Go, Team!

Even if the kids don't ask "What did you bring me?" the minute you return from a business trip, it's nice to be able to pull a gift out of your luggage-something inexpensive and easy to transport.

Many parents use their business trips to start children on collections of mugs, buttons, pennants, city magazines, maps, key chains, posters or T-shirts. It's a great way to satisfy kids' squirreling instincts.

Posters and maps make good wall coverings, mugs from different states can be lined up and used as containers for the infinite junk items kids amass, and T-shirts are always in style and necessary. A sports enthusiast will love college pennants featuring a favorite sport team-and probably be fascinated enough to follow the team's accomplishments in the newspaper and locate the college on a map.

Each of these items can be bought at a hotel or airport, so you don't have to spend any time rushing around the city looking for a shop. And children look forward to getting these mementos, which become tokens of your relationship.

This article was originally published in the July 1996 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Go, Team!.