How to Add Fruit to a Gift Basket
Updated articles with expert tips about making fruit baskets aren’t published often, so if you find one that will aid you in adding fruit, be sure to read and save it.
That was my first thought when finding a fruit basket article on the Omaha.com Web site.
There’s no video available, but the next time you’re asked to include fruit, you’ll be able to follow the text and set fruit firmly within your basket.
My first accountant asked me to create a fruit basket for one of her clients located in midtown Manhattan. I didn’t specialize in fruit but became an expert quickly to accommodate the $150 budget. The arrangement mirrored what you’ll read in the article.
It was gratifying to find a parking space (you don’t have to live in New York City to understand how difficult parking can be) and deliver the fruit basket intact to a crowd of folks with smiles on their faces.
I remember the firm’s owner preparing to tip me, but I told her that I was the business owner who was happy to hand deliver her gift, which signaled the owner to put her money away.
Hopefully, the article cited for this post is still available, but if not, here’s an important quote about creating a fruit basket.
“Maybe on the bottom, you put the grapefruit because you want a good level bottom layer. Then layers. You don’t want to put two red apples together. You want to put an orange or a green apple next to it.”
Some of the problems you may have faced when receiving fruit basket requests are:
What’s been the difficulty for you in adding fruit to your baskets?
Two Great Gift Basket Stories in the News
Gift basket articles are plentiful on the Web through media sources that are constantly searching for designers to interview now that the holiday season is here.
Here are two citings to stories that may be of interest to you.
My hope is that the article links added below are still be available online when you read this.
Company Adds Person Touch to Gift Baskets, an article from NewsAdvance.com in Virginia, interviews a designer in business for just under 20 years. The insightful point in this story is that she decided to work with a drop shipper this year.
Here’s her quote about the partnership:
“This year, I decided that with the economy, maybe we could do more business without having to stock thousands of items.”
You’ll find a video about working with drop shippers on this page.
California’s MyDesert.com interviewed the owner/designer of Gift Baskets and More in a snapshot article revealing details about the year started, number of employees, and costs.
One point I’m glad to read is that the designer not only wrote a business plan before starting but also reviews it regularly. This is a tip I stress in the book, How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business.
Here’s what she says about her plan and pricing strategy.
“I update it every quarter. For instance, in this current economic climate, I lowered my price points to meet my objectives.”
It’s not too late to send your local media details about your business to encourage promotion. If you’ve already contacted the media, what did they say or Email about writing your story?
How Did Your Gift Basket Business Achieve Success this Year?
What were the ups and downs of running your gift basket business in 2009?
Operating a business requires as much preparation as it deserves a look at the triumphs and challenges experienced in the past months.
Was your business:
Looking back, I prospered because of opportunities that became available during networking events, and though I didn’t meet all of my goals, planning for high sales made each month’s results worthwhile. I’m optimistic that the same is true for you.
How would you sum up your 2009 sales, and what will you do to increase your success in 2010?
Gift Basket Orders – What’s Your Holiday Deadline Date?
What date have you set as a cutoff for holiday orders, or do you plan to work on gift basket designs until the early morning hours of December 25?
There was a time when designers allowed their clients to call the shots during the Christmas holiday, but savvy professionals have changed. Like participants in other industries, we:
One year, a new prospect called me and ordered three gift baskets to be delivered on Christmas day. I explained to her that all orders had to be confirmed and delivered by December 20. The client began berating me about not providing good customer service and announced that she would never call again.
She didn’t realize that not becoming my customer was one of the best gifts I received that year.
What are your hours of operation this holiday season?
Why Every Business Won’t Be Your Gift Basket Client
Early in my career, I decided to send either a gift basket or small gift to newly-launched companies listed in my local newspaper.
The premise was to get each company’s attention so that as business grew, my company would be the one they called for employee and customer gifts.
Before pursuing this goal, I drove to each company’s address to view the location. I remember that one automotive firm’s address was a private house, and locations for other businesses that required at least a sign in the front (but had no sign) weren’t what they were reported to be.
Were the newspaper listings accurate?
All the paper did was print a roster of anyone who registered a new business within the county, so while the information may have been correct, the potential for future sales was not. I immediately abandoned my plan.
You know the importance of initial impressions all too well. What I saw on the outside told me not to send anything to any of these businesses. Instead, I stayed with my original plan: contacting corporate clients I already knew and the referrals they provided to me.
Over time, that marketing strategy increased my sales and client list.
Sending welcome gifts to unknown prospects wastes time, energy, and money. In many cases, it’s simply not the way to build your business.
The Pre-Holiday Q&A two-part article will help you find companies to buy your gift baskets right now.
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