Archive for February, 2010
You’ve designed the perfect gift basket! You’ve packed it carefully, and are ready to ship it to the lucky recipient. These days, the cost of freight requires that we charge our customers for these shipments. So what can you do to make sure that you are getting the best freight rates for your customers?
- Check out this blog: Freight Savings Tips. You’ll find weekly updates regarding all aspects of shipping.
- Did you know that USPS offers “same day” and “next day” pick up services? Go to USPS to learn more about pick-up options. You can also learn about the USPS Shipping Assistant®, “a free desktop computer program that combines all the functions you need to create a variety of barcoded USPS shipping labels”.
- Compare services offered by UPS and FedEx freight companies. Call your local offices and ask that a customer service representative come to your business to discuss their freight programs and services they offer. Depending on the number of packages you ship each day, you may be able to negotiate shipping discounts with one of these companies. Don’t be afraid to ask!
Last of all, control your own freight costs by looking for freight deals from your suppliers. Through March 19th, you can save up to $50 on your next shipment of gourmet food components from Apex Gift Foods. Go to Apex to get details about this special offer and learn more about Apex’s everyday, free shipping program.
February 27th, 2010
So you’re getting ready to hire a new designer….or a new delivery person….or a new bookkeeper. How do you create a training program that results in an employee who performs to your expectations?
Maggie Bayless, author of “Management’s Role in Effective Training”, suggests that training only works when both the trainer and the trainee have an investment in the outcome. Yes, it is your job to outline all the tasks and responsibilities that the new hire is expected to carry out. And yes, it is your job to assess whether your new hire has the skills needed and to teach him/her those skills if not. But it is also critical for you to communicate the importance of the training process to make sure that the new employee is aware of the outcomes that you expect.
To increase a new hire’s engagement in the training process, Bayless says that employers need to:
- “Provide context for the training”…make sure the person knows what will be covered and what he/she will be expected to do after training is completed.
- “Reinforce how the training supports the trainee’s success”…let the person know how he/she can get the most out of the training.
- “Help the trainee put the new learnings to good use”…provide immediate opportunities for the person to use the information learned and be prepared to give feedback.
Read the full article for more information about how to put an effective training program in place for all of your gift basket business employees.
February 20th, 2010
In addition to the popular national holidays that we traditionally celebrate, there are hundreds of organizations that celebrate their causes through a day or month of recognition. For example, you may not be aware that March is:
- American Red Cross Month
- Irish-American Heritage Month
- National Nutrition Month
- National Noodle Month
- National Peanut Month
- Women’s History Month
- Workplace Health and Safety Month
Any of these can serve as a basis for marketing your gift basket business.
And most of these have web sites that include information to support your promotional efforts.
For example, the American Red Cross offers a multitude of opportunities for Americans to donate time and money to many worthy causes. Have you ever checked in with your local Red Cross office to find out about their activities? Maybe you can arrange to have some percentage of your gift basket sales donated to the Red Cross? Your customers may appreciate this opportunity to have their gifts also be a “gift” for someone in need.
You might check out the National Irish-American Heritage Month web site and get some ideas about what local communities may do to celebrate. If you find that local organizations in your community are holding a parade or some type of special event, you may be able to promote your gift basket business by joining in the festivities. Donate a basket to giveaway or set up a booth on the parade route.
National Peanut Month or National Noodle Month provide opportunities for you to design and promote a special basket featuring those products. If you do more research on the web, you can find recipes that you can add to a “pasta” basket or “fun facts” that you can use to make your “peanut” basket unique. (Did you know that four of the top 10 candy bars manufactured in the USA contain peanuts or peanut butter…how about a peanut butter candy bar basket?)
Spend a little time on the web and use your imagination to learn about these “national holidays”. Then, create exclusive basket designs and unusual marketing opportunities to promote your gift basket business.
February 12th, 2010
Are you trying to attract a new customer base to your gift basket business? Think about using direct mail advertisements. I just read an article that suggested while we may believe that the younger generation is only interested in all things electronic, direct mail may still offer a good way to deliver a message to the younger generation about your gift basket business.
Read the full article “Reaching Younger Generations in the Mail” for author Ethan Boldt’s ideas. But here’s one interesting idea from the article that caught my eye: “According to Keith Goodman , vice president of corporate solutions for Modern Postcard, seniors and boomers are more receptive to the more traditional letter-type formats, while Gens X and Y are more receptive to postcard and other self-mailer formats.”
So if younger buyers may still be attracted to direct mail attempts, I started to think about sending postcard promotions. This led me to check out the United States Postal Service where I found a link to the “Premium Postcard.com”. USPS now provides a way for businesses to create and send postcards to promote products or special events. Check out this web site and find out about all the options that are available including a variety of postcard sizes, many different template designs, design and graphic services. You can use your own mailing list and buy new mailing lists. Be sure to look into this great service offered by USPS and use direct mail to attract many new customers to your business.
February 7th, 2010
Well gift basket business owners: if you weren’t able to get to San Francisco for the Fancy Food Show, January 17th – 19th, you can still read about new products in the marketplace and expected food trends for 2010. For those of you who have never attended, the Winter Fancy Food Show had over 80,000 products displayed. Displays included products for restaurants, large and small grocery stores, gift stores, hospitality venues,and yes….gift basket businesses. Although you may have missed tasting all the interesting and exquisite new foods, you can still learn a lot that will benefit your business.
According to a blog posting from Gourmet Retailer, “a panel of food experts selected the top five food trends for 2010, including good-for-you foods; coconut; gluten-free; exotic citrus; and nostalgic foods.” While it may be difficult to relate these trends directly to your gift basket business, i think it’s important to read the articles and blog postings about the show so that you can get a “picture” of what consumers will be seeing when they visit their grocery and gourmet food stores. This may lead you to making certain choices of products for your baskets. For example, if you frequently use fruit drinks in your designs, you may consider a coconut flavor or citrus flavor for 2010. If consumers are interested in “nostalgic foods”, then you may want to design a breakfast basket with pancake mix and maple syrup or a basket filled with soup and biscuits mixes.
I’ve listed some links below that will take you to articles and blogs about the Fancy Food Show. Some will be very useful, others will just be fun to read. Take some time to look at these, then keep your mind open to the possibilities when you plan your designs for 2010 gift baskets.
February 1st, 2010
