Why Name a Gift Basket?
Anabelle asks:
When I see gift baskets in magazines and get ideas for making something similar, do I have to call my basket the same name shown in the magazine, or can I change the basket’s name?
I’m glad you said that you make something similar to the creative influence you see in magazines rather than make the exact same design, as there are plenty of unique touches that you can include to make a basket different than anything shown in magazines or on store shelves.
It’s wise to change your gift basket’s name just as you’ve changed the overall appearance. Theme names aren’t trademarked, except for a few that are owned by huge confection corporations with deep pockets to pay for certain names.
It’s not necessary to know which names are trademarked. Consider your theme and who will buy it. Then give it a name to encourage your target market to buy it often.
For example, you might create your own version of a “Tower of Treats” and call it “Treat Tower” or “Snack Steeple.”
I notice that the most-successful designers name each of their baskets to give it personality. That’s one trait explained by the gift basket professionals featured in The Gift Basket Design Book.
[tags]gift baskets, naming your gift basket designs, gift basket names[/tags]
How to Find a Delivery Service
Anibel asks:
“My big problem is finding a company who’ll deliver my gift baskets. I still work full time and need help. How do I find someone I can trust?”
Delivery options around the U.S., and certainly around the world, vary widely. Your perfect solution will be very different than what works for designers in other locations.
The answer changes because major cities have more delivery options than small towns and rural communities, and living in a major city doesn’t guarantee that you’ll find good choices.
Here’s what designers have told me works for them.
- Mature college student with his own car. This student is the designer’s neighbor, so it’s easy for her to either leave the gift basket at his home or place it in a secure spot within her home for pickup.
- Florist van. A designer began his business with consignments at a floral shop. He ended that trial but still maintains a good relationship with the shop’s owner who allows the designer to have his gift baskets delivered by the van driver.
- Specialty courier. Sometimes you can get lucky by reading a delivery service’s ad on the side of the truck. That’s what one gift basket designer did while at a stop light. She scribbled on paper the Web site address written on the van, visited their site, and realized that their service solved her delivery problem.
Another option to find a specialty courier is to look in your local yellow pages under “courier service” or similar heading. I hope you still receive the yellow pages. I do and keep it for these types of references, since many of these firms don’t know much about Web site optimization.
Do your research before deciding on any option. For example, are you liable for a vehicular accident that occurs when the college student is in transit? Is the floral van cool enough in the summer to accommodate products within your baskets?
Try two solutions, if possible, to decide which delivery service is more advantageous.
Has anyone found a different solution? Let us know here.
Good luck, Anibel. Keep searching. You’ll find the right delivery service.
[tags]gift baskets, delivery service, gift basket business, finding a courier service, delivery problems[/tags]
How to Find Wholesale Suppliers
Diane asks:
“How do I find reliable wholesale companies without searching the millions of internet hits?”
One place to find firms is on GiftBasketBusiness.com’s wholesalers page.
Your state’s department of agriculture or economic development Web site may also list companies you don’t know exist.
It’s unfortunate that many suppliers with Web sites do not also have sites that are search engine optimized. In other words, whoever created the site did so without making the space search engine friendly. The site may as well not exist, because you cannot find it.
The other key word in your question is “reliable,” a subjective term for all of us. For example, you can use a search engine or local Better Business Bureau site (local to the supplier) to learn if a company has taken money without delivering goods, but that search will uncover findings only if someone has reported it online.
Good luck with your search, Diane.
[tags]gift baskets, where to find wholesalers, gift basket business[/tags]
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