Monday, October 18, 2004

Elegant Gifts Celebrates Successful First Year

By Jenifer Putnam
TBR Staff

Monday, October 18, 2004

July doesn't have any gift-giving holidays. It was a month that new Savannah business owner Madeleine DeLong of Elegant Gifts thought would be slow.

But DeLong was surprised to find that it was her busiest month for making gift baskets since December.

It was then that she decided her fledgling business would be a success.

"That was when I realized that I could probably pat myself on the back," said DeLong, whose booth won the top award at last month's Savannah Area Chamber Business Expo.

DeLong started her business in September 2003 after working in retail for 20 years. While working, DeLong didn't have time to find presents for her family and friends' weddings, births and birthdays. DeLong told her husband when she married him 15 years ago that she needed a service like the one she now provides. Finally, DeLong felt ready to start her own.

"You have to develop a certain kind of nerve to stop your job and develop a business on your own," she said.

DeLong said the business far exceeded her expectations in the first year. She credits much of her success to advice she received from a gift-basket maker in Colorado who has been in the business for 10 years. Learning from the other business owner's mistakes helped give her a frame to work from and helped propel her business, she said.

She was also aided by her experience in retail, which taught her skills in customer service, sales techniques and management. It also taught her to compete - even with herself. DeLong said she strives each month to do better than the month before. She is continually adding to her services to improve the company.

Elegant Gifts started with a Web site that showed pictures of a few baskets and her contact information. DeLong then added an online store so customers can actually order baskets from the site. However, DeLong said most customers use the Web site to see examples and price ranges and then call her to customize their orders.

DeLong said her Web site, www.elegantgiftsusa.com, has had a huge impact on her business.

"Because I don't have a store front I need a way for people to see what I offer," DeLong said.

DeLong recently added a free, gift assistant reminder service to her business. Customers can give DeLong their important dates and let her know how far in advance they want to be reminded and how. She also offers personal shopping for an hourly fee if someone wants a specific gift such as a tie or a sweater.

Demand is variable in the gift-giving business, DeLong said. Some days she has 25 orders and some days none. Her first month in business she had 15 orders, mostly from friends and family trying to encourage her. But now DeLong said the business has outgrown her capabilities with an average of 200-300 orders a month.

DeLong has three independent contractors that help her during busy times. She has had some orders that were too last-minute to accomplish, but she has been able on occasion to produce baskets within hours for customers. Three of DeLong's corporate clients order the same basket every time, so DeLong is preparing them in mass quantities.

Although DeLong has contracted out some of her work and plans to eventually have full-time employees, she still wants to remain as personally involved as possible. She enjoys delivering the baskets herself because she likes seeing the recipients' reactions. Baskets are delivered free in the Savannah area and can be shipped anywhere in the world for a fee. She also takes all the orders because she wants to make sure that customers are satisfied with the product.

"Once they call me they shouldn't have to worry about anything," DeLong said. "That's really rewarding to me."

DeLong's busiest season is approaching. Most of her business - 80 percent to 85 percent, she estimated - is corporate, and she expects a busy holiday season ahead as companies thank their employees and clients with gift baskets.

"It's fun," DeLong said. "This is the time that I love."

DeLong said the last holiday season was especially gratifying. She prepared baskets for one local hotel with some out-of-town clients. Those clients in turn contracted with DeLong for their own corporate giving.

DeLong has thousands of vendors who supply most of the items for her baskets, but shops locally for some specific requests.

Some customers have very specific items in mind for their baskets such as Moonpies, DeLong said, while others have only a vague idea of what they want.

She said she builds the baskets in context of the customer's price range. Baskets start at $15. The most expensive basket DeLong has built was $500

Because DeLong works out of her home, she said she can keep her prices low while still providing quality gifts. The quality of the basket or other container that the gift comes in is especially important to her because that is usually what the recipient is left with after they've consumed the gift, she noted.

One of DeLong's most popular baskets was a gift she haphazardly put together for her sister's birthday. The Breakfast in a Basket includes pancake mix, maple syrup, bread and jam, tea, coffee, kitchen tools and linens, she said. Another popular basket is Popcorn and a Movie, which includes a DVD or video or movie tickets, popcorn and candy.

DeLong said she gleans ideas for her baskets from everywhere including the franchiser who helped her start her business, gift basket magazines, items that she finds while shopping and customers.

"I'm constantly keeping an open mind and an ear out for things that I can do," DeLong said. (Details: 912 961-6778, 877 961-6778)