Hi There!

Welcome to the sixth issue of the Basket Biz Cafe Newsletter! I'm so glad to have you as a member of our newsletter readers. Just a note here, if you see crazy characters in the text, it's to help this newsletter get through the spam filters to reach your inbox instead of your junk mail box, I really do know how to spell! The word S~A~L~E is especially vulnerable.

What's In This Issue

1. Editor's Note: Monthly S@le, Father's Day & Volleyball (yeah, AGAIN!!!)
2. Feature Articles: 10 Ways To Market Inexpensively and Reap Big Rewards by Liz Folger
3. Gift Basket Idea of the Month: Making Massage Oils
4. Business Tip of the Month: Affiliate Marketing for a Gift Basket Website by Reba Collins
5. NEW! GBWS MarketPlace: Classified Ads
6. New Inventory, Sa~le Items & Upcoming Items - New S*ale Items~! New Items Arrived Last Week! See Right Column For Details=>
7. Upcoming Events - Right Column =>

Editor's Note

Mother's Day is just around the corner, so if you plan to make any Mother's Day supply orders, you need to get on it NOW. We have what's left of the items that are exclusively Mother's Day items on s^le so be sure to check them out if you need some last minute items.

So, now we're on to Father's Day. We have a few items in stock that can be used for a Father's Day theme and some are on sale. I've had a hard time finding things that are specific to Father's Day. I have my eyes peeled, and I'm sure I'll find at least a couple of items, so be sure and check back often. However, purchasing products that will work for Father's Day but aren't specifically FOR Father's Day is probably a smart move. That way you'll still be able to use the items for a man's birthday or get well basket at other times of the year.

But Father's Day isn't everything on the horizon, spring is here and people are exchanging beautiful spring themed gift baskets for all kinds of occasions, Birthday, Get Well, New Home, Forgiveness, you name it. And don't forget about Graduation! People LOVE spring, it's a time for renewing the soul. So be sure to keep in mind all the themes you can create that can make a spring statement and your customers will fall in love your designs.

Last week we added a few new items to the site, check out the right hand column. One of the best things that just arrived include the Cool Pedicure Sets, but sadly to say, they are moving so quickly not only from my website but also from my supplier, that I am unable to get any more and the inventory I had is almost gone, sorry. These sets were the best. I'll get more as soon as I can but don't count on it very soon. The sets have really cool pedicure slippers, toe separators and a foot-shaped file brush. They come in really cool prints, you just gotta take a look, I'll notify you just as soon as more arrive. Another item that's really in high demand is eye masks. We just got them and they are VERY reasonably priced. Be sure to check them out as well. And beyond that, we got Rubber Duckie Sets of Three! This item is always perfect for baby baskets, but don't hesitate, I bought all that was left and I only got 25 sets, so they won't last long. They'll go out first-come first-served. There are other new items as well, so be sure to check out our New Arrivals category.

And just like every month, yes we have a S^LE, so be sure to stop by in the S@LE category! Here's a link to this month's sale items to make them easy for you to find. The sale will run through Sunday, May 16 and only while supplies last, so click on over to get the best prices.

S@LE! S@LE! S@LE! ~ CL|CK HE~RE!

Also, don't forget to read our blog. There were several posts last month that might be of interest to you. I add new stuff as it happens, so you might want to add your name to the email update feature I added a while back, you can find it near the top of the right-hand column. Just add your email address to our list and receive one email on any day there is an update to the blog. It's great for those of you who do not use feed readers. Here's the link to the blog, be sure to sign up!

http://www.giftbasketwholesalesupply.com/blog

And, what else is going on in my life? What else? Volleyball of course. Last month I told you about how Brit's team was going off to A&M to play in the Tour of Texas which is one of the toughest series of tournaments held anywhere in the U.S.. Well...THEY WON IT!!! We couldn't believe it!! They played soooo well, they beat the perieniel powerhouse Alamo 17s out of San Antonio (National Champs when they were 15 and Bronze Medal winners at last year's National Championship) which got them into the Championship match against a very good Austin Jrs. team which our girls swept in three games (matches are 3 out of 5 games). It was VERY exciting and probably the team's biggest accomplishment EVER!!

These girls are having an awesome year and since my last issue the state and national rankings were released. Low and behold, our Willowbrook 17 gurlies were ranked # 1 in Texas and # 3 in the NATION!! I guess you can tell, I'm pretty proud of them.

Last weekend they played in another National Qualifier in Austin, TX. They did really well but only came in fourth. The last day was a bit disappointing as they lost to their cross-town rivals, the Texas Tornados and the Alamo team they previously beat. Oh well, the Junior Olympic National Championship is coming up in July and they'll have another chance to take a medal. The coach is going to have them practicing four times a week after school is out, I'm sure he'll have them ready to win the National Championship. Now, whether or not they can do it is yet to be seen...keep your fingers crossed for them.

Lastly, college committments!! Yes, we have couple more!! Now four girls on the team are verbally committed to receive full scholarships at Texas colleges. Right after winning the Tour of Texas, two of our young ladies made their decisions to play at Stephen F. Austin University. So now we have girls going to University of Texas, Texas State and Stephen F. Austin. We also have several others talking to schools, but this is a huge decision, so they're taking their time, doing their research and visiting the schools. I'll keep you updated.

If you want to follow the girl's progress, we've set them up with their own blog at www.willowbrook17s.blogspot.com. Feel free to leave comments with your well wishes.

So, that's it for my part of the newsletter for this issue, hope you enjoy the rest. As I told you last month, I'm going to keep the format the same each month so you'll be able to read it and find what you want quickly. If you would like to contribute a gift basket idea or article, by all means, please do, just email me. And don't forget to send me your feedback as well. So, I can keep your letters out of my spam filter, use the following email address - editor@giftbasketwholesalesupply.com

Featured Articles

If you're in business for yourself, you have probably noticed you don’t have the same marketing budget as Coca-Cola or Proctor & Gamble. However, you still need to get the word out about your business. You just have to do it with a few less million dollars.

Usually the first thing that pops into the mind of a new self-employed person is, “I have to place an ad.” However this can cost money. Place just a few ads and soon your marketing budget is dry as a bone. Also keep in mind that a person has to see your ad six times in the same publications before they even think of using your business. Now if that is a monthly publication, I’m telling you it will take you six months till a person actually thinks about picking up the phone to call you. Now that isn’t good news. Especially if you would like to get customers a bit sooner than that. So what’s a home business mom to do?

Many of the self-employed moms I talk to say most of their business comes from one simple source -- word of mouth. It comes from that one happy customer who liked what they did for them and started to spread the word. What would make you want to shop somewhere? A friend telling you about a great service or product, or a ad in the paper telling you the same thing?

Here are a few suggestions on getting the word out about your business in the quickest and cheapest way possible.

1. Send out a press release. And not just when you open your business. You need to tell the world if you’ve added some new service or product or if you’re business is involved in a charity event. Be sure you give the release a human slant. Don’t just talk about how wonderful your business is, talk about what your business can do for your future customers.
   
   
2. Join Organizations. Chamber of Commerce, women in business organizations, and any type of organization your target market belongs to.
   
   
3. Put your service or product in a charity auction.
   
   
4. Send postcards. As soon as you start your business write every single person you know a postcard announcing your new business venture. Although they may not need your business, they just may tell someone who does.
   
   
5. Ask for referrals from other happy customers. Cold calling will never be the same again if you use this approach.
   
   
6. Write articles for web sites. You don’t need to push your product in the article. But write about your area of expertise. Then include a nice byline at the end of the article.
   
   
7. Go to chats and visit message boards on the Internet. Make friends in cyberspace. Once again, don’t push your product or service on people. That will only turn them off. Instead go out of your way to help people and answer their questions. Before you know it you’ll be asked what type of work you do.
   
   
8. Use those sig files at the end of your e-mails and posts to message boards. Keep them short (4-6 lines).
   
   
9. Use all those Internet sites that offer FREE Classified ads.
   
   
10. Host chats and give talks at your local Rotary Clubs. Once again – talk about your area of expertise.
    

About The Author: Liz Folger is Work-at-Home Mom Expert and author of, The Stay-at-Home Mom's Guide To Making Money. Her book is available at your favorite bookstore like www.amazon.com or by calling, 800-632-8676. Liz has also created a resource site for work-at-home moms at: http://www.bizymoms.com. When you visit don't forget to sign-up for the free e-newsletter.

Right before the birth of her first daughter, Liz struggled with how she could stay home with her child and still contribute to her family’s income. Falling for a scam and sinking a lot of money into a dealership that didn’t work out, she finally figured out the key to success was to find a business she loved and didn’t actually feel like work. After this realization, her writing career took off. Liz is currently at work on her second book.

Gift Basket Idea of the Month

This month we are going to talk about making massage oils. Last month I mentioned that I have tons of recipes for pamper products, oils, soaps and more. So, this month we're going to make some massage oil. I don't know if you will want to include this in your gift baskets or not, you should check the laws and be sure your labeling is right if you decide to use it. But this would be a great thing to make and use for yourself, either take it to your masseuse or use it on your spouse or have them use it on you.

First thing I noticed in all the recipes I found, it said to mix and store your massage oil in a colored bottle with a tight fitting lid. I especially like the cobalt blue bottles, I just think the color is so pretty, but you can use the amber colored ones as well.

Next I learned that you will need both carrier oils and essential oils. The carrier oil is the "base" oil and the essential oil is what gives the fragrance. Using good quality organic oils is best. You can purchase the carrier oils at the grocery store or you can purchase them from an organic botanical products company like Rose Mountain Herbs, it just depends on the quality of product you want to produce. A botanical company will also carry the essential oils and bottles that you will need.

Okay, so here are a few recipes for you to try, I even included one that would be a GREAT Father's Day gift.

Massage Oil

Carrier Oils that are unscented: Safflower oil, Grapeseed oil, or Sweet Almond oil

For all recipes: Blend ingredients well. Pour into a small colored bottle and seal well. Warm oil before using for massage.

Citrus Scented Massage Oil

10 tsp. Carrier Oil
5 drops Orange Blossom Essential Oil
5 drops Sandalwood Essential Oil
2 drops Jasmine Essential Oil

Floral Scented Massage Oil

10 tsp. Carrier Oil
6 drops Chamomile Essential Oil
4 drops Jasmine Essential Oil
2 drops Rose Essential Oil
1 drop Lavender Essential Oil

Baby Massage Oil

2 tsp. Carrier Oil
5 drops Lavender Essential Oil

Be sure it's not too warm for baby's skin

Manly Man's Massage Oil - Sandlewood Scented

10 tsp. Grapeseed Oil
6 drops Sandalwood Essential Oil
2 drops Lavender Essential Oil
2 drops Rosewood Essential Oil
2 drops Rose Essential Oil

Send ideas for upcoming gift basket ideas and I'll try to tackle the project. Just email me at editor@giftbasketwholesalesupply.com. I honestly welcome your input!! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Business Tip of the Month

Affiliate marketing...most of you have heard of it but are you using it to help you earn a profit from your business? For those of you who don't know what affiliate marketing is, I'll give you a brief description. Basically, it's when a company pays you to refer customers to their website, usually by putting a banner ad, recommendation, or one of their products on your website. When the customer clicks the link a cookie is set on his computer with YOUR code, then if he should make a purchase on the affiliate's website, you get paid a commission. Commissions range from 'next to nothing', to 'lots of dough', you just have to pick and choose which ones you want to work with and which ones go best with your website.

The way I describe affiliate marketing is, it's like having a silent little money-maker sitting on your website where you don't have to lift a finger but you still get paid. You don't have to carry inventory, you don't have to assemble a basket, you don't have to process an invoice, you don't have ship anything, you just get a check at the end of the month, just extra money. There's no reason I can find to not use affiliate programs unless your website has such a tight niche that you can't find any products that have affiliate programs. But I don't think that's the case with a gift basket website, if you have traffic to your site, this could be a way to earn a few extra dollars each month.

Now I know you think you might lose a customer to one of these websites and that is possible. But think about it, how much of your traffic never buys. Well, there just might be a chance that some of that traffic that would have never bought a gift basket, well, they just might buy something from one of your affiliates, maybe even at a later date. As long as your cookie is active, you'll still get paid your commission. You probably don't want to use another gift basket company as one of your affiliates, but you might want to use another company that sells gift items. Maybe that day, your visitor just didn't want to buy a gift basket, maybe it just wasn't the right gift for that occasion, instead of losing the sale altogther, maybe you can earn an affiliate commission.

There are two websites that everyone in the gift business interested in using affiliate marketing should know about, they are www.linkshare.com and www.cj.com. These two websites are directories for affiliate programs. You just register at these two sites and you'll be able to find all the affiliate programs you'll ever want or need for your site. I'm a member at both but I don't use a lot of the programs because MY target market is one of those very tight niches I spoke of above and there just aren't a lot of affiliate programs available for the products that my customers would want to buy.

I'm going to use an example of an affiliate program that I think could do well on a well trafficked site. And that's Personal Creations. Why did I choose it? First, because it pays a decent commission, 8% - 15% depending on how much you sell. Heck, I'll take 8% of anything for not doing much, wouldn't you? Next, it's because they seem to have a lot of ways to market their products and lastly, because they run special promotions and keep you updated with a newsletter. Oh, and they have nice products too, one major detail I almost forgot to mention. Be sure you only promote quality products from a quality company.

Okay, let's say you're all signed up at LinkShare and then you sign up for the Personal Creations affiliate program. In looking at their program it appears that there are lots of ways to set up links from your site, you can use a text link, set up a pre-fabricated storefront page of hot items, banners that are static or dynamically updated for each season by Personal Creations or individual product links with a photo thumbnail of the item. Wow! Lots of choices.

Personally, I don't care too much for banner ads, people who use the internet have become so desensitized to them they are no longer effective. I think the best way to get a vistor to click a link is to make a personal recommendation. Now, that doesn't mean you have to write ad copy that takes up an entire page, however, it does mean that you need to set up some way of using the affiliate link that makes it look like it's part of your website. That's why I would suggest you use the individual product links.

You already have categories set up on your website for your gift baskets, so all you have to do is set up pages with the products you want to promote. Let's say Father's Day is coming up. You'll probably have a category already set up for Father's Day, so, at the bottom of the Father's Day page, put a link that says, "Didn't find what you're looking for? Click here for more options provided by our affiliate partners." Then link it to another page that has all your affiliate thumbnail images on it along with a short title or description and the price. Make it look similar to your own product pages. If the customer finds something they like, they will click the thumbnail and be taken to the affiliate's website. Simultaneously, your affiliate code will be set on their computer and if they make a purchase, you will get paid a commission.

One thing to know here however, is that you don't really want your visitor to leave your website altogether. So, what you do is set the link so that it opens a new window. And actually, there are instructions on the LinkShare website on how to do that. They are VERY good at helping with setting up the links, the website creates them for you and all you have to do is put the code on your webpage. The other thing you want to be sure to do, is tell your visitor, maybe at the top of the page, that the items are not provided by you but when you click on the item you will be taken to one of your "Affiliate Partner's" websites.

Each holiday or just when you have the time, add new items for your customers to see. Mix up the affiliates, use more than one. It makes your customers like using your website as a source for their gift buying because you have the most infomation and selection thus making their gift "hunt" just a bit easier.

P.S. There's an ad in the Classified section at the bottom of the newsletter that sells a product called Affiliate Business Blueprint. I've heard great things about it, however, I haven't read it myself but it's been recommended to me a lot.

Until next month....

Want to Interview or Contribute?

If you would like to be considered to be interviewed for an article to be published in this newsletter, please email me at the following link: "Editor" We will consider gift basket companies and other vendors who supply the industry as long as they don't compete with our product offerings.

Also, if you would like to contribute an article, I will consider any article that would be helpful to our industry and I will include an "Author's Info" box and link to your website. Just email me at the following link: "Editor" .

We do not pay for articles or interviews and we reserve the right to only publish those we choose to use and think are appropriate for our audience.

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Affiliate Business Blueprint

Until Next Time

Thanks for joining in reading this great information. I'm hopeful that you learned a lot. So, I'll be talking with you next month, until then,

Good Luck, God Bless and Happy Gift Basketeering!

Reba Collins
Gift Basket Wholesale Supply
www.giftbasketwholesalesupply.com

Gift Basket Wholesale Supply | 4431 Canadian River | Sugar Land, TX | 77478