Are you holiday shopping for the entrepreneur in your life? Or maybe you’re the entrepreneur and have zero qualms about sending your wish list to the North Pole – after all, you’ve been very good this year (even if your business’s bottom line doesn’t reflect it!).
When it comes to stirring up a little holiday magic for an entrepreneur, the following list is sure to please. Plus, if you get a gift for yourself, it just might qualify as a tax deduction!
Feeling stumped? Check out these drool-worthy entrepreneur gifts that will help your business and creativity blossom…
1. A new laptop
As popular as tablets may be, many entrepreneurs still need the sturdiness of a laptop. They are likely typing and clacking away 10 hours – or more – each day. With the kind of constant use and abuse, even quality laptops only last a few years. Choose a model with the OS the entrepreneur prefers, a solid warranty, and is lightweight enough to make travel easy.
2. Home office furniture
There’s a good chance budgets were tight when building out the home office. Ergonomics often gets ignored – which is a huge mistake. When a worker feels more comfortable in their environment, they’re happier and more productive. Spring for a new ergo-friendly chair, maybe a fireproof filing cabinet, or even a brand spanking new desk if you’re feeling particularly generous.
3. A new smartphone
There are two options with this gift: 1) either the entrepreneur is in desperate need of a new smartphone anyway or 2) they’re getting overworked and could really use a separate phone for work. If it’s the latter, you can even gift the monthly usage fee (with unlimited data, of course).
4. A smart alarm clock
How and when you wake up is crucial to your sleep quality and hygiene. Disturbing REM with an old-school alarm clock isn’t going to make your entrepreneur as productive (or peaceful) as they could be. Check out the smart tech for clocks and alarms, and choose a model that senses the “best time” to wake someone based on their sleep cycle.
5. An organization app
Take care of the research for them and hand-pick an app for organization and time management based on their needs. There are free options and very expensive options, so you will be in control of how much you spend (if anything). If you have an adversarial relationship with tech, ask your entrepreneur to schedule a time to show you how their new gadgets work – you can complete the gift with eggnog and holiday cookies, of course.
The art of gift-giving is all about empathy. If you haven’t noticed anything the entrepreneur needs in the past year, you haven’t been listening. But, don’t worry, they will tell you again this week! Try putting yourself in their shoes, and the ideas will come flooding in.
