Gifts are great. But at the end of the day, it’s the times we share with clients, colleagues, friends and loved ones that stay in our memories. This year, The Story Exchange will celebrate that by spotlighting women entrepreneurs who offer the best experience gifts one could hope to give this holiday season.
Teaching a cooking class? Offering a photo shoot, a spa day or a life coaching session? Is your venue the place to go for a concert or comedy show? If your business offers services and experiences that are equal parts fun and fulfilling — even better if they’re made to share with others — we want to hear all about it!
Between now and Sunday, October 20, tell us about ONE service you offer for $500 or less that would make a fabulous gift for a professional or personal contact. In your submissions, tell us the story behind your business, and show us (by way of Yelp or Google reviews, testimonials or other independent resources) how your services brighten customers’ days.
[Related: The Women Behind Elf on a Shelf]
We will begin showcasing our gift ideas on Tuesday, Nov. 26 — just in time for early-bird shoppers tackling their holiday lists on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. We’ll also promote the guide on social media and share it with our media partners throughout the holiday shopping season.
Full List of Criteria:
• You must nominate yourself.
• You must have been in operation for at least 2 years, and run a full-time endeavor.
• Your service must cost $500 or less.
• Yours may be a for-profit business, nonprofit or social enterprise.
• You cannot be a franchisee, independent distributor or sales representative.
• You must have one or more employees besides yourself (full- or part-time, but not independent contractors).
• Your service cannot be sourced from a supplier or outside contractor.
• You may reside anywhere in the world.
• You must submit a high-resolution headshot image with your application.
• If you have male co-owners or employees, you must be the primary leader of the company.
• A team of judges at The Story Exchange may ask you to send links to unedited testimonials or other relevant materials for review.
Note: Your startup story, included in your submission, will become part of 1,000+ Stories, an ongoing research project with Babson College, if you are not already a part of this campaign. Information provided for the gift guide may be published as part of that effort.
[Related: 10 Super Cool Gifts for Kids (Made By Women Entrepreneurs!)]
Also, if you have already submitted your story to our 1,000+ Stories project and would like to be considered for our 2019 Gift Guide, please fill out the form anyway, as it contains additional questions. If you have filled out a 1,000+ Stories form within the past 3 months, please indicate as such in the response fields for any duplicate questions.
After you apply, be sure to spread the word! Tell your friends, colleagues and networks about The Story Exchange’s guide, and encourage others to submit applications by sharing a link to our call for applications via email, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
We can’t wait to hear all about your great experience gifts!
Questions? Please contact us by writing to [email protected].
[Related: Recalling a Christmas Spent with a Start-Up]