Gift wrapping: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering gift wrapping

You wrap gifts for holidays, birthdays, weddings and corporate orders. Clients want neat, even folds, the finish they picked and gifts that arrive in the same good shape they left you.

What customers ask

  • Can you wrap oddly shaped or fragile items?
  • Do you supply the paper and ribbon?
  • Can you add the names and tags I give you?
  • How do you handle a gift that gets damaged?
  • Do you deliver the gifts, and when?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask for the number of gifts, the sizes, the finish style and the due date
  • Bring a sample set of finishes, including ribbon, bows and tags, so the client can choose
  • Ask to see the gifts or their dimensions before you quote, and note any fragile items
  • Put in the quote the number of gifts, the finish for each, the paper and ribbon source and the delivery time
  • Label each gift as it comes in so no gift is mixed up
  • Photograph each gift before it leaves so the client has a record
  • Confirm the return of any boxes or paper the client wants back

What to put on your profile

  • Post photos of finished gifts, showing the paper, ribbon and tag details
  • List the finish styles you offer, such as simple, layered and custom
  • Show the holidays and occasions you wrap for
  • Describe how you handle fragile and oversized gifts
  • Add the delivery area and the times you serve

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a reminder for the next holiday or birthday
  • Suggest a gift tag set the client can use for their own gifts
  • Recommend a corporate gift wrap plan for the client's next event
  • Share a short tip sheet on keeping wrapped gifts neat in storage

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required for gift wrapping. Keep your business registration current and carry liability insurance that covers the gifts you handle.

Questions

Who pays for a gift I damage while wrapping?

Follow your written policy. Tell the client at once, and replace or repair the item as your agreement states.

Can I wrap gifts at a client's office?

Yes, if the office allows it. Confirm the space, the time and any building rules before you go.

Do I need a permit to wrap gifts at a store?

Ask the store. Some stores host gift wrap counters under their own agreement, and the store's rules will apply to your work.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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