A holiday card from a business has one job: to make the person holding it feel remembered. Not marketed to. Not processed. Remembered.
That is easier than it sounds, and most of it comes down to the few lines you write. Here is how to get them right, and twenty messages you can use as they are or change to fit.
The three rules
Keep it short. Three or four lines is plenty. Nobody reads a paragraph on a holiday card, and a short note feels more personal than a long one, not less.
Say thank you for something real. “Thank you for your business” is fine. “Thank you for trusting us with your kitchen remodel” is better. If you are sending to a small list, one specific line per person is the single biggest upgrade you can make.
Sign it like a person. A printed company name is a letterhead. A first name, or a few signatures from the team, is a card. If you are sending fifty, it is worth signing them by hand. If you are sending five hundred, sign the ones that matter most.
What to leave out
- The sales pitch. No discount codes, no “call us for a quote”, no list of services. A thank-you with an ad in it stops being a thank-you.
- Assumptions about what they celebrate. Unless you know someone well, “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” is the safe and gracious choice. If you do know, use it: a “Merry Christmas” to a client who you know loves Christmas is warmer than a neutral greeting.
- The year in review. Your clients care about how the year went for them, not for you.
- Anything that needs a lawyer’s eye. Promises, prices, deadlines. Save them for January.
Messages for clients
- Thank you for a wonderful year of working together. We are grateful for your trust and look forward to everything next year brings.
- Of all the things we are thankful for this season, clients like you are near the top of the list. Wishing you a restful holiday and a great new year.
- It has been a pleasure working with you this year. From all of us, warm wishes for the holidays.
- Thank you for choosing us, and for being so good to work with. Happy holidays to you and your team.
- Wishing you peace, rest and time with the people you love this season. Thank you for a great year.
Messages for customers
For a shop, a restaurant, a salon: people who come through your door.
- Thank you for shopping local this year. You are the reason our doors are open.
- To everyone who came in, said hello and made our year: thank you. Happy holidays from all of us.
- Our favorite part of this job is you. Thank you for a wonderful year, and see you in the new one.
- From our family to yours, thank you for your support this year. Wishing you a joyful holiday season.
Messages for your team
- None of this year happens without you. Thank you for everything you put into it. Enjoy every minute of the break.
- Thank you for the long days, the good ideas and the good humor. It is a privilege to work alongside you.
- Wishing you and your family a happy, restful holiday. We are lucky to have you.
Messages for vendors and partners
- Thank you for being such a reliable partner this year. We could not do what we do without you.
- Wishing you and your team a wonderful holiday season. We look forward to another year of working together.
When the year was hard
Sometimes the honest thing is to admit it. A short, warm acknowledgement lands better than pretending it was a great year.
- It was not an easy year, and your support meant more than ever. Thank you, and here is to a brighter one ahead.
- Thank you for sticking with us through a challenging year. We do not take it for granted.
For a new business
- Thank you for being one of our very first customers. You helped us get started, and we will not forget it.
- Our first holiday season in business, and we have you to thank for it. Wishing you a happy and healthy new year.
Sending a New Year card instead
Missed the Christmas mail? A New Year card is not a fallback: it arrives after the December rush instead of in the middle of it, and it avoids the question of which holiday to name.
- Happy New Year! Thank you for making last year a good one. We cannot wait to see what this one brings.
- Here is to a new year of good work together. Thank you for your trust, and best wishes for the year ahead.
Putting it on a card
Our holiday cards are flat 5 x 7 cards: the design on the front, your message on the back. A few designs work especially well for a business because they need no photo: Bold Type sets your greeting big across the card, Evergreen Wreath frames it in a wreath, and Woodland puts it over snowy pines. Type your business name where the card asks for the family name, write your message for the back, and the preview shows you exactly how it will look.
If your business already has its own holiday artwork, the Your Own Design card prints your file edge to edge with nothing of ours added.
Cards start at $49 for 20 with envelopes, and shipping is free anywhere in the US. For larger runs or cards with your logo, email us what you need and we will quote it the same business day.
When to order: by December 5 for cards to arrive before Christmas. For business mail, earlier is better: plenty of offices are half empty in the last week or two of December, and a card that lands on an empty desk waits until January. If December has already got away from you, send New Year cards.