Selling Gift Baskets with No Foods
Anna asks:
“I want to make baskets with gifts rather than with just food. Can I make money with that?”
Absolutely. When I began my business in 1990, I started by including all gift items. The only edible product in my baskets was a handful of lollipops with my business name pre-printed on the candy.
I launched with all gifts because I wasn’t sure, at the time, if my city’s laws allowed me to store and sell pre-packaged foods from my home base.
Some of my most-popular items included:
As with food baskets, the marketing you choose to promote your all-gift baskets must be positioned to help you reach the intended audience.
That’s what I did, and my baskets sold quickly.
I constantly reminded customers that the gifts would last a lifetime. That’s what worked for me. Perhaps that same type of message will also work for you.
How Do I Decide on a Gift Basket Drop Shipper?
Hayley asks:
“I want to work with a drop shipping company but don’t know how to start. Exactly what should I be looking for before I sign up with one?”
Like working with any company where you act as the service provider versus the actual designer, it’s important to consider all aspects of choosing a drop shipping company that will represent what’s shown and described on your Web site.
Consider these questions to ask a drop shipper before you proceed.
1. Is what you see what you get? If the drop shipper provides one type of photo for your site and delivers a totally different and more-inferior product, the customer will not buy from you again.
2. Am I locked into a long-term contract? There’s nothing wrong with a lengthy commitment. However, with so many drop shippers available, it’s often beneficial to change providers smoothly and easily when you’re ready.
3. If you ship worldwide, how reliable is your service? Disgruntled overseas clients will take an inordinate amount of time to satisfy if the drop shipper does not have all delivery checks in place.
There are many more questions I can think of, but this is a good start.
You’ll find more considerations on this drop shipping page, and this second page is the introduction to the Drop Ship Sources report, newly updated with more than 25 sources, saving you hours of online time trying to find companies rather than setting up your site to make money – your ultimate goal.
Related Question
Gift Basket Drop Shippers – A Good Business Option?
How to Find State Products
Cynthia asks:
“I can’t find manufacturers here in Arkansas that sell products for my baskets. I want to approach hotels and groups, and I need items that are made right here. Do companies exist in my state?”
There are 38 companies I found in Arkansas using an easy online search, selling items from cookies to non-alcoholic beverages to candles and more. All of these products create fabulous gift baskets for the market you serve.
You can decrease your search time in several ways:
1. Yahoo.com’s “U.S. States” link groups wholesalers and suppliers selling packaged products. You’ll have to drill through several screens to find the listings. If I can find them, I know you can, too.
2. Review the listings at GiftBasketWholesaleSupplies.com, or use the search page to find what you want. The same advice works at OrganicWholesaleSupplies.com if certified organic products are on your inventory list.
3. The CD, How to Find Products In and Around Your State, uncovers numerous ways to locate product sources. You can listen to the CD while traveling to clients or running errands. Look for more information about the CD on this page in the “CD” section.
You’re closer than you think to finding state manufacturers. I bet you’ll have several on your resource list by next week.
Gift Basket Biz Plan
Featured Book
Gift Basket Books
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