Ask The Gift Basket Expert

How Can I Fill Gift Basket Orders with a Limited Inventory?

Shirley George Frazier — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:34:19 +0000

Erika asks: “It seems that every time a person asks me to make a gift basket, I don’t have everything they want. How do I get around this problem without buying lots more products?”

As a designer, you want to accommodate every person who calls, but this isn’t possible without buying one of everything in the marketplace, and even then there will be a problem with size, color, or shape.

Think about large stores such as Macy’s and Harrods. They own a huge amount of inventory. However, people who shop at those stores walk out every day without purchasing. Even if this fact doesn’t solve your dilemma, it proves that you’re in good company.

The only thing you can do is continually review your inventory to match it with what customers consistently request. Stock the basic items such as cookies, crackers, cheese, popcorn, nuts, and beverages, and also keep gift items for spa and baby baskets in inventory. Wholesale providers are listed at Gift Basket Wholesale Supplies and Organic Wholesale Supplies.

Whatever your customers order most often is your target. You cannot stock everything, but you can satisfy most people who buy.

© 2008-2010 Shirley George Frazier. All rights reserved. Shirley George Frazier is recognized as the leading authority on the gift basket industry. She is author of How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business, The Gift Basket Design Book, and Marketing Strategies for the Home-Based Business. Visit GiftBasketBusiness.com for videos, CDs, reports, tips, online newsletter, and much more to learn, grow, and profit with gift baskets.

What’s the First Step Before Making a Gift Basket?

Shirley George Frazier — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:56:39 +0000

Dawn asks:

“I’m ready to start making gift baskets. Is there one thing to do before I start that’s more important than anything else?”

The one thing to do before you buy a basket or bag of shred is to know if making gift baskets will be your hobby or a profession.

That one decision will determine how much you buy, if you’ll set up a workspace, and whether or not marketing will be part of your overall plan.

Going the hobby or profession route will also let you decide how much money you’ll invest.

If this is a hobby, you’ll make gift baskets for special occasions and buy products from retailers to create each design.

If this is a profession, setting up a dedicated workspace is the encouraged along with buying products from wholesale sources.

Click this link for tips on making gift baskets as a business.

Making gift baskets as a hobby or profession is a talent. Both options helps you to decide how far with that talent you’re willing to go.

What Makes Corporations Buy Gift Baskets?

Shirley George Frazier — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:09:56 +0000

Emily asks:

“I’m trying to get corporations to buy my gift baskets, but it’s not working out. What’s the best way for me to get these accounts?”

Corporations, like individuals, buy from people they know, like, and trust.

If you send a letter, postcard, or other marketing material to a corporation, and it doesn’t have the name of a specific person (example — Attention: Marketing Department), that’s a sure way to have your material thrown into the garbage.

You have to know someone within the corporate business to get their attention. That connection creates a 360-degree change in your ability to convince a corporation to buy from you.

It’s also important to recognize which departments within an organization, and which people within those departments, have the power to say “yes” and approve the order. Without it, you’ll find yourself talking to powerless people who will eat all of your samples, smile, and watch you walk out the door without a sale.

This is a huge hurdle that’s discussed by phone in the Golden Basket Club with Elite members who are breaking through corporate barriers to get sales and expand their businesses.

Get to know all about the corporations you target for marketing, which hopefully leads to bountiful sales in the near future.

How to Find Space to Store Gift Basket Products

Shirley George Frazier — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:27:37 +0000

Millie asks:

How can I store gift basket-making items if I live in a small apartment with limited space?

You need to look at the space you have and ask yourself, “Where can I make sacrifices in order to successfully start my business?”

That means stacking and/or purging home items together to make space in closets and on shelves where home products are stored now.

Since I cannot see your space, as I can with clients who speak with me through Skype, you’ll have to decide which areas in your home can be converted to hold products and supplies. Also, look up and down for storage space above cabinets and beneath furniture.

Your passion for this creative business will lead you to find space where you didn’t know it exists.

How to Start a Gift Basket Business on a Tight Budget

Shirley George Frazier — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:11:04 +0000

Amanda asks:

“How do I start a gift basket business when I’m on a budget and don’t have a lot of money to buy what’s needed?“

It’s true that the business of gift baskets requires that you invest in a considerable amount of inventory.

However, many industry participants began their businesses with a tight and lean product assortment, allowing them to make a specific number of every day gift baskets to market their businesses. This allowed them to promote, sell their designs, and gradually buy more products and offer more variety.

This is how you start on a budget. Here are the main tips.

1. Determine who will buy your gift baskets so you know where to market.
2. Decide which types of gift baskets you’ll make so you purchase the right inventory.
3. Research where to buy products so you select high-quality items at the lowest prices.
4. Set up your workspace in a room that’s already paid for with rent or mortgage monies.
5. Invest in business cards and postcards for marketing purposes as well as a blog or social media page.

Focus on these five steps, and you will accomplish what many of us experience now — gift basket businesses that provide us with satisfaction as it satisfies the personal and professional needs of our customers.

Ask The Gift Basket Expert

How Can I Fill Gift Basket Orders with a Limited Inventory?

Related posts:

What’s the First Step Before Making a Gift Basket?

Related posts:

What Makes Corporations Buy Gift Baskets?

Related posts:

How to Find Space to Store Gift Basket Products

Related posts:

How to Start a Gift Basket Business on a Tight Budget

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