharing experiences, and when you create a really positive one for the recipient, the gift giver will feel great about it! Another type is the free gift certificate. That might be a gift from you to a current customer, a promotion to attract new ones, or a thank you gift for the people that help you throughout the year. Tracking your gift certificates The simplest way is to create a paper log-book or Excel spreadsheet. Besides recording the purchase date, amount, recipient's name, and redemption date, also include the purchaser's name & contact information in case you are must issue a refund as per some state laws. Showing the dollar value If you're in a service business, most people buying gift certificates are paying for a particular service they want their friend to have. In this case, it's really nice to write that on the certificate itself, for example, "Good for a 60-minute Reiki session." But what if you raise your prices later or the recipient wants something different? It's smart to put the dollar value on the certificate, in a very small discreet way. On free certificates, you might want to show the dollar value so people understand its worth, but write "no cash value" very small so that there's no confusion about it being refundable for money.

To present or not to present? Businesses often stipulate that the certificate "must be presented at time of service." That policy does help prevent fraud, but you can't enforce it without getting the customer really upset. This is where your tracking system is truly necessary. Don't be surprised when 98% of gift certificate holders come in without the paperwork. Trust me on this one. It's better to be elegantly prepared. Expiration dates In most states, it is illegal to put an expiration date on gift certificates that were sold for money. If you feel anxious having unused certificates floating around without expiry, you may put a "must be redeemed by" date on them, but here's the rule: when the expiry date passes, you must refund the purchaser in full. Only after you're refunded the purchaser in full can you void the certificate. The no-expiration rule does NOT apply to free certificates. Since no money has changed hands, the expiration date is up to you. Refunds You can pretty much create whatever policy you want, as long as you have one. You can offer cash refunds, "store credit only" refunds, or a combination. For example, if you sold an hour massage certificate for $100, but the redeemer only wants a $65 pedicure, your policy will determine whether they get cash back, credit towards future services, or if they can use the difference to buy products or put it towards the tip. Do keep in mind that if you should happen to go out of business, you are required by law to issue cash refunds to the purchasers of all unused gift certificates. That's why you need to keep records. You will need to check with your particular state for any area specific laws that may govern your area. A good place to begin this search is with your state’s Department of Consumer Affairs. How to design your gift certificates There are 3 basic ways you can create your certificates. I'll start with the least expensive ones first. Do-it-yourself gift certificates from your computer The most affordable way is to use a program like Microsoft Word or Publisher. If you aren't sure how to start from scratch, there are free templates you can download and customize at the Microsoft Template Gallery. Alternatively, most office supply stores have pre-printed gift certificate stationery for sale. You can format them with your computer, or even hand write them if you've got nice writing. Pre-printed gift certificates Just like ordering pre-printed checks, you can order pre-printed gift certificates. These cost a little more, but they can look really nice with your logo or embossing done on nice paper. This company even sells tracking forms you need, if you're not sure how to do it yourself: http://www.giftcentral.com/ Credit-card style gift certificates If you've got a bigger business with a POS checkout system, these are pretty cool. It used to be that only huge retail stores had this type of certificate, but now anyone can sell them. Because they look like a credit card, people understand that they must present the card to use it, and it makes "store credit only" refunds really easy to manage. If your bank doesn't offer them, here's another source: http://www.customgiftcard.com/ Make it special Whatever kind of certificate you use, make it look as attractive as you can. It should fit the style of your business, and its perceived value should match the gift. So if you've got a $200 gift certificate for example, it should be on nice paper, in a nice envelope, or maybe even a gift box. Have fun creating your gift certificates! By Jaya Schillinger

Business Gift Certificates - How to Create Your Own

You started your own business. You read that smart business owners offer gift certificates. You know from experience that you appreciate gift certificates. Now you're wondering how to create your own gift certificates. No matter what your business is, you can create your own gift certificates, with real value, and encourage your clients to buy and use them as gifts. Suggestions on How to Create Your Own Gift Certificates You can create your own gift certificates with various computer software programs. If you are comfortable with multiple programs, you have more options. 1. Microsoft Publisher: This program allows even a novice to create small business gift certificates. The software provides a gift certificate template to get you started. Simply start Microsoft Publisher. A "New Publications" window opens on the left. Click the top choice, "New Publications for Print" and then click "Gift certificates" in the new window. You will have a choice of 35 different small business gift certificates, ready for you to customize.

Select a design you like, and click areas to type in your information. If you don't like the gift certificate color scheme or font, go to the task pane on the left and choose a new one. 2. Microsoft Word: This software, too, offers gift certificate templates. In Word, under "File" click on "new" and type "gift certificate" into the task pane on the right. These 30 templates offer all-purpose as well as specific occasion gift certificates. Select a line of text, and customize your small business gift certificates. 3. Adobe PhotoShop: This graphics program allows you to place a photo of your business or product on your small business gift certificates. In PhotoShop, under "File" click on "new" and enter the dimensions of your gift certificate. A common size is about 3.5" height by 7" width. Leave a margin of at least 0.25" on all sides. Color blocks are good, and can be added to your gift certificate easily in this program. Make it clear in writing that this is a gift certificate. Add your business name and address. Type the word "Number" with a line or box in which the number can be entered. Indicate that "This certificate entitles (space for a name) to (space for your offer)" or type the exact offer. You will also want a line that tells the recipient that the gift certificate is not redeemable for cash, and that its redemption value does not exceed a given amount. Provide authorization and expiration spaces, and print. 4. PageMaker: For clearer type, you may want to design the graphics of your small business gift certificates in a program such as Adobe PhotoShop, and then import those into PageMaker. Add the copy in PageMaker and print. You can line up 3 on a page by copy/pasting your gift certificates. 5. Giftango: This is not software, but a website where you can download and modify free small business gift certificates. Gift Certificates for Online Businesses You can create gift certificates for online businesses, too. Check first to see if the shopping cart service you use makes provision for gift certificates. They will be able to tell you how to create your own gift certificates for online shoppers. Uses for Small Business Gift Certificates Small business gift certificates are appreciated by both the gift givers and the gift recipients. They are easy to give and fun to spend. Use small business gift certificates to introduce your business to new customers. You can potentially bring in a loyal customer or client who will be with you for years. Say thank you to loyal customers with gift certificates Add gift certificates to your regular line of merchandise. Use small business gift certificates for private bookshops, boutiques, beauty salons, nail salons, restaurants, spas, candy stores, flower shops, etc. Use gift certificates online for any kind of business you have. Generic Gift Certificates If you decide not to create your own gift certificates, you can purchase generic gift certificates. They will be less effective as an advertisement, but can still bring customers to your store. By Anna Hart

Broadway Ticket Gift Certificates

If you decide to give your loved one a trip to New York as a gift, it would also be a good idea to throw in Broadway ticket gift certificates. Such a gift will allow the recipient to get tickets to the Broadway show of his or her choice. Broadway ticket gift certificates are a very good gift idea for your loved ones because they allows them to pick the Broadway show that they might want to see, which can make their Broadway experience more memorable. To be able to get these gift certificates, you can go to the Internet and look for companies related with Broadway that sell these gift certificates. The average price of these gift certificates is usually around $130 to $140, which is the average price for a good seat in a theater. However, if the ticket that your recipient wishes to get is cheaper or more expensive than the gift certificate, some adjustments have to be made. If the ticket is cheaper, the companies that sell these certificates will refund to you the unused amount; on the other hand, some companies will cover the added cost for tickets that cost more than the face value of the gift certificate. You also have the option of buying multiple gift certificates or order these certificates in bulk.
You can get substantial discounts, depending on the packages that some companies offer. Redeeming Most companies will require that the gift certificates be used within one year since these certificates expire after a year. However, if you place an order for a ticket that will be shown after the date your certificate expires, you can still use the certificate as long as you place the order before the expiration date of the certificate. Having these certificates, however, does not ensure that you will be able to get the ticket that you want. That still depends on their availability. By Ross Bainbridge