News Releases

March 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shirley Frazier, Day/Evening (973) 279-2799
Photographs Available Upon Request

FIVE TIPS TO MAKE GIFT BASKETS AT HOME

Paterson, New Jersey (March 12, 2010) -- To celebrate this month's designation as National Crafts Month, here are five steps to create gift baskets at home.

1. Check your basement and attic for empty baskets before buying from stores.

2. Choose snacks and gifts that the receiver will appreciate rather than items you prefer.

3. Elevate all products by adding crushed newspaper or brown grocery store bags inside the basket.

4. Close the finished gift basket with cellophane or tulle netting. The latter is appropriate for baby showers and weddings.

5. Top your gift with a big bow in a color that complements the person's gender and occasion.

"Gift baskets are one of the top 10 hobbies worldwide," says Shirley George Frazier, author of How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business and The Gift Basket Design Book. "They're available at small and large shops, but making them yourself saves money and helps you create a customized look for every person on your gift list."

Tips and demonstration videos on making gift baskets are available at http://www.YouTube.com/GiftBasketBusiness

Shirley George Frazier is the world's expert on the gift basket industry. She's also president and founder of Sweet Survival, better known on the Web as GiftBasketBusiness.com. In business since 1990 and author of best-selling books, How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business and The Gift Basket Design Book, Frazier demonstrates gift basket designing at learning centers and business events, is quoted in newspapers and magazines, and has appeared on CNBC, The Food Network, and The Discovery Channel.

Frazier's tips and advice are found at http://www.GiftBasketBusiness.com and accompanying blog. For more information, contact Frazier at (973) 279-2799 or survival@sweetsurvival.com.

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August 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shirley Frazier, Day/Evening (973) 870-0450
Photographs Available Upon Request

GIFTS HELP COLLEGE STUDENTS MAKE SMOOTH TRANSITION

Paterson, NJ (August 10, 2006) -- Think welcome gifts for incoming college freshmen aren’t in style? Think again. Thousands of grandparents, godparents, aunts, and uncles are preparing to spend up to $75 on gift baskets that arrive within one week of the first school day on campus.

“Relatives outside of mom and dad get involved with the college student’s education by sending a good luck basket,” says Shirley Frazier, president of Sweet Survival® and author of The Gift Basket Design Book. “Parents pay the college bill, so there’s little money left over for gifts. That gives other relatives room to send treats and educational tools.”

Popular gift basket items for this year’s in-bound students are low-fat chips, popcorn, pretzels, sour candies, bottled water, USB flash drives, scientific calculators, pocket organizers, laptop accessories, writing instruments, and batteries. More tips on helping college students make a smooth transition are found at http://www.SweetSurvival.com/, also known as GiftBasketBusiness.com, and in the site’s online newsletter.

Sweet Survival®, a gift and gourmet industry consulting firm in business since 1990, specializes in providing gift tips and ideas on television, in print, and on the Internet. Shirley Frazier is a professional speaker and award-winning designer who conducts seminars at trade shows, adult schools, and special events nationwide. She has appeared on CNBC, The Food Network, and The Discovery Channel. Frazier is also author of How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business.

For more information, contact Shirley Frazier at (973) 870-0450, or visit http://www.GiftBasketBusiness.com/.

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http://www.prleap.com/pr/44223/

http://www.i-newswire.com/pr70880.html

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/8/prweb422615.htm

http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/16600005cp.shtml

May 2005

GIFT BASKETS ENTER THE EXTREME MAKEOVER ARENA

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/5/prweb235830.php

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/view_press_release.php?rID=5356&tf7sid=781e991ea304ab1be2b04f6f56fde64a

Paterson, New Jersey (May 5, 2005)--Extreme makeovers continue to be popular on cable shows, but these organizational lessons are not confined to homes. Gift basket design studios are the new target. The frenzy of creating gift baskets under tight deadlines turns the average studio into a war zone rather than a work zone. A new video, entitled “Gift Basket Design Studio Extreme Makeover,” shows home-based designers and store retailers the right way to create and keep an organized, efficient workspace.

“Gift basket creators make time to design but seldom stop to keep their studios in working order,” says Shirley Frazier, space issues expert and author of How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business. “Designers trip on floor debris and become entangled in their own ribbon if they don’t take time to organize.”

Frazier is co-author of the Extreme Makeover video, available at www.GiftBasketBusiness.com. She shares five tips for gift basket makers looking to turn chaos into control.

1. Set up your space to keep the items used most often at shoulder level.
2. Use shelves and clear containers to separate supplies.
3. Ask friends to help. They will also provide different ideas and perspectives.
4. Get rid of items that are old, worn, or haven’t sold in the past year.
5. Review your workspace periodically and make changes that match your goals.

Since 1990, GiftBasketBusiness.com specializes in teaching entrepreneurs and gift professionals how to start and grow successful businesses. Shirley Frazier is a small business consultant and award-winning designer who conducts seminars at libraries, adult schools and trade shows nationwide. She has appeared on CNBC and The Food Network. Frazier is also author of The Gift Basket Design Book.

Gift Basket Design Studio Extreme Makeover is available in video and text formats. For more information, contact Shirley Frazier at (973) 870-0450, or visit www.GiftBasketBusiness.com.

March 2005

CREATIVE SMALL BUSINESS START-UP HAS DRAWBACKS

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/view_release.php?rID=3949&tf7sid=8451bb05090e876ed51af4541ae27d2a

Paterson, NJ (March 7, 2005)--If you resolved to start a gift basket business in 2005, you're not alone. An estimated 3,000 people will become gift basket designers this year, an industry which many believe is right for them. However, there are caveats.

"You may be creative, but you should also be business minded," says Shirley Frazier, owner of GiftBasketBusiness.com and author of How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business. "Just because you can put some items into a basket and place a bow on top doesn't mean that you're off and running," Frazier continues. "Marketing is a crucial step in becoming a successful gift basket entrepreneur. If you don't know who will buy, you'll be decorating your home with all of those baskets and eating the contents for dinner."

Frazier shares 10 steps for becoming a successful gift basket designer on the GiftBasketBusiness.com Web site.

The number of people who are still in business by year's end decreases dramatically because aspiring designers don't consider the work associated with starting and staying in business. "This is not a venture to be taken lightly,” explains Frazier. “When most people see how much work there is outside of just being creative, they soon leave."

Since 1990, GiftBasketBusiness.com specializes in teaching entrepreneurs and gift professionals how to start and grow successful businesses. Shirley Frazier is an award-winning designer who conducts seminars at libraries, adult schools and trade shows nationwide. She has appeared on CNBC and The Food Network. Frazier is also author of How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business.

For more information, contact Shirley Frazier at (973) 870-0450, or visit www.GiftBasketBusiness.com.

FREE GIFT BASKET TIPSHEET CELEBRATES NATIONAL CRAFTS MONTH

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2005/3/emw214040.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shirley Frazier
Day/Evening (973) 870-0450

Paterson, New Jersey (March 1, 2005)--To encourage enterprising women and men to learn how to make gift baskets during March’s National Crafts Month, GiftBasketBusiness.com is distributing a free tipsheet with ideas to start a hobby or business.

“There’s more to creating gift baskets than just throwing a few items together,” says Shirley Frazier, president of Sweet Survival^®, parent company of GiftBasketBusiness.com and author of The Gift Basket Design Book. “A designer considers what the receiver enjoys eating or the fragrance she prefers. That’s what makes a gift basket memorable.”

According to a survey conducted by Sweet Survival^® in 2004, an estimated 55,000 individuals in the U.S. make gift baskets as a hobby or a full-time business. Gourmet baskets are best sellers, followed by spa, romance, and new home baskets.

The two-sided gift basket tipsheet explains, on one side, how to start a hobby, and the other side details the best ways to start a business. It also shows designs that anyone new to the craft can re-create.

Tips to get started with gift baskets include:

·       Start small by finding supplies at local stores.
·       Don’t mix chocolates and fragrant items together in one basket.
·       Create your gifts with unique containers as well as baskets.
·       Look for adult schools that offer hands-on classes.
·       Use the Internet to find books and videos to expand your design ideas.

Tipsheets are available throughout March by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Sweet Survival, P.O. Box 31, River St. Station, Paterson, NJ 07544.

For more information, contact Shirley Frazier at (973) 870-0450, or visit www.GiftBasketBusiness.com.

February 2005

BUSINESS TIPS FOR CHARITABLE RETURNS

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb209181.php

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shirley Frazier
Day/Evening: (973) 870-0450

Paterson, NJ (February 17, 2005)--Many businesses understand the importance of supporting local and worldwide organizations through charitable giving. However, donation requests can become overwhelming, and service and retail firms must decide how much to give without putting their businesses in jeopardy.

“Some of my clients are bombarded with requests,” says Shirley Frazier, gift and gourmet industry consultant and owner of Sweet Survival. “They wade through dozens of solicitations each month. Instead of trying to meet everyone’s expectations, they’re learning to align themselves with charities that matter to staff members and create relationships that go beyond one-time giving.”

Frazier shares five tips for retail and services businesses to consider before donating.

1. Choose a cause that matters most to you. Charities range from youth groups to homelessness to illness prevention.

2. Focus on local charities. Seeing results within the neighborhood not only helps the community but also encourages other businesses to get involved.

3. Create a gift basket using slow-selling merchandise. Retailers often use items from clearance shelves to make stunning gifts that command the highest bid at auctions.

4. Request entry to the auction as part of your donation. Meeting like-minded people allows you to uncover other personal and professional similarities and new ways to work together.

5. Respectfully decline if appeals exceed your budget or outlook. Offer to review the request in the future if it matches your focus, or recommend the charity to another philanthropic person or business if outside your target list.

In business since 1990, Sweet Survival specializes in teaching retail business owners how to find money in overlooked opportunities and work with their accountant to responsibly donate a percentage. Frazier conducts seminars at trade and business shows and works with small and large firms nationwide. The company’s Web site is GiftBasketBusiness.com.

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Partnerships
Questions about promotional opportunities and other business relationships can be Emailed to Cassandra Mosley at cassandra@sweetsurvival.com.

Wholesalers
Want to become a wholesale partner? Email John Beasley, manager of vendor relations, at john@sweetsurvival.com.

Press
We are always happy to speak with the media. Please Email your questions to Joan Jamison, media relations coordinator at joan@sweetsurvival.com. For a quicker response, you are welcomed to call our office at (973) 279-2799.

Speaker's Bureau
Shirley Frazier is available to speak to your group on small business topics. Past speaking engagements have included women's groups, students, trade shows, entrepreneurs and small business groups. Contact Karen at karen@sweetsurvival.com to schedule Shirley for an event.

See Shirley Frazier's Web site for more information.

Our Location

   Sweet Survival®
   P.O. Box 91
   Paramus, NJ 07653-0091
   (973) 279-2799

We are developing additional campaigns to be offered on this page. If you do not see a category here that you would like to discuss, please Email our manager, Karen Smith, at karen@sweetsurvival.com.