Nov

2

How to Buy Baskets, Increase Sales, Anchor Products

Filed Under Baskets, Sales-Increasing Strategies, VIDEOS/TRAINING | Comments Off

BASKET BUYING 101

After 18 years, I still break into a sweat when entering my favorite wholesale basket shop. I’m excited to see the new styles, shapes, colors, and sizes available for my clients, and I fill my cart with assortments that I know will sell quickly.

Wednesday’s newsletter focuses on basket buying and provides you with three tips to make sure you pick the best possible selection.

LOW SALES SOLUTIONS

If customers are not ordering as much as they did last year, what will you do – take it on the chin or make preparations to convince them to place orders?

Here’s an article that outlines three ways to give customers value while keeping your revenue on par with last year’s sales.

SOLID AND STURDY

Keeping products anchored in place can be a maddening task when you don’t know how it’s done.

A designer asks about techniques for product placement at Ask The Gift Basket Expert where I provide pointers for great designs. Read my advice to see if what I suggest is the way you assemble gift baskets.

Oct

29

Time to Buy Baskets?

Filed Under Baskets | Comments Off

It’s okay to love baskets as much as you love ribbon. Each style and shape, sitting tall and pretty on warehouse shelves, seems to call your name, convincing you to include it with other baskets in your workspace.

There’s nothing wrong with buying inventory; it’s overbuying that causes trouble.

If you’re getting ready to buy baskets or re-stock existing inventory, here’s a three-part plan to stay in the profit zone.

1. Count how many designs you created starting in January, and determine if sales are strong enough to fill the same amount through the next three quarters.

Your basket buying tutorial starts on this page.

2. Document the style, cost, and supplier of the baskets you’ll buy. Ask a representative how many are in stock now so you have a general idea about future availability if needed at a moment’s notice.

See a collection of styles on the Baskets site.

3. Consider buying nested assortments. Nested baskets may save you money while making the most of your storage space.

Don’t understand the term “nested baskets,” or need help pricing them? You’ll find the definition and a handy price guide on this page.

With careful planning, you’ll buy a broad variety of baskets and sell them fast while satisfying customers and your bottom line.

Aug

3

Gift Basket Sales Tips, Where to Find Baskets, Corporate Sales

Filed Under Baskets, Corporate Selling, Sales-Increasing Strategies | Comments Off

SAVVY SALES TIPS
Before you buy that package of cocktail forks, ask yourself: How many of my designs are appropriate to sell this item quickly? Wednesday’s newsletter focuses on what to think before you buy and gives examples of outlandish items I may have bought before making better decisions. Also read the newsletter for three sales tips.

THREE WAYS TO FIND BASKETS
A Louisiana-based designer wants to know where to find baskets in her area. Wholesale suppliers are probably closer to her location than she realizes. On Ask The Gift Basket Expert, I provide her with three ideas to start her search. Join the conversation, and submit your own question.

OUT-OF-TOWNER OPPORTUNITIES
Meeting planners and other conference coordinators welcome attendees with basket and non-basket gifts. Are you ready to meet this lucrative demand? Here’s a number of ideas that make planners and guests happy while keeping your bank deposits high.

Jul

13

Gift Basket Pictures, Buying Baskets, Learning Online

Filed Under Baskets, Photography | 4 Comments

ARE YOUR GIFT BASKETS READY FOR A CLOSEUP?
Remember when Polaroid and 110-film cameras were the only picture-taking products available to snap photos for clients? It’s wonderful how technology has changed, allowing us to easily add photos on flyers, postcards, and Web sites. Wednesday’s newsletter exposes the versatility of digital images and how to use them to impress clients and sell more.

WHERE DO YOU BUY BASKETS?
It took some time, but I found four basket distributors less than 10 miles from my location. The same may be true for you, especially if you haven’t started your research to find a local source. You’ll find tips in this article to uncover local suppliers and consider trade shows as alternatives when close sources don’t exist.

AN EASY WAY TO LEARN ONLINE
Don’t have time to enroll in adult school classes? Hewlett-Packard makes learning simple through your computer. They offer an extensive list of business and technology courses at no charge to help you become more productive. Find out more about their courses through this article.

May

18

Local Baskets, Business Solutions and Organization Tips

Filed Under Baskets, Organize Your Workspace | Comments Off

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.

← Previous Page — Next Page →