Friday, July 06, 2007

How To Start A Home Based Gift Basket Business

Many of us dream of working from home, spending more quality time with our families. I decided to do just that. Yes i was afraid of failing, not being able to handle the pressures of running a business, and looking after my family at the same time. So I began my search for the right business to start, GIFT BASKETS! I use to give them for gifts to family members, so I thought why not make money while doing something I loved.

STARTUP
As with any new business,you will have to make a number of decisions. What types of baskets will you offer? If you are working from home do you have enough space for creating your baskets?
What is your target market? And most of all how will you reach them? If you plan to start on a shoestring budget, start slow and work from home. running your business from home will allow you to save on overhead expenses.

Income Potential
Your income potential depends on how hard you work and market your business. Industry insiders estimate potential revenues to range from 10,000 annually working part time from home.

Your Gift Baskets
You can either offer a wide selection of gift baskets, or focus on a smaller market. Some of the common gift baskets being offered include the following:
Gourmet/Food Gift Baskets. These are the most popular gift baskets businesses give to their clients, friends and family.
Bath And Body Gift Baskets. These are very popular! Ingredients of these baskets include toiletries like scented soaps, fragrances, olis, lotions, and aromatherapy products. These are just a few selections of gift baskets offered, the list goes on.

Inventory
You inventory level should alway grow as your sales grow. Start small, keeping inventory at a relistic level. You can purchase inventory for your gift baskets either wholesale or retail. I would advise buying at wholesale price, because you may buy in quantities.

6 Secret Signs of an Easy Home Business

If you take a look around the Internet, you'll find hundreds of thousands of people who are looking for an easy home business. But what exactly does EASY mean? The answer depends on who is answering the question!

In this article, I'm going to show you six things that easy home businesses have in common - things you should look for when starting a low effort easy home business. Picking a business with these features will greatly increase your chance of success in your business ventures.

Here are the six things to look for in an easy home business:

1. A Well-Established Company With A Great Track Record

It's no secret that most so-called easy home businesses fail. There are a thousand reasons why, and it would take a business degree to really understand it all, but one thing that easy home businesses share is a great track record.

If a company is able to survive and thrive for 4 years, it means they have everything in place to run the business - and that means you can join up and hit the ground running.

2. Popular Products

This ties closely with Item 1 - an easy home business must have products that people want! It sounds simple, but many "fast cash" businesses you see being marketed on the Internet have products that you would NEVER buy in a thousand years. Yet they expect you to sell them!

By choosing an easy home business that has products that are easy to sell, it makes everything easier. You don't need to twist arms, or deal with a high percentage of product returns. Everthing goes smoothly when people are calling YOU to order!

3. No Large Up-Front Costs

This might sound surprising, but CASH is in short supply when you start any easy home business. That's right - every easy home business has this problem. It's important to know that the cost of getting into a business is not your only cost - there are marketing costs to consider, for instance. How will you attract new customers and new sales? You'll need to have business cards, a telephone (try not to use your home phone, just in case your business skyrockets or, Lord fordbid, goes bankrupt), and other expenses. You may need to attend teleconferences, or travel to events, and these costs should be considered BEFORE you jump in to any easy home business with both feet.

4 No Inventory to Maintain

We've all seen the easy home business opportunity that lets you get in on their hot opportunity - if you'll fill your garage with products. Those days are gone!

In today's environment, easy home businesses do all the product handling for you - they will produce it, package it, ship it, and even bill the customer on your behalf. Your only requirement is to tell them where to send your earnings!

Be sure that the easy home business you choose has no inventory requirements.

5. An Easy Way to Attract New Customers

A great easy home business is one that has customers coming to YOU. This is achieved by having a system in place that lets customers find you.

6. A Great Marketing System

The best easy home businesses come with a fine-tuned marketing system that you can use. This is a system that you can plug into with minimal effort, and see results in a very short timeframe. Things like replicated websites, co-op advertising, and low cost marketing kits are things that indicate a great marketing engine is in place. You'll need these tools if you are going to attract potential customers quickly.

Summary

If you spend some time looking at easy home businesses, you'll find some that have the six features in this arcticle. Choosing a business with these features is the best way to maximize your chances of success, and gives you a greater likelihood of seeing positive cashflow in a relatively short timeframe. There's no guarantees, but this checklist will really improve your odds of success!