5 Holiday Gift Ideas for Side Hustlers [2019 Gift Guide]

How many people on your gift list this holiday season have a side hustle?

Don’t be surprised if it’s close to half. Forty-five percent of American workers have another gig on the side.

Whether they do the extra work for personal fulfillment, extra income or both, they’d probably appreciate gifts that help them get it all done.

Gift Idea #1: Gift Cards for Business Card Design and Printing

Ideal for: Side hustlers who network and want to win new customers

Price range: $10 and up

One of the biggest challenges for side gig owners is visibility. When you don’t have a full workday or big budget to promote your side business, every contact counts. That means side hustlers always need business cards on hand to share with people at business mixers and social events. Make sure they’re prepared with a gift card for a design and print source like Staples or Moo.

Staples lets business owners choose their business card design from more than 4,100 templates or upload their own.

Moo is a popular choice for businesses that want cards that stand out from the stack, with options like square and mini rectangle shapes and special finishes like metallic foil.

Side Gift for the Side Hustler

Those new business cards need to stay clean and crisp. 

Herschel’s Oscar mini wallet will keep your side hustler ready to give out and keep credit cards and ID handy, too. It’s available in lots of colors and patterns. 

Gift Idea #2: Journals for Jotting Notes and Sketching Designs

Ideal for: creative side hustlers, serious note-takers

Price range: $13—$90

Yes, the digital age is awesome, but sometimes you need to write your ideas down by hand or sketch something on paper. Journals can also serve as side-hustle diaries for the budding entrepreneur to look back on after they’ve built a thriving business. And journals can be as practical or luxurious as you like.

On the budget side, Eccolo’s Dayna Lee collection offers five different inspirational covers for its 256-page journals.

Want something more luxe? Iona Handcrafted Books produces journals that are works of art. 

Each is constructed with hand-bound, handmade archival quality paper, covered in leather and tied with an old-school Monk’s lace knot. 

Side Gift for the Side Hustler

With a journal, the right pen is a must.

A little motivational boost is good, too.

Gift Idea #3: Books for Side Hustle Game Plans and Inspiration

Ideal for: Side hustlers who are just getting started or want to raise their game

Price range: $10-$16

Giving advice to side hustlers has become a side hustle of its own. There’s lots of information out there for people who want to start their own side business or keep it going by managing their time wisely. Here are three books for side hustlers, written by some of the best-known time-management and entrepreneurial gurus. 

Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days is by the same author who broke out with The $100 Startup, which profiled real-life entrepreneurs who started on a shoestring. In Side Hustle, Chris Guillebeau focuses on action steps readers can take right away to build a workable plan without getting bogged down by overthinking. 

The Side Hustle: How to Turn Your Spare Time into $1000 a Month or More is by Nick Loper, founder of the Side Hustle Nation site. His book digs into different business models for side gigs that provide services, produce products or cater to an audience, and then tells readers how to begin.

Time management expert Laura Vanderkam studied high earning working moms to learn how they get it all done, enjoy their lives and even get enough rest. Her book earned raves for presenting a positive approach to successfully managing busy work and home lives. 

Side Gift for the Side Hustler

All that reading material calls out for a way to stay organized. 

These magnetic bookmarks will help busy hustlers save their place securely, without damaging their books. 

Gift Idea #4: Side Hustling in the Bag

Ideal for: Side hustlers who travel a lot, work in coffee shops and coworking spaces, or meet clients on-site

Price range: $60–$135

Securely carrying a laptop is a must for most of us, side hustle or not. Looking good while toting tech gear is a bonus, one that can make your favorite side-gig owner look more professional and organized when they’re meeting clients. 

The SmartPack from MobileEdge is a CNET favorite, with room for a 16” laptop in its fleece-padded sleeve, plus space for water bottles and small items. It’s available in 8 colors. 

For women who want a stylish laptop tote with a crossbody strap, Dagne Dover’s Ryan bag is rated tops by Business Insider and Good Housekeeping. Neoprene material resists water, interior pockets keep everything secure. It’s also available in 8 colors.

Side Gift for the Side Hustler

Side hustlers don’t just hustle at work – they’re problem solvers on the go. 

With Gerber’s keychain multitool in their bag, they can be resourceful anywhere, with screwdriver, bottle opener, wire stripper, scraper and other functions in hand. 

Gift Idea #5: Side Hustle Fuel

Ideal for: Side hustlers who run on caffeine and thrive on variety

Price range: $60 and up

Side hustlers need energy. Most of them are working full time jobs on top of their side gigs, plus family responsibilities and social lives. The gift of sustainable, delicious caffeine might be the best gift of all. 

A subscription to a coffee club like Atlas, which sources beans from around the world, will have your favorite side hustlers powering through each day and thinking fondly of you with every cup. 

Side Gift for the Side Hustler

A sturdy mug for hot drinks at home is always a thoughtful gift. 

Le Creuset’s mugs earned rave reviews from The Spruce for style and durability, and they’re available in lots of colors. 

Bonus Gift Idea: Support the Launch of their New Side Hustle Website

Has your side hustling friend created a website to promote their side hustle, market themselves, and attract more clients and sales? If not, give them the gift of a new website!

Launching a side hustle website is easy with the Gator Website Builder from HostGator. Side hustlers have three flexible plans to choose from, which include hosting, a drag-and-drop builder, dozens of free templates, and more.

Are you ready for the holidays? Want more gift ideas? Check out our other HostGator Gift Guides!

• Holiday Gift Ideas for Entrepreneurs
• Holiday Gift Ideas for Freelancers
• Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Local Business Clients
• Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Freelance Clients