Winter 2012 by Kimberly Cole Signature Gifts

The Gift Professional's Guide to Building Long-Lasting Business

the report

Tammy Shapiro of Talk of the Town Gifts

www.basketwhiz.com

winter 2012 $12.00

table of contents

Winter 2012 8

Marketing Feature

Balancing Act

E-Commerce

Growth Engine Series

Management

Money Matters

Cover Story

Sales

Smart Business Favorites

11 10

table of contents

Vendor Spotlight

Year Round Business

Diversifying Your Business

Industry News

Industry Hint

In Search Of

Business Expert's Corner

Top Business Webstes

RelationTips

editor's note

the report

DIRECTORY Wow! It is hard to believe that we are Editor-In-Chief & Publisher entering into our second year with Kimberly Cole The Basket Whiz Report! We are so kimberly@basketwhiz.com excited. This A+ Magazine started Chief Financial Officer out with a Boom and ended 2011 with Jerry Cole a Bang, and we expect more of the same this year plus other special Contributing Editors Carmelita Collier perks to our subscribers. Tell all of Shirley Tolbert your colleagues to subscribe for Anissa White FREE—it will be worth their while. Our writers and staff are passionate about making this year’s editions even Art Director Paolo Dela Rosa better than last year. Based on the comments from back then we know you are all waiting with great anticipation Advertising Team for what we have in store for you this year. So we are ready Paulette Vildberg to put an end to winter, and get you all fired up with lots Sarah Winter Account Executives of great information and resources to make your 2012 CALL 866.635.9990 Gift Basket Business a leader in the industry and to help make all your hard work pay off. We are right here with Staff Writers Jim Aldrich you every step of the way, and we look forward with much Lynn Keeler excitement to your business success. Rodolfo N. Lentejas, Jr. Rikki MacCuish Kimberly Cole, MBA SL Ruffdan Editor in Chief/Publisher Professional Design Team The Basket Whiz Report Jennifer Conrad www.basketwhiz.com James Hartier Contributing Gift Professionals Sherry Allen Michell Peruski Executive Assistant Debra Winter

The Basket Whiz Report , a Division of The Confetti Group, LLC 2214 Main Street, Porterdale, GA 30014 is published 4 times a year. One year subscriptions are free to companies in the industry and $39.95 to non industry subscribers. The Basket Whiz Report is a digital publication that is delivered by email quarterly. COPYRIGHT © 2012 BY THE CONFETTI GROUP, LLC. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may notbe stored or reproduced without permission from the publisher. Requests for permission should bedirected to The Confetti Group at: Kimberly@theconfettigroup.com or call: 1-866-635-9990.

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The Gift Industry is growing. Are your sales growing with it? Hundreds of gift professionals have subscribed! What do they know that you don’t? The Basket Whiz Report was created specifically for gift professionals. The Goal: Provide gift professionals with knowledge on how to successfully run a business and to gain insight to help establish, build and maintain your customer base, stay abreast of the industry’s hot topics, to learn from our peers and to see what new products are available for the industry. NO Expense to Subscribe: The Basket Whiz Report is a FREE subscription to those in the gift industry (gift basket companies, vendors to the gift industry, event planners, florists, anyone in the industry) Competitive Edge: over 90% of our readers say that being a subscriber of The Basket Whiz Report has been refreshing, informative and glad to see the magazine being published. Being in the know about the industry will give you an advantage over your competitors.

Become a Subscriber of The Basket Whiz Report Today! Visit Us Online at www.basketwhiz.com or Call us at 866.635.9990 Now you can be an expert in your trade!

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marketing feature

Marketing: A Customer-centric State of Mind by: Lynn Keeler

One of the biggest mistakes in marketing is to lose focus of the customer and just concentrate on the dollars. Of course we are all in business to make a profit and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our end goal, but it's how we achieve it that sets the foundation for future success. By marketing with the right mindset right from the beginning it can pave the way for a very successful and lucrative future for your business. By placing all your attention on the end dollars that you are going to get from a sale you are looking after your needs only, you have forgotten about your customer's needs. The golden rule to good business is meeting the needs of the customer. For example, lets say you are focusing on putting a gift basket together that is comprised of all your high ticket items, because you believe thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where you are going to make the most money. However, several of the items that you would be using

won't meet the needs of the majority of your target market. So if you follow this way of thinking you may make a few high ticket basket sales, where as if you focused on the customer needs with a mix of lower end items then you would make many more sales. Which makes better business sense? So marketing to the heart of the customer, which is looking for what the customer wants and needs is going to be your best tactic. You can carefully chose some high ticket items to incorporate into your baskets. When doing this though you want to focus on those particular high end items that the customer would want most, not the ones that you are going to make the most profit from. You can easily have any of your basket creations meet both the customer needs and your needs as well. It means looking at it as a whole transaction and not just a one sided approach.

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industry hint

Birthday Jenny Conrad CONRAD CREATIVE MANSFILED TX

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Balancing Act

It Takes a “Village” to Run a Business Too! By: SL Ruffdan

Being a one-man army could become a business reality of the past. While starting a business may be the brain-child of one person, with the resources that are available today, it is not a task that most will ever have to tackle alone. In fact, you could experience faster results and increased momentum with your business by tapping into the virtual help that is available online. Instead of being an army of one, you could lead your own virtual army of many, and propel your business to tremendous success. Managing a business takes a lot of strategic planning, vision, and passion. It’s not something that should be left to chance. That’s why it is good for entrepreneurs to focus on doing what they do best, whatever that may be. However, creating energy around your vision and developing your business should always be at the forefront of what you do. As an entrepreneur, it is good to understand that you simply cannot do everything and that you will, at some point, need support, assistance, and even something that may sound mundane…a break! That is not to say that you shouldn’t put everything that you have into creating a successful business, but be realistic with the expectations that you set for yourself and for your business, and that will mean getting help to bring your ideas and business profitability to fruition. If you need help with where to begin to reach out for the support that you need to effectively manage your business, these resources and tips could prove beneficial and instrumental in providing a strong foundation for your business’s success:

The Basket Whiz Report

Balancing Act

Determine your needs getting the advantage

utilize your online resources build your team

5 To Try:

Consider your own strengths, as well as what you can contribute to making your business a success. The other tasks, outside of those, will be where you need the most help. For many small business owner tasks such as daily administrative duties will be better left to those that enjoy that have greater administrative experience, actually enjoy that type of work, and that can provide you with insights as to processes or workflow in other successful business that may prove to be essential for a start-up like yours. Once you have established a team that can provide you with the support that you need, you will likely find that you have more time for the things that will truly make your business flourish. Additionally, there are many advantages for utilizing a virtual support team including having access to a larger candidate pool of true professionals, being able to find people that will work within your specified budget, not having to provide benefits or workspace for your team, and being able to more easily manage those that may not meet your expectations out of your organization. There is a famous saying to the effect that many hands will make light work. By getting the help that you and your business needs, you could experience one of the greatest joys of entrepreneurshipâ&#x20AC;Śfast, profitable success! Tap into the virtual army that exists online. There are a plethora of websites that are marketplaces for finding employees, contract workers, and even those willing to gain experience by taking on an unpaid internship at a company like yours. These freelance or virtual assistance websites often do not cost those that post projects on them, however, some may require payments to be posted to escrow accounts in advance of the work being performed. A few reputable sites include Elance.com, Odesk.com, Craigslist.org, and VWorker.com. You will be able find skilled professionals in every business area including graphic designers, writers, programmers, web developers, marketing professionals, and, of course, virtual assistants. Take time out, early on, to learn how to select the best possible candidates to add to your team. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to hire out of desperation. This could lead to you choosing someone that is not a good fit for your company, that is less qualified, and that may not fully buy into your vision. Research best hiring practices, be prepared to conduct thorough background checks, look for more than just their ability to work but hone into their willingness to go beyond the call of duty for the sake of the team and business, and honestly communicate your expectations for candidates that you truly believe could be a valuable asset to your company.

Evaluate your strengths and determine your needs.

Learn how to properly select the best possible candidate for your team.

Always be honest in communicating your expectations to your team.

Take advantage of virtual support that are available through online workforce websites.

Be more strategic in your management, recognize opportunities for improvement, and be willing to reorganize your team for optimal results.

The Basket Whiz Report

e-commerce

analyzing

marketing analytics By: Rodolfo N. Lentejas, Jr.

The Basket Whiz Report

e-commerce

arketing analytics involves the measurement, management and analysis of a business’ marketing performance in order to maximize effectiveness and return on investment. It provides a business with leads, sales, trends and data on client preferences. Applied in e-commerce marketing, marketing analytics helps a business monitor the effectivity of its online campaigns. A business that wishes to engage in e-commerce marketing should put premium on marketing analytics as early as the website designing stage. A website should have a means of monitoring visitor statistics. Some providers bundle web hosting with marketing analytics. In the alternative, some businesses opt to avail of free services like Google Analytics and StatCounter.

Benefits of Marketing Analytics As the term suggests, marketing analytics is not just a matter of monitoring the data received by a business. More importantly, it is about analyzing the data and using them to further improve a business. Here are some of the advantages of marketing analytics: •

•

• •

•

identifies the source of website traffic. Marketing analytics identifies where a website’s visitors are coming from, i.e., from search engines, paid advertisements or inbound links. This will help a business determine which of its marketing efforts are most effective and those that need improvement. A company may also enter into tie-ups with the biggest contributors to its website traffic. determines keywords used by visitors. If a website’s visitors are coming from search engines, marketing analytics can also tell a business what keywords were used by these visitors to get to the site. Knowing what keywords were used can guide a business in its search engine optimization efforts. segments visitor behavior. Some marketing analytics tools tell a business the differences in behaviors of new and returning visitors. tracks duration of visit. A website’s statistics also tells a business how long a visitor stays on the website. This can guide a business in determining whether visitors find the contents of its website interesting or boring so it can do the necessary adjustments. monitors visitor activity. Marketing analytics informs a business on what visitors do on its website. This can include identifying the most visited webpage in a site and the number of pages a visitor views. A business can analyze the conversion rate yielded by the popular webpage. If the conversion rate is high, a business can include some other products on the page or provide rewards for visitors. On the other hand, a low conversion rate can mean that a business needs to do some tweaking on its products or services. confirms that a website actually exists. A website’s statistics will tell a business if website visitors were directed to a 404 Page not found webpage. This can guide a business in fixing broken or incorrect links or in correcting whatever problems its website is experiencing.

If used properly, marketing analytics is a very important tool that can bring in more business and sales to a company. Its benefits should be maximized so that the e-commerce marketing campaigns can yield higher conversion rates and open up more opportunities for a business.

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growth engine series

Record Keeping Systems By: Lynn Keeler

One of the behind the scenes type of business systems yet very important ones, are your accounting/bookkeeping systems and inventory. The key to good business is getting organized, staying that way and utilizing the right tools to accomplish this. It really can be difficult to operate a business and keep control of all areas. Yet if one area becomes weak it can dramatically effect all of the others, because they all interlink to cre-

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ate the foundation for your business success. Record keeping is something that always seems to be put on the back burner. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the job that is left to do when you can get around to it which never seems to arrive. Then all of a sudden it's year end, and you have to scramble to get all of your financial information in order to prepare your taxes. It is a nightmare, and a distasteful task.

You can make it much easier however, by having a good bookkeeping and accounting system in place. Learn how to use excel spreadsheets, which you will most likely have if you are using a windows program. Here you can set up one sheet with all your accounting information on it. If you prefer, there is some great inexpensive accounting software that is available as well. However usually with these programs you will have to modify them to be more applicable to your business. No matter which method you choose, set yourself up a routine for doing your financials. For example, if Monday is a slow day for you then set aside Monday morning for accounting. So you will list all your expenses and your receivables so you can track where your money is going. Set up columns on your excel sheet for all the information that you know you need at the end of the year to give to your accountant. Proper financial records are also a valuable analytical tool. They take the guesswork out of how your business is really doing. You can use this information to make changes as needed to help the growth of your business. You need to have the same control over your inventory. By setting up an inventory system you can again use inexpensive software for this, or just set up another excel spreadsheet. Once you have all of your inventory itemized on your spreadsheet, then you can use your sales invoices from the week and just deduct the items sold from the inventory count. Having all of your business systems in place means that your time will be far more organized which means you can dedicate more time to the operation of the business.

management

BRINGING INTO FRUITION THAT SELF-FULFILLING

PROPHECY

By: Rodolfo N. Lentejas, Jr.

that he has positive, albeit realistic, expectations of his employees so that the latter can perform positively at work. The Galatea Effect It is natural for leaders to have expectaSimilar to a leader, an individual also has expectations of himself. tions of their employees. However, most A person holds certain beliefs as regards his ability to perform superiors might not know that their expeccertain types of work. The Galatea effect states that a person’s tations can turn into reality. This is the esself-expectations also have the power of influencing the outsence of the Pygmalion effect. This principle come of his work. Under this concept which is also called means that a superior’s expectation of his emthe “self-fulfilling prophecy,” if an individual thinks he can ployees affects how the latter perform at work. succeed, chances are, he will really succeed. On the other Under the Pygmalion effect, it is presumed hand, if he believes that he is incapable of performing well, that all superiors have expectations of their subhe will likely fail. ordinates, which expectations are transmitted eiTaken together, the Pygmalion and Galatea effects can ther consciously or unwittingly by the former to help improve employee performance at work. A leader the latter. The employees then perform in accordwho has positive expectations of an employee can help ance with their superior’s expectations. develop the latter’s self-esteem (Pygmalion effect). The While the Pygmalion effect started out initially employee, on the other hand, will believe in himself as an education concept, it has very well evolved more and as a result, perform his work positively into a management concept that has helped leaders in (Galatea effect). Employees, leaders and companies dealing with their employees. A superior should ensure will all benefit with these concepts in place.

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money matters

Developing Your Marketing Budget By: Jim Aldrich

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money matters Those of us in the gift basket industry are a competitive lot, of course always in the nicest of ways. I would wager that each business has at least one file cabinet full of their â&#x20AC;&#x153;secrets." Trade secrets aimed at just one outcome: how to sell more merchandise, get more people to your shows, and make more money in the gift basket business. The quickest way to manage your success is by having a solid marketing budget. Before you can attach a dollar figure, there are other considerations to be addressed first. How does a marketing budget differ from your general business budget? It should take into account three unique aspects of your marketing plan. Then it should answer the who, what, where, when, and why of marketing your product:

1. The product a. Its name? b. Its function? c. Why will it be important?

2. The market a. Who is your target customer? b. Is it regional, seasonal? c. Where will it be sold?

3. Getting the customer to buy a. How will it grab attention? b. What is its price point? c. How will the customer learn about it?

4. For each area add in: a. Who is responsible? b. What will it cost?

Categories 1, 2, and 3 above are goals. Your teams job to make each goal happen by determining action steps. Write these action steps below each goal. The final two steps (4 & 5) are where you make personnel assignments and attach a dollar amount. By diligently following this approach not only will your firm be able to determine what needs to be done to take your product to market, but more importantly you will be able to attach very specific costs to your marketing. Most importantly, what you do not want to have happen is a shotgun approach to your marketing. In order to maximize your success with a particular product you will need a step-by-step plan, one that tells you what to do, how much it will cost, and who is responsible for what area of the plan.

The Basket Whiz Report

cover story Talk of the Town:

Tammy Shapiro

By Rikki MacCuish

“Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting.” -Edward de Bono A gift basket is an inspired creation, customized to the individual, and designed thoughtfully to portray emotions, charity, and graciousness on the behalf of the customer. It’s not just a basket of goodies, it’s a celebration of life, love, and hope for all those who receive it. It takes a creative person to combine all of these things into a product people love. Being creative in the modern day can mean many things. It can mean creative design, creative marketing, even a creative website. Any of these things help to draw in customers, making them believe that your service is the best out there, and that your products are exceptional. This is likely true, and many will succeed

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on this model, as long as they have a background, or business plan built on progression and longevity. In today’s world we are surrounded by creativity in many forms. We’ve progressed from the ages where only a handful of talented movie stars graced the screens, where there were an elite number of famed painters and sculpters, and of course, we’re far from a day where there were only a basket of custom gift designers. It can be hard to find a niche in today’s market and economy. At the end of the day, you may be wondering, “Why am I doing this? How did I get here? How will I get through tomorrow?”. While it’s hard to be inspired by an ongoing political and national economic mess, we can be inspired by each other, and in doing so, can progress the gift basket industry. Tammy Shapiro, owner of Talk of the Town—gourmet gifts and more—agrees that a bad economy, and seasonal sales can be frustrating; but it can also be inspiring. “Being an amenity service we are the first service to

cover story be cut from most budgets,” she says. “But it teaches us as a business people to work harder and not give up.” Tammy has owned and operated Talk of the Town since 1993. When she moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to pursue an acting career, she didn’t know her creative streak would spark in another direction, running a successful gift basket business. She learned a valuable lesson when she moved out to LA. “I allowed myself a certain amount of time to pursue what wanted to do, and knew at a certain time I would need to move if things did not go the way I had hoped,” she says about her acting aspirations. “What I realize now is that success in LA can not be measured by landing a television show, a movie, or an academy award; it is the life experiences you take with you when you leave, and how you use them in mapping out your future.” Shapiro always knew that she would land in a creative career. Growing up her parents were supportive of their children’s dreams. While they could not afford dance lessons and many extra curricular activities for their children, they were a close family, and came from creative backgrounds. Tammy’s grandfather, a cartoonist, was offered a position with Disney in the 1950’s, her mother sewed and crafted, her father came from a line of professional painters, and her brothers were excellent drawers. It was natural for Tammy to continue this creative line— she leaned towards acting and theater. “There is nothing like the stage with a live audience,” she says. “However, it is just as exciting to be on a movie set with cameras and producers running around.” Tammy has had the recent pleasure of cheering her daughter Dori Shapiro, and the West Springfield dance team, on during the past season of America’s Got Talent. She says that being back in Hollywood was surreal, and she is also excited to pass the creative spark down another generation. These days, Tammy has moved from the stage to building beautiful gift baskets, a sculpture all their own. She also teaches musical theater classes, presents in public, and has helped to found the Celebrate Expo, the “only convention and trade show serving the gift basket, balloon, floral, party, and event planning industries,” she explains. But as with most things, it wasn’t so simple. Tammy’s career has taken many interesting turns to get to Talk of the Town. While in LA, she worked for a property management company, and later moved to Spring-

field, Virginia, closer to her home town of Niagara Falls, New York. She took a job as a corporate concierge, handling catering. Soon after she started her own catering company, something that happened almost naturally. “For one event I had a concierge who had a generous budget, and was finding it difficult to find a caterer to work with her budget,” she says. “I remember making the comment, ‘I could do this party on this budget’ and my boss and the concierge both responded by saying, “Okay, then do it!’—so we catered the party and it was a great success.” The catering business grew rapidly. Shapiro had the experience on the catering side, and her then-husband, worked for a large food and beverage sales rep. Together, they took on everything from corporate events, to luncheons and breakfasts. It was during this venture that Tammy discovered the art of gift basket design. “I started to receive requests for gift baskets from my corporate clients, and never wanting to disappoint, I said yes,” she explains. “Before I knew it I had two businesses, and both were taking off.” By now Dori was also a new member of the family, and Tammy felt the need to spend more time with her daughter. Working evenings, and weekends, and committing to the chaos that catering often follows, wasn’t exactly Tammy’s idea of the best career for a mom who wanted to raise a happy daughter. “The reason I pursued gift baskets is that it would allow me to still be in the food industry, and allow me to be creative at the same time,” she says. Talk of the Town is currently a home-based business, though Shapiro is considering running a shop now that her daughter, who helps Tammy out during the busy holiday season, is becoming a more independent teenager. Over the past nine years, while Shapiro says she wouldn’t change a thing, she has learned a lot about the gift basket industry. The majority of her business comes from the corporate market, primarily the property management industry. She has a set marketing plan, which includes networking, internet, and occasional mailings. She says the internet has definitely helped Talk of the Town grow. “It allows me to reach so many more people on a daily basis, along with being able to do business with people from all over the United States,” she says. It took a while for Tammy to warm up to the idea of doing sales and marketing online, preferring face to face, and telephone interaction with customers. Most of Tammy’s business comes from referrals, return clients,

The Basket Whiz Report

cover story

and networking. She says that above all things, whether communicating online or in person, it is important to let customers know that they are appreciated. “That can be done by offering new and creative quality products at affordable prices,” she says. While this sounds like 80 percent of business sales slogans around North America, from a gift basket industry perspective in a down economy it is important to remember that this is a customer-focused, creative industry. It is also competitive, and staying a touch above the rest will help your business stay ahead. “I think that what has helped me to be successful as a business owner is keeping it real, never offering more than I can deliver, recognizing that without the customer there is no Talk of the Town, and that it is my job to provide new, quality products at affordable prices to my clientele to keep it fresh,” Shapiro explains. Tammy continues to grow as a person, and business owner, and considers herself very lucky to have the opportunity to pursue a career in gift baskets. She has some great advice for those interested in pursuing this career path: “Stay abreast of the latest styles and trends, attend trade shows to find new and fresh products for your clients; Don’t be afraid to think outside the box; continue to educate yourself and learn new design techniques; and take advantage of the newest modern technology that is out there for you to use—don’t be intimidated by learning something new.” She also advises that that if you can trust anything else, trust your intuition. “The one philosophy that I live by is that if something does not feel right, follow that gut feeling,” she says. Sometimes we have to apply that intuition to customer service. It can not always be easy to judge whether you should take all the business that comes your way, or if you should go with what feels right. Business can be a crazy balance (or imbalance) between work and life, between customer service and being a servant. Tammy explains that she actually has had to “fire” a customer. “I began to feel that [the customer] did not value my work or product, and [they] were looking for how much they get could get for free,” she says. “I had to establish the boundaries, the value of my product, and more importantly, my time—if we don’t value these things the customer will never value what we have to offer.”

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Tammy’s been honored with a Designer of the Year award (2000), and has had the opportunity to share her wisdom, speaking at the Fancy Food Show, Dallas Market Center, LA Gift Mart, Atlanta Gift Mart, New York Gift Show, Basket Connection, and more. She gives seminars in design, business, product education, marketing, and branding. Her newest venture, the Celebrate Expo, looks to combine many gift-giving industries into one trade show. Founded with Julie Taylor, owner of A Sweet Adventure in California, Tammy is organizing the 2012 expo, which will be held in glitzy Las Vegas, in August. Details can be found at www.celebrateconvention.net. All of this came from a young girl who dreamed of gracing the silver screen. It’s so interesting to look back on where our lives have taken us. Creativity goes along way, and can cross many different industries, as Tammy has shown. It’s inspiring to learn that someone found their niche in life, and succeeded in it, and it’s something many creative minds should aspire to. Try many different things, and surely you’ll find your place in life. Shapiro enjoys sharing her knowledge to others, helping them to grow their business and become successful. “I enjoy . . . the ability to be creative on a daily basis,” she includes. “I love making people happy with the gifts we create.” Tammy hopes that her success, and experiences have also inspired younger women, like her daughter, that it is possible to achieve great things. “I think it has taught her so many life lessons, that women can do anything they set out to do, [gives them] a sense of responsibility, and it has helped enhance her creative side,” she says. Tips of the Trade • Watch and adopt styles and trends • Attend trade shows for new products • Think outside of the box • Pursue education, and learn new design techniques • Take advantage of the uses of modern technology • Trust your intuition

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sales

It is really difficult not to get caught up in too many different marketing techniques and approaches when it comes to trying to promote your gift basket business. Marketing is an ongoing priority if you want to make the sales, but sometimes you can get caught up in so many different approaches that you focus so much on the techniques and perfecting them, that you forget about the end goal which is to make that sale. It can be to your advantage to step back and take a deep breath here and take a look at your marketing campaigns. Then simplify them. If you are spending too much time on your approach then you may be losing valuable time on making the sales. The golden rule for the basics of selling is good old fashioned customer service. With the world of the inter-

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net it is easy to lose the personal touch that comes with being a good salesperson, but if you remember that your website is a selling tool for YOU as the salesperson and not the actual seller, then you will be able to use it to your best advantage. Also, even if you are only operating a online business you still have some on land selling responsibilities as well. This may include just getting people to go to your website but it should also include “spreading the word”, that you have something great that people need. Your web site… This is your tool to talk to visitors, whom you cannot talk to in person. You want to deliver the same message, which is,” I have the gift giving solution to meet your needs”. So your website has to meet that need, and in

sales

Getting Back To the Basics of

Selling By Lynn Keeler

order to do that you need to know the needs of your visitor. By having different sections set up on your website to meet different needs, then analyzing which section your visitor goes to will help you identify which section of your site is doing its job. For example, you may have a section for new Moms, Seniors, or College Students just to name a few target markets. If you find that you are getting lots of visitors to the New Moms section but not enough sales, then you need to look at that section. Are people being drawn to that section because you have some great graphics and neat stuff going on there? Or are they going there because they need a gift for a New Mom, but you have missed out on a sale because the message is not strong enough? The graphics and little perks are great but your main focus here has to be on

you being able to let your prospective customer know you have what they need. Your on land sellingâ&#x20AC;Ś Again you want any marketing material that you are using for on land business building to be attractive enough to get the attention of the reader. Then you need to focus on the actual sales message. If you believe in what you are selling, and you are excited about it, and you just know that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what people need, then portray that enthusiasm in your written material, and of course in your verbal conversations every time you get the opportunity.

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Halloween Milkiesnge,purple,lime green,

he Box - After Dinner Cordials - 10044

Chocolate Marshmallows Eggs -Blue - 9935

The Box - Cocoa Almonds 20344

Chocolate Marshmallows Koppers Chocolate Marshmallows Eggs - Halloween assortment Eggs - easter assortment -

Gourmet Nut Box

http://www.kopperschocolate.com/products/ index.... As a gift basket producer you of course need a very reputable supplier of some top quality chocolate products. In addition to this though, you also want them to be unique and as healthy as possible. This is where you can count of kopperschocolate. It is extremely important when you can add something marketing tacticsNut and The Box - Almondextra Trio - to your The Box - Gourmet Mixthis - is an additional bonus that this chocolate supplier 21444 21944 affords you. For example, they offer low carb versions of chocolate as well as sugar free. So a prime place of where you could take advantage of this is if you were promoting a Dieterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gift Basket.

The Box - Almond Trio Our brand new 4 oz box filled with dark, milk and cocoa butter white Imperial Foods chocolate coated roasted almonds, Item #21444

Collections Milk Chocolate Gummi Bears The Box -http://www.imperial-foods. Espresso com/browse-by-product... Theater Box - 47133 Assortment - 32244 If you are new to the gift basket business, then when starting out simplicity and convenience can be really important for you. Being able to get a good collection of products for your gift baskets can give you a good business start and this is the type of opportunity that Imperial Foods will give you. Aside from that, seasoned basket makers can really use a Company such as this to their advantage as well. By focusing on one main supplier for your basket needs it shows your consistency, and if you have built a trust relationship with your clients then they will trust in your choice of products. Imperial Foods will not let you down in this regard as their products are top quality, uniform and they offer excellent customer service that you can depend on.

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The Box - Red and Dark Kosher Dairy Cherries - 52144

The Box - Fruit Medley 53544

smart business favorites Jelly Belly Dark Chocolate Almonds and Chocolate

John Wm. Macy's CheeseCrisps When you are promoting your gift baskets, you always want to ensure that they have a least a few products in them that are going to stick in the minds of both the gift giver and the recipient. You will be able to accomplish this when you include some of the wonderfully made products from cheesesticks. com. It is easy to add some quality cheese choices to your gift baskets, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just as easy when you use John Wm. Macyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CheeseCrisps to provide something that is going to have the gift recipient raving about, and give you a great advantage to having the gift giver come back to you with some repeat business.

Dips: When you are looking for a selection of candy and sweets to add to a gift basket being able to add variety but staying within the same supplier can be most beneficial to you. First just the packaging of the candy creates a consistency and nice flow to the theme of the basket. It presents the Company providing the delectable in a good way. This is some of the reasons you will do well choosing Jellybelly. com as one of your major suppliers and this is a good choice on your part. The jelly belly chocolate dips and almonds have some excellent marketing qualities not to mention the product is comprised of only the best of ingredients and comes in exceptional packaging. Dips: http://www.jellybelly.com/our_candy/dips.aspx Almonds: http://www.jellybelly.com/Shop/ ProductDetail.as...

http://www.cheesesticks.com/Cheddar

http://www.torieandhoward.com No matter what type of basket theme you are putting today you will most likely want to include some type of tempting sweet. A sure winner will be the quality organic candy offered by Torie and Howard. This will be an added bonus if you are promoting organic products in your gift baskets even if you choose not to include this particular candy in some of them. It shows you are consistent in your marketing promises. This candy will not disappoint you in supporting your presentation of offering quality product filled gift baskets.

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vendor spotlight

Nashville Wraps

By: Jim Aldrich

n this issue of the Basket Whiz Report 2112 we proudly turn our Vendorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spotlight on a truly unique company, Nashville Wraps (www.nashvillewraps.com). In reviewing their offerings this one thought kept coming to mind. Remember that special day? The one where you were given a gift wrapped for royalty. Just looking at it, you knew that inside there had to be something very special. The beautiful presentation of the wrapping generated excitement. Just looking at it gave you pause to open it; you hesitated, but finally gave in. Slowly, and with great care you began to unwrap your gift, making sure that the wrapping is saved. In this age of branding, wrapping is more than containers that gently keep your product safe from the elements. Wrapping becomes a direct link to your brand. Whatever your product line requirements; gift bags, gift boxes, shopping bags, gift wrap, tissue paper, candy boxes, food packaging, basket supplies, or eco-friendly retail packaging you will find it here. At last count the

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Nashville Wraps catalog has over 25 different categories of products. From the very beginning in 1976, Nashville Wraps has sold recycled gift packaging. Beginning with their first product, gift wrap made from recovered papers used in the textile industry. In 2008, they introduced their Green WayÂŽ line of eco-friendly retail packaging products working with manufacturers to begin offering recycled products. Nashville Wraps is a company of firsts. They were the first to introduce recycled gloss shopping bags, and were one of the first companies to offer recycled gift wrap for retail packaging. Imagine the reception your product will receive when it arrives. Your product in wrapping that shouts style and class. It is what we call value-added marketing. The Nashville Wraps line, including Green Way Packaging with a Purpose can do this for your product. Unique, bold and crafted, yes crafted, to express what your product line is all about. In its more than 35 years Nashville

vendor spotlight

Wraps has become a recognized leader in eco-friendly gift and gourmet packaging. Today your customers want to know that what they purchase is eco-friendly. Nashville Wraps offers recyclable wholesale business-to-business distribution of decorative packaging products and retail packaging supplies. With their line of Green Way Packaging with a Purpose, you can assure your customers that you are doing your part for the environment. What really separates Nashville Wraps from the others is that they specialize in packaging for gift, gourmet and retail businesses including their exclusive designs, recycled gift packaging and custom printed packaging. A goal is to partner with customers to help make their business and merchandise look great with distinctive and smart packaging. If your company still relies on outdated and quite frankly utilitarian looking wrapping going out the doors of your store, a visit to Nashville Wraps is an eye-opening experience. You come away with your head spinning with possibilities. Never again will you settle for your customer buying that something most wanted and then simply putting it in a plain old dumpy plastic bag for delivery. You have invested a great deal of time and money creating an image for your outlet. The store is kept spotless; your displays are fanciful and enticing to your

customers. People come to you for ideas for their own home, office, of gift giving. Think about this, no customer leaves Saks, Macy’s, or even McDonalds without their purchase housed in a wrapping the lets everyone know where they have been. As a leader in eco-friendly gift and gourmet packaging Nashville Wraps has as its goal to help make your business and merchandise look great with distinctive and smart packaging. They take great pride in the fact that 70% of their products are US made. They offer products from eco-friendly recycled materials that are branded under their highly-respected Green Way - Packaging with Purpose® brand. Their commitment to recycling doesn’t stop here. In addition to their packaging, Nashville Wraps recycles old catalogs, cardboard, plastics, office paper, newspaper and aluminum cans and their building runs on energyefficient electricity. This clearly is a firm built on service. Nashville Wraps has you covered. They will take the time necessary to ensure that your wrapping and container products are a reflection of you. Their philosophy is simple; have what you sell, do what you say it will, while treating others like you want to be treated. Paying a visit to Nashville Wraps will make a lasting impression.

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year round business

College Kids and the Gift Basket Business By Lynn Keeler with contribution from Sherry Allen

One of the greatest advantages of owning and operating a gift basket business is the large target market that is available to you. In order to make the most of the number of potential customers that are available to you it is wise to separate them into their respective categories. If you do this then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like having a bunch of small busi-

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nesses all under one umbrella with each one having distinct marketing and advertising needs and will yield you monthly income â&#x20AC;&#x153;year roundâ&#x20AC;?. For example, you have the residential and commercial properties, vacation rental properties, monthly program opportunities and yes, even the College Kids. This particular group of potential

year round business

clientele can be a very lucrative one, but it’s important you target the buyers, and in the case of the college kids it would be the parents and gift givers to this group. This means that you will need to get your gift baskets exposed in the right areas where they are going to gather the needed attention. Many times parents when visiting the campus will be dragged off by the students to the on campus store where they can drop subtle hints to their parents as to what they would really appreciate having. This is a prime location for you to market your gift baskets, and if you can tie them in with the campus theme such as the frat houses and the school colors you are going to make them even more desirable. You also want to market your college kids’ gift baskets off the School grounds as well, by focusing on the potential gift givers. Good places to market your college care lines are with alumni associations, housing services and dining departments. With these groups, you can offer a portion of the sales as fund-raiser opportunities. Other groups to market to ma be grandparents, other family members

and friends as well. In respect to contents you want to not only focus on special occasions such as birthdays, grads, and Valentine’s Day, but also monthly care packages. It always makes parents feel good when they are providing those little extras to their kids that make their stay away from home more special. You could design a care package that has all the minor cleaning items that they would make use of but don’t normally have the budget for. Or a wonderful gift basket of some extra special toiletries is always a big hit. Then for special moments some delicious delectables where they can spoil themselves a bit which is a big change when having to stick to a budget. Or you may want to think of a dinner and movie basket where gift coupons for takeout food along with a good DVD and some extra movie snacks would be a little different. These are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing and to encourage you to go after the very viable College kids market.

are C e g e l l Sell Co from s e g a k Pac iz! h W t e k s Ba 24.99 $ : e c i r P l Retai .99 7 1 $ : e c i r Your P ou! Y r o f t fi o = 40% Pr

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diversifying your business

The Stork has visited The Basket Whiz Report Our staff writer for this NEW column, Diversifying Your Business went into labor before the first article of this series could be finished. So, we send our sincere CONGRATULATIONS to our staff writer, SL Ruffdan and her new bundle of joy!! This series will show you ways to include other offerings and create value to your business. We will have a double dose in the next issue. Thank you for reading The Basket Whiz Report, Kimberly Editor

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industry news PICTURED: RIGHT: JENNY CONRAD, OWNER OF CONRAD CREATIVE, LEFT: CARRIE INGRAM, DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING

Conrad Creative Awarded Outstanding Small Business of the Year Mansfield, TX, Local gift basket company Conrad Creative received the Outstanding Small Business of the Year Award from the Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce at the organization’s annual awards banquet in January. The Outstanding Small Business of the Year award is given each year to a business that has enhanced the economy of Mansfield through the successful and profitable operation of their business. The business exemplifies innovative leadership with employees and clients and exhibits outstanding customer service. The business also supports the Chamber through participation and financial contribution and has fewer than 50 employees. ~ Jenny Conrad, Owner of Conrad Creative Congratulations Jenny from The Basket Whiz Report!! Rose City Delicacies, LLC now offers All Natural Certified Gluten Free, GMO and Processed Sugar Free Creamy Mustards! In order to serve the needs of all conumers they have reformulated their Creamy Mustards. They say with the rising number of Gluten Intolerant people throughout the world they decided to forged ahead and went to their R&D kitchen and said, “Make it Gluten Free, GMO Free and Processed Sugar Free” and here they are! They went the xtra step by having their product evaluated and tested by the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO), an internationally recognized gluten free certification organization, and in December we were awarded the Gluten Free Certificate. This ensures to you and your customers that they aren’t just hopefully getting Gluten Free, they ARE getting a Gluten Free product! Jar sizes are 4 oz with a SRP of $2.99 and wholesale price of $21.60/case of 12. Give them a call or email for samples!

Did You Know? The pet industry is expected to top nearly $53 Billion (that's with a “B”) in total US pet expenditures in 2012 according to the APPA. Here is an estimated breakdown: • Food: $20.46 Billion • Supplies/OTC Medicine: $12.56 Billion • Vet Care: $13.59 Billion • Live Animal Purchases: $2.15 Billion • Pet Services: grooming and boarding: $4.11 Billion Dogs and cats top the types of pets we are spending our money on. So, if you are not already offering pet gifs, you just may want to rethink that. Write us and let us know if you are planning to add pet gifts to your product line. If you are currently serving that market, we'd love to hear from you! We may be interested in doing a write up on you in a future issue of The Basket Whiz Report. Source: http://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp

We, at The Basket Whiz Report, want to know any exciting news you may have—whether you are a gift professional or vendor. So send us any news you want to share with our industry! Send to: Kimberly@theconfettigroup.com

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industry hint

St. Patty's Day

James Hartier

TWISTEDBASKET GREER SC

Admin Assist Jenny Conrad CONRAD CREATIVE MANSFILED TX

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industry hint

Birthday Jenny Conrad CONRAD CREATIVE MANSFILED TX

The Basket Whiz Report

industry hint

Baby Jenny Conrad CONRAD CREATIVE MANSFILED TX

Easter Jenny Conrad

Gourmet Jenny Conrad

The Basket Whiz Report

industry hint

Mother's day Jenny Conrad CONRAD CREATIVE MANSFILED TX

Spring Jenny Conrad CONRAD CREATIVE MANSFILED TX

The Basket Whiz Report

in search of

The Perfect Chocolate Cookie PART 2

As some of you may recall, I have been on a crusade to find the best tasting chocolate chip cookie in the industry. I had an overload of data available to me at last July’s AmericasMart in Atlanta. Needless to say, I sampled a few (umm hundred) cookies. But alas, it was all worth it (even though I gained a size for the sake of this article)! I found 2 different cookies that really fit the bill. First – we have Tate’s Chocolate Chip Cookies which I found through Global Specialty Foods http://www. globalspecialtyfoods.com. Oh my gosh… these things are completely delectable and would satisfy even the most discriminating of tastes. It tastes just like a fresh bakery-style chocolate chip cookie and looks like one too. They are large with oodles of regular sized chocolate chips sticking out everywhere! What was most exciting is that they have a decent reported shelf life – 6 months (which is one of my criteria when on the hunt) and a super price point. One thing you have to know about them though is that their packaging is large – so it would fill up a big space easily, but also would not fit in just any basket ( 7 oz box or bag). They do have a smaller clear bag, but with a much shorter shelf life so it was not a consideration for me. Also be aware that their packaging is not the most conducive to gift basket’s typical basic colors as it only comes in green. I am currently looking for an organza bag or something I can put them in so I can use anywhere they fit. My second find is J&M Chocolate Chip Cookies http://www.jm-foods.com/ . They are more of your traditional gift basket chocolate chip cookies, but they have a superior taste and texture, in my opinion. The have a lot of chocolate in their chips and are rich and decadent. I found myself returning to their booth over and over again until finally I gave in and ordered a case. Their price point is also great and they come in 2.5 oz carton, 6 oz carton and 10 oz gift tin. They have wonderful packaging, perfect for any gift basket with elegant and neutral colors. While you are there, you might consider some of J&M’s other varieties of cookies, because they are all very good… There you have it folks, my pick for the best chocolate chip cookies goes to… (drum roll please)… Tate’s Chocolate Chip Cookies and J&M Chocolate Chip Cookies. Do you have any other favorites??? Let us know!

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by: Michelle Peruski

Michelle Peruski

business expert's corner

business expert's corner Brought to you by WhizBang! Training

Facebook recently announced that all Pages would be switched over to Timeline at the end of the month and while there are a lot of cool new features and changes to incorporate into your FB marketing strategy, we think these 4 are the ones to focus on FIRST. 1. Check Your Profile Picture Your profile picture is the little square image in the lower left area of the new Page header area. Make this image something that most of your customers and prospects will quickly and clearly identify as your business. 2. Design a Cover Image This is the large image that will show up at the top of your Page. The cover image will be valuable real estate to market your store. However, be sure to keep Facebook's Cover Design Guidelines in mind! 3. Choose Your Top 3 Apps Your left-hand column apps “tabs” are moving and the content from your apps will now be viewable via larger buttons at the upper right of your Page. Four apps will be visible, but one will always be the Facebook Photos app, so you'll need to decide which other three tabs are most important to you. 4. Update Your Business Information Make sure your "About" section is fully updated. This information will now appear on your wall in a prominent new position right below your profile picture.

Bob and Susan Negen 233 Washington Ave. #213 Grand Haven, MI 49417 Phone: 616-842-4237 Fax: 616-842-2977 E-mail: Bob@ WhizBangTraining.com

Want to know more? Watch our free webinar!

It’s currently running via our Facebook Page and you can get there with this link: http://apps.facebook.com/timeline-webinar/ You can watch the replay at any time, it will start at the beginning when you click into the webinar page. BUT, don't wait too long! Your page is automatically going to be converted over to the new Timeline view on March 31st, whether you're ready or not. Now's the time to learn what you need to do, what you can do, and how the transition to Timeline will affect your Page.

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TOP

Business Websites

Accounting/Recordkeeping Sites: »» www.billmyclients.com –Invoice via email »» www.waveaccounting.com –Accounting Application »» http://outright.com - Small Business Accounting Software »» https://www.shoeboxed.com –Receipt Organizer Marketing Solutions Sites: »» http://www.freeconferencecalling.com –offer tele-seminars to your clients! »» https://www.dropbox.com/referrals -Document Sharing »» http://www.urbanfonts.com –Font Downloads »» http://www.google.com/analytics -Analyze your web results »» http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html -Create Videos and Images »» http://twitterfeed.com –Feed your blog to Twitter and Facebook Administrative Sites: »» http://www.genbook.com/index.html - Online Appointment Scheduling »» http://faxzero.com –Fax Service »» http://bit.ly/sYPNNF -MS Word Templates

»» http://www.mylivesignature.com – Personal Online Signature

Disclaimer: We have not tried all of the sites listed and only offer these as a service to our readers and are not responsible. It is your responsibility to check these sites out to see if they can provide value to your company. We would love to know which work for you though! So share the information with us on our facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/BasketWhiz

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Welcome to How to Make a Profit 101 Make a Profit While Providing Smiles! How would you like to make a 40% profit while helping friends and family spread some cheer to their loved ones away at college? We are in search of awesome online retailers like you to sell our College Care Packages! So, we are offering you a special wholesale price of $17.99 per basket. That's 40% off the suggested retail price of $29.99!

What's in the Basket? Well, besides a huge profit for each one you sell, each of our College Care Packages is crammed full of great stuff for college kids. We pack each one full of goodies, school supplies, and other fun things to help college kids make the grade. As and added bonus... We even include some helpful tips for having a successful college career in each monthly gift!

Sell College Care Packages from BasketWhiz! Retail Price: $24.99 Your Price: $17.99 = 40% Profit for You!

You Sell 'Em. We Ship 'Em. Best of all, we do all the work. You just provide the link and make the sale, and we'll handle shipping. There's no product for you to stock and nothing else to worry about!

We Offer Other College Gift Baskets for Every Other Occasion, Too! Please consider selling our other college care gift baskets, as well! Choose from: You have got spirit, Exam Cram, Movie Time, Birthday Celebration, Laundry Done Right, Wacky Fun, Under the Weather Pick Me Up, Spring Fever, A Girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spa Day (or Night), Video Game Warrior. (Prices and profit percentages may vary.)

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RelationTips Building good client relationships is the key to not only making your very first sale to each and every customer you come in contact with, but for repeat sales as well. Running a gift basket business can be time consuming, and often because of this there doesn’t seem to be enough time to build good customer relationships, yet it is critical to your success. Here are a few hints to get you thinking in the right direction.

Get to know your customers Chances are you don’t get a lot of time to get to know your customers especially if you are busy with other things when you are dealing with them. Here is where you have to learn to multi task, but not so much physically but rather mentally. This means you must be tuned in to your customer whenever they are with you. Pay attention to detail Learn how to read body language. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and when it comes to dealing Develop a good memory with customers then their body language will provide Being as the time is short when it comes to actual time with your customer it is really important that you learn you with a wealth of valuable information. to develop a good memory. You may not remember the questions you ask a client this time, but you can bet they The right contact Make sure you build your client contact list by covering will if you happen to repeat it each time they do business all the bases. With today’s world of the internet and it with you. being such a valuable tool to the type of business you are in, it’s easy to forget that not everyone owns a computer. Spread your wings It’s great to gather email addresses, but remember you Don’t confine your customer relationships to just those probably have a lot of customers who still rely on com- that you are doing business with now. Remember, anymunication the good old fashioned way like the mail, or one you meet is a potential customer in your line of business, so start building a relationship with them now. the telephone.

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The Basket Whiz Report… A Magazine to Build Your Business!

This is no time to cut back on advertising. Create a buzz about your business with the Basket Whiz Report, a magazine designed to market your business and generate more revenue… with many tools and resources GALORE! With pertinent trade industry information and highlighted vendors; educational and promotional ideas, and more… gift companies are searching for your products to offer their customers! Gift Professionals Want to Find Unique Products. This is the time to showcase yours! Ad space is very limited. We’ll feature a vendor of the month in each regular issue. You may be given a FREE SPOTLIGHT in conjunction with The Basket Whiz Report online!

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