Let’s face it: the economy isn’t doing well and consumers are looking for ways to curb their spending habits. So if staying home is one way that people are handling this, we, as business owners, need to pay attention to this trend and work with it!

Your customers are still looking for gifts to acknowledge special occasions for friends and family. How about trying a “Stay at Home” promotion and introduce some new gift baskets that focus on this theme? A Taste of Italy basket full of pasta, sauce, olive oil, cheeses, crackers, olives, cookies and chocolates will give the lucky recipient all that is needed for a full course meal. Pack this in a metal colander and you’ve included a gift that can be used again and again. Or try a Blockbuster Movie Night Basket that includes a Blockbuster gift card, popcorn, peanuts, and games for a perfect gift for the stay at home crowd.

Other “practical” gifts for the family might include a Boredom Basket, packed with games and snacks or a Kid’s Stop activity basket full of games, books and snacks just for kids.

If you’re hesitant about investing in the inventory needed to create these baskets, consider purchasing some “ready to ship” designs to try out your promotion. Since you won’t have labor costs, put a lower mark-up on these items than usual. This approach will allow you to try something new and offer your customers a great selection of gifts.

Just because business may be slower than usual, we need to keep trying new approaches to attract new customers and keep our loyal customers. You can be “practical” while still giving your customers very special gifts!

Although it may sound mysterious, branding simply includes the things you do to increase your visibility in the marketplace. In other words: it helps you make the public more aware of your business and your logo. But branding is also about building an image for your company. It is “the reputation behind your company’s name and logo”.

Some suggestions to start the process:

• Identify what you can do for your customers that your competitors can’t/don’t do. Then repeat this message in all your advertising and promotions. Try to create a “sell line”, one simple sentence that communicates this service, then use it!
• Describe the benefits your customers receive from your products or services. Remember: it’s not about you; rather it’s all about how your customers feel about what they receive when they give you their business.
• Make sure that your employees understand your brand and do what is needed to convey the proper message.

Read more about branding at the Small Business Resource Center. The author of this article compares the process of branding to telling a good story. You’ll learn the steps you need to take to create your own unique business brand.

Wow! So how can you create a niche for your gift basket business within this lucrative industry? Maybe it’s best to start in your own community and find out what goods and services are already being offered to brides and grooms. Over the slow summer months, visit some of these businesses in your neighborhood.

• Florists
• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Bridal Shops
• Tuxedo Rental Shops
• Hair and Nail Salons
• Bakeries
• Photographers
• Caterers

At each stop, make sure you leave information about the services that you offer and discuss how you might work cooperatively. For example, a florist who only does bouquets and reception flowers may be willing to give your name to the bride who is interested in “welcome” gift baskets for guests who are coming in from out of town. The photographer might allow you to leave one of your samples in his showroom.

Also check out your Yellow Pages for “bridal or wedding consultants”. In the past decade, the need for someone to “take care of all the details” has grown and consultants are involved in all phases of planning and organizing the wedding. Creating a good working relationship with the local wedding consultant may go a long way to helping you get involved in the wedding business.

You may also want to think about carrying some wedding items that you can include in your gourmet basket. Wine glasses for the couple’s first toast, a guest register book and plumed pen, or a wedding garter would be perfect accessories to add in your wedding gourmet designs.

It’s sounds overwhelming, but if you consider marketing to be all the things you do to sell your products and services, it’s actually much simpler than you think.

I recently read an article written several years ago: 33 Tips for Marketing Success and I think the ideas that the author describes are still the way to go for the busy business owner. The author suggests that you do 3-5 of these activities every day and get into the habit of marketing. Some of these involve more work than others, but all are suggested as a way for you to keep thinking about how you can make your business better!
Here are some of my favorites:

• Write a hand-written thank you note to one of your customers.
• Ask your staff what your best selling gift basket was during the past month and get their thoughts about why customers chose that basket.
• Visit a competitor’s web site.
• Invite a customer in to look at some of your new design ideas.
• Visit your neighborhood businesses and look at how they display their products.
• Call your local newspaper and find out who writes articles about local businesses.
• Review your customer list and make sure that it’s up to date. Make notes about customers who you haven’t heard from in a while and make a personal phone call to remind them that you’re around.

To be a good marketer, you need to think creatively about your business and think about it every day! What are some of your successful marketing ideas?

Apex Gift Foods is now offering a line of holiday table accessories, including placemats, coasters, napkins and rings and table runners. These exquisite items, in ivory satin and embroidered with red, jeweled poinsettias, will be a lovely accessory to add to your holiday gourmet designs. Go to Apex Gift Foods for more details about this exclusive line of holiday table accessories.

Keep your eyes peeled for gourmet gifts and accessories that will make your gourmet baskets stand out from the crowd. Your customers, who are sending gift baskets to their friends, families and business associates, want their gift to be meaningful and remembered. Try something new in your designs and you’ll find that customers will come back for more!

In a on-line newsletter that I receive, I read that

If you want to know more about spam filters and how to reduce spam coming into your mailbox, read the full article: “Internet Tips & Traps: Stop the Resurgence of Spam”. One of the challenges in using spam filters is how to avoid filtering messages that you do want to receive.

You may be surprised to learn that one of the best ways to avoid spam is to DO NOTHING! What could be easier than that? You can also get a second email address for your private correspondence.

For more tips and information about all things “internet”, go to “Go Daddy Connections”.

Snacks, cookies, and candies are all time favorites for this age group. Why not create some moderately priced gifts and market these in local coffee shops, the university book store, video stores, and sporting goods stores? Advertise your business in the local college newspaper. Your small packages of nuts, candies, and cookies are the perfect size to toss in a backpack to take on a hiking or biking trip or to the library for some instant energy when studying.

Find out where the kids hang out and see if you can set up a small display. Include a coupon for a discount on their first purchase. Remind them that you can also send a gift to mom or dad for that “almost forgotten” special occasion.

Not only will you read about special gift basket themes for kids, coworkers and friends, you’ll find a list of popular movie titles and step by step instructions for building a movie gift basket.

Delight your clients with this new basket design. Ask them to tell you what types of movies the recipient prefers: comedies, action, drama, etc. Encourage your customers to offer suggestions about what to include in the basket. And don’t forget the popcorn!!

I think you’ll find this to be lucrative and fun! Go to Moviegiftbaskets.net for more information.

When we’re creating sales materials, brochures or signs, we should “use a beginner’s mind”. The author suggests that we shouldn’t assume that the reader is familiar with what we’re selling. Cut back on technical terms and use plain, simple language to describe your products or promotions. Show your materials to someone who doesn’t work for you and see if he/she understands what you’re selling or trying to promote. If that person has questions, so will your customers.

Also, make sure that your product descriptions accurately describe what you’re selling. Don’t exaggerate! If customers get something different from what you’ve described, you’re sure to have unhappy customers.

Another place where we can improve our marketing is on our web sites. After you create your web site, your work is just beginning! We need to update and scrutinize our sites on a regular basis. Try to set aside 1 hour a week to look at your web site. Work on 1 page at a time. Make sure your links are working. Make sure that your product descriptions are up to date and your prices are correct. There’s no better way to antagonize a customer than to show a price on your web site then charge something different! Once you’ve looked at the full site, go back to the beginning and start again. Add new products, change the order in which products are listed: keep it looking fresh!

It takes work to continue to please our customers. By providing accurate information in a clear, concise, and attractive manner will do a lot to increase customer satisfaction.

Envirosax Reusable Shopping Bags are spreading the environmental message with style. Lightweight and portable, each bags roll up into itself and snaps shut. Help your customers support an eco-friendly alternative to paper and plastic bags by including an Envirosax in your gift basket designs.