A gift basket business is one of the most enjoyable ventures, one that can be operated from the aver

A gift basket business is one of the most enjoyable ventures, one that can be operated from the average kitchen, needs very little starting capital, yet can still achieve very high profits from local, national, even international clientele. Basically, all you will be doing is taking and processing orders from clients looking for something a little bit different to offer friends, relatives and acquaintances as gifts for birthdays, weddings, housewarmings, christenings, passing your driving test, having a new baby, changing your job, and so on.

Clients come from all walks of life, private and business, and much repeat custom can be achieved by a quality supplier offering original, value for money creations.

Until recently, this was a novel service, one very few clients used. But having used a gift basket supplier once, many people find themselves hooked onto a service which is not only convenient, but highly personalised, too. Baskets can include general items to please countless recipients where jams, confectionery, biscuits, nibbles, fruit and other popular delicacies are included, or might instead be customised to suit the individual client, celebration or event, as well as individual tastes and preferences.

WHAT YOU CAN EARN What you might earn depends on the scale of your business whether you operate locally, nationally, even internationally; whether you make the contents of the baskets yourself, and what kind of baskets and contents you offer. Profits also depend on whether you include gifts to suit most tastes or others hand-picked for the individual recipient. As to mark up, generally speaking a basket costing £15 to assemble should carry a price tag of around £50, possibly more.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

You will be arranging gifts, sweets and edibles into baskets. Containers and contents can be purchased from outside suppliers; sometimes they can be made by you. Contents vary from inexpensive gifts like candles, soft toys and preserves arranged in inexpensive woven cloth containers, to lavish gifts like caviar and silk nestling in delicate baskets crafted by hand.

Most orders will be placed by telephone with payment made by credit card. You prepare the basket according to the customer's requirements.

How you decorate your baskets is one of the most important features of the business, and presentation can brighten even the most ordinary of contents. Trims and decorations can be obtained from craftwork suppliers listed later. Alternatively, a large selection of ribbons, satin flowers, and so on, can be purchased ready to use.

To assemble a simple gift basket - Look for a supplier of quality, inexpensive baskets, preferably for unpainted models which you can decorate yourself. Spray or paint these in appropriate colours like pink or blue for babies, silver and gold for wedding anniversaries, white for weddings, red and green for Christmas. Hand-painted motifs look particularly attractive and make the basket something recipients will want to keep. A coat of clear acrylic paint adds a pretty sheen.

- Think about the size and shape of the basket in relation to its contents. Bottle holder baskets are suitable for gifts of wine and other alcoholic beverages; tall, thin baskets make excellent containers for single roses or small bouquets; large, shallow, oblong baskets make great food and fruit baskets, and so on. The more up-market the contents, the more stylish and elaborate the basket should be.

- Next decorate your basket with an attractive lining. For most, tissue paper will usually be adequate, especially for low-cost contents like sweets, small toys, preserves and jellies.

More costly gifts demand sophisticated linings like silk, crushed velvet, patchwork and quilting. Choose your lining according to the gifts and recipient. Patchwork and quilting is nice for baby packs; grass and raffene are great for displaying Easter eggs; silver and gold paper is effective for all kinds of confectionery, especially more costly varieties, and so on.

- Arrange the gifts in the basket, paying very careful attention to appearance. Think about how the basket will look on display in the recipient's home. Flowers, for instance, should increase in height towards the rear of the basket, as should toys, foodstuffs, etc. For smaller items, like food and tinned products, try to arrange the contents so that some stand up, others lie at angles to one another, and taller jars and bottles are arranged towards the back of the display.

- Stand the basket on a sheet of cellophane, large enough to gather around container and contents and leave a reasonable amount at the top for securing the package. Think about whether any last-minute decoration is necessary for the inside of the basket. Put small crackers in Christmas baskets, fake pearls in wedding and anniversary packs, rows of pink or blue beads for new baby packs, and so on. Now pull the cellophane up to the top of the

basket, pleat is neatly and orderly, and secure the top with metallic wire or silver thread. Pull the cellophane through until it is taut and bulges removed.

- Tie ribbon, preferably wire ribbon, around the top of the basket. Satin or velvet ribbons look good on more expensive baskets, especially with long strings hanging down over the cellophane. Again, choose your colours according to the gift and occasion red and green for Christmas, yellow for Easter, white for weddings, blue or pink for new babies, and so on.

Curling ribbon (ready made or curled around a sharp edge) gives a particularly pretty finish.

- Add one main piece of decoration to the basket, like a satin rose, a Christmas cracker, nursery plaque, baby shoes, etc.

ADVERTISING YOUR BUSINESS You can offer your Gift Basket Business from postcards pinned in prominent places, like noticeboards in libraries, colleges, business clubs, and anywhere a sizable number of people congregate. Inserts or small advertisements in local and national newspapers will help promote your baskets on a wider scale and, at Christmas, Easter and other gift-giving occasions, there's no substitute for promoting your business door-to-door with well-targeted leaflet drops in more affluent areas.

Other ways to promote your business depend on the kind of baskets you offer and occasions you cater for.

Christmas and birthday baskets can be advertised virtually anywhere newsagents and greeting card shops, gift shops, post office and shop windows, local newspapers, and so on.

Specialist baskets need more careful targeting.

Wedding baskets, for instance, can be advertised via bridal outfitters and florists and in the 'engagements and weddings' section of local newspapers. Baskets to congratulate the new owners of puppies and kittens - yes it does happen - can be promoted through the pets sections of newspapers, pet shops and veterinary surgeries, and anywhere else animal lovers congregate.

DELIVERY Delivery can be in person, by post or by courier. Each has its own inherent advantages and disadvantages.

Personal delivery by you or your staff will always be the best, most reliable service to aim for, allowing you to control every stage of your business. This will invariably be best for local deliveries and for perishabable gifts including fruit and flowers.