Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

We are a 100% web-based business that sells humorous gifts and greeting cards especially for lawyers and legal professionals.

We plan on offering special gift baskets for particular customer profiles. We have located appropriate packaging, but I have no clue how to pack a gift basket for shipping so that the contents don`t shift in transit.  Does anyone know how to accomplish this? Are there any "how to" guides on the internet about how to do this?

-------------------------

Lisa Solomon The Billable Hour Co. | Humorous Gifts and Greeting Cards Especially for Legal Professionals phone: 815-346-3468 | fax: 815-346-3468 info@TheBillableHour.com | www.TheBillableHour.com

I believe there is information on shipping and packing on Ebay - I havent read any of the material yet though.....You can also ask questions  from the sellers in the many forums on Ebay - you should  be able to get a massive amount of information. If anything I would add more packing material than less.  Even if you submit a claim it can be denied if the shipper feels you did not pack well enough.  That goes for shipping products out in used boxes too. Some shippers feels they are not strong like new boxes. I retired from one of the overnight shipping companies and I can tell you - it aint pretty what happens to freight esp around the holidays. Good luck

SARAN WRAP!!!



Seriously, my husband works in wholesale and uses a huge roller with "pallette wrap" to wrap around huge amounts of dry goods so they don`t fall apart in transit.

Can you just use something like a saran wrap or shrink wrap, just around the bottom basket part, to keep things in there? And then use the peanuts or airpack in the box like normal?

Here`s the eBay forum on packing...

Here`s a UPS guide....

And a book about how to start a gift basket business...

And finally "Gift Basket Central," a discussion board (you can go to the home page for more stuff).

Thanks, guys! CraigL, I`m sure I`ll find the answer in one of the resources you mentioned.

-------------------------

Lisa Solomon The Billable Hour Co. | Humorous Gifts and Greeting Cards Especially for Legal Professionals phone: 815-346-3468 | fax: 815-346-3468 info@TheBillableHour.com | www.TheBillableHour.com

Lisa, the answer is "Glue Dots". They can be purchased from Uline at www.uline.com. Get the "High Tack" ones. We usually use 1/4" or 1/2". We use these to put baskets together and most other baskets I have received or friends have received from gift basket companies have been "held together" in this fashion.

If you aren`t familier with these, they are little flat pieces of sticky glue that come on a roll, they kind of reminder me of those paper candies that come in different colors on a piece of paper, the little dots you bite off and eat except that these are flat on a continuous strip and are clear so you can`t see them on the product. They are re-stickable, you just place the item against the dot and it comes off the paper on to the item, this way you can affix things in the basket or stick one item to another and they stay where you put them. Hope this helps!

Hi all,

 

When you look at gift basket delivered by florist, they come in a clear or lightly tinted heavy gauge plastic wrap.  This looks more prfessional thatn standard shrink wrap. The packer sets the basket in the center of the sheet and brings the sheet of plastic up around basket.  Once the basket is wrapped, it can be put into a box if being shipped a long distance.

-------------------------

The older we get, the more excuses we make for not chasing after our dreams. But truth is, goals are attainable at any age.

-------------------------