The Solopreneur’s
Gift Guide
Given my relatively new focus on helping solopreneurs (and the fact that the “Work from Home” guide is starting to feel a little stale), I’ve decided to change things up in 2023 and make this a Solopreneur’s gift guide.
I’ve also dediced that, while this more visual guide is available, if you want more insightful context, you can find the full article version of the guide over on Medium.
Recording Gear
As a solopreneur you’re likely meeting with lots of people via Zoom, creating content, attending or even presenting webinars, and more. That means you need good recording gear.
A Good Web Cam
I picked up the Elgato Facecam recently and love it. Great picture and lots of settings to make yourself look perfect.
If you’re looking for something a bit more affordable, the Logitech C920 falls perfectly between price and quality.
If you want to go for an upgrade, or your giftee is a streamer who needs that 4K quality, the Elgato Facecam Pro will get the job done!
For a CRAZY good setup, check out this Live Stream kit.
A Good Mic
Along with that, a good mic is also important. The Samson Q2U is perfect! Solid quality, great price.
If you’d prefer a headset, check out the Sennheiser PC 8 USB Headset.
The Blue Yeti is another popular one.
If you want to see more recording gear, check out my Podcaster’s Gift Guide.
Lighting
One surefire way to make yourself look better on camera is having good lighting. Your camera doesn’t have to work as hard to capture you, and you won’t look like you’re recording in a cave!
There are lots of lighting setups – here are some of my favorites:
Productivity Tools
Working by yourself can be tough?—?especially if there are a lot of distractions. But with the right tools, you can better stay on task (or at least easily pick up where you left off)!
Analog
Notebooks and analog tools are super personal, but here’s what I like:
Sidekick Notebook: Premium feel, great paper that works with fountain pens, and it lays flat.
Sidekick Notepad: I LOVE this thing. It sits right under my keyboard, and it’s great for taking notes and listing tasks. At the end of the day, I transfer everything to Notion.
William Hannah A5 Classic Notebook: This is my content planner. It’s pricey but SO worth it. It’s got lots of different refills and I use it every day. I went with the One Week Two Pages refill.
If you’re interested in pens, check out my Pen guide.
Digital
For digital communication, there are a lot of apps that I love. Here are a few!
- Todoist for task management
- MindNode for mind mapping
- Bear and Notion for note taking
- Ulysses for writing
You could grab an App Store Gift Card so that your giftee could grab some of these
Setapp is also a great subscription service that gives you access to tons of Mac and iOS apps!
Analog To Do System from Ugmonk
I’m an analog guy through and through, despite my penchant for technology. There’s just nothing like writing out a to do list and then checking items off.
The Analog system from Ugmonk captures this perfectly. Beautiful card holder, cards for Today, Next (which I use for monthly planning), and Someday (which I use for Quarterly planning), and easy storage. I feel like it was made for me.
Coffee and Comfort
Working from home means you need to be comfortable. It also means office amenities are up to you. Making sure you have good coffee (for most of us) is a must!
Cometeer Coffee!
I have a new favorite coffee, y’all. and It’s Cometeer.
They flash freeze already brewed coffee into pods and then send them to you. Prefer for hot or iced coffee and super easy to make AND travel with.
And it’s darn good.
Other Great Beans
Gear
Everyone has their own way of making coffee.But I got a Nespresso last year and it won’t let you down.
If you’re buying beans you should also have a good coffee grinder. You can’t go wrong with this one: OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
Office Ergonomics
If you’re new to working from you, you probably haven’t invested in some important home office gear. The kitchen table or couch was OK for a temporary setup, but longer term, you need a more ergonomic solution. Here are some items that will absolutely make a difference in your posture. Your body will thank you!
Desk Chair! A good desk chair is important for someone who works from home. Steelcase, while expensive, make the best.
If you’re looking for something more affordable, the HON Chairs are popular.
Roller Blade Wheels for Office Chairs: OK here me out on this one. I didn’t think of it until I saw it on Twitter, but these wheels make the chair sturdier and easier to roll on carpets. I’m a HUGE fan of them.
Standing Desk. Sitting all day isn’t good for you (or your loved one). There are lots of sit/stand desks out there. I recommend Jarvis by Fully. It’s what I have and I love it.
I also have an E7 by FlexiSpot, and it’s fantastic.
If you’re looking for something more affordable, they also have a converter that sits on top of the desk.
No Hunches Here!
Something to elevate your laptop or monitor is great because then you’re not hunched over, very close to your screen. I love what Twelve South makes.
A good mouse
A good mouse goes a long way in ergonomics and productivity. The Logitech MX Master 3 combined both really well! Multi-device support, ergonomic design for comfort, and lots of programmable buttons to make computer use easier.
Keys, not bored.
Now, I don’t use an ergonomic keyboard(I have a Keycron K2 Pro Mechanical Keyboard), but I’m an ideas man. And I’ve heard great things about the ergonomic keyboard from Microsoft. This is an affordable alternative to more expensive options, and you can improve the wrist posture!
If you really want to go the extra mile, you can get a monitor arm. The ones by Fully come highly recommended. I had this one by Amazon and it served me well for a long time.
At Home Tech
Having the right tech can make a world of difference. Here’s a bunch of recommendations that help me work, even with kids at home.
Backups and Storage
External Hard Drive:Everything we do is computer-based nowadays, so a solid external drive is necessary. I’ve used the Western Digital My Book for as long as I could remember. If you need more space, the 12 TB model should do the trick.
Cloud / Off-Site Backups: Another important aspect of working online is having solid off-site backups – especially if you work from home. There’s only one service I recommend for this, and it’s Backblaze.
Network Area Storage
I’ve been considering this for my home office: the Synology 2 Bay Storage NAS. Working across multiple devices and platforms, it would be nice to have a central, network connected drive for me to access. If you work from home, this can be especially nice.
Just a heads up that this the bay only – so you’ll have to get some hard drives too. For the total cost, I know some folks who’ve also on the route of a Mac Mini as their home server. But with the new price hike/refresh, I’m still going with this.
Portable Hard Drive: With “the cloud” there’s less of a need for portable storage, but I still like to have some on me. Here’s a few good suggestions:
- Western Digital Portable Hard Drive
- Though pricey, I’m a big fan of Samsung’s T7 portable SSD. SO much so that my full Photos library is exclusively on that.
Headphones
I recently picked up the AirPods Pro II and love them. They’re always in my pocket and for the time being, are the only noise cancelling headphones I keep with me.
If you (or who you’re shopping for) are more of an earbuds person, I’ve always been a fan of Skullcandy headphones.
My favorite noise-cancelling over-the-ear headphones are the AirPods Max. They are pricy but work better than any other headphones I’ve used (with my all Apple setup).
The Bose QuietComfort 45 Noise Cancelling headphones are fantastic. Whether you work from home, an office, or a coworking space, these will help you focus. And they’re great while traveling.
If you’re looking for good, sub-$200 headphones, I recommend the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s. They are lightweight, block out most noise, and sound incredible. They are also one of the few sets of headphones I can wear for a long period of time without getting a headache.
Other Helpful Tech
Things to keep your portable devices charged and docked are perfect desk decorations, so here are some fantastically helpful pieces of gear.
Power
Anker
Aker Chargers and Hubs: If you need good charging solutions, there’s no one better than Anker. Here are a couple of recommendations:
- GaNPrime Hybrid Power Bank / Wall Charger
- MagSafe 3-in-1 Charging Cube (perfect for travel)
- Nano USB-C Power Bank
Hubs & Accessories
Satechi
Satechi makes sleek, powerful hubs that work great.
- Clamp Hub Pro for iMac (I love this thing!)
- Apple Watch Charging Dock
- Headphone Stand / Hub
Stands & Holders
A great device needs a great stand. I love these stands by Lab22. So sleek, well designed, and sturdy.
And Twelve South is great too:
- Hover Duo for iPad (I love this thing and Gen 2 is even better)
- Forte MagSafe Stand
- ParcSlope
iPad Mini
There’s not really a solid category for this, but I LOVE my iPad Mini. If you’re looking for a bigger gift for someone spending time at home. I can’t recommend this enough.
Make Home More Relaxing
Working from home means finding creative ways to relax and make it more comfortable. Here are a few ideas.
Good Clothes. Working from home means being comfortable. Sweats and t-shirts are great, but it’s also good to have some nice clothes for when you need to go out. Here’s a bit of both.
Nice Shirts: UNTUCKit. I have recently started to upgrade my wardrobe and UNTUCKit has been at the heart of it. Their shirts are perfect for me, and look great!
Unmentionables: Mack Weldon. Seriously. Their boxer briefs, undershirts, and everything else they make are incredible. I’m a huge fan. For Women (since Mack Weldon currently only makes men’s clothes), I’d recommend meUndies.
Socks: Darn Tough Socks. These are the best socks ever. Also, look, I don’t have these but they look amazing and I want them. Mahabis Slippers
Hello Fresh: A meal box subscription is the perfect way of saying, “You don’t have to Doordash everything.” There are lots of meal boxes out there, but I’ve heard the best things about Hello Fresh. These are especially good for households of 1 or 2.
Bags
Choice of travel bag is also super personal, obviously, but there are a few I love.
I’m a big fan of WaterField Designs and their incredible bags. I picked up the Mezzo backpack last year but it looks like that’s sadly no longer for sale. They have several comparable ones though!
I just picked up this Sling bag from Nomatic, another company that makes great bags!
If you like messenger bags, you can’t go wrong with Timbuk2.
Get Out of the House!
Working from home means finding your own recreation. Here are some ideas to pass the time when your remote worker needs to get the juices flowing or just relax a bit. Coworking Space Membership.
Treat Them to Dinner
Send Them to a Movie
Try an
Escape Room
Or…
- Find a Bed & Breakfast
- Cigar Lounge
- Wine Tasting
- Museum Tour
- Night out in the closest city
- Gym or Club Membership
last updated: November 2023 | Contains affiliate links
