About You and Me
This website is is all about helping YOU start and grow your business to success. That’s why it’s called the Success Express!
You are here to learn and I am here to help. I spent the last 30 years creating and building my own gift business. You can see it at ShopCreativeGifts That wasn't my first business, however. I've published a statewide newspaper and was a multi-million dollar Realtor. So I know a bit about marketing and growing a business.
All too often, new business owners come on strong when they start. They spend lots of time and money telling people all about their new venture. But then they run out of ideas and slow down. They sit by the phone waiting for it to ring, all the while wondering why people have forgotten about them.
Getting people to pay attention to your business takes more than money. Yes, it takes even more than time.
It takes a willingness to think past the obvious and explore the unique and different.
We pride ourselves on being creative with our products.
We must be equally creative with our marketing.
Standing out in a sea of businesses boasting similar offerings can be difficult, which is why entrepreneurs need to strive to differentiate themselves and their products or services from the competition.
If you are in the planning or beginning stages, then begin reading about how to start a gift basket business and then return here for more information, ideas, and tips.
All About Starting and Growing Your Gift Business
But for those of you who already have one, you’ll find lots of creative ideas about the gift basket industry and marketing by reading the following articles.
Is your Marketing Letter Effective?
I’m a professional writer–have been for years. It’s exciting to see your byline in a national or online publication as I’ve seen mine in many. But it’s even more exciting …
Go Back In Time – How Has Your Website Evolved?
Have you ever wanted to see what your website looked like a few years ago? Or how about seeing how your competitor’s website has changed through the years? You can. …
Getting Referrals – Finding it difficult?
A growing business needs referrals. But are you having a difficult time getting those referrals? If so, ask yourself this question: Why would someone refer people, who trust them, to …
Save Money on Website Hosting with Add-on Domains
Do you have more than one website? Want to add a blog with its own domain name? Want to create several niche websites? Website hosting isn’t expensive. As a matter …
An interesting concept on how to use Free Gifts
Everyone loves free! A great way to market your business is to give away a free gift–either with an order, to potential customers, to existing customers, at events, or whereever …
Are You A Creative Entrepreneur?
Creative Entrepreneurs are open to new ideas, new thoughts, and new ways to grow their business. Welcome to our blog and we hope you find it interesting and worthwhile. Please …
So you’ve decided to tweet on Twitter!
So you’ve heard that Twittering is the way to grow your business and you’ve decided to give it a try. But you don’t know how to use it effectively. Here …
The Secret to Being Listed on Page 1 of Google
Looking for an easy, fast way to be listed on the first page of Google? Here’s the secret! The answer is Google Local Business Listings. If you have a storefront, …
Is Your PDF File Optimized for the Search Engines?
A very effective way of producing an online catalog that your customers can print out is to add it to your website as a pdf file. Search engines read and catalog …
Niche Marketing – What Do You Sell?
On a couple of the gift basket forums, there have been several discussions about not only surviving, but thriving in today’s economy. Once Father’s Day is behind us, there aren’t …
There’s Just Not Enough Time! Is this you?
“There’s just not enough time!” is a statement that we hear daily. As we take on more and more activities and work longer hours to grow our business, we feel …
Networking – How to Make It Work!
I’m going to make two statements that seemingly contradict each other: The best form of marketing is networking. It’s hard to get business from networking events. Both are true. And …
Blogging –Tips for writing blog posts.
A lot of you probably say that you don’t have time to start a blog because you don’t have the time or creativity to write long posts on the blog. …
CBS Evening News – Katy Couric – And Gift Baskets
For those of you who have watched the economic series on the CBS Evening News and are in the Gift Basket Industry, don’t be discouraged by it. Unfortunately, the news …
Is Internet Progress Overrated?
Has progress on the internet taken us to a better place? Has it helped us grow our business? Are all the new-fangled opportunities for “social networking”, videos, and streaming javascript …
Before You Sell or Recycle Your Computer
Greg Lamb wrote an interesting article in the Christian Science Monitor that should make all of us stop and think before selling or recycling a computer. In a recent research …
Cold Calling — Does it Work?
There must be some of you that are good at cold calling. . . which means simply calling a prospective customer that you’ve had no previous contact with and trying to …
Blogging — How effective is it really?
Since starting this series on blogging, there has been a lot of interest. And one question that I’ve been asked several times is: How much traffic can a blog really …
Don’t quit too soon!
Some people fold after making one timid request. They quit too soon. Keep asking until you find the answers. In sales there are usually four or five “no’s” before you …
Before Blogging – Some Things to Consider
One thing I’ve learned is that no one feels comfortable when they first start blogging. That’s why I suggested in the previous blogging post (What is Blogging?) that you might …
Cutting Costs – Consider Efficiency
Cutting costs? Raising Prices? Tips on how to Reach the Middle Ground Guest Blogger, Laura Wheeler of Firelight Business Enterprises, shares the following tips with us: Right now we are …
Create a PDF easily and for FREE!
So you want a brochure or a document that your customers can easily print out to your website. There are lots of different programs and ways to create PDF documents …
25 Easy Tips for Creating Happy Website Visitors
Is your website attracting traffic but no sales? Do you wonder what you can do to make those potential customers stay at your site instead of clicking on to the …
Gift Basket Company Owners: Have you considered this market?
We, as gift basket company owners, are so busy marketing to the corporate market that we tend to overlook some other markets that can be profitable. One of these is …
Another Promotion That Backfired
Today’s post is reprinted with permission from our guest blogger, Rick Segel of Rick Segel and Associates. He is one of the leading experts in retail marketing. A reader sent …
Promotions That Backfire!
As part of the advertising promotion for their new “grilled chicken meals”, Kentucky Fried Chicken offered a coupon on the internet for a “Free 2-piece meal.” This offer came out …
A Fedex Surprise
I received an email this morning from Fedex.com. No, it wasn’t how I could save money shipping my packages via fedex and it wasn’t about how their shipping services could …
Recession Rescue Tips from Another Guest Blogger
Today’s guest blogger is Michele Pariza Wacek of www.MichelePW.com. Recession has become a common word in today’s vocabulary but Michele recently attended a workshop and shares some tips she learned: …
Procrastinators take note!
Now is not the time to procrastinate. Netither rain nor snow will stop mail delivery but neither will it stop the post office from raising the price of stamps on …
Are you targeting your advertising to the right person?
“…enjoying retirement. Playing golf. Joining a quilting club. Having lunch with new friends.” This was part of an ad that I just heard on my radio, targeted to senior citizens …
The Gift Basket Company wheel just keeps rolling along
“Not Reinventing the Wheel — Just Making It Better As Gift Companies and Vendors Work Together To Create a Powerful Industry in a Changing World” has been the motto of …
The Secret to Creating Product Descriptions that Sell
Why do some websites and catalogs have product descriptions that we love to read because they are so interesting while others sound like all the other products out there on …
The Secrets of Success that I Learned from A Very Special Lady
Way back in 1961 or 62, before most of you were born, I met a very special lady who taught me two secrets of success that I still remember today. …
Creating Trust For Your Business
“Four Star Restaurant and Coffee Shop” These were the words in an ad in my local newspaper today for a coffee shop that has been open less than a year …
Has Your Website Been Hacked or Compromised?
Meet our newest Guest Blogger. Laura Wheeler, and her husband Kevin, own Firelight Web Studio, located in Medicine Bow, Wyoming. I’ll be featuring Laura in a later post as one …
Shoestring Marketing
Advertising is something that most small businesses can’t afford to do very often. But it doesn’t have to be. You just need to think of advertising differently. It’s true that …