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"In 2014, college grads don't need fancy pens or letter openers \u2014 especially not the entrepreneurial ones. If you want to give a gift that will make a lasting impression, try thinking outside the box.\nI asked 12 startup founders from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) to hand-pick the perfect graduation gifts for budding entrepreneurs. Here are their top choices:\nSee also: 10 Startups to Watch in 2014\n1. A Mixergy.com\u00A0subscription\nThere are dozens of available websites where a young entrepreneur can get valuable insight from experienced entrepreneurs. I would recommend giving them a subscription to Mixergy.com and/or credits on Clarity.fm. Mixergy is website that has hundreds of amazing interviews with entrepreneurs, while Clarity enables people to connect with experts, anywhere in the world.\u2014 Jeff Epstein, Ambassador\n2. \"Seeking Wisdom\"\n I wish someone would have given me this book, along with \"Thinking Fast and Slow\" and a few others, upon graduation. These books are about human nature \u2014 what we're naturally programmed to do and our flaws in strategic thinking. Regardless of an entrepreneur's niche interest, being equipped with this insight will put them years ahead of the competition without giving them false ego or a superficial or context-specific explanation of how to achieve success.\u2014 Emily Eldridge Holdman, PeopleKit\n3. \"Founders at Work\"\n This book contains founding stories from a group of very impressive entrepreneurs and companies ranging from Gmail and Apple to 37Signals and Flickr. The book provides a great balance of learning and inspiration for any aspiring entrepreneur.\u2014 Bhavin Parikh, Magoosh Inc\n4. \"The Four Hour Work Week\"\n The 4HWW by Tim Ferriss is one of the books that represented a big paradigm shift for me and many entrepreneurial friends. He shares some key insights into what is possible to achieve outside of the societal \"status quo.\" Reading books like this as a young person will open up a new world of possibilities, especially for someone aspiring to make the most effective use of their time.\u2014 Patrick Conley, Automation Heroes\n5. Session with a business coach\nEntrepreneurs benefit from someone to hold them accountable and push them beyond their comfort zone to illuminate the possibilities and opportunities in front of them. A good business coach is action oriented and will work with the aspiring entrepreneur on the appropriate steps to get them on the right track.\u2014 Charles Gaudet, Predictable Profits\n6. An extended trip to a new country\n One idea for a graduation gift is to sponsor an extended trip to somewhere the student has not been that is not your usual post-graudation vacation spot. Part of being an entrepreneur is constantly changing perspectives to see new opportunities. Travel is a wonderful way to learn this, as you literally see the world through a different lens. Living abroad after graduation empowered me to see the world as place of possibility and that feeling has stayed with me throughout my endeavors. It can also empower you with a sense of accomplishment and is always an great experience to remember. Consider a trip to a country in Asia, Southeast Asia, South America or Africa.\u2014 Andrew Thomas, SkyBell Technologies, Inc.\n7. Evernote subscription\nSure, an Evernote subscription isn't a \"fun\" gift, but one of the biggest challenges a young entrepreneur will face is staying organized. With Evernote, they can capture web clips, handwritten and typed notes they can search, manage to-do lists and more. It's a one-stop, anytime, anywhere, any-device solution for keeping on track during even the busiest of weeks.\u2014 Grant Gordon, Solomon Consulting Group\n8. Startup incubator office space\n Cities across the nation have startup incubators, which are collaborative office spaces filled with entrepreneurs in action. If your graduate is serious about starting a business, give them a prepaid lease at one of these places. Rent is very inexpensive and the main benefit these incubators provide is a network of other entrepreneurs. Surrounding your graduate with other entrepreneurs is the best thing you can do to support them in their entrepreneurial journey because starting a business is hard by yourself. Even though the incubators are filled with an assortment of different companies, everyone wants to help each other succeed.\u2014 Chris Kane, Bounceboards LLC\n9. A gift card and recommendations\n The best gift for an aspiring entrepreneur would be a gift card to a book store with a curated list of recommended reading. A fun take on the gift is to have the recommended reading be from famous leaders, entrepreneurs and developers. Try searching Google, company websites or the New York Times list to see what is being recommended and by whom. Receiving a thoughtful gift that is curated and personalized is a great way to celebrate the road to entrepreneurship!\u2014 Kim Kaupe, ZinePak\n10. A personal journal\nSuggest they take five minutes every day to pause and reflect on what they are grateful for and how they can make their day better. Doing this encourages a positive attitude and will help them notice what really makes them happy in their daily life. It will also allow them to identify what makes them feel uncomfortable so they can take action to solve it. Daily writing therapy serves as a great tool to get to know oneself better and to follow your state of mind through time.\u2014 Liam Martin, Staff.com\n11. An eBook reader\n Life as an entrepreneur requires consuming an enormous amount of information. A busy lifestyle filled with meetings, travel time and late nights can be supplemented with a device that can deliver knowledge wherever they go.\u2014 Tyler Arnold, SimplySocial Inc.\n12. A whiteboard and dry-erase markers\nOne of the best gifts you can get an aspiring entrepreneur is a large whiteboard and dry-erase markers in a fun variety of colors. When you're dreaming big, it helps to write all the ideas and concepts down by sketching, scribbling, diagramming, creating dynamic lists and re-arranging ideas when pitching others. In a high-tech world, an old-school whiteboard and pen set may seem like a silly gift for an entrepreneur, but it will quickly become one of their most used tools in the early stages of ideating and starting up!\u2014 Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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