Gift Basket Business News
Have you visited the various online sites that provide you with gift business ideas and opportunities?
The sites I maintain are listed on this page, and Flora Brown of Gift Basket Business World also shares a roster of her sites through her post, Where Can I Find Gift Basket Business Ideas?
Scroll down to also find a list of products Flora shares from the recent Fancy Food Show.
It’s almost time to head back to school for millions of students worldwide. Lorie Obernauer of Apex Gift Foods schools you in this post on how to get your gift baskets into their dorm rooms.
This back-to-school baskets article shares ideas on what to put into your designs.
Where did you buy your imprinting machine? A designer is looking for one that imprints favor confetti cards as well as ribbon.
You can read her question and my answer at Ask The Gift Basket Expert, and I encourage you to join the conversation if use an imprinter, want to buy an imprinter, or know where this machine is sold.
Ask Questions Before You Begin Designing
Asking your client questions about each recipient is crucial during the presentation.
As soon as the client says “yes” to your suggestions, it’s time to begin learning all about the person who will receive the gift basket.
One customer who ordered from me last year is the director of a day care program. She purchased 25 gifts housed in red drums, one each for members of her staff.
I asked her about each person’s age, marital status, favorite colors, and allergies. She knows their preferences and was able to provide me with answers in order to customize each gift perfectly.
The containers were similar, but each design was unique. Everyone shouted with joy when they saw their special gift.
When you get the order, ask as many questions as possible about the recipient so that you not only fulfill the first order but continue to be the client’s gift provider.
Ten Steps to Become a Successful Gift Basket Designer shares more helpful hints to satisfy every customer.
How to Make Wise Decisions Before You Buy
How do designers spend all of their cash before making one sale? By buying merchandise on impulse.
I had the same problem when I opened for business. When I saw certain products, I bought all available stock. I had to have it.
Years later, some of the same products sat on my shelves. It was dusty, unattractive, and could not be sold because it was too old, a total waste of money.
That lesson taught me to ask myself a question before buying merchandise: “Which of my designs will sell this product?”
If I could not answer the question, I didn’t buy it.
Consider this before spending your precious cash.
1. Review your cellophane and ribbon inventory. I know some designers with enough of each to open their own store. Do you really need another roll?
2. Resist the urge to buy clearance items. There’s a reason that another business cannot sell these products. Will it sell for you?
3. Repurpose your own merchandise. If plush toys or tea cups don’t sell in one theme, either give it away as a promotional item or sell it as a standalone gift. Repurposing won’t always work, so think long and hard before buying.
The bear in the above photograph was unsellable in my get well baskets, but they were a hit in the Valentine’s Day and my “I can’t bear to be without you” designs. This is an example of repurposing that worked.
Think, think, buy.
How to Choose Beautiful Baskets
Baskets reign as the most-recognizable vessel in our industry.
Containers, boxes, wire-framed items and more also keep contents intact, but the basket is what’s made this business great.
That’s why designers are so choosy about sizes, colors, shapes, and pricing. It’s all to make sure that our customers and recipients are pleased with what they give and receive.
We’re also very careful to find the best basket sources in the closest locations. If you’re located 3,000 miles away from the supplier, shipping charges will be a sizable cost. But if you happen to live close to a facility, the cost per basket will stay low. That’s a big part of the profit potential.
When you travel to trade shows in the coming weeks, my hope is that the basket styles you see in the aisles match what will please your customers.
I’ll be searching for attractive, sturdy baskets at the California Gift Show and Philadelphia Gift Show next weekend when I speak at each event. You’ll find more classes on this page. Which shows do you plan to attend?
Want to know more about your basket choices? Start with this page, and also visit the baskets Web site created for you that shows empty baskets and completed designs.
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