How to Market Your Gift Baskets

Each new year is invigorating. The calendar change allows you to shed last year's mistakes while letting you continue the successes. You can renew yourself, change focus, update prices, and see your gift basket hobby or business in a whole new light.

This year will take you where you want to go or wherever the wind happens to blow -- the course is up to you. Is your goal to create better designs? Then register for the first available hands-on course. Do you plan to gross $75,000? Such goals require you to break the figure into 12 manageable parts.

You must sell $6,250 worth of gift baskets each month or $1,562.50 each week. Broken down further, that's $223.22 on a seven-day work schedule or $312.50 on a five-day schedule. If you feel that this goal is too lofty, then adjust your numbers or do something better -- plan on activities that make this and other goals possible. Here are two examples.

One of your first objectives in any year is to plan for Valentine's Day, which is second in sales behind Mother's Day. Which radio stations in your area would talk on the air about a basket you give to the host? Disc jockeys and talk radio hosts are a great source of promotion. A bartering arrangement of a free basket for promotion isn't possible in all regions, but it's a fabulous opportunity in others.

Contact the morning show's producer to find out if sending the morning host a free Valentine's Day gift basket to mention on the air is permissible. Another large basket should be prepared for the remaining staff, which may sweeten the deal and get the producer to say "yes."

If this promotion is doable, make the basket as outrageous as possible, full of unusual Valentine's Day items. The unique products, along with the morning show host's description, will make listeners want to buy from you, making that weekly figure mentioned above a reachable goal.

Another promotion, which has increased Valentine's Day gift basket sales, is to have an attractive man stand on a busy street corner dressed in a tuxedo and handing out roses to women (fresh, candy, silk, whatever works for you) with promotional cards attached and ordering information. A February 1 promotion gives callers two weeks to order from you.

Your city may require a solicitor's license for this event, so check with the city clerk beforehand. Also contact your local newspaper, which would most likely take a photo of the uniformed man, giving you additional exposure. You can also have an attractive woman dressed in red handing out chocolate cigars to men on an alternate day or alternate corner.

These are just two affordable promotions to consider for your hobby or business. If you intend to reach this year's goals, no matter what you plan, just remember to keep your creative lights shining!