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Giving a resource sounds a bit strange, I’ll grant you that, but I think it is a good idea.

As a gift, it will cost you little but time, yet it can be a highly prized gift to receive.

giving helpful tips and resources

A resource is simply offering help

What is a resource gift?

We’re not talking about a bucket of coal or a drum of oil here! A resource is a useful reference so I’m suggesting providing useful information as a gift.

Examples of resource gifts I’ve thought of are:

  1. a list of good books for a certain age group – many parents would love to have some guidance with choosing books
  2. information about a piece of technology (eg a computer, smart phone or mp3 player) for someone who is struggling with the lists of features and prices in choosing what to buy
  3.  a list of great websites on a specific topic – such as places to visit on their planned holiday to Europe, where to find equipment for their new hobby, facilities in the area they are moving to, and so on
  4. tips on dealing with a parenting issue. For instance, if parents are looking for a school give them a list of local schools’ websites along with tips from parenting and educating experts plus your own tips and experiences. Even better if you can add feedback from other parents on the relevant schools
  5. information and tips on caring for something. So as a mechanic you could give a new driver a guide to basic car care or a gardener (professional or otherwise!) could give a calendar of tips (eg what pruning and planting to do each month) to someone moving into their first home

Where’s the value?

From one point of view, a resource may not seem to be an impressive gift – let’s face it, it’s just a piece of paper or two.

But it has so much more value than the paper it is written on 🙂

  1. you are giving your time and people appreciate that
  2. you are sharing your knowledge and skills – this may be simple information to you but could provide real insights to others who don’t have your expertise. There is value in knowledge and people pay good money for consultant’s advice so don’t undersell the value of this
  3. you are showing an interest in the person if you give resources relevant to what they are doing or planning. It shows care and thoughtfulness on your part
  4. you could make a huge difference to someone. If your gift saves the person time and worry they will consider it a highly valuable gift.

Adding more value

You can make the resource have a greater impact if you want to. Again, these are just a few of my ideas to get you started…

  1. decorate the page and make it actually look nice. If the resource is long enough, present it as a small book and even add cardboard covers with photos or other images to brighten it up
  2. add a relevant item to the present. So add a spanner with the car care tips, some packets of seeds with the gardening tips, a password tool subscription with a list of websites, or a drink bottle for the new sportsperson
  3. include a voucher for you to spend some follow-up time with the person. Consider an hour teaching the new driver to change a tyre, going with parents to look at new schools or helping your friend pack before they move house.

 

Can you think of other examples of resources to give as gifts?

What resource would you like to receive?