There isn’t much time left before Christmas, and if, like me, you leave your gift buying to the last minute, we have a few ideas for the fellow entrepreneurs on your list. Apart from 72 hours in bed, a permanent vacation in Tahiti, or a PA who’ll work in exchange for tea and biscuits, what can you get a frazzled small business owner to make their season merry and bright?
Here are a few ideas that will hopefully bring a smile to your burnt-out buddy’s face this Christmas.
Chase Espresso Vodka
£37
Coffee and vodka? Ohhhh yes. What better combo for a workaholic business owner? This glorious concoction will not only help your entrepreneur friends stay awake when they have to work ‘til midnight on Christmas Eve, but will simultaneously help them forget all their business woes, even if it’s just for a short, blissful hour or two.
Tile Mate with Replaceable Battery
£45.50 (pack of 4)
When you’re growing a business, every minute counts. And when you can’t find your keys, or your laptop charger, or if one of those damn house gnomes stole your phone again, each moment spent searching is a moment you could be doing something productive. Alleviate common can’t-find-my-stuff stress with a Tile Mate or two, helping to locate your lost things with ease.
Calm down, this isn’t an actual pile of poo for your biz owner friend. This charity gift card from Oxfam provides training in effective, eco-friendly composting to help people grow more food to eat and sell. A wonderful gift that supports Oxfam’s Making a Living (ML) projects.
Lumie Vitamin L SAD Light Therapy
Otherwise known as a ‘Happy Light’, this mood-boosting gadget is the perfect gift for your burnt-out entrepreneur friend who can’t seem to get out of their negative rut, especially over the dreary winter months. Power it up first thing in the morning for a quick energy fix, keep it at your desk for that 3pm lull, or use it as a handy weapon to ward off the crotchety colleague who still hasn’t forgiven you for throwing away their 2-week-old roast beef sandwich from the office fridge.
Surely I’m not the only one who receives at least one email a day starting with, ‘I hope your well!’. How do grown-ups not know how to use your and you’re? Or when you read, “Its Christmas!” Its Christmas what? Apostrophes, man! One of my personal favourites, this book is perfect for any business owner who needs some comic relief when one more, ‘I hope your well,’ will push them over the edge.
When December rolls around and you’re only weeks away from a few days off, the burnout is fierce, and looking put-together becomes the challenge of all challenges. Enter UNTUCKit, a shirt for guys who just can’t be bothered to tuck their shirts in anymore. Why this brilliant idea has only been thought of now, I’ll never know, but thank Zeus it’s here to stay.
A New Client
Priceless
This is a pressie that won’t cost you a dime, but will most likely be a business owner’s most loved and cherished gift of all. Yes, it’s harder than clicking ‘Buy Now’ on Amazon; and yes, we realise you don’t have much time (especially at Christmas), but try to spend a few minutes thinking about who you know, and if anyone could benefit from a friend’s business’s services, and then get them on board!
If you’re like most of the start-up business owners I know, you would give your left leg for a day off, and your right leg if it was a day off at a spa. Convince them their business won’t fall apart if they spend a few hours in a hot tub, and give them a Smartbox by Buyagift, letting them choose from over 1,700 experiences at locations across the UK.
Yep, it’s true. Small business owners need coffee (well, most of them), and we’re ok with the stereotype. It’s no secret that entrepreneurs are go-go-go, all the time, and it’d be practically impossible to power through the entire day and night without a little help from our friend, Mr Caffeine. Give the precious gift of coffee this year, so your business-building friend can stay awake during even the most tiresome of meetings.
Who needs a nap? I do! I bet you do. And I bet all your entrepreneur friends need one too. The Huzi Infinity Pillow is a clever bit of sleep kit that can morph and twist into oodles of shapes and positions, making it perfect for long-haul flights, to make your hotel sleep experience better, or to aid in your quest for a power nap while sitting at your desk fully upright without anyone noticing.
Vacu Vin Rapid Ice Wine Cooler
Your biggest client just left without notice. You need wine. You’ve just returned from a business trip to find out one of your employees quit and refuses to give back their company car. Wine. Right now. You hate your life and are frantically scrolling through Indeed to find a ‘real’ job, because running a business is total bullshit. Wine, wine and more wine. When you need wine now, make sure you enjoy it at the perfect temperature with this rapid wine cooler. Chills in five minutes – just enough time for you to grab an entire wheel of Brie and a 900g box of crackers to go with it.
A Case of Terry’s Chocolate Oranges
Think chocolate is overdone, or overrated at Christmas? No way. Next to alcohol, chocolate is the standard go-to remedy for business stress relief. Rather than spend £50 on a frilly box of fancy chocolates that taste more like a Yankee candle than a sweet confection, get your entrepreneur friends a case of Terry’s Chocolate Oranges. Seriously, imagine opening this on Christmas. Late-night TV binge indulgence for weeks!
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