Читать книгу Start & Run a Gift Basket Business - Mardi Foster-Walker - Страница 6

The next step is to determine who your potential customers are — and if you have any. Do you know there are enough customers out there waiting to buy your gift baskets? Before you risk time and money and disrupt your life, you need to determine your market.

Many start-up operations are based solely on instinct and optimism. The enthusiastic new business owner may have only a vague idea about who the customers are or, indeed, if there will be any customers at all. Flying on blind faith, they rely on just plain old luck to see them through, and sometimes, it does just that. While every business needs a little luck now and again, banking on it is hazardous to the long-term health of your enterprise.

The benefit to the business you are considering is that gift baskets are not limited to the individual shopper. The corporate sector is rapidly becoming a major purchaser, and that means your potential market is very large. Gift baskets can be personal, professional, and designed to fit all occasions, tastes, and budgets. They are suitable for friends, family, co-workers, and clients. Often you will find that your corporate clients will also become your personal customers, and vice versa. If your initial sale is a success, you will have a loyal and long-term customer.

My own experience shows that repeat customers make up approximately 60% to 90% of my company sales. Think in terms of how much your average customer will be worth to you over the next several years. It pays to cultivate customers into lifelong friends of your business, not only for the sales they will bring to your company, but by their word-of-mouth referral of new customers.

Make sure your gift baskets are easy to purchase. Most people are too busy to find the perfect gift. Once they have determined that you are a reliable company with high-quality product and service, they will use you as a personal shopping service. Your customers can describe their ideas, price range, and the interests and lifestyle of the recipient, and have the perfect gift sent without ever having to leave their homes or offices.

Study the buying habits of the consumers in your area when targeting your market. The key to your success is knowing what your potential customer wants and making sure you can provide the product. This will enable you to develop a loyal clientele who will then promote your services through word-of-mouth recommendations, which is the most cost-effective way to build your customer base.