By Amy Leibrock

While you’re busy shopping for your loved ones this holiday season, don’t forget about your beloved Pilates clients who have supported you all year long. In today’s challenging economy it’s even more important to treat your loyal clients well. Consider it money well spent—they’ll appreciate the gesture and will be even more likely to spread the word about how fabulous you are.

Elisa Bluming of Bluming Studio in Brooklyn, NY, has been giving to her all her active clients for several years. “I am grateful every day for the best client base I could imagine,” she says. “I opened my studio right before 9/11, and while much new potential business quickly disappeared, I would not have survived without my client base that followed me and continued to scrape together money to continue their training. I think it really helps my business by making people feel that they are a welcome part of the studio community.”

Some of the gifts Elisa has given over the years include a pair of super-soft bamboo socks, a “Bonger” massage tool and a stainless steel water bottle. “I wanted to stop using disposable water cups at the studio and wanted to promote that my clients conserve as well so I put stainless steel cups in the studio and gave everyone a stainless steel water bottles with the studio logo,” says Bluming.

Bluming suggests spending around $5 per client, including shipping, so it pays to find wholesale or bulk pricing for the gift you choose. Look for items sold in pairs that you can split (that’s what she did with the Bongers, which are $9.50 per pair wholesale). Check the sale sections of some of your favorite vendors’ websites or turn to businesses in your community that may cut you a deal in exchange for promoting their product.

Still looking for ideas? We’ve rounded up a group of in expensive gifts that will leave your clients smiling. [Note: All of these items also make great items to sell at retail!]

Pilates Chocolate
If you want to indulge your clients in chocolate, there’s no better way than with Torn Ranch’s Pilates-themed “Mind and Body” collection of goodies. Inspired by Pilates exercises and cleverly packaged, these chocolates incorporate antioxident-rich ingredients like walnuts, blueberries, green tea and goji berries with dark chocolate. An assortment of four—the Squirrel, Teaser, Grasshopper and Rolling Like a Ball—are available for around $6 each based on a minimum wholesale order of 48. Check out the line then email or call Mary Tracy Mock at 415-419-5871 to place a wholesale order. (Order by Dec. 10 for delivery by Dec. 19.)

Animal Pilates Calendar
Give a yearlong gift of Pilates with this whimsical wall calendar illustrated by Elizabeth Du Val, a New York Pilates instructor. Each month features a different animal doing a Pilates exercise—a monkey doing the Monkey, a bear “Hugging a Tree.” Adorable! Calendars retail for $12.50, but are available for half off if bought in quantities of 25 from Pilates Reforming New York.

Pilates Socks
As winter approaches, your clients will appreciate something special to keep their tootsies cozy in the studio. ToeSox, which let your toes wiggle and stretch freely, are available with or without non-slip grips on the soles and come in some fun new stripe colors (blue, shown here, and brown). Wholesale prices available for orders of 20 or more. Email sales@toesox.com for more info.

 

Balls
Balls are always a great gift. Two of our favorites are the “pinky” ball and bumpy Reflex Balls. Both can be used to roll under tired feet and work out kinked muscles. Personalize it with a card listing a few ideas for using them.

Bands
Gift the gift of stretch with a simple resistance band, and personalize it with a mini home workout printed on a card. You can find individually packaged Flex-Bands from STOTT PILATES, or buy a roll from Power Systems that you can cut and package yourself.

Water Bottles
Show your eco side by taking a cue from Elisa. Encourage your clients to drink from reusable stainless steel water bottles rather than paper cups or plastic bottles. Bonus: They keep cold water cold much longer than plastic bottles. They also come in tons of colors, and you can have them printed with your logo for an extra charge.


*Elisa is my Pilates instructor, and I’d like to thank her for all her thoughtful holiday gifts!

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