Good News for Coffee Lovers

Ann Tainter Coffee Mug - $7.50 (click here for more styles)

Dateline: Monday, July 6th 2009. 2:47 PM from the Daily News Health Desk:

Coffee may help treat memory loss... http://tinyurl.com/me9yqm

The entire staff at Baskets by Bonnie are fans of our daily cup(s) of "Joe". As a matter of fact, the first thing we do upon entering our HQ (secret lair) each morning is to make a fresh pot of what we consider to be our "Black Gold". This is one of the "perks" to working here.

It looks like our good friend, Coffee, is well on its way to be considered a health drink. Our next project is the re-classification of Chocolate! (as a vegetable perhaps??? Hey cocoa is derived from a bean! ;p)


Send someone special a Coffee Break gift basket from Baskets by Bonnie. This is a great "pick-me-up" gift that will surely brighten their day.

Well, gotta go. Cup's empty. Time for a memory boost (refill)!

Confidence is Contagious

con·fi·dence \kän-fə-dən(t)s, -ˌden(t)s\ noun
1 a: a feeling or consciousness of one's powers or of reliance on one's circumstances
b: faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confidence

Consumer Confidence is based on feelings and faith, rather than factual data ( i.e., it's all in our heads). We all have the power to turn the economy around, one small act of faith at a time.

There are three paths one can follow:

Path one: Cut back, trim budgets, tighten up, react and prepare for the worst.
Path two: Do nothing. Sit back and hope things change.
Path three: Do something. Take positive action. Be pro-active.

We think the best path to pursue is being pro-active. Reach out and touch someone. It’s never too early to say thank you, don't wait until the traditional end of the year to send gifts and cards. Another great idea is to acknowledge life events such as birthdays, new babies, or accomplishments such as a promotion or new home. Random acts of gifting are also a great morale booster. Not only are you doing something to help turn the economy around, you’re setting yourself apart from the pack.

In what ways are you showing your confidence? The first three confident answers will receive a gift-prize from Baskets by Bonnie.

Today is the "Present"

Every Basket Tells a Story

One of the many local organizations that we are involved in is the Columbus Chapter of NAWBO (National Organization of Women Business Owners). If you are a woman business owner, this is a great group "... representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs in all industries."

Because of our creative talents, Baskets by Bonnie has been recruited to help package goods and services that are donated as a gift to new members. These baskets are a great way to highlight the various talents within our organization.

Every basket should set a scene. The following article that was submitted for publication on the NAWBO-Columbus website illustrates this idea.

Soup’s On! - June 5, 2009
by Bonnie Segel, Baskets by Bonnie

Our best-ever round of new member baskets just went out this week. Best Courier hand delivered to our local new members for April. Mary McPhail, was so delighted that she even Tweeted about it, “Just got my NAWBO new membership basket! So many women-as-resources to reach out to. Thanks!”

I would agree with Mary. This gift, valued over $1,500, actually made me consider dropping my membership and rejoining so that I can get one!

If I was a new member who received this gift, I know exactly what I would do.

Refreshment Time

First, I would start with Kaira Rouda’s book The Real You Incorporated while sipping coffee out of my NAWBO mug and munching on delightful cookies (coffee & cookies from Baskets by Bonnie). As I uncover “the real me” I would sign up for Kaira’s free weekly inspirational news blast. Then I would call Meredith Liepelt at Rich Life Marketing for my client attraction strategy session and Amanda Sage at Gong Gong Communications for my free marketing evaluation.

At this point I would take my inspiration to Dee Hodgkiss at Creative Interiors to help me with a new room design that would incorporate wall graphics from Mary McPhail at Wonderful Graffiti. Next would be a wardrobe audit and makeup consultation from Donna Musilli with CAbi, and Shelly Menduni with Arbonne,. And, finally, to ensure that I have all of my ducks in a row legally and financially I would use my hour of free legal service with Caroline Worley / Anthony Law and my Living Balance sheet compliments of Andrea Nameche and Maureen Kominar.of Columbus Financial Group.

What a great way to welcome our new NAWBO sisters! Thanks to everyone who contributed.

For The Special Dad

“Any man can be a Father...but it takes a special person to be called Dad.” –Author unknown

The first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910. This holiday was inspired by a father, William Jackson Smart, who raised his children after the death of his wife.

http://www.history.com/content/fathersday

We, at Baskets by Bonnie, draw our inspiration from our favorite fathers.

For a dad who tries to be hip and relevant, but sometimes needs a little help:
For A Cool Dad

For a dad who likes to golf and to help make up for all the times you’ve teed him off:

Tee Time Golf Bucket

For a dad who enjoys a good snack, a bribe for putting up with you all of these years:

Number One Dad

These are just a few of the many ideas we have. For additional gift baskets, visit our Seasonal page on our website. Anything can be customized to fit your specific needs. Please make sure you’re allowing enough time for delivery. It’s never too early to get an order in.

Customer Service - Do the Right Thing

Never Underestimate the Value of Good Customer Service

At Baskets by Bonnie, we make customer service our Golden Rule. We feel it is important to do the right thing, even when we may lose some money. If you treat people the way you would want to be treated in their situation, you will gain customer loyalty. Sometimes you get much more in return. Such is the case in a recent transaction with Tina W. in Castro Valley, California.

Tina had ordered two Tiki Drummers for her boys. One of the drummers was not working properly. Common sense told us that :

a. Tina was being truthful and
b. It would cost as much as the value of the drummer to have her ship it back to us.
We did the Right Thing and sent her a replacement, "no questions asked". Case closed.
Or was it?
We were totally unprepared for the Over-The-Top customer review she gave us on Yelp. You can't put a dollar value on this kind of endorsement! This really made our day.

By the way Tina, if you are reading this, make our flavor Triple Chocolate Delight!!!

Yelp review from Tina W., Castro Valley California
http://www.yelp.com/biz/baskets-by-bonnie-columbus

If I ever make it to Ohio, Baskets by Bonnie is the first place that I will stop at to buy some presents for my friends and fam. The customer service is unbelievably good and undeniably one of the best I have ever encountered. My phone order which was placed after hours was returned immediately, taken down with detail, filled with love and wonderfully packaged - as well as shipped out instantaneously. I was notified by email of the tracking number and ship date. The box included a cute HAND WRITTEN note and the sales receipt. I was ecstatic and did a little happy dance.
When I realized a couple of days later that part of the order was malfunctioning (mind you, NOT the fault of Baskets by Bonnie) I called the store and inquired about any possible return or exchange policy. I was immediately shipped another item, no questions asked and was told to just keep the damaged one. I didn't even have to pack a box and send the broken one back.
This is truly as good as it gets. In a time where consumerism and Walmarts crush customer service, stores like this leave people with a huge smile on their faces. Baskets by Bonnie deserves a new ice cream flavor named after them if you'd ask me.

Ode to a Discontinued Friend - The Beloved Tiki Drummer

Last week I called my supplier to reorder this Tiki collector must have. Much to my dismay, I found the Tiki Drummer had been discontinued. Currently, at the time of this post, we have one left. I could not let our dear Tiki friend disappear without a final concert. Without further ado, I give you Tiki Live, the Farewell Concert.