Gifts are older than and not unique to people; spiders are known to give gifts! They are given in thanks, to attract mates, in celebration, as a show of kindness or support, or to mark a particular milestone or achievement. Over the next several weeks many of us will spend a lot of time thinking about who we would like to buy or make gifts for, and what they might like. Giving good gifts takes that one step further.
The gift you are giving is a thing-in-itself, whether it be time, a cake you have made or a bottle of wine. And what is that thing? What is its story? If it were a car, what is under its hood? Is it organic, fair trade, recycled, in any way sustainable or ethical? Does it support disadvantaged communities, does it protect the environment?
And does anyone have time to do that much research?
Luckily, in the UK, Social Enterprise UK and B Lab have done this work for you. They evaluate businesses and understand the story behind their products and services. If you are going to buy something look for these logos (among others), they are the best way to ensure you are giving truly good gifts.
This may not seem important, but after a dizzying scan through the available online statistics it looks like the Great British Public spent £77.56 billion on Christmas in 2016 and over 20 billion of that was on gifts. Yes, these are billions of pounds.
Think of this money as an investment in good businesses, ones that are designed to solve problems and designed to give back. Think of it as a downpayment on the future that is more likely to be better for everyone’s Grandchildren. Year round spending matters too, but Christmas is about goodness, it is about giving, sharing and celebrating. So why not Give Good Gifts?
Are we biased? Yes, Elvis & Kresse is both a Social Enterprise and a B Corp. We make no apologies for doing our absolute best to be a very, very good business.
