When it comes to gift card sales, the third party business plays a big part in the gift card industry. It offers huge buying potential for retailers and merchants when it comes to brand exposure. You’re able to get your gift cards in front of people who may not go into their stores and also makes the choice for a last minute gift even easier. Another important concept, just because your brand isn’t in the third party market doesn’t mean your competitors aren’t. The benefits of third-party gift card programs include increasing brand exposure, revenue, and customers. Selling your gift cards in a gift card mall can increase your distribution network by thousands of locations. If your gift cards are not currently in a third-party program you are losing valuable sales and customers that may be buying from your competitors who are already active in third-party programs.

Direct customers are essential to business.  GiftCard Partners asked its own B2B customer base what they wanted and the results are all in this infographic. We show you an inside look into the direct customer; including their purchasing habits, the most popular incentive programs, buying habits, category preferences and get insight into their gift card budgets.

In a perfect world we all would collaborate automatically, but let's face it: how easy is it to stay in our own cubicle or corner of the office without saying a word to anyone else? 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures.

"Finding a company that allows me to work from home has allowed me to organize my life with my family my way. But it takes vision and commitment from the top down." by Stacey Sicurella.

My recent company-wide meeting brought it all together for my co-workers and I – how we have found a way to have our version of work-life balance. We gathered in the comfortable
Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, conference center, most of us having just met for the first time. We did some getting-to-know-you exercises and learned that a sales rep from Oregon is thankful to see the sun of Boston; another from Florida was happy to feel the cool air; our sales VP  relaxed amidst the lack of bustle compared to her New York City office; our VP of Marketing lived in 17 different places.  And I found that I was happy to be with so many co-workers who are much like me–90% of them to be exact. We learned a great deal about our company culture, how that culture came about and why we were all attracted to our employer. I suppose this is the goal for any corporate off-site or team-building event, but for us, it was much more personal. We are a small company made up of professionals who have chosen to work for a company on the cutting edge of work environments…entirely virtual.