Do You Wear
Two Hats?

If you're like most gift basket designers, you wear at least two hats. You work your gift basket business in the evenings and on weekends after working a full-time job during the day. In addition to these two jobs you may also be a spouse, a parent, and an active member of your community or church.

How do you juggle your full-time job and your gift basket business without self-destructing?

Be realistic. You can't compete with the big box and warehouse store in size of inventory, customer size or profits. Decide on the type of client you want to target and go after them step by step. Let your budget be your guide to making buying and marketing decisions.

Be patient. You won't be able to attend all the tradeshows, seminars and events that could help you learn this business and help you build clients.

Be creative. While full-time business owners may benefit from spending hours making cold calls, you may get faster result cultivating warm calls.

Be efficient. You must use your time very carefully if you are to get both jobs done. You must make time in your schedule for sleep, rest, recreation and a few other things too.

Be discreet. It will be tempting to advertise your gift basket business to your colleagues at your day job. Before you do, check to see what the company policy is on this issue. Then, think how your boss will perceive you. Will she suspect you of giving less than your best to the company in favor of devoting your energy to your business? And most of all, don't use the company phone, fax and copier to run your business.

Be resourceful. Hire or enlist help from your family, friends or acquaintances. Once you get the customers and create the designs, it's smart to have helpers to help you fill an order.

Juggling a full-time job and your gift basket business is possible. You just must be realistic, patient, creative, efficient, discreet and resourceful.

For more ideas on succeeding in your business, get Low-Cost Secrets for Landing Corporate Accounts.

Learn how to prepare your business for tax time.

Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus at Fullerton College, educational consultant, gift basket expert, writer and professional motivational speaker. From her main website, www.GiftBasketBusinessWorld.com ,and blogs and newsletters she motivates small business owners and gift retailers with sales-generating ideas, marketing tips, design ideas and business success strategies. She is mother of four and grandmother of three. When she's not traveling she enjoys her home in Anaheim, CA.