Tradeshows take place year-round, but in summer they are most plentiful. Follow these tips for a fun and profitable visit to a tradeshow.

1. Plan ahead.

• Examine your inventory and supplies and  make a list of your needs.
• Consult your upcoming sales campaigns.
• Consult with your best clients to get ideas of their upcoming gift needs.
• Check on the credentials to attend and pre-register so you don’t have to stand in lines to get in.

2. Prepare to stay for the entire show so you can pace yourself.

• Wear comfortable shoes
• Take easy-to-eat and replenishing snacks such as fruit slices.
• Eat breakfast before you go.
• Carry water.
• Take frequent breaks.

3. Carry essential documents.

• Pack lots of business cards, even before your toothbrush. Most vendors won’t give you a catalog nor take you serious without a business card.
• Carry a list of references and banking information if you want to open accounts.

4. Plan your day when you first arrive at the show.

• Study a copy of the participating vendors and the floorplan.
• Decide where you will start and where you need to spend the most time
• Decide if you’ll attend free seminars and demonstrations since these will take time away from shopping the show.

5. Shop the show wisely.

• Keep in mind that you are shopping for your clients, not yourself
• Remember that you’re at a wholesale show, so please don’t gasp when the vendor announces her minimum case order.
• You are placing orders, not taking products with you, so ask when your order will ship and which carrier they use.
• Make notes as you see items you want. You can order from the company later if you want to think about it.
• Compare prices, terms, and shipping prices.
• Avoid impulsive decisions. Some vendors will put on pressure by offering free shipping or other deals.

Following these tips will ensure that you enjoy the show and make wise shopping decisions.

Looking for a tradeshow near you, check our state by state listing.

Send your gift basket off to its destination with confidence that it will arrive safely. Here are some tips on how to pack pickled peppers or anything else for that matter.

1. Use a heavy corrugated NEW box with flaps. If you must use a used box it should be clean and look new. Be sure to remove all old labels, stickers and postage .

The best buys on shipping boxes will be at packaging supply companies where they are sold in sets of about 20 or 25, depending on size.

2. Your box should be big enough to allow about 3 empty inches around your design.

3. If you create designs with a fan at the top, consider a basket that’s tall enough to allow for the fan. Get these from packaging suppliers or box manufacturers since the average office supply store will usually carry just cube sizes.

4. Place cellophaned or shrinkwrapped gift basket in box. Some designers wrap the finished design in bubble wrap also as an added precaution.

5. Surround the basket with crumpled paper,  loose-fill peanuts or packing foam. Pack tightly so there’s no banging-around room. Avoid packing newspaper in the box. The ink may rub off on recipient’s hands. Not a pretty sight.

6. For a very heavy basket, consider using engineered foam inserts, such as for all four corners, along with the loose-fill peanuts. Many use the two-box or box within a box method for heavy baskets.

7. Avoid shipping chocolate in hot or summer months. If you must ship fragile foods in summer, at least ship them by 2nd day air.

8. Close the packed box tightly and tape securely with a two-inch good quality shipping tape. No cellophane, masking or duct tape. Consider buying a tabletop dispenser for your wide tape. It’s often easier to handle than the handheld dispenser for basketeers.

9. Place a clearly written label on top of box. Print neatly with a very dark black or blue ink and be sure to include zip code.  Avoid using markers or other inks that may run. As a safety precaution put clear tape across the label as well.This prevents the label from popping up at the corners, and helps avoid damage from any potential water contact. The ideal label is the one you create on the carrier’s website. They have bar codes easily read and understood by the carriers.

10. Visit the sites of the major carriers and packaging companies for more detailed information on packing materials and proper packing.

11. You can arrange for pickup, carry your properly packed box to the nearest carrier location or even easier, ship at your local Staples, Office Depot, or other local office supply store.

For the best rates, ship your packages ten business days ahead of preferred delivery date. Waiting until the last minute increases your blood pressure and lowers the likelihood that your gift basket will arrive in a timely manner.

If you’re selling gift baskets  as a home-based business, a vital part of your customer service is your shipping. Even though you work from home, you can have a top-notch shipping department if you plan ahead and take these steps:

1.Make it easy for your customers to order on your website or by phone with an order form that captures all the information you need, especially the customer’s email and phone number.

2. Verify these addresses before your ship. If the address is incorrect the package may return to you or the carrier may charge you a fee for correcting it for you.

3. Become familiar with the shipping rates and deadlines of all major carriers. They are typically based on zone, weight and dimensions of your package and the speed with which you want it delivered.

4. Notify your customer when you receive the order and tell them when it will ship. Then ship in a timely manner.

5. If you use a service such as PayPal, they will collect the credit card information and payment for you (even checks) and enable you to generate a shipping label and packing slip.

6. If you collect payments via another payment system, put your customers at ease by having a secure system in place with its logo prominently displayed.

7. Arrange for packages to be picked up if you have enough frequency. This will save your time and energy for processing orders.

8. Track packages to ensure they arrive on time. Sometimes nervous customers will call to ask if their packages have arrived if they haven’t heard from the recipient.

When your customers place an order they expect shipping to move flawlessly whether you have a home based business or not. Don’t disappoint them.

To ensure that you do a superb job of packing your gift basket, check back for tomorrow’s post,  Pack a Peck of Pickled Peppers.

Many gift basket designers bemoan the fact that they are turned away by major retailers and hotels who employ their own in-house designers. One way to approach this problem is to ask the retailer or hotel how you can become an in-house vendor. Another is to seek out companies who support local entrepreneurs.

If you have a product that’s absolutely fantastic perhaps the store will ask you to create your product in their facility. That’s what happened at Kowalski, a popular Minnesota specialty supermarket, reported in a Specialty Food article. They sold so much of a shortbread from a local company, Bramblewood Cottage, that they asked the owner to make it at their central bakery.

Kowalski is noted for promoting their local food entrepreneurs. They carry locally-produced products in the store, even giving them special signage. The store encourages them to bring their products in for tasting.

Other stores support local entrepreneurs also, such as my local Border’s that displays the work of local writers in a special section.

Search your community for companies who support local entrepreneurs and using low-cost secrets to landing corporate accounts, you will soon enjoy increased profits.

After watching a bowmaking demonstration at a gift basket convention many years ago, I excitedly rushed back to my studio to try the new techniques I had learned.

Or so I thought.

Little did I realize, until I was teaching the technique in a class years later, that I was doing a variation of what I had originally learned.

Has that happened to you? You put a new twist on a design or bowmaking technique that yields a slightly different and perhaps even better version of the original.

At an inventors audition at a development center, first place went to creators of a peanut butter and jelly gun. These inventors were motivated to find a better way or an improved gadget for something they already did.

Now you’re probably thinking, what does this have to do with gift baskets?

Lots.

Over the years, many new inventions have entered the gift basket industry: shrinkwrap bags, themed gift boxes with matching accessories, glue dots, printed cellophane and mesh netting. At the same time, designers have created clever ways to make designing, selling and even storing supplies easier.

One technique I like when using shrinkwrap bags, for example, is to place the empty basket in the shrink bag first, then build the design. That way I don’t have to risk toppling the contents when I lift the full basket to place it in the bag. I demonstrate this technique on my DVD, Basic Gift Basket Design.

What about you? What’s in your gift basket of tricks? You may have created a gadget, a substance, a technique or even a marketable product. Share how you’ve made the business of gift baskets easier.

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Learn the do’s and don’ts about making money from niche corporate sales. Listen as I share how I captured niche lucrative sales on a newly released audio CD, Make Money with Corporate Niche Sales. I spill insider secrets and reveal some mistakes I made so you can avoid them.
 
Place your order by June 1st and receive these bonuses:

•  a special report, “Corporate v.s. Consumer Sales”
• a sample letter of introduction
• a sample proposal
• a special report, “How to Successfully Target Niche Markets”, that includes things to consider, who to contact and suggested niche markets
   

Determining your niche market can maximize your marketing budget and increast your profits. Here are three ways to do that.

1. What do your current and most frequent clients have in common?

For example, when you analyze your current customer base let’s say you discover that a number of them order golf-themed gift baskets. Because you already stock some golf-themed gift items and packaging for them, you already have supplies to serve a niche. Conduct research to see if there is a market for golf-themed speciality gift basket.

2. What is unique about your product or service?

You may have a product or service that is different from the average. One gift basket designer created a unique container that had a pedestal and was requested a lot by her interior designer clients. This unique container may be focal point for creating a niche that would different from others.

3. What part of the market is not being served or is underserved?

One gift basket designer discovered that no one in her area was serving the funeral market. She attended a funeral convention, met people in the mortuary industry and created a niche designing a unique sympathy gift basket. Funeral directors would take one of her baskets each time they called on a family to discuss funeral plans.

If you haven’t considered serving corporate niche markets, it’s time you did. Learn the do’s and don’ts about making money from niche corporate sales. Listen as I share how I captured niche lucrative sales on a newly released audio CD, Make Money with Corporate Niche Sales. I spill insider secrets and reveal some mistakes I made so you can avoid them.
 
Place your order by June 1st and receive these bonuses:

•  a special report, “Corporate v.s. Consumer Sales”
• a sample letter of introduction
• a sample proposal
• a special report, “How to Successfully Target Niche Markets”, that includes things to consider, who to contact and suggested niche markets
   

Corporate and consumer sales differ in a number of ways. Here are three of them.

1. The potential for profit is greater with corporate sales.

The consumer typically buys a gift basket on rare occasions, and only for very special gifts.

The corporate client who selects gift baskets for her needs, on the other hand, will often place frequent or recurring orders.

2. The corporate client has a budget.

Ask a consumer how much they want to spend on a gift basket and their eyes glaze over.

A corporate client knows exactly how much they have budgeted for gifts.

3. The corporate client has limited time and is ready to get down to business.

Whether placing an order by phone or in your store,the consumer loves to browse before buying.

Although the corporate client can be very selective, they also count on your expertise to help them zero in on just the right gift basket idea.

If you haven’t considered serving corporate markets, it’s time you did. Learn the do’s and don’ts about making money from niche corporate sales. Listen as I share how I captured niche lucrative sales on a newly released audio CD, Make Money with Corporate Niche Sales. I spill insider secrets and reveal some mistakes I made so you can avoid them.
 
Place your order by June 1st and receive these bonuses:

•  a special report, “Corporate v.s. Consumer Sales”
• a sample letter of introduction
• a sample proposal
• a special report, “How to Successfully Target Niche Markets”, that includes things to consider, who to contact and suggested niche markets
   

It is common for new gift basket business owners to start off trying to serve a wide variety of customers. One of my clients, for example, not only sells over 20 themes of gift baskets, but also makes floral bouquets, balloon arrangements and candy bouquets. My advice to her and you is to consider corporate niche sales.

Corporate niche sales focus on a specialized part of a larger market.

If you wanted to have your blinds cleaned well would you call a general cleaning service or a specialist in cleaning blinds who knew exactly which products to use to avoid damaging your blinds and make them look like new?

A company specializing in cleaning blinds is serving a niche market. There are three reasons niche sales can bring more profits.

1. People seeking a specialized service are willing to pay more. Cosmetic dentists command higher fees than general dentists because patients seeking cosmetic dentistry are motivated to pay more.

2. You can narrow your inventory costs and storage. When placing orders you may qualify for better volume discounts since you know exactly what to order for your niche.

3. There is not as much competition in a niche market as in the general market place. Gift basket companies that specialize in sending college care packages are far fewer than general gift basket companies.

If you haven’t considered serving corporate niche markets, it’s time you did. Learn the do’s and don’ts about making money from niche corporate sales. Listen as I share how I captured niche lucrative sales on a newly released audio CD, Make Money with Corporate Niche Sales. I spill insider secrets and reveal some mistakes I made so you can avoid them.
 
Place your order by June 1st and receive these bonuses:

•  a special report, “Corporate v.s. Consumer Sales”
• a sample letter of introduction
• a sample proposal
• a special report, “How to Successfully Target Niche Markets”, that includes things to consider, who to contact and suggested niche markets
   

Summer time is a great time to explore new and fun ways to market your gift basket business. One of these is the local county fair.

To find out where and when the fairs are taking place go to your state’s department of food and agriculture website. The listings will give you the contact information so you can learn what events and activities are planned. Be sure to check on guidelines and restrictions, especially on food contents. The fair organizers can help direct you to the companies and groups most likely to need prizes and raffle giveaways.

But don’t stop at county fairs. Search for the fairs that focus on health, careers, diversity and more. A health fair in Beverly Hills, CA, for example, will feature basket giveaways. Some fairs will have their own websites loaded with information.

From my county’s upcoming fair website, the Orange County Fair, I learned about the headliners of concerts and the many types of competitions that will give prizes. I can sign up for their free newsletter and even volunteer to work some part of the fair if I wish.

If you don’t find an opportunity to sell your gift baskets, how about donating one or sponsoring a gift? Now is the time to find out what fairs are nearby with marketing opportunities just waiting for you.

 
With many retail chain stores cutting back on locations or closing altogether, mall owners are eagerly courting mom and pop stores to fill those spaces.

If you’ve longed to move your gift basket business from home to a retail location, now is an ideal time. Not only are mall owners more flexible with fees, but are offering short-term leases according to an article in the Patriot Ledger.

Being able to operate your business in a mall setting will give you a chance to decide if this is the best venue for your business. Also, by getting acquainted with the other store owners in the mall, you can learn more about the retail industry than you could from home.

You shouldn’t get too comfortable in your retail location, however, since the mall owners are biding their time until the economy turns and they are able to lure back big stores willing to enter into long-term leases.  In the meantime, consider this a time to test the waters.

Check out the malls in your area and talk to the management.