As if you didn’t already have to be clever year-round, the holiday season is a time of year when you, as the creative friend of the bunch, are expected to be the most clever gift-giver.
And if the gift is for another creative entrepreneur, well, expectations may be be extra high.
The key to a perfect, stand-out gift is to really make it personal, or offer up a memorable, inspirational experience. Then again, practical, hi-tech gadgets are always a winner too.
With that in mind, check out these top gift ideas for entrepreneurs, and help retain your title as the most creative gift-giver.
1. The gift that keeps on giving: Education.
Museum memberships and magazine subscriptions are excellent ways to sustain the knowledge-giving and idea-sparking all year round. What about a ticket to an upcoming TEDx event? Look for upcoming events across the world here. Online classes will fit into any lifelong learner’s schedule, and right now you can save big on all CreativeLive classes.
They also just put together their recommendations on the best online business classes for entrepreneurs for 2016.
2. A creative retreat.
Spa certificates are always welcomed, but for a unique twist on rejuvenation, you can provide a creative retreat or a much-needed getaway with a gift subscription to Workaway, which connects volunteers with hosts all over the world, or to a house-sitting website like Nomador or TrustedHouseSitters. As a bonus, help your friend get to their destination by donating frequent flier miles.
3. A virtual gift basket.
It sounds simple enough, but it’s a seriously helpful present for your creative entrepreneur friends. Put together a personalized collection of online resources and tools, like the Startup Stash, a few cool iPhone photography apps and tools, and Kindle versions of some of the best books for creative entrepreneurs.
4. Apple’s brand new charger case for iPhone.
It’s a lot less personal, but still practical and very cool. Apple finally got into the game with their own extra battery case for the iPhone. Though some creatives may want a digital detox over the holidays, running a successful business in today’s world means having a smartphone, and a fully charged one at that, as your trusty sidekick.
5. A standing desk.
If you want to be part of the cure for sitting disease, you can invest in a standing desk for your friend’s office. For a more personal (and less expensive) touch, design a “Do Not Disturb” sign or snag a couple of encouraging and bold Startup Vitamin posters.
6. Delicious food.
No matter how hard you work, you gotta eat. Gift certificates to their favorite restaurants are perfect for those times when inspiration (or paperwork) hits hard, and food is the last priority. Just make sure the place delivers. You could also throw in a gift card from a healthy delivery service like HelloFresh, or find a locally-based meal kit service (support small businesses!) if your friend can spare the 30 minutes or so to put together the meal. Better yet, and way more fun, put together your own series of tailor-made meal kits, and you’ll be cherished forever.
You could also use these gift ideas to say thank you and happy holidays to your best clients. Every time they see the latest issue of that very cool magazine in their mailbox, they’ll think of you—and that’s good for business.
The gift-giving season is always stressful, but if you slowly write out your gift list and start gathering what you need throughout the year, you’ll be more prepared when everyone else is rushing around at the last minute.
And don’t forget to gift yourself something too! Start with one of these great business classes on CreativeLive.
