‘Tis the season… to get ready for the holiday rush! As a small business owner, your seasonal prep routine should include writing and sending holiday cards to clients, customers and employees.
Why? It’s an easy way to say thank you to people who’ve stuck with you through the past year. It motivates employees, strengthens customer loyalty, and helps you stay connected to the folks who matter to your business. Plus, it’s a really nice thing to do!
But coming up with creative holiday card messages year after year can be tricky—especially for business owners already swamped with holiday to-do lists—so we’ve gathered a few ideas to help you reach out to customers and show appreciation for your employees.
With the right combination of an eye-catching card design and a carefully crafted holiday greeting, your business’s holiday card is sure to earn that coveted spot on someone’s fridge.
Here, we’ll help you with:
- Holiday card dos and don’ts
- Holiday card message ideas for clients and customers
- Holiday card message ideas for different industries
- Holiday card message ideas for employees
Feel free to copy and paste these business holiday card messages — or simply use them as inspiration. And of course, we’ve got the perfect card design templates to match. Happy designing!
Holiday greeting card message dos and don’ts
You know your business best, so it’s up to you to decide how you want to thank your customers and employees. But you don’t want to strike the wrong tone, either. Here are a few ground rules to keep in mind:
Keep it positive! Even if you’ve had a tough year, it helps to ring in 2025 with a joyful, uplifting message.
Make it personal. Including a personal touch — like a favorite memory or highlight from the year — helps traditional holiday messaging stand out and encourages recipients to take the time to read your card. They’ll appreciate that you took the time to show you care about them.
Don’t assume what holiday your customers celebrate. If you’re not absolutely sure, stick with generic end-of-year messages, such as “Season’s Greetings,” “Happy Holidays” or “Happy New Year.”
Don’t include too much sales-y language. This isn’t the time for a hard sell. Keep your message of sincerity and gratitude front and center.
Don’t wait until the last minute. We all know how busy things get around the holidays, so start the process well before the season really kicks off. Scrambling to buy and mail your cards can lead to spelling mistakes, ineffective messaging and super-late letters (receiving a seasonal greeting in mid-January tends to make the sender look a bit disorganized!).
Holiday greeting card message ideas for clients and customers
Holiday cards are a great way to show your appreciation for the clients and customers who have supported your business in the last year (check out our ideas for holiday gift baskets, too!). Holiday cards can also help you reconnect with customers you haven’t seen in a while.
Here are a few sample holiday messages you can send to clients as you welcome 2025:
- Wishing you and yours / happy holidays / From all of us at [company name]
- From the [company name] family to yours, sending wishes of warmth, joy and tranquility this holiday season. / We couldn’t have done it without you.
- It’s the most wonderful time of the year / And you are the most wonderful part of our business. Thank you for making this year a little brighter for us. Wishing you the happiest of holidays. / [company name]
- Happy Holidays / We’re so grateful for your support. / Wishing you happiness and health in 2025.
- Season’s Greetings / Here’s to a cheerful holiday and a fresh 2025. / Warmest wishes, [company name]
- Cheers to the New Year! / Best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a happy 2025.
- Sending thanks this holiday season (and always) / Your friends at [company name]
- Happy Holidays / from our desk to yours [company name]
Choose a holiday card design that nods to the type of business you’re in, or use language that complements the design. Here are some examples to spark your creativity for a few different types of businesses.
- Season’s Greetings / Your business kept us blooming. From your friends at [florist name]
- You helped us build our small business / just by being you. / Warmest holiday wishes from [building company name]
- Making spirits shiny, clean & bright this holiday season. / Happy Holidays from [cleaning company name].
- Season’s eatings! Here’s to a delicious 2025. / From all of us at [restaurant name]
- Eat, drink and be merry! / Warmest wishes, [eatery name]
- Wishing you a holiday season of shear joy! From all of us at [hair salon name]
- Here’s to a happy new year in your new home. Warmest wishes, [realtor name]
Playful capitalization, punctuation or wording (if appropriate for your business) can add personality and warmth to an otherwise generic message. Here are some messages to consider when experimenting with tone and typeface:
- YOU + US = JOY / Happy Holidays / From all of us at [company name]
- We LOVED having your support this year! Stay cozy and have the BEST holiday season, from the team at [company name].
Sometimes, you know that everyone on your list of recipients celebrates the same holiday. If it’s Christmas, here are a few business Christmas greetings to consider:
- Merry Christmas / ‘Tis the season to tell you how much you mean to us. (Spoiler: It’s a lot.) / All the best, / [company name]
- Merry + Blessed / Merry Christmas to you and yours. / Your business is a blessing all year round. / [company name]
Holiday greeting card message ideas for employees
Employees are so important to the strength of your small business. Along with a gift, a personal, meaningful card is an opportunity to show them you recognize their hard work. If you really want to show your employees how much you appreciate them, it’s worth taking the time to write a handwritten note.
Here are a few holiday message ideas for employees:
- Happy holidays & many thanks / We couldn’t do it without you! / This year and always, you’re a valued member of our team.
- Happiest of holidays / This is the time to give thanks, and to tell you how much you mean to us. / We hope you enjoy the most joyful and restful of holidays. / You’ve earned it! / Your friends and colleagues at [company name]
- From your team members at [company name] / You make our working days feel merry, and we’re grateful to have you with us. Wishing you peace and prosperity this holiday season!
- Oh, what fun we’ve had this year! / Thank you for being part of the best team we could ask for. / Have a very merry holiday season. See you in 2025!
- It’s been a joy working with you this year. / Have a fun-filled holiday / Warmest wishes, [company name]
- Thank you for everything you do. Best wishes for the holiday season, from [company name]
We hope we’ve helped you find the right words and inspiration to spread some holiday cheer this season. As long as you’re sincere and grateful in your holiday messaging, we know your clients and employees will know you care.
