Sunday, September 16, 2012

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. Baby Girl Bassinet Gift BasketThey 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.

Friday, August 31, 2012

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. Appreciation Gift BasketLosing 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.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

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.Ulimate care package 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. corporate thank you basketMy 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

Thursday, August 2, 2012

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. sympatny gift basketThe 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

Thursday, May 3, 2012

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. thank you snack gift basketIf 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

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

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.