Gift Basket Business - Hosted by Shirley George Frazier

Great Gifts Start with Beautiful Baskets

Shirley George Frazier — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:03:31 +0000

Baskets reign in our industry as the basic foundation.

Containers, boxes, wire-framed items, and more also anchor great designs, but the basket identifies this business more prominently than other vessels.

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 cost a pretty penny. 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.

Want to know more about your basket choices? Start here. There’s a link at the bottom of that page to a second page which explains more on selecting your vessels.

© 2008-2010 Shirley George Frazier. All rights reserved. Shirley George Frazier is known as "the gift basket expert." She speaks at trade and business events worldwide and is author of How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business and The Gift Basket Design Book. Visit GiftBasketBusiness.com for videos, CDs, reports, tips, online newsletter, and much more to learn, grow, and profit with gift baskets.

Where Do Clients Come From?

Shirley George Frazier — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:02:26 +0000

At the Washington Gift Show, one of the first trade shows I attended when starting my business, a woman sitting next to me at a lunch table asked, “How do you market your gift baskets?”

The answer was a big dilemma for me. I had a great product. How would I find people to buy?

After displaying my gift baskets at street fairs, I realized that public events weren’t the best place for marketing.

It seems that being in the wrong place to market is usually your first route. When no sales occur, your ideas change, bringing you closer to the right way to find customers.

Soon after, I began to find clients by understanding their traits. My clients were:

People who were time strained and/or worked long hours

Independent professionals that provided me with services (explained in How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business)

Business owners focused on getting and thanking referrals

When you began selling gift baskets,how long did it take to realize that clients were within your business and personal circles?

Wholesale Florists - A Great Local Resource

Shirley George Frazier — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:03:58 +0000

Baskets, pre-packaged foods, cellophane, and enhancements — you’ll find all this and more through wholesalers outside of your area, but have you located a florists’ facility in your own backyard that provides alternative inventory?

If not, keep searching. You’re missing out on a bounty of items that can be purchased on site a minimum of six days a week.

My region includes four such wholesalers, with the closest being five minutes away from my workspace. They have a $30 minimum. Their baskets are shallow and not gift basket friendly, but gift merchandise and enhancements are attractive and plentiful.

You won’t find everything required for gift basket design at every local wholesaler, but it’s still good to know each one’s location and what they sell.

How many wholesale florists are in your area, or are you still searching for local suppliers?

Gift Basket Business - Hosted by Shirley George Frazier

Great Gifts Start with Beautiful Baskets

Related posts:

Where Do Clients Come From?

Related posts:

Wholesale Florists - A Great Local Resource

Related posts: