Which Gift Basket Products Do I Buy?

Ashley asks:

“I’m trying to decide what products to buy for my business, and I can’t make up my mind. There are so many choices. How can I choose the best products to offer my customers?”

Before you buy one product, you must thoroughly understand the people who will be buying your gift baskets. What are their likes and dislikes? Popcorn, nuts and chocolates are products that regularly appear in baskets, but plush animals are a specialty item.

If customers aren’t the plush-loving type, the decision to buy such a product will be a waste of your inventory money.

Many designers start their businesses by buying enough inventory to make 12 designs. Your decision will depend on the amount of investment money available and the initial size of your business.

Try not to buy products that you think are cute. Chances are that if it’s too unique, customers won’t want it in their baskets, and that case of product will become yours alone. Good luck!

How to Answer the Phone When You’re Not There

Sheila asks:

“I have a gift basket business and work elsewhere until I make enough money to work on gift baskets full time. Since I can’t answer the phone during the day, what are my options to get orders from people who call me when I’m not there?”

This is a long-standing dilemma, not just for designers but for anyone who’s building a business while employed full time. Thankfully, there is one solution that working designers consider as ideal.

That solution is to transfer the line during the time you are not available to a trusted person who will answer the phone in a professional manner.

The word “trusted” means that you have interviewed this assistant, provided him or her with scripts based on various scenarios, and have completed “telephone role play” to test their skills.

This person may be a neighbor, relative, stay-at-home mom, senior citizen, or someone who’s currently unemployed.

Sending calls to your voice mail is still an option, but it’s one that bothers many designers due to frequent hang-ups. In my experience, if a person did not leave a message, it was either a telemarketer, a competitor, or someone who didn’t qualify to be my client.

The article, Hiring a Virtual Assistant, provides great tips for finding a qualified helper.

You will find an assistant to monitor your telephone, and when you do, it will slowly and steadily increase your sales so that you can operate your gift basket business full time.

How Do I Increase My Gift Basket Business Success?

you can achieve success with a gift basket business Teri asks:

“I’m just starting my gift basket business and am concerned about succeeding. The economy is making me nervous. What must I do to ensure my long-term success?”

There have been many changes in this industry due to worldwide economic changes. Wholesalers and retailers have closed their doors, but this situation isn’t different than in other industries, and many more gift basket business participants are still in business than have left.

Your best defense to ensure your longevity is to:

1. Create a vision for your business right now, at the beginning, realizing that it’s a business and not a hobby. You’ll put long hours into your success, so be prepared.

2. Understand your target market. Know who they are, what problems they face, and how you’ll position your business to be part of the solution.

3. Invest in your education, both about the gift basket industry and your customers‘ industries. Know these areas inside and out, as this will help you see opportunities that competitors don’t realize until it’s too late.

You have the ability to thrive in any economy, including this one, and many designers are doing just that. Follow what I’ve explained above, and you’ll join them in increasing your success every day.