The holidays are approaching quickly and it’s time to finish up that shopping and get those last-minute gifts. If you have a young entrepreneur in your life the holidays are a great time to help them out and give them something that can help out their business or their lifestyle. Starting a business is a long road and can be tiring and stressful but there are tons of things that can make the whole process that much easier.
1. Flip Cam
Flip Cams are at the top of a lot of people’s lists. Some uses for them are video blogging, recording presentations or simply adding some personality to your website by addressing things on camera rather than text. Whatever it’s for no entrepreneur should be without one to capture all of the fun, excitement, and ideas that happen daily. There are a bunch of options these days theFlip.com
2. Laptop
Seems like a no-brainer but there are tons of people still sitting on a desktop or maybe even an ancient laptop that acts like a desktop. Laptops are huge for the entrepreneur. Remember one of the big reasons they are starting their business is flexibility. This does not mean being stuck in a room in front of a desktop day and night. Let them take their work to the beach, the coffee shop, or a friend’s house. Oh yeah, get them a MacBook.
3. Air Card
Not a must but still a fun gift. They work great and it’s not something a bootstrapping entrepreneur will probably invest in on their own so that makes it a really cool gift.
4. Luggage
Traveling can be a big part of being a young entrepreneur. There are conferences to go to, clients to meet and hopefully events to host and presentations to give. Maybe they can even travel as they please just because of their flexible schedule. Either way good luggage is great to have for all types of trips.
5. Coffee
Entrepreneurs run on coffee! Late nights and early mornings are common when hustling that start-up. Get them an assortment of premium coffee or a Starbucks Card is another great option (this will also give them Wi-Fi access in Starbucks).
Hell, another idea would be a coffee maker!!!
6. Vacation
Just about anyone would love this but an entrepreneur who is strapped for cash and finds it tough to even make it out of the basement will appreciate it even more. Give them a weekend at a ski resort or a beach. Make it simple but demand they put work aside for a couple of days to relax and have some fun. If a physical card is too old-fashioned, you might try sending digital gifts in online ecards.
7. Business Cards
Services like Vistaprint are awesome for getting some free business cards made up. But a really cool gift is hooking them up with someone to help design a really professional card that will make them stand out. Cost usually $100-150 for a good amount of cards.
8. Premium WP Theme
Maybe the entrepreneur you know has an up-and-coming blog. Designing a professional-looking site doesn’t mean thousands for a designer. Do something simple like the Thesis WordPress Theme to give them a professional site in minutes!
9. White Board
A cool addition to any office is a whiteboard. Great for brainstorming ideas and building the next million-dollar company. One cool idea for this is Ideapaint.
10. Books
Any entrepreneur will always appreciate a good book. Check out Amazons small business section. Some recommendations are “Crush It” by Gary Vaynerchuk, “The 4-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferris, anything by Seth Godin, and “Trust Agents” by Chris Brogan.
11. Comfortable Chair
Starting a business (especially online) will mean lots of time sitting at a desk doing work. A great chair is a must!
12. Laptop Bag
It’s great if your entrepreneur has a laptop but make sure they aren’t just carrying it it around or tossing it in a backpack when they get a chance. An awesome but simple gift is a laptop bag!
13. Yellow Legal Pads
This one is simple but important. Entrepreneurs jot down notes and ideas all day long. Get them a stack of notepads to do it on!
14. Smart Phone
If you know an entrepreneur who hasn’t upgraded their phone yet to either a Blackberry, iPhone, or now the droid…help them out! These phones only make life easier as more work can be done while on the go. This is even a better idea if the person doesn’t have a laptop yet.
15. Gym Membership
This is great for a few reasons:
- Working out relieves stress and will take your mind off work for a little while.
- Sitting at a desk day and night is not the healthiest lifestyle out there.
- It’s a good way to meet some people and be social in your community.
16. Magazine Subscription
Get them a subscription to Entrepreneur Mag, Inc. Mag, or Fast Company
17. Legal Fees
Starting a business means some legal fees. Help them out with forming an LLC or maybe they need another DBA for their various ventures.
18. Logo Design
A logo is very important when it comes to branding. Get them a professional graphics designer who is creative and will create something to make their company stand out everywhere!
19. Premium Membership to Vimeo
Well maybe they already have a Flip Cam or someone else is getting it for them. So get them Vimeo Plus so they can easily upload all of those awesome videos online!
20. Aweber E-Mail Marketing
If they are starting a company they better be building an email list. Sign them up to AWeber to do this or offer to cover their subscription to whatever service they are already using.
21. Wine/Liquor/Beer
Being strapped for cash means they either don’t get to go out much anymore and even if they do they are not drinking their drink of choice. Get them their favorite wine/liquor/beer so they can enjoy a few drinks!
22. Business Card Holder
A business card holder is a nice touch for anyone and also an easy stocking stuffer. You can keep it as simple as THIS or you can find one priced just about as high as you want.
23. iPod Nano
IPods always make a great gift and a Nano is really more than enough for anyone. These are great for young entrepreneurs because music is great to have when you need to get out of the house and brainstorm somewhere else.
24. Ticket to a Business Conference
Use Eventbrite to find events around your area. Get them a pass to a conference in their industry so they can learn and network with tons of other bright entrepreneurs.
25. Toastmasters Membership
Starting a business and especially marketing that business means being able to speak and present well. Get them a membership to Toastmasters so they can master the art of speaking.
26. Professional Clothes
One of the last things a cash-strapped entrepreneur will spend money on is clothes. Who needs them right? Well, it is still important to maintain a good appearance for clients and when attending networking events. Get them some nice button-downs, dark jeans, nice shoes, maybe even a watch. Remember young entrepreneurs aren’t necessarily putting on a suit for these things. It’s about looking professional while maintaining a level of trendiness.
27. Chambers of Commerce Membership
Sign them up for a year at the local chambers of commerce. Chambers are a great resource for anyone but especially if they are starting a business that is focused on the local community.
28. Company T-shirts/Pens/Notepads/koozies/drawstring backpacks
Take their logo and toss it on a novelty product, like personalized lanyards, that would work well in their industry. These serve as great giveaways and marketing tools for their community.
29. Google Adwords Campaign
Put some money in a Google Adwords account for them. Adwords can serve as a great form of advertising if done right. A lot of people won’t invest money in the early stages for this but as a gift, it’s great to give them a chance to experiment with the service for their company.
30. Press Release Service
Help them out with their press release by using a service like PRWeb.com or PRNewswire.com. Not only will these sites help distribute a press release but they offer a lot of resources to help write a killer press release.
