A Valentine's Day Gift Remembered

Love... likely the most effective word in any language. This basic four letter word has caused conflict, treachery, and insanity, but it can also cause peace, unforeseen experiences, and unsurpassed creativity. How does it come to be that something that may be so great can drive us to such bad? The French, regarded for romance, have many remarkable love stories to tell. Take the story of the sculptor Rodin and his sweetheart Camille Claudel. Claudel worked for Rodin when they fell in love. His unwillingness to abandon his wife for her made Claudel insane and she demolished A good deal of her sculptures during periods of paranoia which was a symptom of her schizophrenia. Claudel spent the last 30 years of her life in an institution. How could a force that can drive someone to such intense levels of anguish be the one thing that we all need in our lives? However, let us take a look another french couple. Voltaire and Emilie du Chatelet carried on a 15 year long romance which was scorned by the public, but allowed by Chatelet's husband, the Marquis Florent-Claude du Chatelet. Chatelet and Voltaire shared a strong academic bond and spent time philosophizing together, collecting books for the library, and providing feedback on each other's findings in mathematics and science. Their shared values and faithfulness to each other fueled their love even after she passed away. At the time of her death, Voltaire wrote of Chatelet, "It is not a mistress I have lost but half of myself, a soul for which my soul seems to have been made." In spite of her arranged marriage to the Marquis, the relationship between Chatelet and Voltaire was allowed and not envied. They were the topic of ridicule but were permitted to spend their lives together in shared respect. Their story illustrates love in its preferred form. In my opinion, love is the one thing worth living for. Whether it's love of kin, love of something, or love for a spouse, an absence of love life is empty. Maybe this is why love can bring us to such extremes. For some people, love is worth dying for. For others, it is worth living for. As Valentine's Day approaches love is on everyone's minds. I wish everyone a beautiful love story overflowing with all the best love presents and none of the worst. This Valentine's Day, reveal your love with a Valentine Wine Gift Basket from Baskets By Rita.Send a Valentine's day wine gift basket with a bottle of white wine, two wine glasses and a compliment of assorted munchies. Chardonnay Havarti Cheese spread, Beef Summer Sausage, Gourmet Crackers, Smoked Gouda Cheese, Trail Mix, Caramel corn, Cookies, Chocolove dark chocolate bar with a love poem on the label, snack mix, and milk chocolate truffles. Everybody needs a little reminder sometimes of simply how much we are loved. If you like this blog, be sure to forward it on via Twitter or Facebook. Thanks a bunch!

Ideas of what to give this Christmas?

With rivals for your business, it has come to be absolutely required to give a thank you and appreciation present at seasonal time. Like it or not the approach of saving money worked for only a couple of those rough economic years. The accepted trend was austerity and we all assumed and secretly hoped it might become custom and a way of life. Most of us cut down on everything. We cut down the extras like travel and vacations, Starbucks, newest fashion pieces, new cars, and entertainment. We also monitored our pennies as we were cognizant of multi-tasking duties to cut gas costs, attentive to food price tags and shopping the special offers, turning off lights and turning down heat, making gifts or regifting. It was interesting and some parts of it made us recognize we do squander. However, we also understand how much we really like spending our time and money on things we take pleasure in. Take Jason from Denver, as an example. He missed not skiing, not going to Avalanche or Nuggets or Broncos games, not eating out and relishing a movie. He dived into the economic downturn with stamina and mentally told himself he could cut personal and business expenses and that would be the best way for him to handle both operations. He didn't like it but he was amazed at how much money he could save. He viewed games on television. He shopped at the grocery store instead of take-out food. He give up his gym membership and used the exercise equipment in his place. At first it was a novel experience and definitely eye-opening. In business he cut one of his workers and spent more time doing the work himself. He cut the usual treat Friday by not bringing in breakfast and his employees understood when he told them times were hard and to keep jobs it was sad but there would be no Christmas party or holiday gifts or the traditional birthday gift. It absolutely saved money. There were three major problems. One was that cutting the extras in his personal life influenced Jason's mental and emotional health. He found himself missing something and becoming more grouchy. Second was that cutting business extra perks greatly impacted the morale and spirit in his business for the employees and for Jason himself. Before long efficiency went down and the atmosphere of a positive place to work took a turn for the worst. The helpful teamwork turned to competitive survival as employees questioned who would be cut next and missed those small birthday and holiday perks. Jason himself found that he missed the positive vibes he got at work which were now replaced with uncomfortable silences. The third major problem was that his main competitor had taken the total opposite strategy and as he and others cut costs and services the competitor decided to maintain and even raise the bar. That Denver based company hired a few additional workers and took a vigorous approach to steal customers away from the competitors who were cutting everything. It even hired away one of Jason's strongest employees. It chose to take a risk and go into debt to keep workers and keep giving gifts for birthdays and Christmas. Take the holiday gifts for example. The Denver company ordered their regular thank you and appreciation holiday baskets from Baskets By Rita and maintained their regular customers. Why? Because the customers had few other gifts, so when the holiday gift basket arrived it endured alone. The customers responded with calls of gratitude and acceptance of using that company for the next year, since they seemed to be the strong one that would be there for them. The Denver company even put out more by ordering the Grand Gourmet basket to send to their competitors' best clients. For Jason it was a devastation because he lost two of his strongest. When he contacted them they said they were wondering if he still was in business and they knew the competitor seemed to be doing well. Jason decided it would be economical to make phone calls to his clients to keep contact. That worked for some, but he had lost some clients who would didn't come back. The next year he called Baskets by Rita in November to set up an order for baskets. He ordered a less expensive basket but had them sent in mid-December. It did help. He also ordered a huge basket filled with candy bars and individual treats for the staff workroom. It arrived with a big bow and he was astonished at the results of his $200 investment on morale. The next year he did the same thing but also called Baskets by Rita and ordered small baskets to give his employees at their annual pot-luck lunch before the holidays. They were delighted and he felt he got so much more appreciation than just giving them cash or a gift card. It was a noticable Wow and a festive gift instead of a card. Also they didn't find out how much he had spent where they used to know their importance by the value of the gift card. This year Jason called Baskets by Rita the first of November and mentioned he needed a few grand baskets and gourmet baskets sent to competitors' clients. Jason jumped at the next option they gave. They suggested he send them out to be delivered right after Thanksgiving. Their motto is to be the 1st holiday gift received. The first gift creates more bang for the buck because they take time to read the card and it's around for a while. Some even hang the cards and the top one is yours for folks to read over and over again. Jason did remember there were clients before who had seemed to forget which company sent which gift because they all arrived at once. Baskets by Rita said to let yours be the first and rock star gift for a lasting impression. Jason is happy because his gourmet comfort gift baskets will arrive early not a few days before December 25.

Be the First to give corporate gifts to your clients this Christmas!

Top 2 strategies for corporate savy gift giving at holiday time: give a gift with that is impressive and not gift cards and make yours the 1st gift your patron or perspective clients or clientele will receive. Leading two mistakes for business gift giving at holiday time are: Not acquiring the gift soon enough and giving gift cards or gift certificates. Let's start with screw ups.... Not planning/lateness. By sending it behind time your gift gets mixed up with all the others in a stack or in the break room and people tend to forget about what they got from who. The cards get mixed up and in the haste and hustle and bustle in the days before Dec. 25 your gift is misplaced and you have lost money by now. Administrative assistants are normally in the position of giving the holiday corporate gifts and bosses, you need to listen up! Don't come to your administrative assistant at the last minute and expect her or him to work miracles...lateness on your part should not be an emergency on their part. You are putting them in a really arduous position to scavenge and locate last minute products or gifts and to get them sent. Many times gift companies, especially holiday basket companies like Baskets by Rita in Aurora are immersed with last minute desperate demands. This year looks like a excellent one so don't be surprised if local and national basket and food companies run out of stock. Your secretary will be wasting time and spending way too much time on your tardy gift giving task and it not only will worry them out but take away from their regular duties. The remedy to last minute gift giving issues is to plan early. Give them a chance to make an order and get the gift at the price point you want to spend. Did you know that most people and companies who put it off end up spending a lot more than they had planned? The items they wanted are sold out and they have to take what is left even if it costs more. So the two consequences or mistakes with sending it late or the hassle itself and the cost of over spending and more importantly the less optimistic impact for your money. So what do you do? First of all in timeliness, give your administrative assistant a budget and time to make the order. Be sure it comes as soon after Thanksgiving as possible to have that ultra positive effect at your clients and customers businesses. Secondly, fore go the gift card and gift certificate plan. Those have been famous in the past but in past years everyone gets and gives gift cards and they have lost their luster and impact. It also is the easiest way to go..it shows they weren't worth the time or effort or they were a last minute gift thought. Gift certificates to restaurants have worked in the past too except someone is now in charge to order the food and go get it. Choose a gift that comes with a joyful wow isn't that great or how nice or isn't that beautiful. These days individuals buy practically what they want, so send a gift that comes with bling and a bow and the gift basket is probably your most effective. Check out local places where you can probably just go and pick them up to save shipping costs. In Denver or Colorado Baskets by Rita in Aurora is a good start.

This the season not to delay!

This season I will plan to give corporate holiday gifts early. Horror story. Last year I thought there was no hurry and that I would get true deals by waiting until mid December to order gifts for my clients. Client gifts of appreciation for their business is really important and if you falter to send a holiday gift you have botched the customary gift that has come to be expected yearly. Don't forget how important and necessary these thankfulness tokens are. Three years ago I decided to skip the gifts because of a budget crunch. Thinking it made little or no difference I felt quite dapper about the amount of money and time and headache I would save for this extra frivolous expenditure. Was I ever wrong. In fact many of us were wrong. The other firm people I meet with weekly all talked it over and were in agreement that one year couldn't make that much change and we were quite smug about our money saving tactics. In my business my principal competitor is someone who has tried to get my clients but I've always gained their devotion. Unfortunately for me he made the decision to take the risk and send out gifts early. The next year I found I was losing some of my clients because they had decided to take a look at other companies that could deliver the same or equal service. As we approached new clientele many of them had already signed up with the rival and my laid back and secure style that I would easily keep clients was slipping away. I had to work really hard to keep the clients I had and put in a lot of time and effort for the next few years to get some of my essential companies loyalties back. Maybe it wasn't just the holiday gift, but the next year I took note. Listening and asking questions of friends and relatives about what made them faithful and things that made a difference I noted that follow up letters of thanks,telephone calls, and gifts aren't just tokens they are are reminders and stamps of assurance for the clients. So two years ago I made sure I had money for gifts at holiday time calculated. I started looking for gift ideas and sent them out the first of December. What I recognized was that I immediately got cards and calls from clients. They loved them plus mine were the first gifts to arrive at their office. My secretary and I were talking and she pointed out the gift we got at Thanksgiving one year with the note that here's your first holiday gift to enjoy. Since it was the first and only gift at that time it did make a difference. Most gifts of food, gifts baskets, and cards come that last week before December 25 and although we appreciate them they sometimes get tossed in and mixed up and we can't remember exactly who gave what. Besides personnel are bringing in treats and food for each other all week. So my secretary and I started talking and analyzing that the first gifts that come in are the most noted and appreciated and you always remember them. That brings me to our plan for this year. We have already contacted a basket business to send out holiday gift baskets to be delivered no later than December l. Why? Because last year we thought we'd get them later and they were sold out of the one we really wanted. Since we have clients in 10 states we had failed to note that many would not arrive on time because of shipping days needed. We gave up after checking about sending flower arrangements or poinsettias which seemed useless for a few days in the office. As a last resort we scrambled to get gift cards for area restaurants or bakeries near each client. It took way too much time. We were able to find some gift cards in food market, but they were not the right denomination. We also felt uneasy that the exact amount we were spending was evident, putting a dollar value on the client. But we got the cards sent out. It was fine and at least we sent a gift. However one of the more vocal and boldly honest secretaries called to thank us and did say she preferred the gift baskets because she was the one who had to order and go to the eatery to bring back what was ordered with the gift card. She also made it clear that to feed everyone they had to add more money. Yikes, not a good plan. This year I called Baskets by Rita the first of October and placed my order for Healthy Holiday Gift Baskets and Colorado gift baskets to be mailed just before Thanksgiving so they will arrive that first week of December. They explained to me that they have to order all holiday products in August and September to have enough stock to not run out plus suppliers run out early. We're feeling really smug. Our clients will know these are gifts of appreciation, there are food items to be shared by all, they come packaged amazingly giving that WOW factor and our card and gift will be the first one they get and will be hanging around the break room all holiday season. It won't get misplaced with all the other gifts. Since there is not a dollar amount attached you are not blatantly telling them what money amount they are worth. Plus my secretary is so happy because this is a slower time for us and she was able to make all preparations in a more relaxed way. We found another money-saving hint for giving holiday gifts. We will have baskets shipped to 9 other states, but the majority are in the Denver area. My secretary has arranged to save some of the shipping and delivery costs by going to pick up most of the baskets and deliver many herself. We've added a wine and cheese FAC the first Saturday in December in our office for clients and we'll give most of them out then. If not, it would be good for me to take them and give them myself and make the personal call. The lesson of the story is do not underestimate the power of the holiday appreciation gift and order early.

First Impressions, so Important

Making a great first impression is at the heart of management and job skill musts. Whether you are applying for employment or managing a project it is a strategy tool that ranks among the most important. You want to get off to a great start. One article contends that within 3 seconds someone appraises you by your appearance, your body language, you mannerisms, and the way you present yourself. We make impressions by our behavior, what we say and by what others say about us. To make a excellent impression you must know what was said about you or how you are viewed. If it is beneficial you come with a good reputation. If it was not you have a ability to change that impression. How you present yourself IS the impression. That first impression must be effective enough to show confidence to establish trust. However over-confidence can destroy trust. It is a fine line. Polite, attentive, on-time, positive, appropriateness and sincerity go a long ways. Fortunately you do not have to sign up for a workshop or class, but simply google making a nice impression to find numerous sites with free and valuable information. The difficulty lies in finding out what others have said about you and what information they already know. That means researching. So that takes care of the first impression. The key is keeping a good impression. Once that you have landed that deal or sold that house or secured that client your impression skills are not locked in. You must expand that impression that they made the right choice and that you truly value them. You do that in your words with a letter or note or a phone call. You do it in your actions with making face to face timely visits when possible. And you are sure to spend a few bucks to maintain that impression. It might be with food or gifts, and not just holiday anticipated gifts. When you first land the sale follow up with something. My neighbor is a real estate broker and used to send a restaurant gift card to her clients after the closing. He now walks into the closing with an impressive and festive gift basket from Baskets by Rita. He already knows the client, so whether it's a beer tub, wine gift basket, gourmet gift basket he pays the money for it to be a wow factor and make the significant impression as he walks through the door. He said the day he came into the room with a baby gift basket for the couple about to become parents they were so excited. Lasting impressions have perks and he says that the wow factor and the oohs and aahhhs he gets from them carry through. As they thank him as they are leaving, he mentions he would appreciate any referrals they would send his way. When they refer, he has another gift basket sent to their house. He claims this impression has definitely increased his client list. So good impressions are beneficial.

Getting the Best from Your Company's Employees

A owner of a business in the Colorado area provided an interview to a friend's son, a graduate business son planning his thesis. The young man asked questions about marketing, budgeting, and the very best market methods. The dialogue and questions also including business pitfalls and challenges, protecting assets and the problems and practices in increasing sales. The CEO confessed that managing a firm's long-term investments had always been at the center of his energy and determining stakeholders was necessary. Weighing options in every aspect was his answer to the question about best decision-making practice. The 60 minute interview was almost over when the graduate asked his last question about what was the biggest liability and what was the greatest asset in the company. After bumbling through a list of financial jargon, the CEO stopped unexpectedly and thought carefully before saying that all of that was secondary because the employees could be the greatest asset or they could be the greatest liability. The folks working for you can make or break the company. Simple as that. The CEO then took our friend's son out to lunch and they continued to discussion. The conversation included examples from the CEO's working experience when he worked at a restaurant through college and when he managed various establishments. He had many examples of how good workers actually made the company money and the managers and owners did not always know it or recognize it. At the same time, a rude or incompetent or an employee with a bad attitude could ruin not only the sale at the time, but later. They discussed about the television show Undercover Bosses where CEOs pretend to be new employees on the ground level for a week to actually get some in field experience and insight. The CEO admitted that he had thought of doing that. The two of them throughout lunch talked about different episodes and came to the realization that employees do make or break a company. And usually what they want most even more than money or raises is to be dealt with respectfully and to have their efforts acknowledged. They want a thank you of some kind whether it be just a sincere thanks, a gift card, money, a promotion of a gift. The graduate shared that his mom who had been an administrative assistant had just quit her job the week before saying she had just had enough. Her boss not only did not see what she had done but did not seem to care about rewarding anyone. When she suggested he give gift cards he said that was fine but she would have to give them and write the note and he put her on a small budget. After a year she suggested they give time off to employees but he refused saying. She realized morale was extremely low and he did agree and she was to come up with something. She told him to come into the next morning meeting, which employees hated, with food. He told her to get some cheap donuts from the supermarket. She started just standing up to him and said no, he needed to spend some bucks and get quality pastries or food and quality coffee boxes from the Panera Bread down the street. He appointed her to do it and to be sure it was there on time. It worked and employees liked it. She needed a different idea for the mid afternoon meetings. So when she saw the huge basket delivered next door with all kinds of treats for employees she was impressed and contacted the basket company, Baskets by Rita. For the same money they put together a large basket with goodies to put in the break room for everyone to enjoy. It was big and they delivered it to her that day. The boss walked in with the Thank You Gift Basket and there were cheers from the once tired employees. The student made an appointment the next day with his adviser to change his thesis topic to center on the importance of gratitude and acknowledgment for employees contending that they are the most valuable long term investment.

Football and Beer!

So how is your favorite team doing this season? It is football season again and for those of us who really like football we live for this time of year. Not only is it wonderful weather to go to games but we balk at the fact it has been a long dry season in the sporting world since Superbowl time last year. Hopefully each of us is looking at the teams, playing fantasy football and making predictions. For guys it provides a piece of interaction for any place we find ourselves. There is also the unfamiliar and best hopes for our popular football team to do well this season. Everybody seems to be talking about the replacement refs and how soon will regular football refs be back on the fields. It is way too convenient to get so irritated about it that you find yourself ranting and raving. That is what has been happening at my residence. I whine and moan and groan and am short tempered with my wife and she does not warrant that. She is such a smart football wife that to get mad is not the way she handles things. She incredibly uses good will and humor. I am so fortunate. After this weekend and my terrible mood I did not rightfully deserve to get anything for my birthday yesterday. I was in Denver and she had a beer and nut gift basket from Baskets by Rita delivered to my hotel. Since one of my favorite teams was the Denver Broncos the tub she ordered was a Bronco one and she wrote a terrific message using her awesome humor to help get me grounded. It was awesome. I called her and decided to have flowers sent the next day. I normally do that. So since I'm gone for a week, I called the lady at baskets by Rita and she's sending a gourmet wine basket to my wife. Good move on my part cuz my wife will not expect it. Us guys are not very creative or good about gifts but I am really darn happy and pleased with myself. My pop is a diehard Green Bay Packers fan so I sent him a sympathy basket. He will love it and really get a kick out of it. My mom was raised and is loyal to the Giants, have been raised in NYC, so I'm having a Congratulations basket sent to her arriving the same day. Can hardly wait to speak to my parents. They are always coming up with gifts and ways to help my wife and me so this would be great. This ref strike has certainly got everyone talking. The good news is that it gives friends something else to talk about besides politics. Our secretary really gets on all of us though and she says we should be feeling sorry for those poor replacement refs. Without them we couldn't watch any football at all. I guess that is true because) they don't have the training and we should probably be offering them some thanks. So since I have done my part I think people who know any replacement refs should give them some sympathy and probably send a good luck gift.

Medical School Exams Stress Relievers

Individuals who already know college students who are either applying to medical school or preparing to take medical licensing exams know of how stressful they are. Just because everyone is cheering on a candidate does not take off the extremely intense pressure they sense. Whether it is the medical students entrance exam or one of licensing exams they have a lot at stake and feel their whole future is resting on that particular test. Financially each exam not passed brings on more financial burdens to them and they probably have already piled up high loans. So whether a person is taking the MCAT the Medical College Admission Test as a med school entrance exam or the the USMLE the United States Medical Licensing Exam or FSMB Federation of State Medical Boards they all mean high stress. No one can take the exam or go through it for them so all others can do is support them to continue the degree programs, whether it be for a Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or Doctor of Podiatric Medicine or even a masters of physician assistant program. Since so much is riding on the licensing in getting the medical degree phone calls of support are supportive but phone texts are even better since they can read them at their ease of use. A med students schedule is heavy and free time and relaxation are limited. It is always beneficial to let them know you are thinking of them and you know how challenging these times are and that they have your support. You can send a card. You can order a stress and anxiety relief gift to be delivered to help them through those long study hours. University of Colorado med students have enjoyed the Med Student Care Package and Board Exam Gift from Baskets by Rita of Aurora. Located just down the street Baskets by Rita does ship across the United States so care packages are not limited to the Denver area or just Colorado. They are pretty adorable and come in a doctor RX box. They have also been used for doctors to send to amazing patients or students they have mentored or as a thank you from a med student to thank a professor/doctor. Set up as the med student care package and board exam gift for support might have been the intent but they will customize it for a patient to send to thank a doctor or even for someone to send as a get well gift with a card saying just what the doctor ordered for you to get well. Minimizing anxiety and showing emotional support are a definite positive impact on good mental health. Treats and good wishes are always welcome and relieve stress and show thanks, concern, care, best wishes.

Unique baby gift

Superb tip for sending a unique, cute, adorable and unusual baby gift is to order a baby girl or baby boy welcome wagon. The cute little red wagons hold lots of baby gift items that are practical for newly born children. Knowing that it is always exciting to send something unusual for the new baby is a difficult task. Usually individuals call the medical center gift shop for the same, mundane gifts they have. They have the usual blue and pink floral arrangements which are nice but do not last and are tricky to carry home. That kind of baby gift is soon forgotten. They also have baby gift baskets but you may find that the parents have already gotten at least one or more from the hospital gift shop. Asking the gift shop worker does not assure you that visitors have popped into the gift shop and purchased the same gift. I was humiliated to stop in and purchase a cute basket and went up to her room to see two similar baskets from other people. That meant I had to go back down and switch it for something really ordinary in the gift shop. The worst part was that it definitely took the thrill of my gift giving away. They were apologetic as was I apologetic and embarrassed. When the the gift shop person just rolled her eyes about wanting to exchange it, I had just had it and instructed her I wanted a refund. In the parking lot of the Denver hospital I met a gentleman and lady carrying in these adorable pink baby girl and blue baby boy gift red wagons. That is exactly what I had wanted to walk in with something that caused the couple to ooh and aah about. I just flat out stopped them and asked where they got them. They had ordered them from a basket store near the Denver hospital called Baskets by Rita. Cut little welcome baby wagon that were the great birth gift. They were definitely different baby gifts and practical and fun. They told me Baskets by Rita also has a big brother/sister line of baskets that they gave one time. I got on my iphone and without delay called Baskets by Rita and ordered one of the little red wagon as a baby welcome gift for the newborn. It was simple to arrange to have it delivered to their house when they got home from the hospital. When they got home with the new baby and got the baby welcome wagon, they immediately called me and said I just had to come over to see the new baby and the adorable wagon. So from now on the hospital gift shop will not be my first solution for sending gifts or flowers.

Are you hosting a Denver Convention?

Conferences are not inexpensive. They can make a big impression and intricate planning is important. Not only are thesymposiums expensive for the host, but also for the attendees. Participants and companies are not easily parted with their dollars and they want to be convinced and reassured that they have invested their time and funds well. Post reviews show that little details make a huge difference. Throwing a conference or convention together without consideration to the littlest details can spell disaster. So the steps to take as a promoter and host for the conference/convention are to find a great venue. Knowing your would-be attendees is key whether you choose a location that is a limited distance for them to drive or choosing a great getaway for companies to see and experience a new city. Check out the cost of the building and ask for details. Do not choose busy times of the year for holidays, family vacations or a busy time for the businesses targeted. For example, as retailers do their buying for summer sports equipment, late spring and early summer or not the time to entice them. They are busy and they have already purchased their items for the year. Next you must analyze the schedule to be sure the timing is good. If you overbook they may not have spare time to enjoy themselves. If you do not offer adequate workshops or variable schedules of interest, they will not feel they gained anything from the conference or convention. Try to get a keynote speaker or two to draw a crowd. Advertise early to get them to lock into your event first on their calendars. It even works to offer a discount enticement for early signup. Do assign an expert to offer all information the convention goer will need from airport transportation to hotel registration and maps. Of course your major concern will be the conference content itself. So plan to keep it moving, keep it efficient, keep it stimulating. It is better to have more concise sessions with question/answer free time to chat and connect than to have participants leaving long sessions because they are tired or feel they are hearing repetitive information and facts. The first impact will make a significant difference. Efficiency and getting information to help airport/hotel/conference center logistics run smoothly will set off the tone of the convention. It is also important that when they arrive there are plenty of welcome folks available to set that upbeat positive tone and answer questions. The check-in table should include all the information they will need. And you always must be willing to put out the money for freebies. Our company attended a conference in a small city in a mid-western town. It was obvious they were trying to save money and got the conference center and food cheap. We paid a alot for a rental car to drive the 2 hours to the locations and stay in a small 2 star hotel/motel conference center. The pretzels and vats of bad coffee set the tone for a lengthy two days ahead. The next year we chose to go to the Denver Convention Center and what a big difference. Flying into DIA was so impressive with those attractive mountains as a backdrop. Our hotel was attached to center and there were all kinds of restaurants, night life, shopping nearby. We found a cool Conference Welcome Basket from a local basket company in Aurora. It was a box with all sorts of Colorado snacks. That convention rocked and we will go again next year.

Are you hosting a Denver Convention?

Conferences are not inexpensive. They can make a big impression and intricate planning is important. Not only are thesymposiums expensive for the host, but also for the attendees. Participants and companies are not easily parted with their dollars and they want to be convinced and reassured that they have invested their time and funds well. Post reviews show that little details make a huge difference. Throwing a conference or convention together without consideration to the littlest details can spell disaster. So the steps to take as a promoter and host for the conference/convention are to find a great venue. Knowing your would-be attendees is key whether you choose a location that is a limited distance for them to drive or choosing a great getaway for companies to see and experience a new city. Check out the cost of the building and ask for details. Do not choose busy times of the year for holidays, family vacations or a busy time for the businesses targeted. For example, as retailers do their buying for summer sports equipment, late spring and early summer or not the time to entice them. They are busy and they have already purchased their items for the year. Next you must analyze the schedule to be sure the timing is good. If you overbook they may not have spare time to enjoy themselves. If you do not offer adequate workshops or variable schedules of interest, they will not feel they gained anything from the conference or convention. Try to get a keynote speaker or two to draw a crowd. Advertise early to get them to lock into your event first on their calendars. It even works to offer a discount enticement for early signup. Do assign an expert to offer all information the convention goer will need from airport transportation to hotel registration and maps. Of course your major concern will be the conference content itself. So plan to keep it moving, keep it efficient, keep it stimulating. It is better to have more concise sessions with question/answer free time to chat and connect than to have participants leaving long sessions because they are tired or feel they are hearing repetitive information and facts. The first impact will make a significant difference. Efficiency and getting information to help airport/hotel/conference center logistics run smoothly will set off the tone of the convention. It is also important that when they arrive there are plenty of welcome folks available to set that upbeat positive tone and answer questions. The check-in table should include all the information they will need. And you always must be willing to put out the money for freebies. Our company attended a conference in a small city in a mid-western town. It was obvious they were trying to save money and got the conference center and food cheap. We paid a alot for a rental car to drive the 2 hours to the locations and stay in a small 2 star hotel/motel conference center. The pretzels and vats of bad coffee set the tone for a lengthy two days ahead. The next year we chose to go to the Denver Convention Center and what a big difference. Flying into DIA was so impressive with those attractive mountains as a backdrop. Our hotel was attached to center and there were all kinds of restaurants, night life, shopping nearby. We found a cool Conference Welcome Basket from a local basket company in Aurora. It was a box with all sorts of Colorado snacks. That convention rocked and we will go again next year.

Ideas to Improve Company Morale

Today's writing features tips acquired from a few businesses about how to raise morale and not lose excellent employees. Striving to keep the workplace positive should be of major concern to CEOs and bosses. Losing revenue and time is a big concern. If workers are content and like to come to work production increases. If they feel that they are part of the team and that they are appreciated they become engaged to the company. Factory formed thank yous and predictable pats on the back even increases and the same exact bonuses or gifts or treats reduce their impact after awhile. In fact employees begin to bank on expected gratitudes and gifts and treats. If you provide donuts every Friday it becomes the standard and just a natural part of the work schedule. If you supply a gift card for every 10 sales it becomes expected and if you miss one you will get frustration instead of thanks for the gift cards you have given. Remember the movie with Chevy Chase in the Christmas movie where he counts on the yearly bonus from work and when it is not given one year the boss becomes the bad guy in everyone's eyes. In the movie and in real life people just expect the bonus, money gift, turkey, whatever is the norm every year. Often they order good or spend the money before it even comes in. For that reason corporations need to be very careful not to do the same thing week after week or month after month or year after year. Food treats should not be the same because they become expected and actually become rather tiresome. Some would say that cash is always the best way to go because everyone can spend it however they want. True, but it also can get old. If you throw out a dollar at the weekly meeting one week for something, the next week you get a gourmet coffee cart. If you provide a grocery card for Christmas one year you need to deliver a gourmet gift basket the next year. If you provide lunch a day one month you need to do something unique the next month. Most executives feel that this type of imagination is not a part of their positions and it is not important. Morale boosters are very important. business appreciation are the most effective way to say thanks for a job well done and to encourage hard work in the future. Most of the time organizations use administrative assistants to find ideas and put together the thank you. For women bouquets and spa packages and gift cards work. For men beer tubs, hardware/home improvement gift cards are excellent. Restaurant gift certificates are good too. You just have to get innovative. Corporate Gifts or Company gifts can be difficult when you are including a lot of people in one office--it could be a gesture of empathy or a thank you gift to a whole office or company. You either have food delivered or if you are worried about food spoilage send a large corporate gift basket with various items. My company has put the burden on me, the administrative assistant, to come up with two new ideas each month to spend only $300 on the 20 employees. They said I need to find gifts of thank you gifts to include everyone. I am looking for new tips for next month but this month we have seen a big difference in favorable attitude around the office after my two appreciation gifts were done. The first was for each employee to find one dollar bills in various places during a week. This last week to thank them for their efforts, we had a Chocolate and Coffee Gift Basket arrive to overpower the snack table. After hearing workers talking about the Aurora movie theatre shooting victims, we chose an Aurora gift basket company, Baskets by Rita and we were not disappointed. So remember to thank your employees and show appreciation for a job well done and to encourage hard work.

Token of Appreciation

 It is challenging to find unusual and sincere and unique ways of saying thank you to someone you value or endorse. To give honor to their skills and work by commending them for support. You want them to be aware of your thankfulness what they have done for you or for others or for the agency. To recognize that is the first step. To let the individual know you sincerely and truly appreciate them and acknowledge them is extremely important. Giving thanks is not just for Thanksgiving anymore. You must offer and endorse the behaviors you want to see continue. So the first phase is to be aware of showing appreciation and acknowledging it. That does not mean going overboard all the time and having to give lots of gifts or money for every little thing. Studies have found that people respond to acknowledgements of even the slightest kind such as a nod or look of approval or an genuine pat on the back. Even a smile and a look of facial gratitute might be ways of endorsing self esteem and showing you like and recognize what has been done or said. These phrases of appreciation and acknowledgment reveal tribute to the person and show that you value them. Saying thank you works. Now if you overdo it for every little thing it thanks and appreciation lose their value. It has to fit your personal style and must be sincere. Sincere gratitude and the word here is sincere is huge. For a company praise of any kind is good but eventually and periodically you need to put your money where your mouth is and offer something as appreciation of service and recognition of gratitute. That token of appreciation could be money such as a raise or cash with a thank you note. And you have to mix it up a little bit too. If you know the person shops at a certain store or enjoys a particular coffee house or restaurant you could give gift certificates. They are always appreciated. This works if you also do not want to make a big deal or applaud out loud for everyone to see or hear. Sometimes you do and you want others to step up so they too will get those monetary awards. So the looks, the thank you words, the notes and the random gift cards work. If you feel you want something with more of a wow factor then consider an genuine gift that wows. The problem with money or gift cards is that they are definitely appreciated but have an exact value and the amount given one employee can be perceived by others as a rating scale by what they get. My firm has small gift cards that are consistent for certain things then we started going to get plaques engraved and people displayed them for a while but are now gone and seem to be old hat to everyone. The secretaries said it is taking too much effort to go out and shop for these prizes and that employees compare how much we spend on one compared to another. One of our secretaries found an Aurora based gift basket company that she now calls and has a gift basket or pail made up and delivered to us. It is so convenient. Sometimes she just orders one of the baskets online from Baskets by Rita and tells them what to put on the card. More often recently she has been writing a note on the order or even calling and asking that the basket be original. She just gives the price we want to pay and they put together a different gift basket crate box or pail every time. That way employees have no idea what amount we spent and theirs is unique. It is good way to say, "Thank You!- Thanks a Million Gift Basket." http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Excellent Birthday Gift Idea

 All good friends know that they will get either beer, a bottle of wine or flowers I grabbed on the way to see them. It was successful for a while, but now it seems to be just too predictable. Looking for a varied birthday gifts can take a lot of time. Today I went looking for my best buddy which should be easy. I know exactly what he will like so it should have been very easy. I ended up just going to a big box store and getting a gift card. They used to have small cool wooden crate type things to put the gift card in but not anymore. So that was alright but really mundane. Last Sunday my spouse was out of town and asked me to go out and get products to put in a basket for her cousin who was bringing her daughter to Colorado to start college. My wife emailed me a list of all the wares to buy for the basket so I went to find it. She puts in mostly Colorado products like sweets, potato chips, salsa, tortilla chips, nut products, Colorado water, tea drink, coffee, beef jerky, cheeses, crackers, and honey sticks. First I could not find a basket in the food market and only a few of the goods. I finally quit because it was taking forever to look and be sure I had Colorado made foods. My neighbor was also shopping and I revealed my irritation when she recommended just going to our business district and going into the major home specialty shop and having them help me. I did that and it was helpful but I was shocked at how much it expense, including the basket. They offered to help me put it all together in the basket and put on a nice big bow. It looked great and my wife was not surprised at the cost of buying the items there. She goes to 7 or 8 different places to buy all the merchandise and helps save about twenty dollars. Now that is just far too much effort. An simpler way is just to go online and find a gift basket shop that will do it and deliver it. My wife and I argued over the cost, so to prove my point I found a number of baskets at Baskets by Rita which is a Colorado based company. They have a Colorado wooden crate that is cooler than typical baskets. Even after the delivery cost, it turned out it was less costly than us doing it ourselves. So getting back to the birthday gift idea I saw the crate and decided to order one and have it delivered to my house so I could see how it looked. It came and was excellent. My wife and I agreed that they do a much more professional job of putting it together and it looks amazing. Plus it turned out to be less expensive than doing it ourselves. They have a great selection so that is my plan from now on when buying Birthday Gift Baskets. http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Off to College

Can't believe that school is almost beginning since August has already arrived. Summer goes quick. Kids are back in school and for me it is hardest to say goodbye to the young adults who are my family members who are going back to college. It was so enjoyable to see them all summer and now some are packing up getting ready to go to school. Most of the kids I know go to Colorado State University in Fort Collins or Colorado University in Boulder. Two are going to Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Actually there are two of my cousins kids who are coming to schools in Colorado. My friend is making up little gift bags for each kid with cookies and goodies from the grocery store to help get them stocked up for dorm life. She has bought chips, dip, candy, nuts, and snacks and put them into a bucket. They turned out pretty cute. When I asked her how much it cost she said she had no idea. I had a tough time finding a bucket and filling it with stuff to look good. It just did not appear to be enough. Then I started adding up the cost because I knew I needed to go purchase more stuff to make it look good. I just that wow factor for college students when they get to school. I know they may be a touch homesick and this is the best thing I can do for them and probably more for their parents. Shoving the stuff in the bucket is alright and it gets the job done. After making two of the buckets my next door neighbor suggested I check out Places to Go Gift Basket. She told me this after she was amazed at how much I had spent on each gift. Her business uses Baskets by Rita for all the gift baskets they send to visiting clients. There are trendy wooden crates with mountains and the word Colorado on them crammed with products from Colorado. After checking out the website of Baskets by Rita I do not dare tell my husband that I actually might have sent a Colorado crate for the same price or even less expensive than I spent on my own. http://www.basketsbyrita.com

Baskets By Rita, a Colorado Gift Basket Company, Celebrates its 20th Anniversary

Ten years after being laid off from Agilent Technologies, Marge Van Woerkom and her business, Baskets By Rita, are still going strong. As a previous Reporter Herald article outlined, Van Woerkom was one of many Loveland residents who found themselves unemployed in 2002 when HP and Agilent downsized. After 19 years of working for HP and Agilent, Van Woerkom refused to be a victim of her situation. She pulled herself together after the lay off and bought an existing business in Aurora, Colorado. She chose not to change the company's existing name, Baskets By Rita, which already had a strong reputation in the Denver metro area and this choice has served her well. "We've built our business on the philosophy that the customer come first" says Van Woerkom.
Since Van Woerkom took ownership of the company, she has managed to grow sales despite the economic recession of the past few years. In addition, she has grown the company's clientele and web presence year over year with the help of her staff and dedicated members of her family. As a sign of its ongoing growth, Baskets By Rita began plans several months ago to create a sister company, Gift Agent. Gift Agent will offer customers a slightly more specialized product line packaged in specialty boxes which will allow the company to be more eco-friendly and create more of a recognized brand identity. The hope is that receiving a gift from Gift Agent will be comparable in recipients' minds to receiving a box of Godiva chocolates. While Gift Agent gives cause for much excitement at Baskets By Rita, that is not the only exciting news for the company.
This year, Baskets By Rita is celebrating it's 20th year of business. While many other gift basket companies have gone out of business, Van Woerkom and her staff have managed to maintain steady growth despite the public's growing need to economize. To show their gratitude for the continued support of their customers and celebrate their 20 years of success, Baskets By Rita has planned a series of sales promotions for each month of the year. These promotions include deals such as 15% off when you spend $50 or more and a gift of a free basket for the winner of a video commercial contest. For every dollar saved by their customers through these ongoing promotions, Baskets By Rita will donate a dollar to a local charity. Each month, the company will choose two local charities to support and they will match the savings of their customers to determine the donation amount. The best part of this campaign is that customers are encouraged to vote for their favorite charities so that everyone can be involved. As a local business, Baskets By Rita does its best to support local programs and Van Woerkom is excited to have an excuse to give back even more than her usual holiday charitable donations. Like us on Facebook and vote for your local charity. When doing so we will send you a coupon code for 20% off your next purchase.

A Perfect Time to De-stress

If you know a Tax accountant, CPA, new lawyer or a student, you may be aware of the stresses they undergo this time of year. Preparing for and cranking through reams of paperwork or cramming for midterms, finals, or that big test can certainly take it out of someone. You many times can't be there to help them, but want to demonstrate to them that you are thinking of them. There is no need for you to stress out trying to come up with something to lighten their stress, so we have a few ideas. These are quick to choose and easy to order if you feel it's ideal for your situation. These items are organized in two categories – first items to help someone get through the peak period. These are generally caffeine and chocolate rich items that will help keep them going. Second are items to help them wind down. One thing busy people can always use is a few munchies to hold them over until their next meal or to help them with their all nighter. Baskets by Rita has a few recommendable ideas for gifts that can help that student, lawyer or CPA during those long days. For the caffeine hooked night owl, there's the Chocolate and Coffee basket that combines assorted chocolates with Starbucks cappuchino and coffees. Here are two tastes that are sure to please and keep things cranking into the wee hours. If they don't enjoy coffees but could still use a bit of caffeine, a stress relief basket might be the perfect gift. This basket includes a can of Red Bull with a wonderful variety of munchies. They also get a stress ball to squeeze when a client (or professor) is being exceptionally difficult. The survival gift basket is another sensible choice. It contains caffeine both in the Monster drink as well as the cappuccino. It also contains a quality mix of fast munchies to sustain them. OK, so much for the caffeine filled choices. You could really help them relax after a long day. If caffeine is the last thing they require, you might choose something to help them relax after a stressful day. Our first option is focused on the hard-working lady. A great choice for relaxation is the survival gift basket. Another great Earth Friendly eco gift option for you to choose. Our designer nylon eco shopping bag is filled with all the great products in Our new bath gift basket. This gift will help her shed the day's stresses and take a refreshing plunge into the luxurious world of scented pampering. She deserves it! We include soothing lotion, body scrub, bath gel, a mesh sponge, violet hand cream, a beautifully scented sachet, loofah, candles and more. Pamper her with this beautiful gift basket for a women. A gift that will relieve the overstressed frantic people in your life is a gift indeed. If you like this article please follow us on Facebook or Twitter. http://www.facebook.com/basketsbyrita http://twitter.com/basketsbyrita

Bunnies Easter And Eggs Hum!

Have you ever asked yourself where the story of the Easter Bunny comes from? I mean really, do the Easter Bunny and colored eggs really say anything about Jesus' resurrection? The answer is no. The folklore of the Easter Bunny dates back to the 13th century and came from pre-Christian Germany. The pagan people of that time period revered a variety of gods and goddesses. The goddess of spring and rebirth was known as Eostra, which is where the word Easter came from. As you may know, spring is the season of new life. On account of this, Eostra's representation was the rabbit. The rabbit indicates regeneration since rabbits are well recognized for their significant rate of breeding. Eventually, this representation of Eostra lead to other myths and in the 1500s, the first account of the Easter Bunny was published. Now that you know where the Easter Bunny comes from you are possibly curious to know about the eggs. Eggs have been a symbolic representation of fertility for ages and were likely incorporated in early pagan celebrations of spring. As Christianity became more widespread in Europe and in Germany, previous pagan practices began to merge with fresh Christian holidays. Today, we recognize that Easter eggs represent Jesus' resurrection. Over time the Easter Bunny myth developed even further and turned into what we know it as today. Similar to the folklore of Santa Clause, parents in Germany would tell their little ones that if they were well behaved the Easter Bunny would appear and lay eggs that the children could trade for candy and other goodies. People began the tradition of making nests for the eggs and these nests ultimately morphed into the vivid colored Easter baskets that we have these days. The story of the Easter Bunny first came to the USA in the 1700s when German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania. At present, this Easter tradition is a common aspect of our culture as are heaps of other norms which come from the homes of our immigrant ancestors. If you would like to play the Easter Bunny this year, purchase a basket such as our Easter Basket for Children - Boys for someone you love. Baskets By Rita has quite a few Easter baskets to consider and is providing 10% off all Easter gift baskets for the whole month of March. Our Easter Basket for children - boy's basket is both fun and tasty. Our white willow basket is filled with bugs themed coloring sketch pad, activity book, 12 pk of crayola crayons, plastic filled eggs, M&M candies, Starburst candy, crayon tube filled with chocolate covered sunflower seeds yes the crayon top really writes, Disney straw, Jelly Belly beans, gold fish crackers, plush Easter bunny, 2 toy bugs, Hot Wheels cars, mini soccer ball, sports themed rubber duckie, Easter cookies, mini squirt gun, popcorn, playing cards and a chocolate bunny. This filled Easter Basket is a great way to say "Happy Easter" to those special boys far away. When you are done with the food, you can keep the basket for your next Easter egg hunt. We can customize this basket to make it more appropriate for younger or older kids, just mention the child's age in the additional information box at checkout. http://www.basketsbyrita.com/assets/images/easter-baskets-for-children-boys.jpg  http://www.basketsbyrita.com