Making gift baskets can be a simple, working-from-home entry into entrepreneurship, up to a full-scale, high-end, stand-alone storefront. Before you jump into a new business, think about which approach is right for you. Is your customer base more likely to buy from one type of gift basket vendor than another? What kind of competition do you already have? How do you get started figuring all this out?

We’ve grouped the following resources together as a starting point for your research into what it would take to start your own gift basket business. In addition to the free content (such as sample gift basket business plans that you can read in full online), you will also find links for additional tools and products to help you move from the “where do I begin?” research step to the “how do I get started?” step — when you’re ready.

Gift Basket Sample Business Plans

Looking for inspiration? Check out our sample business plans for companies offering gift baskets. See how others like you got started and turned their business idea into a reality. These plans can be read fully online, and are available in LivePlan.

Gift Basket Business Plan (Full Plan Online)
Basket of Goodies (BOG) is a premier gift basket retailer. BOG is concentrating on making gourmet gift baskets out of a wide range of high-quality ingredients. In addition to having several flagship baskets, BOG will also offer the option of a custom basket allowing the customer to choose the ingredients themselves. BOG will be selling to individuals as well as corporations.

Tea Room Business Plan (Full Plan Online)
Jasmine Teahouse will offer a full range of teas (hot and iced), as well as pastries, premium chocolates, tea accessories, and loose teas for taking home or giving as gifts and offers a gift basket service. Lady Grey is a master teatender, and Earl has been learning proper brewing techniques from her for the last four months. We will train all of our teatenders in the proper storage, brewing, and serving of each kind of tea.

Gourmet Food Store Business Plan (Full Plan Online)
Sarrica’s Market is a new business located in downtown. The store is an upscale international grocery and delicatessen with a distinct menu that includes authentic, hard to find ingredients from around the country and the world. The facility will include a sixteen person capacity eating area, deli/kitchen with counter and check out area, and a grocery/gift area.

Gift Basket Marketing Plan

Once you’ve decided on the type of business you want to start, you must also plan out how you will reach your potential customer market and how you will convince them they want to do business with you. That’s what marketing is all about. Ready this sample marketing plan and see how Basket of Goodies targeted its ideal online customer base.

Additional sample business plans

All of these plans, including the FREE plans listed above, are available in LivePlan.

Florist Business Plan
Executive Summary (excerpt) Red White & Bloom believes there is an opportunity to use technology to make it simple for male executives to easily purchase custom flower arrangements, with delivery on days they determine in advance, for their loved ones. The company plans to approach its goal short term by targeting affluent executive businessmen in Midtown and Downtown Atlanta for a very upscale, Frequent Flower Gift Program and, long term, to debut the city’s first floral art gallery in a neighborhood that is building its name as the next major arts community in Atlanta.

Gift Shop Business Plan
Executive Summary (excerpt)
Regali Luxuri is a specialty gift boutique located in the enterprising warehouse district of west midtown in Treschicburg. We specialize in an assortment of high-quality merchandise ranging from customized business cards and greeting cards to personalized apparel and home accents. Regali Luxuri caters to middle-to-upper class and affluent clientele.

Specialty Gifts Business Plan
Executive Summary (excerpt)
Pink Lady Bug Designs LLC (PLBD) is a provider of high-quality, uniquely crafted chocolates, gift baskets and other fine products that are sold for the purpose of raising awareness and funds for women’s health programs.

Start a business resource kit

Looking for more resources to help you start your gift basket business? This free online business planning toolkit includes a presentation by business planning guru Tim Berry, a set of business calculators, sample business plans and more. Launch the toolkit

How-to Articles for Startups

Before you start a gift basket business, read these articles from our business planning experts to make sure you’re on the right track.

Choosing Your Business Name
Estimating Unknown Expenses

Gift Basket Start-up Kit

This informative business binder provides the essential knowledge you need to plan and start a gift basket business. It covers such basics as building relationships with suppliers, marketing campaigns, legal requirements, finance, and more. Also included in this start-up kit is a copy of LivePlan software, the world’s best-selling business planning software.

Non-durable Goods Industry Research

Get valuable financial intelligence and industry trends for Gift Basket sellers and related businesses in a non-durable goods industry research report. We provide detailed reports with five years of financials, business ratios, and more. Better yet, our hotels and motels industry reports are available at the U.S. national, state, and even county level, so you can really understand the local competitive environment. Start your market research the easy way.

Select and purchase industry research reports searching for SIC Code 5199 for Nondurable Goods, NEC.