A stress free Holiday Season!

Holiday gift giving is now a difficult task. The old simpler days of giving a scarf or mittens or a sled are over. Everyone wishes technology gadgets. You can't give household gadgets because people already have them or they are more picky about kitchen, household, and particular items that they want specifically. The dilemma is that now with internet and huge stores and even bigger alternatives of items, we each can choose from a myriad and surplus of possibilities for each item. Plus many people go out and buy those items themselves. I am in a legitimate problem of what to get people this year. Let me give you some examples. My mom wants a special set of serving dishes and she already bought it yesterday in an early Black Friday special. My nephews now have more electronic games than they can even play and my brother gets them the newest one immediately when it comes out. My sister wanted top-of-the-line luggage and told me yesterday at Thanksgiving dinner that she found one online and has already ordered it for herself. My dad was up early this morn to buy new power tools for us for Christmas and I just know that he purchased himself one of each too. The last few years I requested people at Thanksgiving for listings and that truly helped me. Yesterday at Thanksgiving supper no one was able to come up with a list of things. This has been a rising issue over the years. I don't have as enough time to shop and I loathe to fight the crowds. My wife and I decided to go to a scheme holidays and buy everybody something by the topic of the year. One year while at a nearby book shop we started buying books and then went to a big box book store to pick up not only books but calendars and games and they even wrapped a lot of them for us. It turned out to be quite expensive but it did work. The next year we had been so busy that we just went to the supermarket and bought gift cards for everyone. That was totally easy but it was pretty indifferent and we didn't have time or want to take the effort to wrap them, so we ended up appearing cheap when we handed people just an envelope. Plus it wasn't cheap in the long term and the thank you letters confirmed that people got our gift cards and amounts mixed up with other people's gifts. They appreciated them and could use them but we noticed that we forgot to use our gift cards or lost them which was a absolute waste of money. In fact it was published that stores really like gift cards because so many people never use them or find them beyond the expiration date or lose them. The next year we personalized it a bit more and purchased food and restaurant coupons we thought each person would like. It was okay. Yesterday my wife and I were bemoaning the fact that gift giving has merely become a gift card exchange and lost its whole appeal and objective. We lost for the older days of taking time to shake and open packages or people excited about something they have been wanting realized in a gift. Those days are gone. People go online and just buy what they really want. A lot of her family members are restructuring and do not need more things. When they need or want something they go buy precisely what they want and our gifts are either regifted or go to Salvation Army. This year we want to make an impression. Quite honestly we are usually doing our shopping at the last minute. We went online last night and decided we are going to either order or go out and battle the crowds today and do our shopping. This year we want our gift to be the very first one people get. So for the friends and colleagues and extended family we won't see, we found a website and local company right here in Denver called Baskets by Rita. There are all kinds of holiday baskets to send. We ordered online those baskets to be sent as soon as they can. Will they ever be shocked. Not only will ours be the first one there, but the packaged baskets are wrapped so nicely with holiday ribbons that will probably be put on display in their house as a adornment. It was so easy. We are done and don't have to fret about those gifts. Then we discussed about going to our relatives houses for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and we want to take the gifts ourselves so we didn't order baskets to be sent to their houses. Then we had a great idea. Why not order those gift baskets and have them shipped to our house and then we will have them to take. We are thrilled because we can walk in with a gift that is WOW and that is not the common mail order basket from the major companies. The baskets we are ordering today for family are packed with gourmet food items and that is just fine. Plus we decided that is one of the only things people don't buy for themselves. My mom just goes out and buys fresh flowers when she wants them. But none of us order a gift basket for ourselves. Perfect. We are placing the order today and guess what? We can now unwind. We will have sent and gotten the gift baskets even before December l. That buys us not only gifts but the complete freedom of not scrambling. The gift baskets to take Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 will be on display on the shelves in my home office ready to go. This year we will go to holiday parties and watch other people worry while we are eating out, going to movies, holiday parties and relaxing. Not only is Baskets by Rita doing all the work of buying, wrapping, and sending the gifts, but it turned out to be less expensive than what we usually spend because we already paid for shipping, wrapping and bows and all the extra costs that go up each year. Ideal. We are placing the order today and guess what? We can now relax. We will have sent and gotten the gift baskets even before December l. That buys us not only gifts but the whole freedom of not scrambling. The gift baskets to take Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 will be on display on the shelves in my home office ready to go. This year we will go to holiday parties and watch other people stress out while we are eating out, going to movies, holiday parties and relaxing. Not only is Baskets by Rita doing all the work of buying, wrapping, and sending the gifts, but it turned out to be cheaper than what we usually spend because we already paid for shipping, wrapping and bows and all the extra costs that creep up each year.

Be early when giving coporate gifts!

The top 2 strategies for corporate clever gift giving at holiday seasonal time: send out a gift with that is impressive and not gift cards and make yours the very first gift your customer or perspective clients or customers will get. Top two blunders for firm gift giving at holiday time are: Not acquiring the gift soon enough and giving gift cards or gift certificates. Let's start with mistakes.... Not planning/lateness. By sending it behind time your gift gets mixed up with all the others in a pile or in the break room and people have a tendency to forget about what they got from who. The cards get mixed up and in the commotion and hustle and bustle in the days before Dec. 25 your gift is misplaced and you have lost money by now. Administrative assistants are typically in the position of giving the holiday corporate gifts and bosses, you need to listen up! Don't come to your administrative assistant at the last second and expect her or him to work amazing things...lateness on your part should not be an problem on their part. You are putting them in a really tough position to scavenge and acquire last minute products or gifts and to get them sent. Many times gift companies, especially holiday basket companies like Baskets by Rita in Aurora are immersed with last minute desperate demands. This year looks like a great one so don't be surprised if local and national basket and food companies run out of stock. Your secretary will be squandering time and spending way too much time on your tardy gift giving task and it not only will stress them out but take away from their typical duties. The remedy to last minute gift giving difficulties is to plan early. Give them a chance to make an order and get the gift at the price point you want to spend. Did you know that most people and companies who postpone end up spending a lot more than they had planned? The items they wanted are sold out and they have to take what is remaining even if it costs more. So the two consequences or errors with mailing it late or the problem itself and the cost of spending too much money and more importantly the less positive impact for your money. So what do you do? First of all in timeliness, give your administrative assistant a budget and time to make the order. Be sure it arrives as soon after Thanksgiving as possible to have that really positive effect at your clients and customers businesses. Secondly, fore go the gift card and gift certificate plan. Those have been preferred in the past but in past years everyone gets and gives gift cards and they have lost their appeal and affect. It also is the easiest way to go..it shows they weren't well worth the time or effort or they were a last minute gift thought. Gift certificates to restaurants have worked in the past too except someone is now responsible to order the food and go get it. Choose a gift that comes with a cheerful wow isn't that great or how nice or isn't that pretty. These days individuals buy virtually what they want, so send a gift that comes with bling and a bow and the gift basket is probably your best. Check out local places where you can probably just go and pick them up to save shipping costs. In Denver or Colorado Baskets by Rita in Aurora is a good start.

This the season not to delay!

This season I will plan to give corporate holiday gifts ahead of time. Horror story. Last season I thought there was no hurry and that I would get real deals by waiting until mid December to buy gifts for my clients. Client gifts of gratitude for their business is extremely important and if you falter to send a holiday gift you have botched the customary gift that has come to be expected yearly. Don't forget how important and necessary these gratitude tokens are. Three years ago I decided to forego the gifts because of a budget crunch. Thinking it made little or no difference I felt quite dapper about the amount of money and time and hassle I would save for this extra frivolous expenditure. Was I ever completely wrong. In fact many of us were wrong. The other business people I meet with weekly all talked it over and were in agreement that one year couldn't make that much difference and we were quite smug about our money saving strategy. In my business my major competitor is someone who has tried to get my clients but I've always earned their allegiance. Unfortunately for me he chose to take the risk and send out gifts early. The next year I found I was losing some of my clients because they had decided to take a look at other corporations that could deliver the same or equivalent service. As we asked new customers many of them had already signed up with the rival companies and my laid back and risk-free style that I would easily keep clients was slipping away. I had to work really hard to keep the clients I had and put in a lot of time and effort for the next few years to get some of my primary companies loyalties back. Maybe it wasn't just the holiday gift, but the next year I took note. Listening and asking questions of friends and relatives about what made them loyal and things that made a change I noted that follow up letters of thanks,telephone calls, and gifts aren't just tokens they are are reminders and stamps of confidence for the clients. So two years ago I made sure I had money for gifts at holiday time planned. I started looking for gift ideas and sent them out the first of December. What I observed was that I immediately got cards and calls from clients. They loved them plus mine were the first gifts to arrive at their workplace. My secretary and I were talking and she pointed out the gift we got at Thanksgiving one year with the note that here's your first holiday gift to enjoy. Since it was the first and only gift at that time it did make a difference. Most gifts of food, gifts baskets, and cards come that last week before December 25 and although we appreciate them they sometimes get tossed in and mixed up and we can't remember exactly who gave what. Besides personnel are bringing in treats and food for each other all week. So my secretary and I started talking and analyzing that the first gifts that come in are the most observed and appreciated and you generally remember them. That brings me to our plan for this year. We have already contacted a basket business to send out holiday gift baskets to be delivered no later than December l. Why? Because last year we thought we'd order them later and they were sold out of the one we really wanted. Since we have clients in 10 states we had failed to note that many would not arrive on time because of shipping days needed. We gave up after checking about sending flower arrangements or poinsettias which seemed useless for a few days in the office. As a last resort we scrambled to get gift cards for local restaurants or bakeries near each client. It took way too much time. We were able to find some gift cards in food market, but they were not the right denomination. We also felt uneasy that the exact amount we were spending was evident, putting a dollar value on the client. But we got the cards sent out. It was fine and at least we sent a gift. However one of the more vocal and blatantly honest secretaries called to thank us and did say she preferred the gift baskets because she was the one who had to order and go to the restaurant to bring back what was ordered with the gift card. She also made it clear that to feed everyone they had to add more money. Yikes, not a good idea. This year I called Baskets by Rita the first of October and placed my order for gourmet gift baskets and Colorado gift baskets to be sent out just before Thanksgiving so they will arrive that first week of December. They explained to me that they have to order all holiday products in August and September to have enough stock to not run out in addition suppliers run out early. We're feeling really smug. Our clients will know these are gifts of appreciation, there are food items to be shared by all, they come packaged stunningly giving that WOW factor and our card and gift will be the first one they get and will be hanging around the break room all holiday season. It won't get lost with all the other gifts. Since there is not a dollar amount attached you are not blatantly telling them what money amount they are worth. Plus my secretary is so happy because this is a slower time for us and she was able to make all plans in a more relaxed way. We discovered another money-saving hint for giving holiday gifts. We will have Thanksgiving Day Gift Baskets shipped to 9 other states, but the majority are in the Denver area. My secretary has arranged to save some of the shipping and delivery costs by going to pick up most of the baskets and deliver many herself. We've added a wine and cheese FAC the first Saturday in December in our office for clients and we'll give most of them out then. If not, it would be good for me to take them and give them myself and make the personal call. The lesson of the story is do not underestimate the power of the holiday thankfulness gift and order early.

This the season not to delay!

This season I will plan to give corporate holiday gifts ahead of time. Horror story. Last season I thought there was no hurry and that I would get real deals by waiting until mid December to buy gifts for my clients. Client gifts of gratitude for their business is extremely important and if you falter to send a holiday gift you have botched the customary gift that has come to be expected yearly. Don't forget how important and necessary these gratitude tokens are. Three years ago I decided to forego the gifts because of a budget crunch. Thinking it made little or no difference I felt quite dapper about the amount of money and time and hassle I would save for this extra frivolous expenditure. Was I ever completely wrong. In fact many of us were wrong. The other business people I meet with weekly all talked it over and were in agreement that one year couldn't make that much difference and we were quite smug about our money saving strategy. In my business my major competitor is someone who has tried to get my clients but I've always earned their allegiance. Unfortunately for me he chose to take the risk and send out gifts early. The next year I found I was losing some of my clients because they had decided to take a look at other corporations that could deliver the same or equivalent service. As we asked new customers many of them had already signed up with the rival companies and my laid back and risk-free style that I would easily keep clients was slipping away. I had to work really hard to keep the clients I had and put in a lot of time and effort for the next few years to get some of my primary companies loyalties back. Maybe it wasn't just the holiday gift, but the next year I took note. Listening and asking questions of friends and relatives about what made them loyal and things that made a change I noted that follow up letters of thanks,telephone calls, and gifts aren't just tokens they are are reminders and stamps of confidence for the clients. So two years ago I made sure I had money for gifts at holiday time planned. I started looking for gift ideas and sent them out the first of December. What I observed was that I immediately got cards and calls from clients. They loved them plus mine were the first gifts to arrive at their workplace. My secretary and I were talking and she pointed out the gift we got at Thanksgiving one year with the note that here's your first holiday gift to enjoy. Since it was the first and only gift at that time it did make a difference. Most gifts of food, gifts baskets, and cards come that last week before December 25 and although we appreciate them they sometimes get tossed in and mixed up and we can't remember exactly who gave what. Besides personnel are bringing in treats and food for each other all week. So my secretary and I started talking and analyzing that the first gifts that come in are the most observed and appreciated and you generally remember them. That brings me to our plan for this year. We have already contacted a basket business to send out holiday gift baskets to be delivered no later than December l. Why? Because last year we thought we'd order them later and they were sold out of the one we really wanted. Since we have clients in 10 states we had failed to note that many would not arrive on time because of shipping days needed. We gave up after checking about sending flower arrangements or poinsettias which seemed useless for a few days in the office. As a last resort we scrambled to get gift cards for local restaurants or bakeries near each client. It took way too much time. We were able to find some gift cards in food market, but they were not the right denomination. We also felt uneasy that the exact amount we were spending was evident, putting a dollar value on the client. But we got the cards sent out. It was fine and at least we sent a gift. However one of the more vocal and blatantly honest secretaries called to thank us and did say she preferred the gift baskets because she was the one who had to order and go to the restaurant to bring back what was ordered with the gift card. She also made it clear that to feed everyone they had to add more money. Yikes, not a good idea. This year I called Baskets by Rita the first of October and placed my order for gourmet gift baskets and Colorado gift baskets to be sent out just before Thanksgiving so they will arrive that first week of December. They explained to me that they have to order all holiday products in August and September to have enough stock to not run out in addition suppliers run out early. We're feeling really smug. Our clients will know these are gifts of appreciation, there are food items to be shared by all, they come packaged stunningly giving that WOW factor and our card and gift will be the first one they get and will be hanging around the break room all holiday season. It won't get lost with all the other gifts. Since there is not a dollar amount attached you are not blatantly telling them what money amount they are worth. Plus my secretary is so happy because this is a slower time for us and she was able to make all plans in a more relaxed way. We discovered another money-saving hint for giving holiday gifts. We will have Thanksgiving Day Gift Baskets shipped to 9 other states, but the majority are in the Denver area. My secretary has arranged to save some of the shipping and delivery costs by going to pick up most of the baskets and deliver many herself. We've added a wine and cheese FAC the first Saturday in December in our office for clients and we'll give most of them out then. If not, it would be good for me to take them and give them myself and make the personal call. The lesson of the story is do not underestimate the power of the holiday thankfulness gift and order early.

What should I give for Christmas this year?

With competition for your business, it has turned out to be absolutely vital to give a thank you and appreciation present at seasonal time. Like it or not the mindset of saving money worked for only a couple of those hard economic years. The accepted craze was temperateness and we all believed and secretly hoped it might become habit and a way of life. Most of us cut down on everything. We cut down the extras like travel and vacations, Starbucks, newest fashion pieces, new cars, and entertainment. We also monitored our pennies as we were conscious of multi-tasking errands to cut gas costs, attentive to food costs and shopping the specials, turning off lights and turning down heat, making gifts or regifting. It was interesting and some parts of it made us recognize we do squander. However, we also understand how much we really like using our time and money on things we like. Take Jason from Denver, for example. He missed not skiing, not going to Avalanche or Nuggets or Broncos games, not eating out and relishing a movie. He jumped into the economic slump with stamina and mentally told himself he could cut personal and business expenses and that would be the best way for him to deal with both operations. He didn't like it but he was astonished at how much money he could save. He viewed games on television. He shopped at the supermarket instead of take-out food. He quit his gym membership and used the exercise equipment in his house. At first it was a unique experience and definitely eye-opening. In business he trimmed out one of his workers and spent more time doing the work himself. He cut the usual treat Friday by not bringing in breakfast and his employees understood when he told them times were rough and to keep jobs it was sad but there would be no Christmas party or holiday gifts or the traditional birthday gift. It absolutely saved money. There were three key complications. One was that cutting the extras in his personal life influenced Jason's mental and emotional health. He found himself missing something and becoming more irritable. Second was that cutting business extra perks greatly damaged the morale and spirit in his business for the employees and for Jason himself. Before long output went down and the atmosphere of a positive place to work took a turn for the awful. The cooperative teamwork turned to competitive existence as employees questioned who would be cut next and missed those small birthday and holiday perks. Jason himself found that he missed the optimistic vibes he got at work which were now replaced with uncomfortable silences. The third major problem was that his main competitor had taken the total opposite approach and as he and others cut costs and services the competitor decided to keep and even raise the bar. That Denver based company hired a few additional workers and took a strong approach to steal customers away from the competitors who were cutting everything. It even hired away one of Jason's most effective employees. It chose to take a risk and go into debt to keep workers and keep giving gifts for birthdays and Christmas. Take the holiday gifts for example. The Denver company ordered their regular thank you and appreciation holiday baskets from Baskets By Rita and maintained their regular customers. Why? Because the customers had few other gifts, so when the holiday gift basket arrived it endured alone. The customers responded with calls of gratitude and acceptance of using that company for the next year, since they seemed to be the strong one that would be there for them. The Denver company even put out more by ordering the Grand Gourmet basket to send to their competitors' strongest clients. For Jason it was a disaster because he lost two of his strongest. When he contacted them they said they were wondering if he still was in business and they knew the competitor seemed to be doing well. Jason decided it would be economical to make phone calls to his clients to keep contact. That worked for some, but he had lost some clients who would didn't come back. The next year he called Baskets by Rita in November to set up an order for baskets. He ordered a less expensive basket but had them sent in mid-December. It did serve. He also ordered a huge basket filled with candy bars and individual treats for the staff workroom. It arrived with a big bow and he was surprised at the results of his $200 expenditure on morale. The next year he did the same thing but also called Baskets by Rita and ordered small baskets to give his employees at their annual pot-luck lunch before the holidays. They were moved and he felt he got so much more appreciation than just giving them cash or a gift card. It was a observable Wow and a festive gift instead of a card. Also they didn't find out how much he had spent where they used to know their importance by the value of the gift card. This year Jason called Baskets by Rita the first of November and mentioned he needed a few grand baskets and gourmet baskets sent to competitors' clients. Jason jumped at the next option they gave. They suggested he send them out to be delivered right after Thanksgiving. Their motto is to be the 1st holiday gift received. The first gift gives more bang for the buck because they take time to read the card and it's around for a while. Some even hang the cards and the top one is yours for folks to read over and over again. Jason did remember there were clients before who had seemed to forget which company sent which gift because they all arrived at once. Baskets by Rita said to let yours be the first and rock star gift for a lasting impression. Jason is happy because his Grand Gourmet Gift Baskets will arrive early not a few days before December 25.

Plan Early and Beat the Holiday Rush

This season I will plan to send out corporate holiday gifts ahead of time. Horror story. Last holiday season I thought there was no hurry and that I would get big deals by waiting until mid December to order gifts for my clients. Client gifts of gratitude for their business is really important and if you fail to send a holiday gift you have botched the regular gift that has come to be expected yearly. Don't forget how important and necessary these gratitude tokens are. Three years ago I decided to skip the gifts because of a budget crunch. Thinking it made very little or no difference I felt quite smug about the amount of money and time and headache I would save for this extra frivolous expenditure. Was I ever completely wrong. In fact many of us were wrong. The other company people I meet with weekly all talked it over and were in agreement that one year couldn't make that much change and we were quite smug about our money saving strategy. In my business my principal competitor is someone who has tried to get my clients but I've always gained their devotion. Unfortunately for me he chose to take the risk and send out gifts early. The next year I found I was losing some of my clients because they had decided to take a look at other corporations that could deliver the same or equivalent service. As we called on new individuals many of them had already signed up with the major competitor and my laid back and secure style that I would easily keep clients was slipping away. I had to work really hard to keep the clients I had and put in a lot of time and effort for the next few years to get some of my original companies loyalties back. Maybe it wasn't just the holiday gift, but the next year I took note. Listening and asking questions of good friends and relatives about what made them faithful and things that made a difference I noted that follow up letters of thanks,telephone calls, and gifts aren't just tokens they are are reminders and stamps of self confidence for the clients. So two years ago I made sure I had money for gifts at holiday time budgeted. I started looking for gift ideas and sent them out the first of December. What I recognized was that I immediately got cards and calls from clients. They loved them plus mine were the first gifts to arrive at their workplace. My secretary and I were talking and she pointed out the gift we got at Thanksgiving one year with the note that here's your first holiday gift to enjoy. Since it was the first and only gift at that time it did make a big difference. Most gifts of food, gifts baskets, and cards come that last week before December 25 and although we appreciate them they sometimes get tossed in and mixed up and we can't remember exactly who gave what. Besides staff are bringing in treats and food for each other all week. So my secretary and I started talking and analyzing that the first gifts that come in are the most observed and appreciated and you normally remember them. That brings me to our approach for this year. We have already contacted a basket business to send out holiday gift baskets to be delivered no later than December l. Why? Because last year we thought we'd get them later and they were sold out of the one we really wanted. Since we have clients in 10 states we had failed to note that many would not arrive on time because of shipping days needed. We gave up after checking about sending flower arrangements or poinsettias which seemed useless for a few days in the office. As a last resort we scrambled to get gift cards for nearby restaurants or bakeries near each client. It took way too much time. We were able to find some gift cards in food market, but they were not the right denomination. We also felt uneasy that the exact amount we were spending was evident, putting a dollar value on the client. But we got the cards sent out. It was fine and at least we sent a gift. However one of the more vocal and brazenly honest secretaries called to thank us and did say she preferred the gift baskets because she was the one who had to order and go to the eatery to bring back what was ordered with the gift card. She also made it clear that to feed everyone they had to add more money. Yikes, not a good plan. This year I called Baskets by Rita the first of October and placed my order for gourmet gift baskets and Denver gift baskets to be sent out just before Thanksgiving so they will arrive that first week of December. They explained to me that they have to order all holiday products in August and September to have enough stock to not run out additionally suppliers run out early. We're feeling really smug. Our clients will know these are gifts of appreciation, there are food items to be shared by all, they come packaged wonderfully giving that WOW factor and our card and gift will be the first one they get and will be hanging around the break room all holiday season. It won't get misplaced with all the other gifts. Since there is not a dollar amount attached you are not blatantly telling them what money amount they are worth. Plus my secretary is so happy because this is a slower time for us and she was able to make all arrangements in a more relaxed way. We found another money-saving hint for giving holiday gifts. We will have baskets shipped to 9 other states, but the majority are in the Denver area. My secretary has arranged to save some of the shipping and delivery costs by going to pick up most of the baskets and deliver many herself. We've added a wine and cheese FAC the first Saturday in December in our office for clients and we'll give most of them out then. If not, it would be good for me to take them and give them myself and make the personal call. The lesson of the story is do not underestimate the power of the holiday appreciation gift and order early.

Key to a Great Business

A chief of a company in the Colorado area granted an interview to a friend's son, a graduate business student, planning his thesis. The young man asked questions about marketing, budgeting, and the most beneficial market techniques. The talk and questions also including business hurdles and challenges, protecting assets and the problems and practices in increasing sales. The CEO confessed that managing a firm's long-term reserves had always been at the core of his energy and determining stakeholders was instrumental. Weighing options in every aspect was his solution to the question about best decision-making practice. The 60 minute interview was almost over when the graduate asked his last question about what was the biggest liability and what was the greatest asset in the company. After bumbling through a list of financial jargon, the CEO stopped unexpectedly and thought carefully before saying that all of that was secondary because the employees could be the greatest asset or they could be the greatest liability. The folks working for you can make or break the company. Simple as that. The CEO then took our friend's son out to lunch and they continued to dialogue. The conversation included examples from the CEO's working experience when he worked at a restaurant through college and when he managed various establishments. He had many examples of how good workers actually made the company money and the managers and owners did not always know it or recognize it. At the same time, a impolite or incompetent or an employee with a bad attitude could ruin not only the sale at the time, but later. They talked about the television show Undercover Bosses where CEOs pretend to be new employees on the ground level for a week to actually get some in field experience and insight. The CEO confessed that he had thought of doing that. The two of them throughout lunch talked about different episodes and came to the realization that employees do make or break a company. And usually what they want most even more than money or raises is to be dealt with respectfully and to have their efforts acknowledged. They want a thank you of some kind whether it be just a sincere thanks, a gift card, money, a promotion of a gift. The graduate shared that his mom who had been an administrative assistant had just resign her job the week before saying she had just had enough. Her boss not only did not see what she had done but did not seem to care about rewarding anyone. When she suggested he give gift cards he said that was fine but she would have to give them and write the note and he put her on a small budget. After a year she suggested they give time off to employees but he refused saying. She realized morale was really low and he did agree and she was to come up with something. She told him to come into the next morning meeting, which employees hated, with food. He told her to get some cheap donuts from the grocery store. She started just standing up to him and said no, he needed to spend some bucks and get quality pastries or food and quality coffee boxes from the Panera Bread down the street. He delegated her to do it and to be sure it was there on time. It worked and employees liked it. She needed a totally different idea for the mid afternoon meetings. So when she saw the huge basket delivered next door with all kinds of treats for employees she was impressed and contacted the basket company, Baskets by Rita. For the same money they put together a large basket with goodies to put in the break room for everyone to enjoy. It was huge and they delivered it to her that day. The boss walked in with the Chocolate and Coffee Gift Basket and there were cheers from the once tired employees. The student made an appointment the next day with his adviser to change his thesis topic to center on the importance of appreciation and acknowledgment for employees contending that they are the most valuable long term investment.

Unusual birthday gift

  All my family know that they will get either beer, a bottle of wine or flowers I grabbed on the way to see them. It worked for a while, but now it seems to be just too expected. Looking for a totally different birthday gifts can take a lot of time. Today I went looking for my best buddy which should be easy. I know exactly what he will like so it should have been very easy. I ended up just heading to a big box store and finding a gift card. They used to have small cool wooden crate type things to put the gift card in but not anymore. So that was adequate but really boring. Last Sunday my wife was out of town and asked me to go out and get items to put in a basket for her cousin who was bringing her daughter to Colorado to start college. My wife emailed me a list of all the things to buy for the basket so I went to find it. She puts in mostly Colorado products like chocolates, chips, salsa, tortilla chips, peanuts, Colorado water, tea drink, gourmet coffee, beef jerky, cheeses, crackers, and honey sticks. First I could not find a basket in the grocery store and only a few of the merchandise. I finally threw in the towel because it was taking forever to look and be sure I had Colorado made foods. My neighbor was also shopping and I shared my irritation when she recommended just going to our downtown and going into the big home specialty store and having them help me. I did that and it was helpful but I was shocked at how much it price, including the basket. They proposed to help me put it all together in the basket and put on a nice big bow. It looked great and my wife was not shocked at the cost of buying the stuff there. She goes to 5 or 6 different places to buy all the merchandise and helps save about twenty dollars. Now that is just way too much effort. An better way is just to go online and find a gift basket shop that will do it and deliver it. My wife and I argued over the expense, so to demonstrate my point I found a several of baskets at Baskets by Rita which is a Colorado based company. They have a Colorado wooden crate that is cooler than typical baskets. Even after the delivery cost, it turned out it was cheaper than us doing it ourselves. So getting back to the birthday gift idea I saw the crate and decided to order one and have it delivered to my house so I could see how it looked. It came and was excellent. My wife and I decided that they do a much more professional job of putting it together and it looks amazing. Plus it turned out to be less expensive than doing it ourselves. They have a great selection so that is my plan from now on when buying Beer and Nut Birthday Gift Basket. http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Making a great first Impression!

Making a awesome first impression is at the heart of leadership and profession skill musts. Whether you are applying for a job or managing a project it is a strategy tool that ranks among the most critical. You want to get off to a excellent start. One article suggests that within 3 seconds someone evaluates you by your appearance, your body language, you mannerisms, and the way you present yourself. We make impressions by our actions, what we say and by what others say about us. To make a great impression you must know what was said about you or how you are viewed. If it is favorable you come with a good character. If it was not you have a ability to change that impression. How you present yourself IS the impression. That first impression must be strong enough to show confidence to establish confidence. However over-confidence can destroy trust. It is a fine line. Courteous, attentive, on-time, positive, appropriateness and sincerity go a long ways. Fortunately you do not have to sign up for a course or school, but simply google making a great impression to find numerous sites with free and beneficial information. The difficulty lies in finding out what others have said about you and what information they already know. That means examining. So that takes care of the first impression. The key is keeping a good impression. Once that you have landed that deal or sold that house or secured that client your impression skills are not locked in. You must expand that impression that they made the appropriate choice and that you truly understand them. You do that in your words with a letter or note or a phone call. You do it in your behavior with making face to face timely visits when possible. And you are sure to spend a few bucks to maintain that impression. It might be with food or gifts, and not just holiday likely gifts. When you first land the sale follow up with something. My neighbor is a real estate broker and used to send a restaurant gift card to her clients after the closing. He now walks into the closing with an impressive and welcome gift basket from Baskets by Rita. He already knows the client, so whether it's a beer tub, wine gift basket, gourmet gift basket he pays the money for it to be a wow factor and make the tremendous impression as he walks through the door. He said the day he came into the room with a baby gift basket for the couple about to become parents they were so excited. Lasting impressions have perks and he says that the wow factor and the oohs and aahhhs he gets from them carry through. As they thank him as they are leaving, he mentions he would appreciate any referrals they would send his way. When they refer, he has another gift basket sent to their house. He claims this impression has definitely increased his client list. So good impressions are valuable.

Future Doctor Gift Basket

All those who are aware of scholars who are either applying to medical school or preparing to take medical licensing exams realize of how stressful they are. Just because all of us is cheering on a student does not take off the very intense pressure they sense. Whether it is the medical students entrance exam or one of licensing exams they have a lot at risk and feel their whole future is resting on that specific test. Financially each exam not passed brings on more financial burdens to them and they probably have already accumulated high loans. So whether a person is taking the MCAT the Medical College Admission Test as a med school entrance exam or the the USMLE the United States Medical Licensing Exam or FSMB Federation of State Medical Boards they all mean higher stress. No one can take the exam or go through it for them so all others can do is support them to continue the degree programs, whether it be for a Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or Doctor of Podiatric Medicine or even a masters of physician assistant program. Since so much is riding on the licensing in getting the medical degree phone calls of reassurance are encouraging but phone texts are even better since they can read them at their convenience. A med students routine is heavy and free time and rest are short. It is always good to let them know you are thinking of them and you know how hard these times are and that they have your help. You can send a card. You can order a stress and anxiety relief gift to be delivered to help them through those long study hours. University of Colorado med students have enjoyed the Med Student Care Package and Board Exam Gift from Baskets by Rita of Aurora. Located just down the street Baskets by Rita does ship across the United States so care packages are not limited to the Denver area or just Colorado. They are very adorable and come in a doctor RX box. They have also been used for doctors to send to special patients or students they have mentored or as a thank you from a med student to thank a professor/doctor. Set up as the med student care package and board exam gift for support might have been the intent but they will customize it for a patient to send to thank a doctor or even for someone to send as a get well gift with a card saying just what the doctor ordered for you to get well. Relieving stress and showing emotional support are a definite positive impact on good mental health. Treats and good wishes are always welcome and relieve stress and show thanks, concern, care, best wishes.

Are you hosting a Denver Convention?

Corporate seminars are not inexpensive. They can make a huge impact and comprehensive planning is necessary. Not only are theconferences expensive for the promoters, but also for the participants. Participants and companies are not easily separated with their dollars and they want to be assured and reassured that they have expended their time and funds well. Post assessments show that modest details make a major difference. Throwing a conference or convention together without focus to the littlest details can spell disaster. So the steps to take as a promoter and host for the conference/convention are to find a great destination. Knowing your prospective attendees is major whether you choose a location that is a short distance for them to drive or choosing a great getaway for companies to see and experience a new city. Check out the cost of the venue and ask for details. Do not choose busy times of the year for holidays, family vacations or a busy time for the businesses targeted. For example, as retailers do their buying for summer sports equipment, late spring and early summer or not the time to entice them. They are busy and they have already obtained their items for the year. Next you must look at the schedule to be sure the timing is good. If you overbook they may not have spare time to enjoy themselves. If you do not offer ample workshops or variable schedules of interest, they will not feel they gained anything from the conference or convention. Try to get a keynote speaker or two to draw a crowd. Advertise early to get them to lock into your event first on their calendars. It even works to offer a discount incentive for early signup. Do assign an professional to offer all information the convention goer will need from airport transportation to hotel registration and maps. Of course your huge concern will be the conference content itself. So plan to keep it moving, keep it efficient, keep it interesting. It is better to have more concise sessions with question/answer free time to chat and interact than to have participants leaving lengthy sessions because they are tired or feel they are hearing repetitive information. The first impact will make a huge difference. Efficiency and getting info to help airport/hotel/conference center logistics run efficiently will set off the tone of the convention. It is also important that when they arrive there are plenty of welcome folks available to set that upbeat positive tone and answer questions. The sign-up table should include all the information they will need. And you always must be willing to put out the money for freebies. Our company attended a conference in a small city in a mid-western town. It was obvious they were trying to save money and got the conference center and food cheap. We paid a bundle for a rental car to drive the 2 hours to the locations and stay in a small 2 star hotel/motel conference center. The pretzels and vats of bad coffee set the tone for a lengthy two days ahead. The next year we chose to go to the Denver Convention Center and what a significant difference. Flying into DIA was so impressive with those beautiful mountains as a backdrop. Our hotel was attached to center and there were all kinds of restaurants, night life, shopping nearby. We found a cool Conference Gourmet Gift Basket from a local basket company in Aurora. It was a box with all sorts of Colorado snacks. That convention rocked and we will go again next year.

Football Beer Gift Tubs for a frustrated fan!

So how is your favorite team doing this season? It is football time again and for those of us who enjoy football we live for this time of year. Not only is it beautiful weather to go to games but we covet the fact it has been a lengthy dry season in the sporting world since Superbowl time last year. Hopefully each of us is looking at the teams, playing fantasy football and making predictions. For guys it supplies a piece of conversation for any place we find ourselves. There is also the unfamiliar and best hopes for our popular football team to do well this season. Everybody seems to be talking about the replacement refs and how soon will normal football refs be back on the fields. It is way too effortless to get so upset about it that you find yourself ranting and raving. That is what has been happening at my condo. I whine and moan and groan and am short tempered with my wife and she does not deserve that. She is such a smart football wife that to get mad is not the way she handles things. She incredibly uses good will and humor. I am so blessed. After this weekend and my horrible mood I did not rightfully deserve to get anything for my birthday yesterday. I was in Denver and she had a Budweiser beer gift basket from Baskets by Rita delivered to my hotel. Since one of my favorite teams was the Denver Broncos the tub she ordered was a Bronco one and she wrote a terrific message using her awesome humor to help get me level-headed. It was great. I called her and made the decision to have flowers sent the next day. I always do that. So since I'm gone for a week, I called the lady at baskets by Rita and she's sending a gourmet wine basket to my wife. Good move on my part cuz my wife will not expect it. Us guys are not very creative or good about gifts but I am pretty darn happy and pleased with myself. My stepfather is a diehard Green Bay Packers fan so I sent him a sympathy basket. He will really like it and really get a kick out of it. My mom was raised and is loyal to the Giants, have been raised in NYC, so I'm having a Congratulations basket sent to her arriving the same day. Can hardly wait to speak to my parents. They are always coming up with gifts and ways to help my wife and me so this would be great. This ref strike has certainly got everyone talking. The good news is that it gives friends something else to talk about besides politics. Our secretary really gets on all of us though and she says we should be feeling sorry for those poor replacement refs. Without them we couldn't watch any football at all. I guess that is true because) they don't have the training and we should probably be offering them some thanks. So since I have done my part I think people who know any replacement refs should give them some sympathy and probably send a good luck gift.

Special baby gift

Excellent idea for mailing a unique, cute, adorable and unusual baby gift is to order a baby girl or baby boy welcome wagon. The cute little red wagons hold lots of baby gift goods that are practical for recently born babies. Knowing that it is always exciting to send something uncommon for the new baby is a challenge. Usually individuals call the medical center gift shop for the same, mundane gifts they have. They have the usual blue and pink flower arrangements which are nice but do not last and are difficult to transport home. That type of baby gift is soon forgotten. They also have baby gift baskets but you may find that the parents have already gotten at least one or more from the hospital gift shop. Asking the gift shop worker does not assure you that visitors have popped into the gift shop and picked up the same gift. I was embarrassed to stop in and purchase a cute basket and went up to her room to see two identical baskets from other people. That meant I had to go back down and switch it for something really common in the gift shop. The worst part was that it definitely took the excitement of my gift giving away. They were apologetic as was I apologetic and embarrassed. When the the gift shop clerk just rolled her eyes about wanting to exchange it, I had just had it and told her I wanted a refund. In the parking lot of the Denver hospital I met a gentleman and gal carrying in these adorable pink baby girl and blue baby boy gift red wagons. That is exactly what I had wanted to walk in with something that caused the couple to ooh and aah about. I just flat out halted them and asked where they got them. They had ordered them from a basket store near the Denver hospital called Baskets by Rita. Cut little welcome baby wagon that were the wonderful birth gift. They were definitely different baby gifts and pragmatic and enjoyable. They told me Baskets by Rita also has a big brother/sister line of baskets that they gave one time. I got on my iphone and without delay called Baskets by Rita and ordered one of the little red wagon as a baby welcome gift for the new child. It was simple to arrange to have it delivered to their house when they got home from the hospital. When they got home with the new baby and got the Baby Girl Bassinet Gift Basket, they immediately called me and said I just had to come over to see the new baby and the adorable wagon. So from now on the hospital gift shop will not be my first selection for sending gifts or flowers.

Increase your employees' spirit and improve their attitude.

 Today's posting features tips acquired from various companies about how to raise morale and not lose excellent employees. Striving to keep the office positive should be of major concern to CEOs and bosses. Losing money and time is a big concern. If workers are happy and like to come to work production rises. If they feel that they are part of the team and that they are valued they become engaged to the company. Factory made thank yous and anticipated pats on the back even raises and the exact same bonuses or gifts or treats lose their impact after awhile. In fact employees begin to bank on predictable gratitudes and gifts and treats. If you provide donuts every Friday it becomes the expected and just a natural part of the work schedule. If you provide a gift card for every 10 sales it becomes predictable and if you miss one you will get anger instead of thanks for the gift cards you have given. Remember the movie with Chevy Chase in the Christmas movie where he banks on the yearly bonus from work and when it is not given one year the supervisor becomes the bad guy in everyone's eyes. In the movie and in real life people just assume the bonus, money gift, turkey, whatever is the norm every year. Often they order products or spend the money before it even comes in. For that reason companies need to be cautious not to do the same thing week after week or month after month or year after year. Food treats should not be the same because they become expected and actually become rather boring. Some would say that dough is always the best way to go because everyone can spend it however they want. True, but it also can get repetitive. If you toss out a dollar at the weekly meeting one week for something, the next week you bring in a gourmet coffee cart. If you give a grocery card for Christmas one year you need to deliver a gourmet gift basket the next year. If you provide lunch a day one month you need to do something unique the next month. Most executives feel that this type of talent is not a part of their positions and it is not important. Morale boosters are very essential. Creative gift giving are the best way to say thanks for a task well done and to encourage hard work in the future. Most of the time organizations use secretaries to find ideas and put together the thank you. For women flowers and spa packages and gift cards work. For men beer tubs, hardware/home improvement gift cards are excellent. Restaurant gift certificates are good too. You just have to get imaginative. Corporate Gifts or Company gifts can be challenging when you are including a lot of people in one office--it could be a gesture of kindness or a thank you gift to a whole office or company. You either have food delivered or if you are worried about food spoilage send a large corporate gift basket with various items. My company has put the burden on me, the administrative assistant, to come up with two new ideas each month to spend only $300 on the 20 employees. They said I need to find gifts of thank you gifts to include everyone. I am looking for new tips for next month but this month we have seen a huge difference in favorable attitude around the office after my two appreciation gifts were done. The first was for each employee to find one dollar bills in various places during a week. This last week to thank them for their labors, we had an Appreciation Gift Basket arrive to overpower the snack table. After hearing workers talking about the Aurora movie theatre shooting victims, we chose an Aurora gift basket company, Baskets by Rita and we were not disappointed. So remember to thank your employees and show appreciation for a job well done and to encourage really hard work.

College Care Package

 Hard to imagine that school is almost beginning since August has already arrived. Summer goes fast. Youngsters are back in college and for me it is hardest to say goodbye to the young adults who are my relatives who are going back to college. It was so cool to see them all summer and now some are packing up getting ready to go to school. Most of the kids I know go to Colorado State University in Fort Collins or Colorado University in Boulder. Two are going to Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Actually there are two of my cousins kids who are coming to schools in Colorado. My best friend is making up little gift bags for each kid with cookies and goodies from the grocery store to help get them stocked up for dorm life. She has bought chips, dip, candy, nuts, and snacks and put them into a bucket. They turned out quite cute. When I asked her how much it cost she said she had no idea. I had a tough time finding a bucket and filling it with stuff to look good. It just did not seem like enough. Then I started adding up the cost because I knew I needed to go purchase more stuff to make it look good. I just that wow factor for college students when they get to school. I know they may be a touch homesick and this is the nicest thing I can do for them and probably more for their parents. Shoving the things in the bucket is alright and it gets the work done. After making two of the buckets my next door neighbor suggested I check out Ultimate Care Gift Basket. She shared with me this after she was dismayed at how much I had spent on each gift. Her firm uses Baskets by Rita for all the gift baskets they send to visiting clients. There are neat wooden crates with mountains and the word Colorado on them packed with products from Colorado. After checking out the website of Baskets by Rita I do not dare tell my husband that I actually might have sent a Colorado crate for the same price or even less expensive than I spent on my own. http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Thanks, With a Token of Appreciation

It is tough to find unusual and sincere and unique ways of saying thank you to someone you value or endorse. To pay honor to their abilities and work by commending them for service. You want them to be aware of your gratitude what they have done for you or for others or for the business. To recognize that is the first step. To let the individual realize you sincerely and truly appreciate them and acknowledge them is very important. Giving thanks is not just for Thanksgiving anymore. You must acclaim and endorse the behaviors you want to see continue. So the first phase is to be aware of showing appreciation and acknowledging it. That does not mean going overboard all the time and having to give lots of gifts or money for every little thing. Studies have found that people respond to acknowledgements of even the minimal kind such as a nod or look of endorsement or an actual pat on the back. Even a smile and a look of facial gratitute can be ways of endorsing self esteem and showing you just like and recognize what has been done or said. These expressions of appreciation and acknowledgment reveal tribute to the person and show that you value them. Saying thank you works. Now if you overdo it for every little thing it thanks and appreciation lose their value. It has to fit your personal way and must be genuine. Sincere gratitude and the word here is sincere is huge. For a firm commendation of any kind is good but eventually and periodically you need to put your money where your mouth is and give something as appreciation of service and recognition of gratitute. That token of appreciation could be money such as a raise or cash with a thank you note. And you have to mix it up a little bit too. If you know the person shops at a specific store or enjoys a particular coffee house or eatery you could give gift certificates. They are always appreciated. This works if you also do not want to make a big issue or applaud out loud for everyone to see or hear. Sometimes you do and you want others to step up so they too will get those monetary awards. So the looks, the thank you words, the notes and the random gift cards work. If you feel you want something with more of a wow factor then consider an authentic gift that wows. The problem with money or gift cards is that they are definitely appreciated but have an exact value and the amount given one employee can be perceived by others as a rating scale by what they get. My company has small gift cards that are consistent for certain things then we started going to get plaques engraved and people displayed them for a while but are now removed and seem to be old hat to everyone. The secretaries said it is taking too much effort to go out and shop for these prizes and that employees compare how much we spend on one compared to another. One of our secretaries found an Aurora based gift basket company that she now calls and has a gift basket or pail made up and delivered to us. It is so simple. Sometimes she just orders one of the baskets online from Baskets by Rita and tells them what to put on the card. More often recently she has been writing a note on the order or even calling and asking that the basket be creative. She just gives the price we want to pay and they put together a different gift basket crate box or pail every time. That way employees have no idea what amount we spent and theirs is unique. It is wonderful way to say, "Thank You!- A Thank You Gift Basket." http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Remember the people of Aurora!

 After the shooting tragedy in Aurora Colorado we are at a loss for what to do or how to help. Aurora is a suburb of Denver. We are all feeling such sadness and send our sympathy and best wishes and best hope for healing to that whole community. The shooting brought national news and what a devastating tragedy. I am so sorry and want to do something to help. The Aurora police department must be amazing with what they are dealing with. They made it to the scene in 90 seconds. People and businesses in Aurora must be comforted to know the department replies so quickly. Plus what must those heroes from the police department and all the medical facilities in Aurora Colorado feel now as they work to save lives and keep people safe. You cannot put a price tag on that kind of assistance. A few of friends yesterday had a discussion and we all decided to do something. Some are sending cards and others of us need to do something far more personal to help our own sense of healing the emotional wounds. My cousin is going to send some kind of food coupons and my neighbor is sending flowers with a message. My brother is a small business owner and suggested we find neighborhood Aurora Colorado businesses to support since they must really feel the impact. So we are going online to find coffee shops, pizza places, florists, etc. I was going to place an online order to an Aurora company Baskets by Rita to send a Sympathy Basket to be shared by everyone. http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Thanks A Bunch Gifts

It's as though the art of giving thanks has become obsolete over time. Sending a hand written thank you note was once traditional for both professional and personal situations, but now the majority of people think that it's enough to casually whip up an email with a swift "thanks" before getting back to their bustling day to day lives. Now don't get me wrong. I appreciate that the world is faster paced than it was at one time and most people hardly have a moment to relax and catch a break, but if you think about it, that just gives you that much more reason to send a heart felt thanks. Now that we've we've become less used to receiving a proper thank you, it makes a much greater impact when we do get one. It certainly is a nice surprise to see that someone took the time to say "thanks." I haven't yet mentioned the influence it can make on your business. In taking the time to write a personalized thank you, you may express to your customer how valuable their business is to you. By building personal friendships with your customers, you are ensuring their confidence and giving them a reason to do business with you as opposed to your competition. If I still haven't convinced you that sending a thank you gift or note is worth the time, why don't you think about doing something that takes virtually no time at all? Sending flowers or a gift basket from an online source takes about as much time as sending an email, but sends a much greater message. Gift like Thank You Snack Basket This Thank You snack basket has a great assortment of sweet and savory goodies. Our natural willow basket is filled with trail mix, a fresh baked brownie, Thank you shortbread cookies, Chocolove chocolate bar, caramel corn, Jelly Belly beans, Boulder chips, savory cheese snacks, a large box of chocolate chip cookies, almonds, mixed nuts, and salt water taffy. Forget all objections and practice some conventional courtesy the next time you have the chance to say thank you. Baskets By Rita is one internet site that has a good array of gift baskets for all occasions. (Insert database). Thanks for listening! To give someone the hint or pass on this excellent advice, repost this blog on Facebook or Twitter! http://www.facebook.com/basketsbyrita http://twitter.com/#!/basketsbyrita

Baskets By Rita, a Colorado Gift Basket Company, Celebrates its 20th Anniversary

Ten years after being laid off from Agilent Technologies, Marge Van Woerkom and her business, Baskets By Rita, are still going strong. As a previous Reporter Herald article outlined, Van Woerkom was one of many Loveland residents who found themselves unemployed in 2002 when HP and Agilent downsized. After 19 years of working for HP and Agilent, Van Woerkom refused to be a victim of her situation. She pulled herself together after the lay off and bought an existing business in Aurora, Colorado. She chose not to change the company's existing name, Baskets By Rita, which already had a strong reputation in the Denver metro area and this choice has served her well. "We've built our business on the philosophy that the customer come first" says Van Woerkom.

Since Van Woerkom took ownership of the company, she has managed to grow sales despite the economic recession of the past few years. In addition, she has grown the company's clientele and web presence year over year with the help of her staff and dedicated members of her family. As a sign of its ongoing growth, Baskets By Rita began plans several months ago to create a sister company, Gift Agent. Gift Agent will offer customers a slightly more specialized product line packaged in specialty boxes which will allow the company to be more eco-friendly and create more of a recognized brand identity. The hope is that receiving a gift from Gift Agent will be comparable in recipients' minds to receiving a box of Godiva chocolates. While Gift Agent gives cause for much excitement at Baskets By Rita, that is not the only exciting news for the company.

This year, Baskets By Rita is celebrating it's 20th year of business. While many other gift basket companies have gone out of business, Van Woerkom and her staff have managed to maintain steady growth despite the public's growing need to economize. To show their gratitude for the continued support of their customers and celebrate their 20 years of success, Baskets By Rita has planned a series of sales promotions for each month of the year. These promotions include deals such as 15% off when you spend $50 or more and a gift of a free basket for the winner of a video commercial contest. For every dollar saved by their customers through these ongoing promotions, Baskets By Rita will donate a dollar to a local charity. Each month, the company will choose two local charities to support and they will match the savings of their customers to determine the donation amount. The best part of this campaign is that customers are encouraged to vote for their favorite charities so that everyone can be involved. As a local business, Baskets By Rita does its best to support local programs and Van Woerkom is excited to have an excuse to give back even more than her usual holiday charitable donations. Like us on Facebook and vote for your local charity. When doing so we will send you a coupon code for 20% off your next purchase.

Funeral Etiquette For Gifts

When become aware that someone has passed away, your first impulse is to send a gift to the deceased's family in their time of grief, but make sure you know and follow good funeral gift etiquette according to their culture. There is a multiplicity of gifts that you might consider sending to the sorrowful family that will ease their pain and send the message that your thoughts are with them in their time of hardship. Food: Perhaps the most welcome gift during a time of bereavement is that of food. Whether you have dinners delivered or drop by with a casserole, the message is that you are thoughtful of the family's loss. However, be aware about intruding on the family's time when bringing the gift. A short visit of about 15 minutes is proper to deliver the food and convey condolences. Proper funeral gift etiquette for food is to give items that require little preparation, such as a sympathy gift basket or a comfort food gift basket. Even if you assume that many people will give food, your condolence gift basket will last of many weeks without being opened since all the items are shelf stable. Flowers: The most widespread funeral gift is flowers. Before you send any, find out if there are certain conditions for memoral service flowers depending on the religious association of the deceased. For example, Jewish funeral traditions don't integrate flowers while other gifts are considered more proper. Others, such as Hindus or Muslims, don't consider funeral flowers as traditional, but the gesture may be seen as considerate by certain groups. Funeral flowers for a Catholic, LDS or Buddhist funerals are proper and welcomed. Consult a florist if you have any doubts, they will be well versed in differenttraditions for funerals. Gifts to Charity: Memorial gifts are a popular custom that allows money that would normally be spent on luxurious floral arrangements to be elected for a explicit organization, charity or event. Generally, the family will name a preferred charity in the funeral announcement and call for donations in lieu of gifts. Don't violate funeral gift etiquette by sending flowers if the family has explicitly asked not to. After the

Funeral: Funeral gift etiquette also allows friends and family members to give a fruit and cheese gift basket in the days and years following a funeral. A sincere card or memento on the anniversary of the death sends the message that you care about family members and remember their loss. Even following up with family members a few weeks after the funeral with a meal or a potted plant can have a positive affect on the grieving heart. Funeral gift etiquette suggests that family members send a thank you card for the bereavement gift baskets or services they got during a time of bereavement, don't be offended if you don't receive one at all or if it arrives several weeks or months after the funeral. When someone is dealing with grief, time can slip by rapidly. http://www.basketsbyrita.com

An Elegant Choice Of A Gift

Home Spa Solutions Each month I throw away a significant amount of cash on spa and indulgence services. Every time I turn around I need to schedule another nail appointment, hair color, laser treatment appointment, or eyebrow wax. On top of these sorts of cosmetic services, routine stress causes me to shell out for weekly massage therapy and orthopedic sessions and the occasional Jacuzzi. Without doubt the cost of cosmetics and additional home spa products augment the bill as well. At month's end I've spent the contents of my checking account only to pamper myself. Now that's what I call stress! A few weeks ago I began considering methods to reduce these expenses without making a great number of sacrifices. I now wax my own eyebrows, do my own toenails (usually), and have sent my boyfriend to massage classes. If you know someone like me or you discover yourself in my position, you can certainly guess what the best present would be for her. Now naturally, a weekend at the spa would be superb, but if your budget is a tiny bit littler than that why can't you ship the spa to them? Baskets By Rita provides a large variety of spa and beauty gifts which are stuffed with high quality items including products by Body Eclipse, the elite provider of spa products for the Brown Palace hotel in Denver. Next time you need a gift for a beautiful woman, save her a few bucks off her daily routine and give her a day of repose with the Elegant Bath and Body Gift. Send her luxury in this elegant black and white designed pamper her bath gift basket with spa quality soaps and lotions. Elegant bath gift basket in a stunning black and white lace design offering spa quality assorted bath products she will love to relax with. . Trust me, she will thank you!!!