Stories From The Gift Box

The best coffee in BC originated in the Gulf Islands beyond the shore of our rainy west coast. It all began in a quaint coffee shop on Salt Spring Island that was so delightful, it began overflowing with customers. As this little shop began growing, it took on a larger personality. The founders functioned as diligent parents and relentlessly reinforced the core values of the original vision: "Great coffee that doesn't compromise the earth."

Back in the day, cleaning was as simple as a bar of soap and some warm water.

At 12:45pm, Vancouver City Councillor Andrea Reimer released information about all four winter shelters in Vancouver reaching capacity. Local politicians are inviting Vancouver citizens to contribute small items that can make a big difference!

Indulge in Local Artisan Confections & Coffee!

You have listed "organizing holiday gifts" on your office to do list. That's a great start! However, it is easy to let it wait until the last minute and end up frantic to find the perfect gift for your top clients, partners and employees.

At some point in your life, you have likely experienced the nourishing quality of being thanked for a job well-done. It is also likely that at some point, you have experienced the depleting experience of not being appreciated. Did you know that psychological research has verified that saying “thank-you” can help increase the quality and efficiency of employee performance?

Connectivity and relationships build the foundation of thriving corporate cultures. In order to maintain strong relationships, it is essential to give the right gifts to the right people. Thoughtfulness is always more important than cost. If gift-giving is executed poorly, it can cause more harm than good.

It’s 10am and a new potential vendor comes into my office to present new local products for our gourmet gift baskets. The coffee is brewing and wafts through our space as a slight breeze comes through the open 2nd story garage door. Our new staff member settles into her desk, which had just been set up for her first day of work.

In leading up to Administrative  Professionals Day this year we've launched a contest promoting the value of appreciation. Share with us how your admin staff have done awesome things and you'll be entered to win free organic gift baskets for your prized office staff. Enter daily on Facebook and Twitter, up to April 22nd, 2011 for your chance to win. It's not just about the prizes, its about making your appreciation public and sharing with everyone how amazing your people are.

We are excited to share some exciting announcements for Saul Good Gift Co. First of all, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support since our early days in TwentyOSix! Our new mailing address is as follows, please update your records:

As the Saul Good Gift Co. continues to grow, we have to stay focused on minimizing our environmental impact. One of the most important ways that we reduce our environmental footprint involves transportation and gift delivery.

It is with amazement that I look back at all that’s happened in the last 12 months. Since Saul Good was launched in 2006, I often felt the tension and suspense of pushing upward towards possibility. 2012 was the year when we saw this possibility unfold into growth, momentum and recognition.

Let's face it, gift baskets are kind of lame. When they arrive in a big basket with big a shinny bow, we may be impressed at first...but as we dig through the cellophane and filler it is hard to find value.

The whole point behind sending a corporate gift basket is to show appreciation for the important people that make our businesses great. What does it say when we send something wasteful? How does this show value for our business relationships?

In BC, we are spoiled by beautifully diverse landscapes and nearly 20,000 farms. Last weekend, we decided to check out a local strawberry U-Pick in Ladner BC . We wanted to catch the last week of strawberry season and stock our freezer with local berries for smoothies! We ended up at the Westham Island Herb Farm after choosing from an extensive list in the latest Edible Vancouver issue. It was fun to discover so much more than berries!