Valentine’s Day is not just for lovers! Every holiday gives you a chance to be unique and creative in showing appreciation to your clients, customers, colleagues and employees. Who doesn’t want to feel appreciated? They’ll remember your thoughtfulness for a long time to come.

Start thinking now of those special people in your business that just make your life easier — maybe it’s your office staff, or a great referral source, a terrific vendor, or a favorite client. Those are all real people with real feelings, and an unexpected card of thanks from you would really make their day.

I have a friend who’s a bank vice president, in a sea of bank vice presidents. We were talking over some unique things she does for her premiere clients on special days throughout the year, and I was amazed first of all at her creativity but second of all at the amount of time it all takes.

She and her staff literally run all over town putting together ’emergency survival baskets’ for their CPA clients on April 15. Or they pass around literally hundreds of greeting cards to be signed by the whole office staff for weeks in December, just to try for that personal touch.

I applaud the effort, and I’m sure it helps their clients feel remembered and honored, but let me tell you about an easier way.

There’s an online greeting card service that I use and recommend to all my clients. You can log in, choose from over 12,000 cards, type your message, and click ‘send.’ The company prints it in your own handwriting and signature, stuffs it, stamps it, and mails it out first class the next day for about $1. You can even include a gift card for a thank-you gift or send gourmet goodies along with your card.

Start sending unexpected cards of appreciation and watch your business soar!