Wise Up your Gifting Game This Festive Season (Part 1)

With the festive season fast approaching, the joy - or panic - of gift-giving takes centre stage. If you find yourself caught in the whirlwind of last-minute shopping, fear not! We've got you covered with our extensive list of great gift ideas from our Wise Business customers who have shared their ideas for unique products and exceptional experiences, as well as their insights for small businesses navigating the holiday hustle. From secure backpacks to sheepskin toys, this curated selection is sure to impress every age and gender, offering something special for everyone on your list.

Gift guide part 2

Busy screen print poster by Leticia Credidio

📍 Based in the UK, shipping worldwide
🌐 Website: Leticiacredidio.com
📱 Instagram: @leticiacredidio

Gift idea
Letiticia Credidio, an Italian-Brazilian luxury sleepwear and homewares designer based in the UK and Spain, has suggested that her 'Busy Screen Print Poster' would make the perfect gift for the busy people in your life. This pocket-friendly, humorous art piece reflects our society's rushed conversations. Leticia says it's a visual commentary on our obsession with busyness.

Top tip for small business owners
Her top tip for small businesses preparing for the holidays is to communicate potential delivery delays due to the Christmas rush. Transparency with clients is key, as Leticia shares: ''We normally ship quite quickly, unless it's a pre-order, but it's essential to inform clients in advance''.

Favourite feature of the Wise Business account
Using her Wise Business account for quick supplier payments, Leticia highlights the ease and transparency of transactions. She finds it helpful that Wise is accepted globally, emphasising how well designed and user-friendly the app is.

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Classic car experience by BookAclassic

📍 Operating in 35+ countries
🌐 Website: www.BookAclassic.com
📱Instagram: @bookaclassic

Gift idea
Anne-Lou Minster of BookAclassic, a global car booking platform based in the UK, suggests a unique gift card featuring a classic car experience for your loved one. Choose from thousands of cars worldwide including different types of classic, vintage, exotic and unique cars for an unforgettable experience.

Top tip for small business owners
AnneLou's top tip for small businesses is to create a special product or experience that ''can make the holiday season much more special, whether it is a shared experience or a special gift''.

Favourite feature of the Wise Business account
BookaClassic benefits from Wise's multi-currency business account as they operate in 35 countries, with Anne-Lou appreciating ''instant access to so many currencies and competitive conversion rates. There are some great features that means your money is working even when it is sitting in the account.''

FLATOUTBear Sheepskin Toy by Baa Baby

📍 Based in Lincoln, UK, shipping worldwide
🌐 Website: www.baababy.co.uk
📱 Instagram: @baababy

Gift idea
Helen Clayton, founder of Baa Baby, a company based in Lincoln, UK, recommends the FLATOUT Sheepskin Bear as the perfect gift. Made from luxurious and completely natural 100% Australian sheepskin, this soft and natural toy is ideal for babies and toddlers. Helen says the bear is not only snuggly but also possesses self-cleaning properties and is naturally antibacterial. FLATOUT bears come in a baby bear and big bear sizes in a range of colours.

Top tip for small business owners
Helen's advice for small businesses is to use the festive season as a learning opportunity for future prepare for future projects. Helen says: ''If you haven’t fully prepped for this Christmas season, use this as an opportunity to start your prep for 2024 as soon as Christmas is over. There’s lots of valuable data, experiences and lessons learnt that are at the forefront of your mind, so take a day out and plan for the next one.''

Favourite feature of the Wise Business account
The Wise Business account plays a pivotal role in Baa Baby operations, facilitating cost-effective transactions in various currencies as they pay suppliers from Australia, New Zealand, China and Germany. ''My favourite feature is the ability to pay instantly with a QR code and have immediate confirmation that my funds have arrived'', Helen says.

Mathilde cushion by French Laundry

📍Based in the UK, shipping worldwide
🌐 Website: www.frenchlaundry.co.uk
📱 Instagram: @frenchlaundryuk

Gift idea
Noémie Kenyon, founder of French Laundry introduces these newly launched block print cushions that are customisable and made with a cotton-linen blend. The cushions feature floral and striped patterns, allowing for unique combinations within the same colour palette. Handcrafted in London, these cushions are a perfect gift for home decor enthusiasts who appreciate style and personalisation. ''Our cushions come in different sizes too, so you can’t get it wrong!'', Noémie says.

Top tip for small business owners
She emphasises the importance of stock readiness and meticulous order deadline planning to ensure timely deliveries during the Christmas season. She advises, ''Give yourself a bit of leeway and add a day or two to shipping times as all couriers will be crazy busy and deliveries can be delayed''.

Favourite feature of the Wise Business account
French Laundry streamlines overseas transactions using their Wise Business account, to suppliers. Noémie highlights Wise's efficiency in overseas transactions, saying: ''With Wise, I do the transfer in Rupees, and the money shows in their account almost *instantly. This helps build trust with suppliers and also expedite my shipments to England''.

Currencies and countries

RiutBag secure backpack by RIUT

📍Based in London, UK, shipping worldwide
🌐 Website: www.riut.co.uk
📱 Facebook: @sarahgiblinFB

Gift Idea
Sarah Giblin presents the RiutBag, a secure and unique "backwards" laptop backpack designed for every journey. With no zips on the outer shell, all openings are against your back, ensuring the safety of tech and valuables. Designed for commuters, frequent flyers, and students, the RiutBag is a blend of high-quality craftsmanship and practicality and would make a great gift this festive season.

Top tip for small business owners
Sarah's top tip for small businesses underscores the importance of keeping employees happy to ensure excellent customer service during the busy season. She advises, "Keep your customers happy by keeping your people happy. Check in on your warehouse staff and customer service people. Make sure they have all the support they need to look after your customers in this busy season."

Favourite feature of the Wise Business account
Riut uses Wise Business for its international transactions, with Sarah praising its speed, ease of use and payment tracking visibility. Sarah explains: "I use Wise Business to pay my fantastic manufacturer in Fujian, China who hand-makes all my backpack designs. The clarity of cost, speed and ability to share the payment progress with my business partners makes business transactions more certain for everyone."

Ramona beachwear by So English Beachwear

📍 Based in Brighton, UK, shipping worldwide
🌐 Website: www.soenglish.co.uk
📱 Instagram: @soenglishbeachwear

Gift idea
Sophie Slater, founder of So English Beachwear based in Brighton, presents the soft, luxurious 'Ramona Robe' as a perfect gift this festive season. With an easy button front opening with no bulky ties or excess fabric, the Ramona robe has capacious pockets and is double sided. Sophie says it’s easy to throw on after a dip in the sea or stepping out of a steamy shower. So whether you're ready to slip it on when you leap out of bed, pad around the house, or walk down the beach, the Ramona Robe might be the right gift for that special someone.

Top tip for small business owners
Sophie's tip for small business owners is to prioritise mobile-friendly websites and collaborate with local businesses for the festive promotional to give your business a boost. Finally, Sophie says, ''always make sure you add a thank you note or card to the beautifully wrapped package, as a little gratitude goes a long way in building customer loyalty''.

Favourite feature of the Wise Business account
So English Beachwear uses Wise Business for currency conversion to transfer GBP into Euros, especially when paying international suppliers. Sophie values the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Wise, and highlights how straightforward it is to use, as well as its currency conversion capabilities.

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*Transaction speed claimed depends on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions.