Start a gift basket business with the help of this resource guide. Download: How to Start a Gift Basket Business ... includes wholesaler directory, complete with over 700 listings of suppliers catering to the gift basket industry.
Starting a Gift Basket Business
Keywords: gift baskets for men/for women, free delivery, gift basket supplies, free shipping, gift baskets for holidays (i.e. Christmas, Valentines, Thanksgiving, Sweetheart's Day, Veteran's Day, New Years, Easter, Memorial Day)Who doesn't *love* gift baskets? You see them everywhere ... from the administrative assistant's desk to the office of the CEO. Everyone loves a beautifully wrapped and presented gift basket. That's why gift basket businesses have grown in the US over the last decade or so.
Simply put, it's a smart business idea to bank your efforts and start-up capital on.
Additional benefits to starting a gift basket business include the low start-up capital required, along with the ability to work from home during the initial years ... or beyond. With a bit of strategic planning, you may never need to be burdened by an office space which could drain an estimated $10,000 (approx. includes rent, phone, electric, heat/air conditioning) out of your profits.
Should you find the need to bring on additional staff, you may not need to worry about office space here too. People are growing accustomed and somewhat comfortable to home-based businesses, so your opportunities for building and growing are abound.
Baskets can contain lollipops or gift towels to Champaign or a baby-gift assortment. The possibilities are practically endless when it comes to the size, shape, color, and theme of a gift basket.
Want more on themed gift baskets? How about ...
* Gourmet Gift Baskets
* Corporate Gift Baskets
* Sympathy Gift Baskets
* Tea Gift Gift Baskets
* New Baby Gift Baskets
* Healthy Gift Baskets
* Organic Gift Baskets
* Italian Gift Baskets
* Kid's Gift Baskets
Also, think "out of the box" when it comes to your baskets. How about baskets for dogs? It's safe to say that since doggie hotels are popping up throughout the US, along with countless stores specifically offering products, services, and novelties for pets, it's probably a good idea to offer unique doggie baskets for those doggie lovers.
Another neat idea for a basket is a healthcare basket, either for someone sick in the hospital, complete with instant soup, herbal teas, and packed with jokes to sooth the "patient's mood," or for a new mom who would love a basket filled with a baby thermometer, droppers, tweezers, wash cloths, extra blankets, ointments, and medicated powders.
People are always in a "gift giving mood." Do you agree? Starting a gift basket business is practically "sure money" because people always shower their loved ones, recognize those they appreciate, or use gifts as a token of thanks.
A gift basket business can be fun too. If you have a creative side, developing your own themes can make the business feel more like a large craft experiment and less like a business.
Suggested topics to research: gift basket supplies
Presenting a unique business, along with unique gift basket selections for your clients, may be the key to distinguishing yourself and securing your success.
Baskets are used for a variety of reasons:
For Him/Her
New Baby
Romantic
Birthday
Sympathy
Anniversary
Get Well
Thank You
Acknowledge Executive Relationship
Welcomed Business Alliance
Holiday: Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day
... although not a gift basket theme, definitely think about offering free shipping if you plan to take your gift basket business to the Internet. Surveys have shown that a deterrent for making an online purchase was due to high or unexpected shipping costs. Eliminate S/H and you'll likely secure more sales.
There are huge varieties niches that you can focus upon to make your basket business unique; e.g. a "Welcome Home" package for new clients of realtors, containing gift certificates and discount cards for area businesses, a new telephone directory, an area map, menus for area take-out restaurants, and so on.
How about a basket that contains toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, floss, and other products to maintain teeth health? Dentists may wish to send these gift baskets to new patients.
Offer "Under $20," "Discount," or "on sale" baskets. Other perks for purchase may be "free shipping" or "99-cent shipping." As mentioned above, shipping costs can single-handedly sour a purchase, so eliminating it can help increase your gift basket sales.
Download: How to Start a Gift Basket Business
Beautiful cover on this book.
Elizabeth Jane Lloyd and Lucy Peel offer gift basket ideas for various seasons within their book, Gift Baskets for All Seasons: 75 Fun and Easy Craft ProjectsDesign Your Gift Baskets in Style with Shirley George Frazier's book, The Gift Basket Design Book
