Can You Work and Be Sick at the Same Time?

Can you work sick and make gift baskets?Making gift baskets is, for many of us, a 24-hour career even if you work for someone else.

You may be on another person’s clock, but you’re still thinking about your enterprise.

That’s also true if the flu attacks you, holding you hostage while speaking with customers by phone and make gift baskets between sneezing.

In the midst of all of it you’re very “clean.”

Hands are washed constantly, and you’ll go as far as wearing a mask to make sure that gift basket designs are delivered germ free.

What other industry’s participants go through this for their customers?

I’m achy right now and want to jump back into bed, but that’s out of the question. How do you get the baskets made when you’re sick?

[tags]gift baskets, working while you’re sick[/tags]

Can I Put My Baked Goods in a Basket?

Debby asks,

I would like to know if it’s O.K. to add things like rum cakes that you make yourself? Is there a law that says you can or can’t put homemade items in a basket? If so, where do I look?

There are laws regarding the sale of products you make yourself and sell to the public.

To make and add rum cakes to your gift baskets, the cakes must be prepared in a commercial kitchen or similar facility approved by your city or state’s board of health. The laws usually fall under the city’s domain, but check with your state board of health for the rules.

Start by checking the state health department’s Web site. If you find no information, a call to ask about current laws will provide you with answers.

Commercial kitchen examples include bakeries, restaurants, hotel kitchens, and catering facilities. Some states have private commercial kitchens set up for independent entrepreneurs like you. It may take some digging to learn if such a location exists in your area, but if you’re determined to make the rum cakes, the research is worth the effort.

There are also strict guidelines on placing ingredients and nutrition labels on your packaging. Again, your state’s health department will inform you about this and other rules.

A book that I’ve found to be beneficial regarding baking and selling foods is From Kitchen to Market: Selling Your Gourmet Food Specialty. It may also be helpful to you.

What I’ve just shared with you are basic rules for adding rum cakes within your for-sale baskets. Some designers believe that when giving the basket as a donation or in a manner which doesn’t require monetary exchange, it’s okay to add cakes and cookies made in a home kitchen to baskets.

I caution you about distributing items in this manner. What if someone becomes ill from your foods because you didn’t include labeling, and they’re allergic to something in the food?

Good luck, Debby. I know you’ll make the right decisions.

[tags]gift baskets, rum cakes, state department of health, city department of health[/tags]

Is PayPal Really that Bad?

I want a better online shopping cart, and I want it nowThis picture represents the usefulness of my online shopping cart. I didn’t like it when I installed it, and in today’s market, I like it even less.

So guess what? I’ve just added a PayPal option in an attempt to make the order experience more friendly. It:

A payment system that’s kind to customers is always better for business.

But there’s the other side to the story. Colleagues have told me that some of their customers don’t want to use PayPal for orders. Here’s what I’ve heard.

I remember when “reputable store owners” wouldn’t dare put PayPal on their sites, but time seems to have been on PayPal’s side. I easily added my product roster into the system and am ready to roll. Many customers have used this option in my traditional cart, so why not set it up as a separate store?

What type of payment collector works best for you? Is PayPal one of your payment options, or do you think you’ll be branded as an “unsavvy business owner” if you paste their logo on your site?

[tags]gift baskets, PayPal, payment processors, payment options[/tags]