May
28
Make Time to Watch and Learn
Filed Under VIDEOS/TRAINING | 2 Comments
The Gift Basket Tutorials site was launched with videos showing birthday, thank you, and get well baskets (among others) for one reason: These three themes consistently sell every day.
Once you master these styles, by watching the demos and adding your own touches, it’s easier to graduate to grand designs that start with the basic foundation skills.
The same is true about the bowmaking video. It shows how to make a one-ribbon bow. After mastering this technique, you can add two or three ribbon layers and top your gift basket with a bow that resembles a work of art.
One video soon to appear on this site is the one showing how to add glasses to your baskets.
Expect new video releases at Gift Basket Tutorials in June.
May
25
Making a Profit, Frequently-Asked Questions, Selling on Consignment
Filed Under Money, Sales-Increasing Strategies, Wholesale Selling | Leave a Comment
MAKE PROFIT, NOT LOSS
Profitability is the No. 1 goal of every business or serious hobby, and gift basket designers consistently ensure that costs are controlled before the gift is delivered. Wednesday’s newsletter points out how to increase your profits and make sure expenses are covered no matter how long you’ve been in business.
THE 411 ON FAQ
How important is an FAQ (frequently-asked questions) area on your Web site? The answers convince prospects of your dedication to them. Most of all, it’s easy to add to building trust. This blog article includes several questions to begin creating your FAQ section.
WHOLESALE OR CONSIGNMENT?
A designer asked me how to start selling her gift baskets through retail stores. I answer her question at Ask The Gift Basket Expert and also explain the option of selling her baskets at wholesale cost so she doesn’t have to return to the store to pick up unsold gifts.
May
21
It’s been 15 years since an aspiring designer posted a message on the former AOL gift basket board asking, “If I put $21 of products into the basket and sell it for $25, am I making a profit?”
Experienced designers immediately told her that such a pricing structure would land her in the poorhouse, and that’s still true today. Everything has increased in price, and it’s critical that you ensure your profitability whether you’re just starting to make gift baskets or are in your 10th year of business.
Profitable pricing has always been a big issue for designers, and because increasing the bottom line is the No. 1 priority, the formula used to calculate costs is continuously reviewed.
Tripling the wholesale cost of the entire gift basket design is the industry standard, but it’s time to make changes. For example, if your completed design wholesales for $20, consider setting a minimum $50 retail price for the gift. Add two latex or Mylar balloons, and the price increases to $55.
Another cost to adjust now is shipping and deliveries. The latter was recently discussed. Calculate the cost of shipping supplies per order and the price of driving to the shipping facility or having the basket picked up.
Review all costs to ensure that your business is run like a well-oiled machine rather than a non-profit organization. If you have to ask, “Am I making a profit?” you probably are not.
Do you buy nested baskets? This breakdown will ensure that you price them the right way.
May
18
Local Baskets, Business Solutions and Organization Tips
Filed Under Baskets, Organize Your Workspace | Leave a Comment
LOOKING FOR LOCAL BASKETS
Designers cannot resist buying beautiful baskets that will dazzle and delight customers. However, finding them locally can sometimes be a challenge. I share three tips in Wednesday’s newsletter on where to look for baskets in your region in order to save freight charges that are better spent on gorgeous vessels that are the basis for your designs.
MISTAKES MADE EASY
How do you recover when you make a mistake? The answer is to fix it as quickly as possible, and realize that mistakes are part of business. Here’s a lesson I learned early in my gift basket career and what I did to correct it. Would you do the same, or is there a better solution?
IS ORGANIZING PART OF YOUR PLAN?
Planning for future sales is the one main method to guarantee that your business thrives from now until December and beyond. I share my planning strategy in this article and also explain which office supplies make recordkeeping a snap. My hope is that these tips turn the burden of business administration into a quick and easy task.
May
14
Baskets in Your Backyard
Filed Under Baskets | Leave a Comment
“Where can I find baskets?” is one of the most-popular questions at Ask The Gift Basket Expert.
It’s asked most often by new designers searching for beautiful containers to start their businesses, but veteran designers also ask when they’re ready to begin marketing to clients in untapped industries. Do you fit into one of these categories?
One concern about buying baskets is the shipping cost. You’ll pay high freight charges when ordering from wholesalers located thousands of miles away from your location, especially if the baskets are sizes that resemble the ones on this page.
That’s why designers search for local sources, which saves them $50 or more in freight costs depending on the order size.
Keep these three tips handy to cut your search time and budget for baskets in half.
1. Find local floral wholesalers. These firms sell fresh flowers and supplies to retailers in your area. I’ve visited many throughout the U.S., and they all stock baskets.
2. Use Yahoo.com’s search directory. Yahoo’s search engine is very specific in locating sources by state. Placing the word “baskets” into this site’s page may also yield results.
3. Look at tags and labels on baskets at retail stores. Local retailers often purchase merchandise from state distributors. One shop in my area never removes basket tags. That’s how I found a basket wholesaler just five minutes from my shop.
Basket sources are out there. Find them now, and use the savings to buy postcards or another type of marketing tool to reach customers.
Here’s a two-page report on selecting great baskets for your designs.
May
11
Competitive Edge, Delivery Basics, Turning Down Clients
Filed Under Competition, Customers, Sales-Increasing Strategies | Leave a Comment
HOW DO YOU KEEP A COMPETITIVE EDGE?
I once interviewed two gift baskets shop owners with stores just steps away from each other. Although they were close in proximity, the two stores focused on thriving rather than hurting each other financially. Wednesday’s newsletter shares three tips I learned from two other designers who handle competition in ways that you will appreciate and be able to do on your own.
GAS PUMP LESSONS
Are you maximizing every opportunity to conserve gas when delivering gift baskets or traveling to presentations? Here are several ways to save money or adjust your delivery prices suggested by shop owners (including a florist) who shared advice in my local newspaper.
SOMETIMES “NO” IS THE ANSWER
Requests for a $100 basket at a price of $25 are hard to fill, and that’s one of the reasons why Top 10 Letters is popular item to help to quickly decline a sale. Turning down opportunities is what participants in other industries are doing more frequently in this economy. Read what they’re facing and how you can also keep your blood pressure from boiling.
May
7
How to Rise Above Competition
Filed Under Competition | 1 Comment
Designers: Please tell me how I can help your business by clicking this link to complete a brief survey. My thanks to all who participate.
There’s competition all around you, from gift basket shops to florists to stores that make custom gift baskets. Is it possible to equal their marketing tactics so that prospects clearly see you as the company of choice for gifts and baskets?
I recently spoke with two gift basket designers who often find themselves up against stiff competition. Here are three tips they asked me to share with you.
1. Do everything possible, within your means and budget, to contact customers on a consistent basis. Mailing monthly postcards, delivering muffins or cookies, promoting online newsletters, and offering in-office demonstrations may be rudimentary, but they truly work to encourage sales.
2. Create up to three new gift basket designs using inventory that was put away or temporarily forgotten. Introduce these creations on your Web site, with help from this online selling article and these design enhancement tips, and offer an incentive with purchase.
3. Monitor all media for competitive ads and offers. Sometimes you’re in a position to react to their promotions by offering customers matched pricing. At other times you must simply keep track without creating a competitive offer. You’ll know when to strike and when to stay within your means.
Here are tips to understand who is your competition and who is not.
Make positive moves to keep your business thriving no matter how much competition is in the area. Your marketing will shine if you focus on the reasons customers buy from you, and they will continue to be loyal no matter who else sells gift baskets.
Technorati Tags: gift baskets business, business competition
Save Time – Gift Basket Biz Plan
Popular Gift Basket Books
-
