Make Plush a Part of Your Product Line
The first time I saw a stuffed shark peeking above an open can’s rim, I knew that plush animals would become part of my gift basket designs.
The shark was displayed at a trade show and was perfect for a corporate gift created for an attorney. Its appearance showed that it had bit through the can which was wrapped with a label stating “Canned Shark.”
I immediately wrote an order for canned sharks, bears, moose and other assorted animals.
Most of these plush pets sold well, and I was lucky because I didn’t determine ahead of time which animals would be paired with specific designs (this is a project I encourage you to complete before buying any product).
One reason why plush is a great staple is that it doesn’t expire. Other reasons include the ease of placing them in baby baskets, Valentine’s Day themes, and men’s baskets. That covers a lot of ground and ensures turnover and profitability.
Which types of plush animals sell quickly for you?
How to Fix Gift Baskets on the Go
Popped balloons. Slashed cellophane. The strangest things happen to baskets when they’re traveling to clients.
Maybe you’re going to a presentation, or perhaps you’re making a delivery. In either case you must be ready for whatever can happen to that gorgeous basket enroute to its destination.
To solve the worst problems, designers carry their own version of a doctor’s bag. The contents promise to remove all the pain associated with the smallest things going wrong to ruin the event.
Your bag doesn’t have to be an actual bag. It could be a toolbox, a wired carryall or a small cardboard box. Choose whatever works for you and fill it with supplies and replacements such as scissors, tape, curling ribbon, raffia, and pull bows.
You’re a savvy gift basket designer who always carries these tools in case of emergency. Keep these supplies handy and always available in your vehicle. It’s a great investment in time and against headaches.
What’s in your doctor’s bag?
Substitutes Often Get the Sale
Starting a gift basket business may seem a bit rocky at the beginning. Understanding what clients want and satisfying them isn’t always easy.
I found this to be true when I started.
What worked for me to get sales going was to offer alternatives to what clients said they wanted.
For example, one prospect asked me for Girl Scout Cookies, but I had no access to them (and neither did anyone else) because the cookies were out of season.
Instead, I offered the alternative of thin mint cookies that I had in stock. Although they weren’t in Girl Scout packaging, the prospect accepted my suggestion, and with that, the prospect official became a client.
My suggestion to you is to keep alternatives in mind each time a person requests something you don’t stock, and also remember that even experienced designers don’t always have every requested item. It’s impossible.
When you focus on offering alternatives, you’ll make more sales and satisfy clients just as if you have exactly what they want.
Consider Wholesale Specials to Lower Your Costs
Some wholesalers are offering specials right now that lower costs and increase your profit margin.
I mention this to you because I had a chance to save money in December and blew it. The savings was 60 percent off a product that I regularly purchase.
I didn’t document the savings on my calendar, along with the deadline date to give the offer a second thought.
I found myself buying the item for full price just 15 days later, as none of my negotiation tactics worked to extend the price reduction.
That was a huge mistake on my part, one that I wish the opposite for you.
If wholesalers are offering any of the following, look at your inventory and consider the savings:
There’s more available according to who’s offering what, but this short list provides you with a guide to specials that lower your price and put more money in your pocket when you sell.
Companies listed at GiftBasketWholesaleSupplies.com and OrganicWholesaleSupplies.com may be running such specials right now.
What’s the best wholesale special you remember that convinced you to buy?
-
Gift Basket Biz Plan
-
Gift Basket Books
-
-
Welcome, from Shirley George Frazier
-
Visit Our Sponsors
