Gift Basket Business Contest Starts Now
Many ideas and opportunities to build your business are planned here throughout 2009, but why wait until then to launch a contest?
There are three prizes, and best of all, entering in super easy. Some of you may already be eligible.
GRAND PRIZE - Value $300
The “Nothing is Ordinary” Deluxe Gift Basket Kit containing a:
This is the type of kit to keep, resell, or create as a promotional incentive gift to boost your business.
These specialty items will arrive in my office next week (there’s much more contents), and I’ll post a photograph so you can drool while awaiting the contest results.
SECOND PRIZE - Value $200
The Ultimate Resource Materials Kit
THIRD PRIZE - Value $100
Cash prize of $100 sent directly to your electronic account.
ELIGIBILITY
This contest is open to gift basket designers and related professionals worldwide. Products are mailed to winners, and the cash prize is sent electronically to an online account.
HOW TO ENTER
Subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed, and confirm your subscription when the confirmation arrives by Email. That’s all!
Look for the box shown at left. It’s located at the top of this blog’s middle column. Add your Email address, press the subscribe button, wait for the Email confirmation, confirm, and you’re already eligible.
If you already receive updated blog posts by Email, you’re already entered.
CONTEST START/END
The contest starts today and ends Sunday, November 30. Three winners will be chosen at random in my office. Notification is by Wednesday, December 3, and the winners will be announced here on Friday, December 5.
All winners grant GiftBasketBusiness.com permission to publish their names, business names, and any comments provided by Email about their surprise, happiness, etc.
All questions and feedback about this contest are welcomed in the comments section.
This is the first of many contests, and the prizes will increase both in value and type.
Thank you for entering. I can’t wait to draw your name.
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Books with Gift Basket Ideas
Whether a woman is inspired to write an organic book while creating a gift basket brochure or when libraries consider gift baskets as part of their promotions, the world of books certainly plays an important role in our industry.
That’s one reason why I visit bookstores. Today, a bookstore is like an updated library, isn’t it? You can choose a book, sit down, read it, and then place it back on the shelf.
Last week, I found two books at a local bookstore that may benefit you.
Flower Arranging for the First Time answers the question, “How do I place enhancements in my gift baskets?”
I remember not being very good at placing floral items around foods and gift items and how I found the task to be agonizing until I saw better techniques. This book is helpful even if you’re a master at placement.
You’ll find my extended book review here.
Another book is Organizing Your Craft Space. You may not term this industry as “crafty,” and I can understand that.
What I do is push the “crafty” term aside to see if the principles apply to anything helpful with gift baskets, and it’s for this reason that I believe this book will interest you.
The Gift Basket Design Studio Extreme Makeover shows lots of before and after photos taken inside an actual gift basket workshop. Organizing Your Craft Space is an extension of that.
The organization ideas on each page superbly show how to keep every piece of inventory in place. I found myself saying, “Wow!” many times.
My review of this book is here.
Both books were written a few years ago, so they may be housed in your local library, waiting for you to rent and explore them.
I know you’re always on the lookout for interesting ideas to take business to a new level. Books often includes those ideas, so check out these two when your schedule permits.
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How to Remove “Handling” Costs for Wholesale Baskets
Today’s Wholesaler Wisdom Guest Writer is Sarah Botchick of Pioneer Wholesale Co., Berea, OH.
Every gift basket designer needs to save money on baskets. There is one simple way to save money that many gift basket designers are not aware of – avoid buying single sized baskets with top handles!
Gift basket design magazines love to show gift baskets with top handles. And they certainly make beautiful designs. However, the top handles make baskets more expensive. Why? Because single size top handle baskets are more expensive to ship, both to the United States via the importer, then again to the gift basket designer.
Since these baskets cannot nest, only a small number can fit in each box. Basically, you are paying to ship air.
We ship our baskets all over the country and we have found that it is incredibly expensive to ship single size baskets with top handles since UPS and FEDEX have gone to charging by the cubic feet of the box instead of by the weight.
At times we have found that the freight on some single sized top handle baskets is as much as 50% of the cost of the basket!
So, what can designers do? There are three options that not only save you money, but also, as Shirley George Frazier pointed out in last week’s post, they save you on storage space in your shop.
1. Purchase baskets without a top handle.
Choose baskets without handles or with side ear handles. Don’t feel you need to sacrifice style when choosing this option – there are many baskets available without top handles in beautiful rich finishes and designs.
2. Look for a unique type of gift basket with “drop down” handles.
These handles fold down for shipping and allow the baskets to nest, but then can be pulled up when creating your designs to give you the look of the top handles, without the additional shipping cost.
3. If your designs absolutely require top handles, buy nested sets of baskets.
These save you money on shipping, as well as allow you to have a variety of sizes on hands for different design needs.
Pioneer Wholesale Co. is an experienced wholesaler and importer who can help you find the baskets you need. Visit www.pioneerwholesaleco.com or call 888-234-5400.
DESIGNERS: I encourage you to ask questions and share feedback for Sarah in the comments section. She’s happy to answer your questions!
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Gift Basket Books
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Welcome, from Shirley George Frazier
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Drop Shipping Sources
