What’s In Your Gift Basket Toolbox?
A broken balloon. Newly-torn cellophane. The strangest things happen to baskets while traveling to a client.
When the destination is important and there’s no time to waste, you can be sure that something will happen to that gorgeous basket somewhere between getting into and out of the car.
To solve the worst of problems, designers carry their own version of a doctor’s bag, a suggestion I share in The Gift Basket Design Book.
Move over aspirin — the contents of this bag promises to remove all the pain associated with having the smallest of things go wrong to ruin the event.
Your bag doesn’t have to be an actual bag. It could be a toolbox, a wire-bound carryall (shown above) or a small cardboard box. Use whatever works for you and fill it with the following products, which will travel inside of your vehicle at all times:
1) One sharp pair of scissors
2) Sticky tape or glue
3) One roll of transparent tape on a dispenser
4) Two to three unfilled balloons with matching cups and sticks
5) A minimum of three star sprays in the color of your choice
6) One all-purpose pick enhancement
7) One bunch of raffia, any color 
One roll of brushed gold curling ribbon (unless another color is preferred)
9) One roll of all-purpose ribbon (determine the best color and width to carry)
10) One queen-sized carry bag
Today’s gift basket designer always carries these tools in case of an emergency. If the vehicle’s tire suddenly goes flat, you need a ready spare. The same can be said of a basket design that’s just suffered a hazard.
Keep these tools handy. It’s a great investment in time and against headaches.
What’s Bugging Your Baskets?
Customers love eating the snacks we choose for gift baskets. So do bugs, mice and other critters when inventory is not stored properly.
Once edible goods are delivered, check each package for puncture marks and other signs of breakage.
If products are sealed correctly, transfer the goods from shipping boxes to another holder such as snap lid storage containers found in all-purpose department or variety stores.
Clear and opaque are popular container colors because it’s easy to see what’s inside without removing the lid. Still, it’s best to tag each container with a labeling system that identifies the goods, quantity, and expiration dates.
When teaching gift basket classes, I often tell the story about a product that was delivered to my warehouse intact, yet one package included an “uninvited guest.”
What would you do if this happened to you? In my case, I contacted the manufacturer who handled the problem quickly and to my satisfaction.
The article Is Something Bugging You? includes more helpful advice on storing your valuable inventory.
Gift Basket Week in Review
Enhancements create a lively and dazzling appearance in gift baskets, and Flora Brown of Gift Basket Business World features a blog article on how enhancements spice up your designs.
This topic is right on point for Charlene, who just asked a question about making an inexpensive basket for corporate sales more elaborate. You’ll see her question and my response when you scroll down to the comments section.
Want to know more about enhancements? Learn more about them and see a photo in the Gift Basket Dictionary.
Lorie Obernauer of Apex Gift Foods reminds us that the Summer Fancy Food Show will arrive in New York next month. She also provides information for next year’s event.
I’ve mentioned in past newsletters that if you’re unable to attend a trade show due to time or travel, but want to know who exhibited, call or Email the producer and ask how you can receive a show directory. It may cost you, but it won’t cost as much as the actual travel and lodging.
Are Gift Baskets a Business Tax Deduction? is the current question at Ask The Gift Basket Expert. I may not be able to give a definitive answer, but I do provide general guidance to find expert help on this sales-increasing topic.
How to Create A Gift Basket Club Program
After ordering a gift basket starter kit, an aspiring designer sent me a question about the business.
“How can I get people to buy from me every month?”
My answer — create a “gift basket of the month club.”
You’re familiar with these types of clubs. They’re offered by record companies, fruit firms, and book sellers, so the model is already in place. Your mission is to:
It will take planning on your part to create each basket’s theme and determine product selection. However, the revenue generated will show a huge increase in your monthly sales.
Corporations are prime targets for this campaign. They have employee-of-the-month programs for which your baskets make perfect gifts. And that’s just one idea. You’ll find more as you develop your club program.
Five Design Tips that Deliver Sales
Summer is the season to review gift basket designs offered to customers now and later in the year. Here are five tips to increase your sales.
1. Add tall, slim designs to your offerings. Customers equate height with value. One example is shown on the Baskets site.
My newsletter recently went into detail about this. Sign up for your free weekly subscription.
2. Use gift basket designs featured in warehouse stores and large retail shops for research. Look at those designs to see how you might capitalize on what they offer.
3. Search through local floral wholesale supply firms for unique containers. Treasure chests, gold-brushed pots, and other expensive-looking tins can be found at prices that sometimes rival baskets.
4. Combine two ribbons together to make a large, impressive bow. Clients love the look of this enhancement, and it costs pennies to make.
5. Tier two matching boxes, smaller one on top, to create a large, attractive design. Hot glue added at the corners where the two boxes meet helps to stabilize the containers. The boxes are meant to stay together, so don’t worry about them not coming apart when the contents are removed.
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