Archive for March, 2006
The April issue of Gourmet News magazine includes an interesting article: “Three Steps for Beginning Entrepreneurs”. The author, Adam Borden, suggests that there are 3 basic activities that will help you establish a successful new business:
- writing a comprehensive business plan.
- updating the business plan regularly once things are underway.
- creating a board of advisors.
I believe that the third point, having a board of advisors, is a critical factor for new and old businesses alike. As business owners, we can get caught up in day to day activities: talking with customers, dealing with employees, maintaining inventory, paying bills and more. There’s often too little time for creative thinking.
A board of advisors can help keep you on track. Your board can give you important advice on how to deal with particular problems you are experiencing. Moreover, they can help redirect you so that you can be always clarifying and moving toward your goals.
Read the full article for ideas on how to write a business plan and work with a board of advisors. Whether you are just starting up or already have an established business, Borden’s suggestions may help you out.
March 31st, 2006
I just saw an advertisement for a new product from Betallic Balloon Company: Photo Balloons! If you use balloons in any of your gift basket designs, you may want to check this out.
Basically, you can create personalized 21″ mylar balloons including a photo and message. You do this with a photo from your own computer. No special software is needed.
On the Betallic web site, you can download detailed instructions for creating these balloons and see a variety of design ideas. There are designs for every occasion: birthdays, new baby, promotions, retirements and more. The full line of products is shown along with a list of distributors.
I’d love to know if this product looks appealing to gift basket packers. Your comments would be greatly appreciated!
March 29th, 2006
If you’ve checked out the “About Us” page of this blog, you’ll already know that I’m also in the wholesale floral supply business in addition to the gourmet gift food business. I see a lot of similiarites between the two businesses and there’s lots that I learn in one that can be applied to the other.
So let’s consider what you might be able to learn from retail florists.
- Florists were selling fruit baskets long before gourmet food baskets became a popular gift. These days, florists share a sizable chunk of the total sales recorded by those in the gift basket industry.
- Florists use a lot of the same products that are used by gift basket packers. There are the obvious items that overlap: for example, wicker baskets. But maybe you’re not aware of some great products that have been introduced in the floral market that can enhance your designs as well. In Gift Basket Review magazine, I often see design tips and techniques that utilize products originally introduced in the floral industry. By learning about and using these products, you may be able to create designs that stand apart from your competitors.
- Due to the similar nature of floral and gift basket businesses (we’re all about selling gifts), you can benefit from many ideas about how floral businesses “make it work”. Flowers & Magazine, has a feature each month called “Shop Profile”. A specific floral shop is recognized for it’s successes. Often, there are great ideas for display and merchandising or a description of a shop’s exemplary customer service program. These ideas can be easily adjusted to fit the needs of your gift basket business.
Keep your eye out for more articles about floral products that you can learn to use and make your baskets even better. You’ll be able to see these products at Apex Gift Foods. Also, check out Flowers & Magazine and Florist Review Magazine to see what you can learn from your local florist.
In an upcoming post, I’ll suggest some ways you might work with a florist in your community to secure new business for both of you!
March 28th, 2006
Shirley Frazier, host of a great blog, Gift Basket Business recently posted an entry about ribbons and how a beautiful bow can add an appealing enhancement to any basket design.
Buying ribbon though, doesn’t need to be costly. At Apex Gift Foods, you can buy monofilament, organza ribbon in over 25 fashion colors that will match all of your designs. These sheer, shimmery ribbons, in 25 yard rolls, are available in 3 widths: 5/8″, 1 1/2″ and 2 1/2″.
With Easter and Mother’s Day fast approaching, stock up on luscious, pastel shades: pink, lavender, yellow, mint, and blue. Or add a bold splash to your baskets with hot new colors: orange, lime, fuschia, chocolate and teal.
Better yet, Apex is running a sale in April! Save $1.00 per roll on all widths. On the popular 1 1/2″ width organza, you’ll pay just $.12 per yard!
Go to Apex Gift Foods to see the lovely selection of fabulous, organza ribbons and to save 25%! To take advantage of this promotion, write “RibbonBlog” in the comments section of your order form.
March 27th, 2006
I spoke with a friend this week who owns a floral shop and who does quite a bit of funeral work. While flowers are still the traditional tribute sent to grieving families, my friend told me that more and more, her customers are sending gourmet gift baskets as an expression of sympathy.
Moreover, my friend told me about a very large funeral home in her neighborhood that has their own gift shop so that mourners can stop and buy a gift for the family when they arrive at the funeral home.
Many cultures share the age old tradition of sending food to a grieving family. Food is a welcome gift. If sending gourmet sympathy baskets is a growing trend, this may be a great opportunity to expand your business.
Make a visit to your local funeral home and introduce yourself to the funeral director. Take a “gift”: a sample of your work. Leave your business cards. Although the director deals most frequently with family members of the deceased, he often gets calls from others who want to send something to the funeral home, but need a suggestion for a local florist. Maybe you can convince the director to suggest that they send a gift basket. Who knows, you may be able to convince the director to find a place in the funeral home where your baskets can be displayed!
I talked to several basket packers and florists and got some suggestions about what products are appropriate for a sympathy basket.
- Funerals often mean that a lot of family and friends are around. Send foods that can be easily shared: boxes of cookies, cakes, bags of nuts or candies. Boxes of teabags or bags of ground coffee that can be used to make a full pot are also appreciated.
- Add a candle or a picture frame to your design. These gifts can be a soothing way to help the bereaved remember their loved one.
- Seasonal fresh fruits can be included with a selection of gourmet gift foods. When packing fruit, use a waxed shredded tissue for fill (not a paper shred) to absorb any moisture that might appear when the basket is wrapped in cellophane or shrink wrap. Also, include instructions for care and handling: open the basket immediately, store fruit at room temperature, then refrigerate when ripe.
- Use some ribbon to tie a beautiful bow on your basket. Or add some silk ivy or seasonal flowers. The person who receives the basket will appreciate the thoughtful gift at a difficult time.
Some resources for you if you’re thinking about expanding your sympathy basket business:
- Apex Gift Foods carries shredded wax tissue, wicker baskets, and ribbons that are perfect for sympathy designs. Call 800-348-2369 for fruit basket care and handling tags. Apex’s customer service staff will also suggest gourmet products that would work will for your sympathy designs.
- Gift Basket Review’s online archive include photos of sympathy designs by Pam Valdez.
- Search the internet for more information about funeral etiquette and customs. Wikipedia is a good starting point with links to many more resources.
March 25th, 2006
I read an article in Florist Review Magazine, January, 2006 which struck a cord. Retail florists, like many of you in the gift basket business, face overwhelming competition from mass marketers. The author interviewed four florists, all of whom are creative designers and top notch business people. I think their observations about how to survive in the face of growing competition merits some thought.
These florists identified three factors that they thought were the critical elements that kept their businesses alive and thriving. I believe that gift basket packers can apply these same principals to their businesses.
First, finding interesting and exclusive product was deemed to be very important. “Sourcing distinctive items is an effective way to to capture the fancy of a public that is increasingly savvy.” They were refering to flowers, but this certainly applies to gourmet foods. Take the time to visit the mass marketers in your area and find out what products they’re using in their baskets. Then, make a point to use different, unique products in yours.
Second, maintaining a high standard of quality at all times was deemed to be another important factor. This pertains to the quality of the merchandise and the quality of the relationship between you and your customers. Make sure that you guarantee your work: your customers should be able to come back to you with any concerns they might have about your products or your service and know that their problems will be resolved promptly.
Finally, creating an “identifiable personality” was considered to be of prime importance. Your baskets should stand apart from the crowd. Offer basket designs that present your unique style, that buyers will associate with your business.
By applying these principles to your gift basket business, you too can make inroads in dealing with the mass marketers who are competing with you.
You can check out some unique products at our web site: Apex Gift Foods. We strive to find unique gourmet items that won’t typically be found in the mass market baskets. Be different! Be daring! You’ll survive! And you’ll grow!
March 22nd, 2006
Many processed and packaged foods are shelf stable, which means they do not require refrigeration until opened. At Apex Gift Foods, we sell an extensive line of shelf stable cheeses. Our customers frequently ask: What makes shelf stable cheese last so long? Why doesn’t it require refrigeration? Why can shelf stable cheeses be stored at room temperature?
Food products are made shelf stable through the manufacturing process. I checked out the US Drug and Food Administration web site and found this information:
“There are numerous techniques that make some foods shelf stable. The primary technique is to lower the water content of the food. Bacteria need water to grow and if there isn’t enough water present, then the bacteria will not grow.”
An alternative method to making food shelf stable is to heat it “to ultra high temperatures, so that it becomes sterile. With this technique, once the food is made sterile, it is hermetically sealed (airtight).”
There are many advantages to using these shelf stable cheeses in gift baskets as opposed to those that require refrigeration. Baskets can be packed ahead of time without concerns about spoiling. When shipping gift baskets that include shelf stable cheeses, there is no need to be concerned about how long shipping might take. Likewise, there is no need to worry about when the gift basket is actually unpacked and when the foods are eaten. As long as the individual packs of cheese are sealed, no refrigeration is necessary.
Apex Gift Food’s line of shelf stable cheese is manufactured by The Wisconsin Cheeseman, located in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Over the years, the packaging of these cheeses has become more and more upscale. Boxes with beautiful graphics, festive tins, and mylar wrappings are used to package a wide variety of flavored cheeses including cheddar, swiss, brie, and gouda. Many new, gourmet flavors have been added to the line: horseradish, cranberry chutney, tomato basil, as well as a selection of wine flavored cheeses.
Go to Apex Gift Foods to see the full selection of shelf stable cheeses. When you order a case of cheese, you will receive a free sample of select cheeses for your tasting pleasure. Just write “CheeseBlog” in the comments section of your order form.
March 21st, 2006
So yesterday, my posting was about marketing to women. Today, I signed up for an free email newsletter called RetailWire.com. This website is an online news analysis and discussion forum based upon news stories about retail businesses. And the first article I read was about marketing to men!
The article, “How To Talk and Sell to Men” by George Anderson, is a discussion that included several marketing research professionals. Comments by one of the participants, Doug Fleener, offered a very interesting perspective about what men want from their shopping experiences.
Following are some of Doug’s comments: “Retailers need to remember that (men) are quite impatient and easily distracted when shopping…. When shopping for guy stuff like cars, grills, sporting goods,….we enjoy chatting with knowledgeable salespeople….Buying non-guy things is completely different. We have one goal: get it bought….We don’t like small talk; we want to be told what to buy. We don’t want choices; we want suggestions. Retailers….should teach their employees to promptly assess the guy’s shopping needs and make product recommendations. The faster the buying process is, the happier the guy will be. Add-on sales are easy and appreciated. Guys shopping for non-guy items are practically wearing a sign that says ‘Sell Me More’! Our job as retailers is to do just that.”
So when your male customers are shopping, be direct, be precise, make suggestions and move the sale along! According to this article, you’ll have a loyal customer!
Go to RetailWire.com for more information about how to sign up for their free newsletter. There’s lot of great information about merchandising, marketing and more that you can use in your gift basket business.
March 20th, 2006
Do you remember the movie, What Women Want: Mel Gibson trying on panty hose and lipstick in hopes of figuring out how to market products to women. There’s a better way to get a handle on this: learn from the experts!
Recently, two trade magazines, Gourmet Retailer, February, 2006, and Gift Basket Review, March, 2006, included articles about marketing to women. Since women influence a major portion of household spending as well as a large part of corporate spending, this is an important topic for gift basket business owners who are looking for ways to increase business.
Some of the most interesting points from these two articles:
- As buyers, women pay attention to the interests, preferences and lifestyle of the person who will receive the gift. This means it would be worth your while to have some merchandise that lets you add a “theme” to your baskets (eg. oven mitts and utensils to create a basket for a person who loves to cook; gardening gloves and packages of seeds for the gardener, etc)
- As buyers, women want to be knowledgable about their purchases and feel like they are making informed, good decisions. Be sure you and your staff are ready to answer questions about the products that you’re selling (eg. ingredients, portions, shelf life) as well as services you provide (eg. delivery options, credit card procedures, etc).
- Finally, women want to feel that they have an empathetic relationship with the salesperson they work with. If a buyer feels that the saleperson understands the importance of the occasion or is especially helpful regarding concerns about product choices, timely delivery,or costs, this will go a long way to building a loyal customer who will come back again.
Whether selling to individual consumers who may be shopping for a birthday gift, or to a corporate contact who is ordering for the company’s holiday gift giving program, if a woman is ordering, there may be ways to insure that she’ll be satisfied and come back again.
March 19th, 2006
Ron Tanner, editor of Specialty Food Magazine, wrote an interesting article in the March, 2006 issue: A Comeback for Cocooning. He suggests that people are spending more time at home, trying to carve out time in their hectic schedules to be with family and friends.
So I got to thinking: how about creating and marketing a line of “Stay at Home” gift baskets that takes advantage of this growing trend!
Here’s one idea: Offer a selection of TV Treats gift baskets. In addition to pretzels, popcorn and other tantalizing snacks, create a theme for the basket based upon a popular TV show (eg. a Sopranos or Desperate Housewives Basket). Include a DVD from the TV show plus gourmet foods and gifts that would work with the theme. You can also create themed baskets for special TV events such as the Olympics or the Academy Awards.
To help you get started with your TV Treats baskets, see a variety of delicious snack items at Apex Gift Foods. If you like what you see, save 10% on your snack purchases by writing “TV” in the comments section of your order form.
According to Ron, “people are looking for reasons to stay at home, to enjoy the comfort of food and the joy of companionship”. So offer your customers a chance to send gift baskets to their friends and loved ones that will make the “stay at home” experience a great one!
Any thoughts about other “Stay at Home” baskets? I look forward to your comments.
March 17th, 2006
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