When you need a bit of gift inspiration, take a scenic drive along Route 7 in Vermont. Near Middlebury you’ll find The Gingerbread Country Store, owned by Deb Wilkinson (pictured with her hubby, Alan). Cheerful candy canes adorn the outside, providing just a hint of the fun you’ll find inside the multi-room shop. Shelves are lined with made in Vermont products plus more -- much more -- than you can see in a quick stroll. Great shop -- wonderful people! Visit it if you’re ever in the area.

Orla Soy Candle company offers safety notes and helpful hints for using candles. Be sure to pass these along to customers.

- To maintain your candle, sharp scissors are a must as you must trim the wick to 1/4” before you light the candle for the first time. A metal utensil (spoon or butter knife) to center the wick and clean the melt pool are also helpful.

- Keep the wick trimmed 1/4” and centered for a cleaner burn. Keep wax free of wick trimmings.

- On the first burn let the melt pool reach the edge of the container. If the candle is burning to one side, push the wick towards the opposite side and/or turn the candle away from the draft.

- Always place candles (warmers or melters) on a heat resistant surface. Keep away from drafts, open windows, ceiling fans, vents, pets, children and flammable objects. Keeping the burning candle away from drafts will help prevent uneven burning and sooting.

- Do not burn under a cupboard or shelf. This inhibits the amount of oxygen that is getting to the wick and will cause black soot to form. It is also dangerous.

- Mushrooms sometimes found on top of the wicks, are carbon deposits usually appearing after long burning cycles. Always trim these off and keep them out of the melt pool for more efficient burn.

- If the wick becomes too long, or an air current disturbs the flame, small amounts of unburned carbon particles will escape from the flame as a visible wisp of smoke. Any candle will soot if the flame is disturbed or the wick needs to be trimmed. Keep the wick trimmed to 1/4”. If soot builds up on the glass, clean with a paper towel and glass cleaner. (When soot starts to build up on the glass it means your candle needs attention and you may need to trim the wick, move the candle out of the draft or away from the ceiling fan.)

- 100% soy wax candles may look and burn differently than candles made from wax blends or paraffin. You may see subtle frosting on the top and sometimes on the insides of the candle, bubbles around the edge of the melt pool, and a waxy film around the edge of glass. If candles are left in artificial light for long periods of time they may darken or change color. It is rare and depends on the type and amount of essential oils in the fragrance. None of the above will affect the performance, enjoyment or safety of your candle. Never leave a burning candle unattended. Extinguish candle before going to sleep!

Information provided by Orla Soy Candle www.orlasoycandle.com

Clap your hands and say “thank goodness”! The Winter Holidays are finally in view, bringing with it -- we trust -- much needed revenue.

Typical of a Presidential election year, sales may have been sluggish the past few months. But after November, when future national leadership concerns are set to rest, retail sales are likely to enjoy a robust return to more normal patterns. Keeping the election in mind, Winter Holiday sales may start slow, so don’t panic.

Remember that, historically, Winter Holiday sales make cash registers jingle with joy. In 2007, The National Retail Federation reported that consumers spent $469.9 BILLION during the Winter Holiday sales period (Christmas). But, you really have to see the breakdown of other holiday sales to get the big picture. According to the National Retail Federation, this is the breakdown:

St. Patrick’s Day $3.6 billion
Halloween $5.1 billion
Super Bowl $9.5 billion
Father’s Day $9.6 billion
Easter $14.4 billion
Mother’s Day $15.8 billion
Valentine’s Day $17.0 billion
Back to School/College $51.4 billion
Winter Holidays $469.9 billion

In a pie chart, the Winter Holidays visually represent about three quarters of the total. That’s a nice thought to keep in mind as you head into the most lucrative time of the year -- and the most joyful season.

There is some wisdom in being cautious with wholesale buying (noting the election and slight rise in unemployment numbers), but do remember that you can only sell as much as you buy.

According to the eHoliday Study released by BizRate Research for Shop.org and Shopzilla prior to the 2007 holiday buying season, free shipping was credited to driving more online sales than any other promotion. Tied to conditions that required customers to purchase a certain item or a certain number of or dollar amount of merchandise, free shipping offers were the top promotions used by big-league retailers to push consumer hot buttons. Last year, 78% of online retailers offered this incentive.

Also in the bag of successful tricks to drive sales: free shipping upgrades (offered by 60% of retailers), discounted shipping (te% or retailers), and free shipping without conditions (41%). Of course, “free shipping” is not free for retailers, so careful anaylization of costs and margins are required before putting free or discounted offers into place.

In addition ot offering free shipping promotions, retailers reported plans to use a variety of other marketing techniques to increase sales. Online shoppers reported that the most important factor to them was good value for the money. Clear product descriptions, a merchant’s reputation, and guaranteed on-time delivery were also important features when deciding where to buy.

What you see is just the beginning of what you might receive in a gift like the one shown here. Peeking behind the eye-catching ornament plate is a box of tasty toffee. Why hide the toffee if it is a great product? Because the charming old-fashioned packaging clashes with the sharp contemporary styling of the gift box. That holds true for the tempting truffles inside the gold gift box (overwrapped in a leftover trim piece of cellophane).

The coffee mug (imported from Italy) and the ornament plate are the most expensive components in the gift design. It makes sense, because of their color and cost, to bring them forward to the focal point of the design. To keep cost down and build more value and fullness into the presentation, the designer pulled common stock items from inventory, then smartly wrapped the smaller piece to fill one half of the front of the gift box.

Another success scoop employed in this design is the ribbon weave applied to the back corner (see earlier post in Gift Tips). The decorative element keeps the presentation looking full by using an empty space!

File this strategic design plan and use it with customers who want more giftware/less gourmet food, and a basket that can meet the under-$50 price line. Or -- tuck this idea into the bag of tricks you use to earn a better profit margin.

Christmas is coming and you want your profits just as fat as the goose! One way to achieve this is by being smartly frugal with the number of gift components used to create each gift basket. Quality and quantity need to be considered equally, with an eye on what the consumer wants, and is willing to buy. And there is always a difference in what we all want as consumers -- and how much we are ultimately willing to fork over in an actual purchase. My advice regarding quality/quantity has always been:
(1) buy the best tasting food available for the price your target group of consumers will buy, even if it means fewer items per basket.
(2) balance the cost of higher quality by building in better perceived value, filling in empty space with tissue and other inexpensive fillers, using texture, and building height.
(3) keep labor costs down by using quick-to-pack items.

Another dilema is packaging. Consumers want Christmas packaging. But, you, as a designer and buyer, know you could be stuck with a warehouse of unsold perishable gourmet foods if sales fall short of your goals. The compromise may lie in clever packaging tricks that make year-round stock look like brightly wrapped holiday goodies. In the design shown above, two gourmet components were put into colorful cello bags with colors and trimmings of the season. To make the basket appear fuller, striped tissue paper was applied to the a cardboard back (bench box from Boxco, available through Nashville Wraps).

There is also wisdom in mixing perishable gourmet foods with hard goods, like the floral arrangement and snowman (above photo). Should holidays sales fail to move all Christmas merchandise, hard goods can be packed and used next year. Only three items were gourmet components. All three were larger sizes and could be used as stand-alone gifts, stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, etc.

More notes on the basket shown here:
- all the florals are in a container arrangement that can be placed on a desk or elsewhere. No loose floral stems that are useless to most recipients. The floral designs can be made well in advance of the season, sold separately, and quickly placed in a basket. Great time saver and money maker!
- the addition of scattered felt snowflakes makes the basket look very full and cost only pennies each.
- frosted greenery, a snowman, striped tissue to match the sides of the box . . . DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!

(Box, box bench, cello bags, and ribbon courtesy of Nashville Wraps)

No one really needs a gift basket . . . or a bouquet of flowers, a bunch of balloons, a cookie bouquet . . . or any other type of gift. What a customer needs is to express an emotion. Gifts help people say what they feel. So, in truth, the customer doesn’t need a gift basket, but the individual does need your help to express his/her thoughts and feelings in a way that gets the message across to another person. A one-basket-fits-all approach to birthday gifting may mean lost sales.

If you listen beyond the initial request, you’ll probably discover that there are at least 7 different reasons for sending a birthday gift. And once you discover the real reason, you can suggest the perfect birthday gift basket -- in the most appropriate price range.

7 Reasons for Saying “Happy Birthday”

1. I want you to know how very, very much I love you. (More expensive, with a romantic tone)

2. Gifts are my way of saying I love you -- without saying it. (Moderately priced with a reserved theme and style)

3. You’re a great friend and I love to share your laughter. (Inexpensive and lighthearted)

4. I treasure our deep, soulful friendship. (Inexpensive, but sentimental)

5. I’d like to develop a friendship with you. Maybe a gift will open the door. (Inexpensive with a personal touch)

6. I want you to know that I recognize you are a VIP, and I hope I’ll score a few points. (Moderately expensive and corporate in style)

7. Remembering your birthday is a social obligation. Here -- take this and have a happy birthday. (Inexpensive and generic)

Now -- brainstorm for 7 happy birthday gifts, themes, and styles, and you’ll make a reputation for your business as the people who know just the right gift to send -- every time!

What is hotter than summer? Fall sales! And with fall just around the corner, it is time to get the baskets ready to roll out a welcome. Businesses pick up the pace, bringing in new staff members; schools welcome new faculty; neighborhoods welcome new families. All across America, the ‘welcome back’ rituals begin.

If you’re ready, your business could be rolling with extra orders. Look through your current inventory for containers and gift components just perfect for welcome gifts. A plain crate can become a wagon, just by adding wheels -- even cardboard ones glued to the sides.

Here are a few places to consider for new business:
- The Chamber of Commerce (roll out a welcome to new members)
- Country clubs (roll out the welcome to new members)
- Corporation Board of Directors (roll out the welcome to new board members)
- City Council (newly elected officials)
- Schools (new principals and/or teachers)

. . . and the list goes on!

Even if the old stand-by real estate market is a little slow on orders, build up other markets with fresh ideas -- to go!!

Internet may have lessened the need for printed business tools, but it hasn’t completely eliminated brochures, business cards, sales flyers and catalogs. Clients need something about your business to put in their files. Plus, printed materials can help drive customers and clients to your site. When you’re ready to write your next brochure, these tips may help you get focused.

1. Target the best markets for your services and write the brochure to that specific market.
2. Decide what you want to achieve with the brochure.
3. Narrow the objectives of the brochure to no more than 3.
4. Stay on a narrow course of action. Don’t stray from the objective.
5. Increasingly build the case for your objective from the beginning to the end.
6. A brochure is drama; a flyer is action; a catalog lists ALL your products and services. Brochures are not flyers or catalogs.

Keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be on the road to a beautiful brochure!

Can a drop ship company help your business during the holidays? Some gift businesses say, “yes”. For those who may not be familiar with the term, a drop ship company allows a gift business to advertise and promote a line of merchandise that the gift business does not have to keep in stock on their premises. Orders are taken for the merchandise from the gift company’s customers, and the items are shipped directly from the drop shipper’s warehouse. The gift company earns a commission from the sale.

How can a drop ship company help? In addition to allowing the gift company to offer a wider variety of merchandise without investing in the inventory, a drop ship company sometimes helps with other areas of business. Some companies may help with search engine optimization, pre-printed catalogs (for a fee), shopping carts, better payment options, and overall web image.

There are pro’s as well as con’s to signing on with a drop ship company. For one, monthly fees may be associated with the drop ship company. Lost or delayed shipping and delivery are the most common problems, along with disputes over quality of the merchandise.

Find a drop shipper with a sterling reputation and your business could reap a harvest of commissions. Maybe.

What kind of merchandise can you buy that will last from the summer through the holiday season? The obvious answer is non-perishables, but beyond that, veteran gift basket business owners and designers suggest planning seasonal color groups that can transition and overlap.

Plan a color theme that can be transitioned through the seasons. For example, white is great in summer and a staple for the holidays. Bold ladybug red looks super in the summer, paired with white, black and green. And so on. A base of colors can be transitioned from one season into the next through primary themes such as summer ladybug, fall witches (black and green), and Christmas candy cane motif. As you shop you can look for general category merchandise in these base colors.

In the photo above, the designer used the same container from Valentine to Christmas. How many other products can you find that are identical, from one basket to the other? Only the florals and one focal point item were changed to move the Valentine basket into Christmas. The base color group of red, green, and white remained the same.