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By WC Porter Let’s be honest. Most gifts you receive during the gift-giving season are pretty lame: a sweater you politely wear a couple of times or a CD you casually listen to in the car and wonder, "How did I end up with this?"
Most of the time you show a little interest and then it fades away — you’ve wasted your money and the person getting the gift hasn’t gotten much in exchange.
Such is life.
How about trying something different this season by giving a gift that has the potential to change another person’s life?
Give Your Own Business
That’s right, instead of trying to figure out which sweater sucks less or which gift card is less lame, sit down and think hard about the person you’re getting a gift for. How could they turn their hobby/interest into a business?

• If they like to write fiction, get them a subscription to Poets & Writers (tell them I sent you).
   
• If they like to take pictures in their spare time, buy Shooting & Selling Your Photos.
   
• If your friend loves to build stuff out of wood, get him a portable router.

I know what you’re thinking right now, “But wait, starting a business isn’t for everyone!” And you’d be right, but that doesn’t mean a gift like this won’t go a long way. It could be the first step in an alternative source of income or even some passive income on the side. It could become a side business that makes that person happy to go to his/her “regular” job every day.
Give Charity
Charity is something we often forget to do in our lives, so if someone else gets us started, that’s a pretty cool gift. It might not be as cool or hip or exciting, but rare is the gift that helps other human beings live a better life. Check out a site like Charity Navigator, which helps you find different charities around the world.
Surprise Them
This is my favorite gift tip of all time: surprising someone. It’s the closest thing I can think of to the perfect gift. It's kind of like Extreme Home Makeover: everybody wins.

• The person getting surprised gets to be surprised, which this day in age is a rarity.
   
• Giving this gift is just as rewarding — seeing the person’s face light up is priceless.
   
• It’s not easy, and that means the person giving it thought about it a LOT. Trust me on this one. That shows you care and that goes a long way too.

Instead of doing the same old thing this holiday season, try something different and see how it goes. If you don’t like it, you can always go back to sweaters and CDs next year.
Do you any suggestions for life-changing gifts?
 Permalink | Comments | WC Porter's blog | Channel: Personal Finance, EntrepreneurshipSimilar entries:

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• Dissecting "Gift Guilt" - When Does Receiving a Gift Make You Feel Bad?
• Budgeting Hack: Gift Calendars
• The Gen X Last-Minute-Get-Creative Xmas Present Alternative
• The Art of the Group Gift

This article is from Wise Bread.