Hard to believe how quickly the past month has gone by! When you're in the gift basket business, September and October can be just as busy and stressful as November and December. There's a LOT of planning, marketing, calling prospective clients, designing and creating prototype gifts, dropping them off to clients, following up, placing orders, receiving and unloading incoming products. In addition to keeping up with the daily concerns of a business - filling orders, bookwork, deliveries, and etc. If you are (or have been) self-employed, you'll know exactly what I mean!
Things are shaping up nicely here for Christmas - several corporate orders have already come in and several individual orders, as well!
About 2 1/2 weeks ago, we had a booth at our local Chamber of Commerce's Fall Trade Fair. It was a great opportunity to show not only our beautiful gift baskets, but our Michigan Travels line, as well. We received quite a lot of interest, and have several new contacts from the show.
Thirteen big Halloween baskets were delivered on October 29th to a generous client who gives them to special children in her life. They included puzzles, coloring books, Halloween socks, Halloween CDs, Halloween popcorn balls, lots of candy and much more. I used black plastic cauldrons as the "basket" part of the gift!
Today I am preparing 5 gifts for Tuesday. Four will be delivered to a local hotel as welcome gifts for VIPs who are interviewing with a local company. The fifth is a marketing tool for a local Home Health Care company -- will be hand-delivered to a local physician.
I'd better get back to work! Thanks for reading!
Visit our websites at www.giftbasketclassics.com and www.gourmetgiftboxes.net for ideas and contact information.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
October 2, 2009
Hello again, dear blog readers! Here's the latest from the Gift Basket & Gift Box Studio on Lake Shore Drive, Saint Joseph, Michigan!
Yesterday, October 1, I had a booth at the Benton Harbor Airway Oxygen's Octoberfest, displaying some medical gift baskets and, of course, my Michigan Travels Gourmet Specialties gift boxes! There was some interest there, mostly among other vendors who were there. It was a good networking opportunity, and I'm grateful for that. Airway Oxygen also catered a wonderful meal for everyone (attendees and vendors) that included bratwurst, sauerkraut, sliced cucumbers in a creamy sauce, German potato salad, and apple pie for dessert. Quite a good spread!
Looking forward to October 15 -- another expo to be held at the Mendel Center at Benton Harbor's Lake Michigan College. It is the annual Trade Fair held by our local Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce. Again, an incredible networking opportunity, a chance to show off my products to attendees and other vendors, and to learn more about others' businesses. In order to have a booth, you must be a Cornerstone Chamber member, but anyone can attend. Hope to see you there -- Thursday, October 15 from 4-7.
In other news, this past week has been a hugely frustrating one due to the fact that I was having some strange issues with my computer not acting right. I use a signal from a wireless router to connect my DSL, and was continually getting strange "Broadband" error messages, not being able to go to some websites (that were never a problem before), and other odd things. After nearly a week of this limited connectivity, having had AT&T out (they replaced the router/modem), having a service call from a computer tech, and lots of hair-pulling on my part, my husband and I were finally able to resolve the problem. Here's the extreme "Reader's Digest" version: I had installed Windows XP Service Pack 3 last week .... and that was causing the problem! So I restored the system to the settings from before that installation, and things were back to normal instantly. Unbelievable! So I warn you, one and all, be very wary of XP Service Pack 3.
That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by, and hope you'll come back again soon!
Carol
Yesterday, October 1, I had a booth at the Benton Harbor Airway Oxygen's Octoberfest, displaying some medical gift baskets and, of course, my Michigan Travels Gourmet Specialties gift boxes! There was some interest there, mostly among other vendors who were there. It was a good networking opportunity, and I'm grateful for that. Airway Oxygen also catered a wonderful meal for everyone (attendees and vendors) that included bratwurst, sauerkraut, sliced cucumbers in a creamy sauce, German potato salad, and apple pie for dessert. Quite a good spread!
Looking forward to October 15 -- another expo to be held at the Mendel Center at Benton Harbor's Lake Michigan College. It is the annual Trade Fair held by our local Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce. Again, an incredible networking opportunity, a chance to show off my products to attendees and other vendors, and to learn more about others' businesses. In order to have a booth, you must be a Cornerstone Chamber member, but anyone can attend. Hope to see you there -- Thursday, October 15 from 4-7.
In other news, this past week has been a hugely frustrating one due to the fact that I was having some strange issues with my computer not acting right. I use a signal from a wireless router to connect my DSL, and was continually getting strange "Broadband" error messages, not being able to go to some websites (that were never a problem before), and other odd things. After nearly a week of this limited connectivity, having had AT&T out (they replaced the router/modem), having a service call from a computer tech, and lots of hair-pulling on my part, my husband and I were finally able to resolve the problem. Here's the extreme "Reader's Digest" version: I had installed Windows XP Service Pack 3 last week .... and that was causing the problem! So I restored the system to the settings from before that installation, and things were back to normal instantly. Unbelievable! So I warn you, one and all, be very wary of XP Service Pack 3.
That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by, and hope you'll come back again soon!
Carol
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
September 9, 2009
Here's what is new in business ..... yet another "Dump Truck Gift Basket" has been ordered, assembled, gently packed, and shipped on its way to Massachusetts. A construction company is interested in possibly sending these baskets more often to its clients. The basket I shipped is for the staff to see how it looks, tastes, etc. I hope that their expectations are exceeded.... and will be disappointed if they're not!
Several local and several internet orders also received and filled in the past week or two. Michigan-made food gift baskets and boxes are definitely the most popular. It is great to see the way the people of Michigan are getting on the band-wagon of promoting this wonderful state. Great websites to investigate Michigan's bounty are www.buymichigannow.com, www.buymichiganproducts.com and www.michigan.gov/buymichiganfirst.
I've been doing some maintenance work on my www.giftbasketclassics.com website. I've removed the background music (too annoying!), made my phone and fax numbers larger, as well as also enlarging the basket categories. On the home page, the main picture is re-arranged to a more central location, which makes it more appealing.
Some of these are suggestions from my SCORE counselor, Mr. P.B., with whom I met about a week ago. He offered several excellent marketing suggestions, and I intend to follow up on them. Also in the works is the "new, improved" brochure for Michigan Travels Gourmet Specialties, LLC. That website is located at www.gourmetgiftboxes.net, and I'll be fine-tuning that also in the near future. Keep checking on the improvements to it in the days ahead!
On the personal side of things, my husband and I recently celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary! The evening of our big day, we had a picnic supper on Lion's Park Beach. He had grilled some chicken breasts, and we wrapped them in foil, and took some salads and sliced peaches, went to a picnic table and watched the sun set over Lake Michigan. A few days later, we went with friends to Elkhart and Shipshewana (Amish land) in Indiana, to a large Farmer's Market, and then to eat at Das Essenhaus .... family style dinner consisting of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, noodles, stuffing, and homemade pie for dessert! Truly a feast.
Thanks for reading. Come on by again, I promise to do better about keeping up with this blog. Stay healthy and happy until next time,
Carol
Several local and several internet orders also received and filled in the past week or two. Michigan-made food gift baskets and boxes are definitely the most popular. It is great to see the way the people of Michigan are getting on the band-wagon of promoting this wonderful state. Great websites to investigate Michigan's bounty are www.buymichigannow.com, www.buymichiganproducts.com and www.michigan.gov/buymichiganfirst.
I've been doing some maintenance work on my www.giftbasketclassics.com website. I've removed the background music (too annoying!), made my phone and fax numbers larger, as well as also enlarging the basket categories. On the home page, the main picture is re-arranged to a more central location, which makes it more appealing.
Some of these are suggestions from my SCORE counselor, Mr. P.B., with whom I met about a week ago. He offered several excellent marketing suggestions, and I intend to follow up on them. Also in the works is the "new, improved" brochure for Michigan Travels Gourmet Specialties, LLC. That website is located at www.gourmetgiftboxes.net, and I'll be fine-tuning that also in the near future. Keep checking on the improvements to it in the days ahead!
On the personal side of things, my husband and I recently celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary! The evening of our big day, we had a picnic supper on Lion's Park Beach. He had grilled some chicken breasts, and we wrapped them in foil, and took some salads and sliced peaches, went to a picnic table and watched the sun set over Lake Michigan. A few days later, we went with friends to Elkhart and Shipshewana (Amish land) in Indiana, to a large Farmer's Market, and then to eat at Das Essenhaus .... family style dinner consisting of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, noodles, stuffing, and homemade pie for dessert! Truly a feast.
Thanks for reading. Come on by again, I promise to do better about keeping up with this blog. Stay healthy and happy until next time,
Carol
Friday, July 17, 2009
July 17, 2009
Here's what's new at Michigan Travels/Gift Basket Classics:
Late last week,(July 9 - 11) we took a trip to northern Michigan to pick up gourmet product for the business. While there, we made it a "mini-vacation" of 2 1/2 days. Other self-employed people can relate, I'm sure, to the fact that we rarely get a full week of vacation -- summer or winter! It's OK, though, when we can take a couple days here-and-there. The benefit to my wonderful customers is that I'm nearly always available to fill orders for great gift baskets and gift boxes, even on short notice, even on the weekends. It is truly a joy to be able to provide great customer service.
While "up north", we stayed in Honor, Michigan at the Honor Motel, right on US-31. Our hosts were Chris and Bob, the owners. They are friendly and great to stay with. Their motel is clean and comfortable, and shows the pride of ownership. I would recommend it to anyone heading to or through Honor. Here's the link to their website.
We also visited the following towns/cities: Beulah, Benzonia, Frankfort, Empire, Maple City and Suttons Bay. We stopped at Pleva's Meats in Maple City to get some smoked cherry polish sausage and cherry/maple/pecan breakfast links to bring home. They also have more wonderful home-made meats. We're been going there for years, because my parents had a vacation home in nearby Lake Ann since I was a young girl.
We had a picnic in Suttons Bay, where we enjoyed some delicious smoked salmon pate that we bought at Port City Smokehouse in Frankfort, along with crackers and apples.
Browsing downtown Suttons Bay, we came across a store that had a lot of neat yard ornaments and decorations. I found -- and bought -- a beautiful metal trellis and a springy butterfly decoration to decorate the new "berm" we built in our yard between the driveway and my studio. Three families from our neighborhood had kindly given us money when my Mom died, and they wanted me to buy something for my yard. So, there you go! My Mom loved butterflies, so this seems to be the perfect commemorative yard decoration. I will think of her when I see that springy butterfly bouncing around.
This week started quite busy, since I had a very nice order for eight (quite large) gift baskets filled with Michigan-made foods. The baskets were delivered on Wednesday to a group of people who are staying in "cottages" at a local golf club. They are very nice, upscale welcome gifts!
I've also had an order for a "welcome" gift basket for a new home purchase, and another order for a "thank you" gift basket, which was being hand-delivered to an office group.
Some paperwork, bill paying, and other miscellaneous errands have also been caught up with. I can be quite the procrastinator sometimes. Today, the studio is going to be cleaned and tidied -- a daunting task if I say so myself!
Till next time,
Carol
Late last week,(July 9 - 11) we took a trip to northern Michigan to pick up gourmet product for the business. While there, we made it a "mini-vacation" of 2 1/2 days. Other self-employed people can relate, I'm sure, to the fact that we rarely get a full week of vacation -- summer or winter! It's OK, though, when we can take a couple days here-and-there. The benefit to my wonderful customers is that I'm nearly always available to fill orders for great gift baskets and gift boxes, even on short notice, even on the weekends. It is truly a joy to be able to provide great customer service.
While "up north", we stayed in Honor, Michigan at the Honor Motel, right on US-31. Our hosts were Chris and Bob, the owners. They are friendly and great to stay with. Their motel is clean and comfortable, and shows the pride of ownership. I would recommend it to anyone heading to or through Honor. Here's the link to their website.
We also visited the following towns/cities: Beulah, Benzonia, Frankfort, Empire, Maple City and Suttons Bay. We stopped at Pleva's Meats in Maple City to get some smoked cherry polish sausage and cherry/maple/pecan breakfast links to bring home. They also have more wonderful home-made meats. We're been going there for years, because my parents had a vacation home in nearby Lake Ann since I was a young girl.
We had a picnic in Suttons Bay, where we enjoyed some delicious smoked salmon pate that we bought at Port City Smokehouse in Frankfort, along with crackers and apples.
Browsing downtown Suttons Bay, we came across a store that had a lot of neat yard ornaments and decorations. I found -- and bought -- a beautiful metal trellis and a springy butterfly decoration to decorate the new "berm" we built in our yard between the driveway and my studio. Three families from our neighborhood had kindly given us money when my Mom died, and they wanted me to buy something for my yard. So, there you go! My Mom loved butterflies, so this seems to be the perfect commemorative yard decoration. I will think of her when I see that springy butterfly bouncing around.
This week started quite busy, since I had a very nice order for eight (quite large) gift baskets filled with Michigan-made foods. The baskets were delivered on Wednesday to a group of people who are staying in "cottages" at a local golf club. They are very nice, upscale welcome gifts!
I've also had an order for a "welcome" gift basket for a new home purchase, and another order for a "thank you" gift basket, which was being hand-delivered to an office group.
Some paperwork, bill paying, and other miscellaneous errands have also been caught up with. I can be quite the procrastinator sometimes. Today, the studio is going to be cleaned and tidied -- a daunting task if I say so myself!
Till next time,
Carol
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
June 16, 2009
I'm beginning work on my e-mail newsletter. What I'm planning to promote this month are budget / under $25 gifts. Whether employed or not, everyone is watching their pennies these days, and these are great personal gifts. In the corporate world, the "Under $25 gift" category also encompasses the "multiple gift" market, for trade shows, conventions, parties, VIPs coming to town for whatever reason. Where there might be a need for 5 -- or 10 -- or 100 identical gifts to say "welcome", "thank you", "remember us", and so forth.
Recently "multiple gift" projects that I have finished include
1) white tote boxes, with a colorful ribbon around the box and a coordinated bow on top, filled with Michigan-made goodies that were used as a "welcome" gift for guests of a local university in April, priced at just $23.50. The same box and idea (in a similar price range) were used as gifts for Administrative Professional's Day for a local insurance agency.
2) A local company used our gift bags filled with packets of pretzels, granola, nuts, snack mixes, cookies, chocolates and bottled water to both welcome and congratulate contest winners. These gifts were priced at only $20.
3) Another organization keeps several of our "stack gifts" in their office, which they present to VIPs and job candidates. We include their logo mug along with cookies, crackers, jam, pretzels, nuts, mustard, dried cranberries, and some other nibbles. It makes a grand presentation for only $25.
On the personal side, I found the following poem today on the Internet, and thought it was just wonderful. I'd like to share it here:
Loss of Mother Poem
Now that I am gone,
remember me with smiles and laughter.
And if you need to cry,
cry with your brother or sister
who walks in grief beside you.
And when you need me,
put your arms around anyone
and give to them what you need to give to me.
There are so many who need so much.
I want to leave you something --
something much better than words or sounds.
Look for me in the people I've known
or helped in some special way.
Let me live in your heart
as well as in your mind.
You can love me most
by letting your love reach out to our loved ones,
by embracing them and living in their love.
Love does not die, people do.
So, when all that's left of me is love,
give me away as best you can.
~ Author unknown
Recently "multiple gift" projects that I have finished include
1) white tote boxes, with a colorful ribbon around the box and a coordinated bow on top, filled with Michigan-made goodies that were used as a "welcome" gift for guests of a local university in April, priced at just $23.50. The same box and idea (in a similar price range) were used as gifts for Administrative Professional's Day for a local insurance agency.
2) A local company used our gift bags filled with packets of pretzels, granola, nuts, snack mixes, cookies, chocolates and bottled water to both welcome and congratulate contest winners. These gifts were priced at only $20.
3) Another organization keeps several of our "stack gifts" in their office, which they present to VIPs and job candidates. We include their logo mug along with cookies, crackers, jam, pretzels, nuts, mustard, dried cranberries, and some other nibbles. It makes a grand presentation for only $25.
On the personal side, I found the following poem today on the Internet, and thought it was just wonderful. I'd like to share it here:
Loss of Mother Poem
Now that I am gone,
remember me with smiles and laughter.
And if you need to cry,
cry with your brother or sister
who walks in grief beside you.
And when you need me,
put your arms around anyone
and give to them what you need to give to me.
There are so many who need so much.
I want to leave you something --
something much better than words or sounds.
Look for me in the people I've known
or helped in some special way.
Let me live in your heart
as well as in your mind.
You can love me most
by letting your love reach out to our loved ones,
by embracing them and living in their love.
Love does not die, people do.
So, when all that's left of me is love,
give me away as best you can.
~ Author unknown
Friday, June 12, 2009
June 12, 2009
Last night I attended our local chamber's "business after hours". It was hosted by the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Benton Harbor, and featured a tour of their boardroom and several of their hotel rooms. It's quite a nice place to stay and their rates seem reasonable. I would recommend it to anyone visiting the area. The event, as always, was a great opportunity to network with other local professionals. I'm pleased to have been able to tell a few more people about Michigan Gourmet Travels Specialty Foods, my very own line that I began marketing last fall. I even carried a jar of my "Silver Beach Strawberry Jam" with me in my person, so I was able to do some "show and tell" with that!
Yesterday was an extremely rainy day here in S.W. Michigan. Today it has cleared off and is just picture perfect, even if still a little chilly for June.
Today's projects include finishing 4 "stack" gifts for a local organization who give my gifts regularly when they have VIPs stop in their office, sometimes job interview candidates. They have me make a few at a time, so they have them on hand as needed. A second project is a flat gift box of Michigan foods (including 2 Michigan Gourmet Travels jams -- Mackinac Bridge Strawberry and Tahquamenon Falls Blueberry). This gift box is going to be shipped via air to Hawaii as a "Thank You for letting us visit" gift. Yet another project is another Michigan gift basket.... this one will be given as a Father's Day gift.
Yesterday was an extremely rainy day here in S.W. Michigan. Today it has cleared off and is just picture perfect, even if still a little chilly for June.
Today's projects include finishing 4 "stack" gifts for a local organization who give my gifts regularly when they have VIPs stop in their office, sometimes job interview candidates. They have me make a few at a time, so they have them on hand as needed. A second project is a flat gift box of Michigan foods (including 2 Michigan Gourmet Travels jams -- Mackinac Bridge Strawberry and Tahquamenon Falls Blueberry). This gift box is going to be shipped via air to Hawaii as a "Thank You for letting us visit" gift. Yet another project is another Michigan gift basket.... this one will be given as a Father's Day gift.
Monday, June 1, 2009
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