New Office Gifts: Ideas for an Office Opening or a New Business
A new office gift marks a beginning: a business opening its doors, a firm moving to better premises, or one person getting a door of their own. In each case the desk is being set up from scratch, which makes something for the desk both practical and well timed. This guide sorts ideas by the kind of opening and shows how to choose when you have not seen the room.
Three kinds of new office
| The occasion | Who usually gives | What fits |
|---|---|---|
| A new business opens its first office | Family, friends, former colleagues | A set with a nameplate for the owner's desk |
| A firm moves or adds a location | Suppliers, clients, neighboring businesses | A set for the reception or meeting desk, or a card |
| A person gets a private office | A partner, the team, a mentor | A nameplate, or a set sized to the new desk |
Gifts for a new business owner
The first desk of a new business is where the first clients sit down and the first contracts are signed. Its owner has usually spent the budget on everything except the desk top.
- A name and a title. A plate that says "Founder" or "Owner" is a small thing that many new owners would not order for themselves. The plate has a 32-character name line and an optional 36-character title line, and an ampersand can be printed, so "Elena Marsh" with "Founder & Principal" fits. A personalized desk name plate is available without a set.
- A set that handles paper. New businesses generate forms, and a tray keeps them off the desk. The Star 11-Piece Desk Set with Single Tray ($275) has a single document tray, a calendar holder, a business card holder with a paperclip compartment, a picture frame and a nameplate base with two pens.
- Or the business name. For a founder with no settled title, the second line can carry the business name instead, for example "Marsh Design Studio".
How to lay out a desk that clients will sit at is covered in how to set up a professional office desk.
Grand opening gifts from one business to another
A gift from a supplier, a landlord, a bank or the shop next door is a gesture between organizations, and it is opened in front of staff. Keep it useful and unbranded by you: the recipient's reception desk is not the place for your logo.
- A set for the front desk, where every visitor will see it. A compact set suits most reception counters.
- A handwritten card. For many openings, a card and a visit on the day are the gift.
If your own company orders desk sets for several people at once, the corporate gifts page explains how a larger order works.
An office-warming gift for one person
A first private office after years in the open plan is a personal milestone. If the move comes with a new role, the advice in new job gifts about confirming the title applies here too.
- From a partner or family: a set chosen for the person's taste, in a color they would pick.
- From the team: a shared gift, small voluntary amounts, one card.
- From a mentor: a nameplate with the new title is enough.
Choosing without seeing the office
Size
Ask one question if you can: how deep is the desk? If you cannot ask, choose from compact desk sets, which have four to nine pieces and the smaller desk pad, 13.4 × 18.9 in (34 × 48 cm). The Luna 8-Piece Desk Set with Nameplate ($150) is a compact set with a nameplate, and the Vega 4-Piece Desk Set ($125) is a four-piece option: desk pad, pen cup, memo holder and phone stand.
If you know the desk is large, look at executive desk sets, which have ten pieces or more. Executive describes the piece count, not the pad: check the desk pad size on the product page, because many executive sets use the smaller pad and some use the larger one, 15.0 × 22.8 in (38 × 58 cm).
Color
For a business, ask what the brand colors are, then choose either that color or a neutral that sits beside it. For a person, a neutral is the lower-risk choice; how to choose a desk set color explains why.
Material
Most of the range is faux leather. For an office with traditional furniture, the Prestige sets in wood veneer desk sets are wood veneer with faux leather components; veneer is a thin layer of real wood on the surface, not solid wood. The Elegance 11-Piece Desk Set ($275) is a faux leather option with a clock built into the pen cup. Clock batteries are not included.
Timing and delivery
- Aim for the first week, not the opening hour. Opening day is crowded. A gift that arrives a few days later gets more attention.
- Confirm the address and that someone will be there. New premises are not always staffed or signed before they open.
- Check the text. The plate is printed exactly as typed, so read it once more in your bag. If you spot a mistake after ordering, tell us right away: we can change the text until the order has shipped, and not after.
The shipping policy gives delivery estimates, and shipping costs are shown at checkout before you pay.
New office gift questions
Is a desk set too personal for a business contact?
No. It is an object for work. Without a nameplate it is neutral; with one it is clearly made for that person.
What if they already have desk accessories?
A matching set replaces a mix of odd pieces, which is what most new offices start with. If you know they have a set they like, give the nameplate alone.
Can several of us give one larger gift?
Yes, and for an opening it is often the better choice: one considered gift from a group of friends or colleagues over several small ones.
