Learn to create a design, shrinkwrap
and make a bow in 22 minutes
Get Folks Talking About Your Gift Basket Business
By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | July 1, 2008
Companies who invest in the $1 trillion advertising and marketing industry are seeing half of their investment go down the drain reported an Economist article.That’s because consumers are increasingly relying on other ways to make their buying decisions. Word of mouth, an old way to spread news, is still the fastest and most affordable to advertise. But now word of mouth has gone viral by using technology to spread the word even faster.
Some of the most popular ways to put viral marketing to work for you are:
Facebook, a social network, has become popular with businesses. Set up a free page there and use the many features to let the world know what you’re doing. Unlike MySpace which is thought of as mainly a place for young people to meet and greet each other, Facebook has gained credibility and popularity as a place for businesses to network.
Here are some ways to put word of mouth to work for you:
1. Get current happy customers talking by asking for referrals. Put it on your business card, fliers and brochures. Offer incentives for new customers who result from these referrals.
2. Give customers and visitors to your website something to talk about: contests, giveaways, but most of all, provide great, unique products.
3. Provide customers with frequent information and updates about your business such as with a weekly newsletter. Ask for their opinions, questions and reactions. Encourage them to forward your e-newsletters to their friends.
4. Give your customers the tools to get them talking. Start a blog, message board, or chat to encourage customers to speak out.
Get word of mouth working for you and watch your profits grow.
What form of marketing has worked best for you?
Topics: gift basket business, marketing, word of mouth | Please Add a Comment »
Where Can I Find Gift Basket Business Ideas?
By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | June 30, 2008
Gift basket designers frequently ask me where they can find new products or learn about new techniques. Of course my first response is to urge them to explore the wealth of information on my websites and blogs:
- Gift Basket Business World – lists links to USA and Canada tradeshows, FAQs and more
- Easy Gift Basket Ideas – find out what goes in popular themes and how to make a diaper cake
- Make Gift Baskets Now – watch design demos and hear audio tips
- Add Gift Baskets – offer gift baskets in your store without making them yourself
- The Gift Basket Library – articles on gift basket design, marketing and busines operations
- Design DVDs – learn to create a gift basket, shrinkwrap it and make a bow in one lesson.
Then, there are two other major sources of information at your fingertips year-round.
- Gift Basket Business –Popular author, Shirley George Frazier, keeps current with design and business techniques and shares them liberally on this site, her blogs and a number of other sites she has created for the industry. Look for the links to her sister sites.
- Apex Gift Foods Blog –Expert wholesaler, Lorie Oberhauer, taps into the latest in gourmet retailing and points readers to the vital information we need to sustain and grow our businesses.
In addition to these sources, however, tradeshows are exciting events where you can examine products, food and supplies closeup and gain information from vendors and seminars.
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The Fancy Food Show currently going on in New York, for example, not only offered a gift basket seminar, but also welcomed new exhibitors from around the world with exciting new foods that would be perfect for gift baskets. Here are a few of the thousands of great products you’ll find at the Fancy Food Show.
Boca Bons, Inc.
4240 NW 120th Avenue
Coral Springs, FL 33065
800.314.2835 Fax: 954.346.0497
bocabons@aol.com
www.bocabons.com
A handmade combination of truffles, fudge and brownies all rolled into one
Island Treasures Gourmet
10396 Harry J. Parrish Blvd.
P.O. Box 6806, Woodbridge, VA 22195
Manassas, VA 20110
703.590.7900, Fax: 703.590.8796
ccraigcgc@yahoo.com
www.islandtreasuresgourmet.com
Delicious rum cakes
The Lollipop Tree, Inc.
319 Vaughan Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
800.842.6691Fax: 603.436.0282
info@lollipoptree.com
www.lollipoptree.com
All-natural baking mixes, jams and condiments
Tropical Key Inc.
6614 Harvest Glen Drive
Dallas, TX 75248
800.813.2253 Fax: 305.397.2389
kelly@docksidemarket.com; donna@docksidemarket.com
www.docksidemarket.com
Key Lime cuisine with an exclusive collection of cakes, cookies,
sauces, hot sauce and salsa from the Florida Keys
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The California Gift Show in Los Angeles runs from Friday, July 18, 2008 to Monday, July 21, 2008
At the California Gift Show be sure to attend Shirley George Frazier’s seminars at The Platform in South Hall at the Los Angeles Convention Center
Create Your Retail Website in 10 Easy Steps
Shirley Frazier, Sweet Survival
Friday, July 18, 2008
1:00 p.m.
Learn from the best! As president and founder of Sweet Survival and GiftBasketBusiness.com, Shirley will share tips and techniques on how to create a website that really sells. Shirley is an award-winning designer and dynamic speaker who has presented trade show seminars nationwide. She’s been featured on CNBC, The Food Network, and The Discovery Channel, has written articles for Fancy Food, Food Distribution Magazine, and Gourmet News. Her books include How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business and The Gift Basket Design Book.
Green Gift Baskets Make Dollars and Sense
Shirley Frazier, Sweet Survival
Saturday, July 19, 2008
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Join the author of The Gift Basket Design Book as she shares tips on how to make green by being green—gift baskets that are both eco-friendly, and profitable.
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Gift basket ideas are plentiful when you know where to look. Find out about the tradeshows in your state here.
What has been your best source of great gift basket ideas?
Topics: Fancy Food Show, educational materials, gift basket business, gift basket classes, gift basket containers, gift basket design, gift basket design tips, gift basket inventory, gift basket supplies, gift tradeshows, tradeshows | Please Add a Comment »
Gift Baskets for Baby Boomers Can Be a Lucrative Niche
By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | June 27, 2008
As baby boomers turn 60 it’s clear that they are not the same as oldtimers of generations past. Born between 1946 and 1964 baby boomers make up 30% of the USA and have more than $7 trillion in wealth.
Because they enjoy greater health, more wealth, and broader minds than their ancestors, their activities will not limited to rocking grandbabies on the front porch or playing Bingo on Wednesday nights at the community hall. Instead, baby boomers will be giving a new meaning to retirement. Many will be traveling to places where they can explore the world as well as combine their love of learning with hobbies, fun and relaxation.
Here are some of the activities boomers are choosing.
- Striking out in their RV’s to see the country. Now they can check out for themselves whether the best barbecue is in Texas or Kansas.
- Expressing creativity and relaxing in picturesque settings such as art and photo safaris .
- Learning about their heritage draws them to cultural heritage tours, such as the underground railroad, Niagara Falls and living city tours.
- Bonding with others who share their hobbies at events such as the International Women’s and Motorcycling Conference sponsored by Harley-Davidson.
Read the rest of the article here to get ideas on the best gifts and gift baskets for baby boomers.
Topics: baby boomers, demographics, gift basket business, marketing | Please Add a Comment »
Wordless Wednesday
By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | June 25, 2008
This handmade and environmentally friendly cupcake card won the Best New Product Award at the National Stationery Show. Learn more about this company’s products at BiteSize Cards
Topics: National Stationery Show, buying inventory, green products, greeting cards, holidays and celebrations | Please Add a Comment »
Wedding Gift Baskets? Think Green
By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | June 23, 2008
Wedding trends, like many other things in our culture, are turning toward environmentally friendly choices.
Although some things seem to remain–calligraphy for invitations and favors for the reception–many other choices have gone green. Bridal gowns are being made of organic materials, bouquets are becoming less formal maybe using handpicked flowers and honeymoons are being booked on beaches, parks, and exotic places.
A popular gift that gift basket designers can create that respects the environment is the “towel cake.” Made like the diaper cake, the towel cake can be made of personalized towels or towels that color coordinate with the new couple’s bathroom.
To learn how to make the towel cake, follow the instructions for the diaper cake but substituting towels for diapers. See the video at the bottom of this page.
To learn more about new wedding trends, read this article.
To find sources for order inventory for your wedding themes, get our directory Wedding Theme It!
Topics: gift basket business, trends, weddings | Please Add a Comment »
Good Photos are a Must for Your Gift Basket Business
By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | June 20, 2008
Gift basket designers depend on photos in fliers and on websites. Since customers often buy with the eye, providing them with great pictures will benefit your business tremendously.
Even before digital cameras, I took photos of my custom designs to keep as a record. Then I started to make two copies and send one to the sender. Because custom designs are often placed online or by phone, this was a way for the sender to see the finished order.
Soon my customers began to expect a photo with the thank you card after each custom order. Thankfully that was just about the time digital cameras became popular. I bought my first one and began to put a photo directly on the thank you card or invoice. I also began to add a photo of the design along with the description on the handout I provided at corporate presentations.
One of the best uses I made of digital photography was shooting a picture of a sample design and emailing to a potential customers for their consideration. This saved me time and money that would have been spent in traveling to a destination or shipping a sample. This also sped up the time it took the client to make a decision and confirm the order.
Learning to shoot good digital photos of your designs is a wise investment of your time. I’m not suggesting that you become a professional photographer. There is no match for top notch photography. But with today’s digital cameras and a backdrop, you can turn out good photos for your website, your clients and your records.
Learn more about shooting good digital photos here.
Then check out how Shirley Frazier responded to a photography question on her site Ask the Gift Expert.
Read These Related Posts
- Spice Up Your Gift Basket Designs with Enhancements
- Using Your Blog to Promote Your Business
- Gift Baskets Help Cities Lure Hollywood
Topics: custom designs, gift basket business, gift basket photos, shooting digital photos | Please Add a Comment »
One Key to Gift Basket Business Success is Doing Your Homework
By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | June 19, 2008
A critical step in starting any business is to learn as much as possible about the business before you begin. This is especially true of the gift basket business since it has many working parts and is labor intensive.
When asked what you would do differently if you started your business over, a number of gift basket designers said they would spend more time researching. Here are some of the responses:
Melissa Clonch, Owner-President of Gift Baskets by Melissa shared the following:
Although I have only been in business since January of 2007, I have made many of the mistakes that often occur when starting a gift basket business.
The following is one key area I would change if I had to start my gift basket business over:
Research, Research, Research!!! Just when you think you have done enough research - do more!
Read all the articles, books, magazines, message boards, etc. that you can find that pertain to the gift basket industry. Research your community and other gift shops in your area. You want to offer something different from your competition.
It is also a great idea to watch gift basket videos and DVDs by some of the leading business women in the gift basket industry as well as attend their seminars, classes and trade shows. The small investment you make for this research will far out way the expense you incur from the costly mistakes.
Janet Pakrul, owner of Simple Sweets said
If I had to start my business over, I would find a mentor or ask an existing “Gift Basket” owner many questions and advice on what makes their business work. Sometimes we learn the hard way, I could have learned from a seasoned business person and applied much of that to my particular business.
Although I did so much research on starting a business - there wasn’t a lot of information on starting a “Gift Basket Business” . Also, I wish in my particular location, that there were courses for creating gift baskets. I’ve taken accounting and business start up courses, but the “meat and potatoes” of the business would be the “Gift Basket Business”, creation, design, finding clients, and marketing this business. We are not in a large metro area, but we receive orders from all over the US via our website.
Fortunately there is a wealth of gift basket business information on the Internet now for Melissa, Janet and YOU. Be sure to visit these sites for starters:
Websites created by Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D.
Gift Basket Business World
The Gift Basket Library
Make Gift Baskets Now
Easy Gift Basket Ideas
Add Gift Baskets
Gift Basket Business
Gift Basket Business Blog
Gift Basket Class
Gift Basket Tutorials
Gift Basket Dictionary
Topics: educational materials, gift basket DVDs, gift basket business, starting a gift basket business | Please Add a Comment »
Will Gay Marriages Becoming Legal Affect Your Gift Basket Business?
By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | June 18, 2008
Yesterday gay marriages became legal in California and state officials welcomed a crush of eager applicants applying for licenses.
Regardless of where you stand on the gay issue, you will need to explore how gay marriages will affect your gift basket business.
Just as the new license applicants will be “partners” instead of “ bride and groom,” so will wedding cake toppers, favors, invitations, gifts and many other aspects of the wedding and relationship business change.
If you currently offer wedding gift baskets, what changes will you make in your promotions to make clear what you offer?
Oh, and before you decide that you just won’t welcome gay clients, remember that you already have some.
Oh, and another thing. If you’re thinking that you’re saved from not having to deal with this because it’s a California issue, think again. The licenses in California are available to applicants from outside of California too.
Let me hear how gay marriages will affect your gift basket business?
Topics: custom designs, customer relations, gay weddings, gift basket business, gift basket design, keeping your customers, weddings | Please Add a Comment »
Starting a Gift Basket Business–What Do You Still Need to Know?
By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | June 17, 2008
Here’s what Indiana gift basket designer Judy Dirks, owner of Yellow House Designs, says about starting her business:
What I still need to know to get my business started is. . .
Wow, there is still so much to learn. I do have to say one thing this industry has such a wonderful support group, with the books, videos, newsletters, Flora Brown and Shirley Frazier’s web sites with a wealth of information. The message boards where you can ask seasoned basketeers questions and learn from their experiences.
The three main areas that I need to learn in would be:Inventory ordering I still feel it’s kind of a hit and miss with me there are so many great products out there and I want to try them all . I need to know how to make a game plan on what I should be stocking .
Next would be marketing , really what is the most beneficial way to market to businesses in a small rural town. We do live in one of the largest RV manufacturing areas, but I haven’t approached any of these companies yet. I’m not sure really what to put together to present to them, I have no idea what their gift giving needs are.Last would be starting a website. On this one I am starting at ground one. I have no experience and have never had one. So I am trying to get my hands on all the information I can to learn as much as possible before I start the process. My goal is one year .
Topics: buying inventory, gift basket business, gift basket inventory, marketing, starting a gift basket business | Please Add a Comment »
Home Based Gift Basket Business Gains Pride
By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | June 16, 2008
What would you do differently if you had to start your business over?
Here’s how Lisa Paden, owner of The Personal Gift Basket Co., answered this question:
I remembered when I first started my home based business I was embarrassed to tell people that I worked from my home. On my website I advertised “same day service” - what was I thinking? People begin to call and order baskets - wanting them the same day and I could not deliver that service to them so I began to lose clients.
Years later I joined my local Chamber of Commerce and began networking and meeting many companies that worked out of their home and was proud of it! I began to realize how much money that I was saving my clients and myself being at home and running a successful business - I began to proudly tell people that I was a home based company. I would also add to that “this is how we can keep our prices affordable to you.”
Most people don’t care, they just want to good product at a good price - I realized that I had that!
So, if I could do something different - it would be to not be embarrassed for having a home based business and to let people know that this is a benefit to them, not a hindrance.
How about you? How do you feel about your home based business?
Topics: gift basket business, home based business | Please Add a Comment »