Article  Benefits of Sending Business Christmas Cards The business year is coming to a close. Sales and business in general are usually slow from Thanksgiving through Christmas, unless you sell a product or service sought after during the holiday shopping season. This lull gives you plenty of time to plan for the following year and do the things you don't typically have time to do. As other people plan their vacation weeks during the holiday months, you can take the opportunity to do projects you've thought about and never made time to finish. Update policies and procedures manuals and contacts clients you've lost touch with. Pull out the Rolodex and send business Christmas cards to those people you've worked with or for over the years. Also send them to people you've met a business meetings and trade shows. What are the benefits of touching base with business contacts this way? Keeping a network of business contacts can come in handy under a variety of circumstances. If a difficult project lands on your desk, it is always beneficial to interview and question people who work in different companies to see how they handle a similar situation. The benefit of a current network could begin with sharing best practices from company to company, giving you insight into how to attack a project. Some of the best ideas come from external resources. By analyzing how other companies handle a topic or issue, you can cater your project based on your company's personality. Instead of reinventing the wheel, begin with your network and pose the issue to the group of professionals who are familiar with your topic. Utilizing the resources available to you is a smart way to being to dissect and respond to a project. In a situation where you need to hire a new employee, you could use an already established network of business contacts to recruit without the expense of advertising externally for the job. If you are tasked with hiring a new employee, a quick email to the list of external business contacts with a job description could yield you a resume or contact name for a potential candidate. If you already have knowledge of this candidates' background, by using your business contacts, you have prescreened your candidate. In the event you yourself need to find a new job, whether as a result of layoffs or desire for new opportunities, a list of business contacts that you've been in touch with throughout the years is a viable place to begin your job search. It doesn't cost much to send business Christmas cards each year but you will reap the benefit of the continued relationship because these people will remember you. If a contact has been promoted or switched jobs, you will be up to date and have a list of people who you can contact for potential job opportunities. Finding a new job is often difficult and having a starting point for your job search can be important as you search for new career opportunities for yourself. So, as the holiday season approaches and you find a lull in corporate activity, take a couple of hours to send business Christmas cards to all of your business contacts. Include your contact information and current business card in order to keep them abreast of your position and phone number. This exercise will pay off in the long run. Having a list of up-to-date business contacts will serve you well throughout the year.   Category Business Author Anonymous Add To Favorites Print This Article Email Article To A Friend Post Comments   Rate This Article (0) 1 - Poor2345 - Good678910 - Excellent Added On 02-19-2010