How to Build a High-Performing Marketing Stack for CMO Success
February 3, 2024
17+ Gifts for Entrepreneurs & Business Owners 2023
New for 2023! These 17+ practical gifts for entrepreneurs, founders, and small business owners are designed to make business life more manageable. Whether you're searching for birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, or good luck gifts for new businesses, we've got you covered.
1. Business Books $17 each +/-
It’s hard to beat the ROI of a good business book. Save time by learning from others. Where else can $17 change your life in such a positive way? Here we have featured a famous book about execution, called The 4 Disciplines of Execution. If you’re not sure about this book, you can read our summary of it here.
Still not sure if this is the right book? Please check out our other FREE book summaries. Yes, they shamelessly include more links to buy books:
2. A 20oz. Tumbler $33
Nothing says your life is on the go like a tumbler with the famous quote “move fast and break things” originally by Mark Zuckerberg. This was later a book title and has become an ongoing battle cry for software engineers everywhere who like to ship product.
This stainless travel-size tumbler is vacuum-insulated and built to last. It’s perfect for showing off your style on the road, at the office, or in the countryside.
- Stainless steel
- 20oz (0.59 l)
- Rounded corners
- See-thru plastic lid
- Glossy finish
3. Portable Coffee Maker $35
Caffeine. Founders need it. All day. All night. Please do your part in supporting our obnoxiously long work hours with portable coffee makers like this AeroPress.
Having a convenient way to take a coffee break is a gift that’s bigger than it may seem. AeroPress uses gravity to make a perfect brew, while the portable French press lets you make (and take) coffee on the go in an attractive insulated mug.
4. Noise Reduction Earbuds $199
You’re trying to work in that shared space at WeWork. Or home. Or anywhere, frankly. And the constant interruptions and noise is about to drive you nuts. You’re not alone in your desire to concentrate.
For those trying to get work done, noise reduction earbuds can be a game changer. I read some articles about the Sony (best sound quality), the Apple earbuds (latest version improved the so-so noise reduction) and the Bose (the long time leader in noise reduction).
While Apple continues to tie the Bose in reviews like Tom’s Guide and PC Magazine, most articles acknowledge for absolute noise reduction, nothing tops the Bose.
5. Sneaker Chic $98
The people living in Silicon Valley aren’t typically recognized for their high-end fashion choices. In this region, casual attire like jeans, T-shirts, and hoodies are highly popular, and sneakers are the preferred footwear.
However, it would be a mistake to underestimate the significance of everyday sneakers. In fact, sneakers can be just as exceptional and emblematic of one’s social status as anything else.
The continued popularity of Allbirds is undeniable. Featured here is their number 1 most popular model, the men’s wool runners.
6. A Gaming Chair $589
It’s no secret that startup founders and software engineers are gamers. Heavy gamers. I can’t stop to eat Thanksgiving dinner or go to the bathroom level crazy gamers. So if they’re going to be stuck to their chair for long gaming sessions or long coding sessions, might as well be in a good chair that will protect their posterior and body (as much as reasonably possible).
This one is rated number 1 by PC Gamer Magazine.
The medium sized one is almost $600, but if you really cared about the business owner / founder in your life, you’d buy it without hesitation, right? 🙂
7. Wireless Gaming Headset $169
Following the same “gamer” line of thought as the chair, but for substantially less money, is a gaming headset. This is a good opportunity to reduce the noise you hear in the house….ummmm….I mean…improve the gaming experience.
Rated number 1 by PC Gamer is the HyperX Cloud Alpha headset. Game on!
8. A Standing Desk $200
If you’re going to work long hours you’ve got to do what you can to mitigate the damage to your body. Height-adjustable desks are one of the most practical gifts you could get a small business owner. They offer the user a welcome respite from sitting on a chair all day. That mental change can make a huge difference in brainstorming sessions and help improve posture.
If you’ve been looking for awesome gift ideas for someone who runs an online business, a standing desk is a great option to help get them out of their chair and let new ideas flow.
9. Dry Erase Board $72
We had this on last year’s list but it’s so foundational we wanted to include it again.
No startup or entrepreneur’s office is complete without a dry erase board. Late night brainstorming and Business Model Canvas sessions are born here. I see a lot of dinky sized ones online but that doesn’t give you much space so I’m recommending the 48″ wide version.
This white board comes with a magnetic surface and detachable marker tray. Aluminum frame and ABS plastic corners for safety.
10. Tile Key Tracker $80
You haven’t had sleep. You will lose your keys. A four-pack tile key tracker is one of the best gifts for entrepreneurs. By attaching tiles to essential items, this perfect gift could save entrepreneurs time from frantically searching for their things. The four-pack includes:
- Two Mate tiles
- One Slim tile
- One Sticker tile
This year, help the business owner you love find their keys, wallet, purse, or gym bag via Bluetooth or a Smart Home device.
11. Large Travel Luggage
Business owners travel. To close deals. To win clients. To see vendors. If you’ve ever gone through airport security and had a zipper fail or a handle break, it’s pretty frustrating. I have. On the other hand, if you’ve ever paid for a high end piece of luggage and had it returned after it was drug through the parking lot roller-derby style, fed to alligators, then run over by a forklift (or two), then you know how foolish it is to spend too much on luggage as well.
Business owners need safely reliable, but not over-the-top expensive. Also, large. Large = fast packing. Who has time for a Tetris puzzle? Not me.
These Samsonite suitcases fit the bill and come in a variety of colors.
12. Portable Phone Charger
Founders and business owners travel and are always on the go. Non-stop. If you’re like me, you keep one of these in your briefcase, one in your car and one in your travel luggage at all times.
These two by Anker are monsters. They will charge your phone faster than a wall outlet (no kidding). Carries enough power to charge your smartphone 4 to 6 times, depending upon the model. The bottom one is so powerful you can charge a laptop with it. I own a small fleet of these and they’ve saved my butt a number of times. Highly recommended.
13. Smartwatch
Nothing says “I love you” like being on time. A smartwatch is perfect for business owners who want to get more active or stay connected. With a wide variety of features, a smartwatch streamlines the process keeping information on hand at all times.
Business owners, founders and CEOs have become increasingly aware of their need for fitness, too. Sharpen the saw. Smartwatches will monitor heart rate, step count, and more.
Of course, Apple has, for a long time, been the standard for smart watches. Here is the latest from them. If you’re more interested in something for your Android phone, however, check out the newly released SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 6 below.
14. Motivational Wall Art
The problem with most motivational wall art is that it isn’t very motivational. I’ll never forget the first time I discovered Paul Graham’s essays. It made for a late night. Someone else out there understood. There were more people out there who thought like me.
To this day I still find Paul Graham’s quotes and essays to be some of the most inspirational (and often funny) for business owners and founders alike. I hope seeing this on the wall puts a smile on your face, gives you courage and drives you forward.
Each 3/4″ thick matte canvas comes with back hanging already included for convenient placement. The frame is made with profile radial pine that is ethically sourced from renewable forests. Made with highly durable cotton and polyester canvas composite (9.82 oz/yd² (333 g/m²)) with a special proprietary coating for vibrant prints that last.
This canvas wall art is custom printed one at a time on demand, so order in plenty of time before the holiday rush. The price includes shipping.
24″ w x 32″ h x .75″ d $73
30″ w x 40″ h x .75″ d $98
NEW – not yet rated
0/5
15. Massive Coffee Mug
Some people want a coffee mug. I want a coffee trough. More like a small bucket. Filled with espresso. There’s work to be done.
- Microwave and dishwasher safe
- Massive 21-24 oz. size (see models below)
- Heavy duty ceramic porcelain
- Big comfortable handle
16. Motivational Notebook $20
Make your everyday journaling more stylish with this matte hardcover journal. If you’re looking for inspiration, look no further than a quote by Peter Thiel. The full quote is “I think success is the feeling you get from a job well done, and the key thing is to do the work.”
Available in 5.75″x8″, with 150 lined pages (75 sheets) , this sturdy hardcover journal comes with a matte laminate coating on the cover
- Full wraparound print
- 150 lined pages (75 sheets)
- Matte finish
- Casewrap binding
- Note: 0.5″x0.5″ production barcode is visible on the back cover
17. Computer Monitors: 42-49"
I changed up my picks from last year. There's no such thing as too much screen real estate when you are working long hours. I've researched the best screens out there and here are my top 2023 picks:
This monitor has 3840p (4K) resolution in the width, but only 1080p in height. That’s still considered HD though, so certainly no slouch. The 144Hz refresh rate is good for gaming.
4.4/5
This monitor has 5120p resolution in the width, which is beyond what you would have in a 4K TV (only 3840p). The height is 1440p, which is beyond HD specs. That’s super helpful in a widescreen because often they provide a lot of width, but but don’t give you any more pixels. The 240Hz refresh rate is fantastic for gaming.
You will need to use a DisplayPort cable with this monitor. The Highwings Displayport Cable 2.1, will support 4K@240Hz, which is the best I’ve found.
4.4/5
OLEDs have long been known to have the best picture, BUT the refresh rate has been dismal for gaming….until now. This one sports a 120Hz refresh rate.
When you are coding, you need VERTICAL screen space. The widescreens are fantastic for media production and multi-tasking, but you need more vertical pixels for coding. With full 4K resolution (3840 x 2160), this monitor has the most vertical space on our list.
TV. Coding. Gaming. This monitor does it ALL at the highest level. To my knowledge, there is nothing that compares.
NOTE: OLEDs are notorious for burn in damage. So make sure you don’t buy it and leave it on the same coding screen all day (especially the first week…needs to break in with some gaming!!!).
3.8/5
Author Bio
Benjamin Arritt
Global B2B sales & marketing executive that loves a fast-paced, customer-centric, high tech entrepreneurial environment. We help 50+ fractional CFOs and 93+ fractional CMOs find more work. Hire someone who has already done what you are trying to do. Follow me on X: @grokketship
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