The spirit of the holiday season doesn’t stay outside the workplace. While the season is often marked with at-home celebrations with family, it’s also a lively time around the office. As the end of the year approaches, projects are being wrapped up and things get busy – but it’s important to remember to send out professional holiday greetings.

Sending cards that thank customers for their business or simply extend a greeting for the season speaks volumes about who you are as a company. It conveys a message about valuing the people who do business with you, but it can also be a great way to encourage new business.

It can be challenging to find a card that projects exactly the image you want, but a totally custom-designed card can cost a small fortune. Fortunately, companies like Brookhollow simplify the process by offering industry-specific cards that you can customize with your name and unique message.

Only you know your customers best, so it’s up to you to know what’s appropriate to send out, but here are a few ideas to consider as you plan your purchase:

* Serious or humorous: The holidays inspire a lot of feelings, from the joyous to the reverent. If your business – and audience – is known for being a little bit more modern, fun and fresh, a humorous card could put smiles on the faces of recipients. However, if yours is a business steeped in tradition and deals with more serious topics, a more traditional sentiment will probably be appreciated.

* General or specific to your business: While traditional holiday scenes of snowy landscapes or boughs of holly and spruce will always fit the bill, new offerings for specialized industry cards are expanding. For an array of businesses, from chiropractic to dental and hair salons to real estate, cards decorated with messages that relate back to what you do can be a fun way to combine business and the holidays.

* Secular or religious: Businesses often have a highly diverse customer base, reflecting people of many backgrounds and faiths. If you want to ensure that you’re including everyone in your greeting, you should consider more secular wording, like “Happy Holidays” or even send your clients a wish for a happy and prosperous new year. If your clients are better defined in their religious profile, they might well enjoy seeing a card with “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah.”

* Photo or illustration: Different levels of customization are available, even when ordering cards online. If you find a card with an illustration that you like, you can choose the message that goes inside the card and, of course, sign with your company’s name. Photo cards give you yet another level of personalization – you can take a snapshot of your team for the card so that customers will be greeted by the smiling faces they know.

When you send your greetings to clients this holiday season, make sure that your card will stand out as being uniquely yours. For more ideas, visit www.brookhollowcards.com.