The gift basket business is a multi-million dollar industry. If you’re creative, organized and have good customer service skills, a gift basket business may be for you. Baskets can be ordered online and you can fill the orders from a spare bedroom or your garage.

Before you get started, take some time to do research. There are a lot of resources available about starting a gift basket company, including books, websites and video guides. Try to create a unique niche in the business. Competition can be fierce so you want to offer something no one else does. You may even want to place an order or two with a competitor to see how well they fill the order, the quality of their work, the value of the basket compared to what you paid for it and their customer service skills.

A good way to break into the business is to partner with other area shops that offer complementary products. In order words, leave a sample wedding basket behind with a local bridal shop or tuxedo rental store you’ve contacted. See if they will refer customers to you or let you leave business cards or brochures at their shop.

There are even complete startup packages available to help you get started. MyMommyBiz offers a Complete Gift Packet Business Package that includes everything you need to get started, including marketing ideas and a list of wholesalers for supplies and baskets. The MyMommyBiz site can be found at www.mymommybiz.com/ebook/giftibm.html.