Branding Gift Packaging

Helping Retailers Build Their Businesses

Tissue Paper Flowers

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Tissue Paper Flowers
Instructable.com has beautiful images of tissue paper flowers along with instructions.
If a handmade gift is what you need to make an occasion special, learn to make tissue paper flowers. They make up in a hurry, can be customized in style and color and may last a long time. In an hour you can whip up a gift that friends will rave over.

Tissue Paper Supplies

What you need: Tissue paper (one 20 x 26-inch or 20 x 30-inch sheet makes three flowers. Usually, a group of three blossoms makes a nice small bouquet, but you might want to splurge with a full-blown arrangement of a dozen.) To make 12 flowers, have 12 sheets in the color or colors you desire, 12 pipe cleaners or flexible florists’ wire, scissors or wire cutters and a ruler or measuring tape. If you plan to complete the gift with a vase, choose it to match and have it ready. It’s easier to match before you complete the flowers than go back and try to match later. Touches of ribbon or lace, buttons or beads can be used to enhance your flowers if you like.

Instructions

Stack three sheets of unfolded tissue paper on a flat surface with a wider edge facing you. Take the bottom edge and fold it over one inch . Then flip it over and fold it back on the other side. (Remember when you made paper fans when you were in school?) Continue folding an inch at a time until you have a paper “accordion.”

Fold the accordion in half. Double the pipe cleaner. Wrap about an inch and a half from the center of the pipe cleaner around the middle of the accordion. Twist the remainder of the pipe cleaner to make the stem. Take two more pipe cleaners and repeat the process about 6-7 inches from the center. Cut the paper into three equal-sized pieces with the pipe cleaner in the center. Adjust if necessary.

Cut rounded edges on each end of the three flowers, trimming as necessary so the outer layers and the inner ones will match. (You can use the cut-off trimmings in the bottom of the vase for “confetti.”)

While holding the “stem,” gently open the accordion, pulling the top layer straight all the way around the flower. Be gentle to avoid ripping the paper. Finally, flip the flower upside down and gently run your fingers from the center stem to the edge, gently pressing the bottom layer down toward the middle layer.

Arrange the first layer in the vase by slightly bending the stems so the flowers face outwards. Keep adding layers, with the top layer standing slightly taller. Tinker until you feel your bouquet is just as you like it.

After the first try, you can go wild with colors and combinations that can coordinate with the occasion. You’ll find you’ve added a fun and useful skill to your catalog of creative gift-making.

Related Flower Tissue Paper Websites

You can always buy flowers ready made. We found some cute ones at:

Etsy.com
Crafts For Children

Make Your Branded Products Stand Out

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Shoppers today are visually driven.
Shoppers today are visually driven.
How can you make your unique brand stand out against the competition in the retail space?

Little Things Could Make A Big Difference

For instance, you can now obtain specially designed stamps and customized logo designs created especially for small businesses and it is not expensive. The end point should always point to a clear and cohesive brand. It should be so unique that the customer may forget the name, but remember the pleasure of the purchase.

Some hints for effective branding and creative business, both online and offline:

Develop Your Online Assets

Begin with analyzing what makes your product unique. Then try to make that special quality obvious through branding, through the use of color and imagery, a logo or any other means that will imprint on the mind of the customer.

Perfect Your Product Labels

Shoppers today are very visually driven. Products that are attractive to buy and that remain attractive when they are displayed in the home are what customers want. Customize labels, boxes and containers to reflect the message you want to send. The packaging is the culmination of the effort you are making to positively identify your product. Labels, stickers and hangtags are handy for specific details. If you are looking at wholesale transactions, remember that a crush-proof exterior is essential.

Hone Marketing Materials

Business cards and supplemental marketing materials are part of the marketing and branding process. Thank-you cards and postcards are ways to extend the relationship between you as the seller and your customer, human touches that invite a return visit. Handwritten notes work, if feasible.

Generate Or Take Advantage Of In-person Events

Find a way to display your products at small events.
Core marketing materials don’t need to change, but if you are displaying your products in a booth, make the signage consistent with what has worked for you before. Your established colors, logo and brand imagery should stay the same. When packaging goods for in-person shoppers, try to make bags as attractive as possible, so they can advertise for you as they continue browsing. Include a business card and care instructions for use of the product if necessary.

Limit Expenses

Don’t forget to include packaging and promotion when considering what your product costs. Make what you can and look for economical and expedient options for what you must purchase. Research companies that make the products you need and try to cultivate a good working relationship with the one that works for you. Don’t overstock. Get quotes on different sized orders. Some companies will require minimums, but there is lots of competition among those who provide packaging and you may be able to bargain.

Small Business Vs Big Retailers

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Small retailers are faced with many problems trying to be competitive.
Small retailers are faced with many problems trying to be competitive.
The total share retail sales generated by ecommerce continues to grow, but experts are advising that five current marketing trends may challenge small ecommerce operations. They include:

Competition In Pricing And Shipping

Dozens and even hundreds of sellers list identical products on marketplaces. Nothing but price differentiates them. That may hurt smaller retailers that don’t have the buying power of the larger outlets. And when the larger competitors offer free shipping, the incentives for shoppers tilt again in their favor. The trend is expected to grow this year. The biggies such as Amazon and Walmart have shipping facilities dotted around the country that allow them to ship from the facility nearest to the customer. As many as 60 percent or orders can be handled in the metropolitan area where the customer lives. That may mean the buyer will pay less and receive the goods faster. Small retailers would do well to look for unique or private labels to sell, decreasing their competition with the larger retailers.

Competing With Manufacturers

The classic model in retail is for the store to buy products wholesale from manufacturers or distributors and then resell at a higher price. That may put the small online business in competition with its own suppliers. The easy entry for ecommerce into the market has encouraged many manufacturers to combine wholesale sales to ecommerce outlets with direct sales to customers. Again, the answer for the smaller competitors is to find private label products.

Social Media

Increasingly a tool for marketers, it hasn’t lived up to the expectations. This year may see a change as social becomes more compelling as an alternative to searching. Facebook and Pinterest, in particular, are among the best sources for ecommerce traffic. There are indications that shoppers are more frequently using these platforms to look for wanted items. Small retailers find it a mixed blessing. More exposure vs. the need to manage another selling channel. The advice is to watch developments and if social emerges as a significant ecommerce channel, learn quickly how to compete in t he market and to manage it.

Consumer Loyalty

Hard to win and easy to lose, loyalty is worth the effort, but may also be a challenge for smaller retailers. With fewer resources to put into the game than do the big sellers, that makes it very important to cultivate a good relationship with every customer. It is easier to double the effort to win a loyal customer than to try to regain the relationship when a competitor offers something more.

Creating Content

Content marketing is becoming more important both to win new business and keep loyal customers engaged. Marketers are becoming expert at creating how-to videos, trendy articles and posts that keep the buyer interested. Again, the big retailers may have entire teams to handle this aspect of their business, but even the smallest online store can learn to produce attractive content to keep customers coming. You know your clientele best. Find ways to keep them interested.

Ballotin Candy Boxes – Wholesale Candy Boxes

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Small white ballotin candy boxes filled with fudge are great gifts.
Small white ballotin boxes filled with fudge are great gifts.

Fill Your Ballotin Candy Boxes With Goodies

Making homemade candy is an art that isn’t nearly as scary in reality as you might think. Like all cooking, it is a learned skill that can be honed with practice. And the results? Yummy! Use ballotin candy boxes which are perfect for gifts for all your friends.

My Christmas agenda for many years has included a list of homemade candies that I pass on to my friends with pride. The legacy is enriched by memories of a dear friend, now departed, who taught me some of the tricks of candy-making. Gladly I share with you so you can build a legacy of your own.

Ballontin Candy Boxes at wholesale prices.
Fill your ballotin candy boxes with homemade fudge.

Fudge

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup dry cocoa
  • 1 cup half and half or light cream
  • 2 tablespoons white syrup
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • Dash salt
  • ½ cup walnuts

Butter the sides of a heavy pan and add the ingredients. Try to avoid getting the syrup on the upper parts of the pan. Unmelted sugar crystals can “inoculate” the syrup and cause your candy to be sugary. Cook over medium heat until a few drops of syrup put into cold water hold a firm shape. (236 Degrees on a candy thermometer that has been adjusted to your altitude.)

Pour the syrup into a bowl. Add two tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of vanilla. Let cool until lukewarm (110 degrees). Beat until it begins to lose its gloss. Add ½ cup walnuts if desired. Pour onto a buttered surface to set.

Buttery Peanut Brittle

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup white syrup
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 2/3 cubes of butter
  • 1 ½ cups of raw Spanish peanuts
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda

Stir together in a heavy frying pan. Cook until the sugar is fully melted and the syrup is frothy. Add 1 2/3 cubes of butter and continue cooking until the syrup begins to turn light brown. Add 1 ½ cups of raw Spanish peanuts at 280 degrees and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the syrup is a good tan color, (hard crack stage or 305 Degrees on a candy thermometer). Be careful of overcooking at this stage. When it gets this hot, the syrup tends to over-brown quickly. Remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and stir. The syrup will become “airy,” making a nice crunchy candy. Pour onto a buttered, flat surface.

Now you’re ready for that attractive box that will make your homemade candies the perfect gift for any occasion.

Build On Your Personal Brand Via Media

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How do you build a personal brand? It’s all about getting your name (or the name of your company or product) before as many people as possible. That makes your personal brand a valuable commodity that merits attention. ryan_thogmartin

It may not result in publishing or getting TV interviews, but it does spread the word among your target audience. You set a foundation that lets potential customers know just who you are the what they might expect in an interaction with you. Be honest. If you are laid back and casual and prone to pass on the white shirt and tie bit, say so. You know who you want to impress and they’ll appreciate a straightforward persona.

Ryan Thogmartin, founder and CEO of two innovative companies, DISRUPT Media LLC and Connection Directors LLC, offers suggestions on effective use of social media to enhance your business.

Satisfied Customers

In many businesses, 80 percent of new clients are generated by satisfied customers who pass their impressions along. Word of mouth is the vehicle. In today’s world, social media is how that word of mouth gets around, Thogmartin says. The networking and building via social media is not selling. But when people become aware of you and your product they are likely to remember when they are in the market for what you offer.

Social media gives you the advantage of controlling what others see and hear when they search your name. Build a solid plan around the message you share with them to assure that what they see is what they get if they choose to do business with you. Use your personal Facebook profile to share video, blogs and opinions that broaden your exposure. When it’s appropriate, share posts from your business, making the subtle connection between your as a person and what you do. People who come to trust your personal brand will automatically transfer their opinions to your business brand.

Protecting your reputation is a consideration. Be circumspect in what you post on social media. You are sharing little snippets of what you are as a person and the transfer to what you are as a businessman/woman or business should not be an embarrassment. What you place on social media tends to be around for a long time and you don’t want to be caught up short. Among those likely to see your social media postings are family members, business and church associates, customers and those who might consider becoming customers.

Warren Buffet said it succinctly: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

Using social media to build your personal brand is more important now than ever, Thogmartin says. If you don’t do it effectively now, you can bet your competition is on the move via the route you have neglected.

Valuechecks.net is a brand that offers many cheap checks from a variety of check printing companies. Their brand is built strictly on a huge database of high quality persona checks and business checks.

What brands are you attracted to and why?

About BowsNBags.com

The BowsNBags blog presents retail store owners with resources that will be helpful to them in growing their businesses. From suggesting conferences to attend to finding the best sources for their products, we cover a wide range of simple, helpful tips and suggestions for your retail store operations. On our store front at BowsNBags, we provide our customers with all the supplies they will need to wrap packages for customers, to provide shopping bags for customer and to provide retail gift … Read More

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