Why Add Paper and Not Shred Inside the Basket?
Posted on April 14, 2011
Filed Under Products and Supplies | Comments Off
Judy asks: “Why do I have to use newspaper at the bottom of my baskets? Why not use shred? Isn’t that easier and cleaner?”
This question is similar to one that was recently asked in the Start Your Own Gift Basket Business course that I teach online. You can read more about it and enroll through this link.
My experience with newspaper is that it stabilizes products more securely than shred, which tends to cause wobbling and also makes it easy for products to sink quickly into the basket.
It’s fine to add shred in the bottom of your basket. However, consider the cost of shred versus the cost of newspaper. The latter is less costly. Do your own calculations to determine how much you’ll spend.
It’s well known that the ink printed onto newspaper causes hands to become smudged and dirty. If you prefer not to use newspaper, the same paper in the plain, unprinted version is also an option and a popular choice for designers who add this cream, tan, or off-white color paper within their baskets.
You aren’t required to use newspaper, but the product is less costly than shred and provides more stability to the gifts and foods included within each design.
How to Add Your Home-Made Goodies in Gift Baskets
Posted on March 11, 2011
Filed Under Food Laws | Comments Off
Ava asks:
“I want to add my own baked goods to my gift baskets. What are the options since I can’t use my home oven to make these goodies?“
If you are in the U.S., there are commercial kitchens available at colleges, in bakeries and restaurants, and in places called business incubators set up for entrepreneurs who need such facilities to start their businesses.
Look for a commercial kitchen in these places and you will find a solution to include home-baked goods in your gift baskets.
One more caveat: Your baked goods must be labeled with all included ingredients. Your local board of health has the details on how to label.
Visit the How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business site for more details on adding home-baked goods, setting up your workspace, and much more on learning, growing, and profiting with gift baskets.
Why Didn’t People Buy My Gift Baskets?
Posted on February 4, 2011
Filed Under Sales and Marketing | Comments Off
Rachel asks:
“Last week I set up my first gift basket display at a craft show. I was so excited until everyone around me was selling, but I wasn’t. What did I do wrong, and what can I do in the future to get people to buy?”
There are some details omitted from your question that keep me from fully answering without all the facts. I do, however, understand this dilemma. My gift basket business launch was also at a craft show, and when the day ended, I went home with all of my baskets in tow. Nothing sold, and here’s why.
1. Gift baskets and craft shows usually don’t mix. People are looking for handmade dolls, candles, and other individual items for themselves and their homes. Gift baskets aren’t on buyers’ minds.
2. Craft shows are a place where I was able to sell expiring merchandise in tote bags that, like the items being sold around me, people personally wanted.
3. The people who are best suited to buy gift baskets didn’t attend the event where I exhibited. It simply was not the right place to meet my customers.
I’m glad to have spent a low amount of money (about $60) to learn early in my gift basket career where my customers are not hanging out so that I could move forward to find them elsewhere. It’s a lesson, along with solutions, I share with students in my new online course, Start Your Own Gift Basket Business. Take your experience as a lesson, and begin focusing on exactly who buys and where they’re located.
