Who and What is Behind Gift Basket Business Insider?

It All Began over 30 Years Ago

The statement “we have been there and done that!” is an honest one.

Going all the way back to 1992, Joyce Reid created a local gift company, Creative Gifts to Go,  that mushroomed into a national one.

In 2002, she added GiftBasketNetwork, a membership site that included a worldwide directory of gift companies that sent traffic to our member companies. 

The next step was adding the community in 2008, located first at GiftRetailersNetwork and now as a Facebook group.  We have now combined all these (with the exception of my own ecommerce site ) into this one site at you are looking at today.

But to return to our story:

The two print magazines for the gift basket industry were discontinued in the early 1990’s when print magazines became difficult to remain profitable.  Three gift basket company owners — Joyce, Pam and Sandi decided to create a digital magazine and on March 1, 2010, the first issue was sent out to subscribers.

Gift Basket Business InsiderIt was originally called Gift Entrepreneurs until Entrepreneur Magazine said we were violating their trademark for the word Entrepreneur. We made lemonade from the lemons they threw at us and changed the name to Gift Retailers Connection.  In 2015, we made the decision to concentrate on the Gift Basket industry instead of the broader gift retailers resulting in our final name change to Gift Basket Business Insider.

But as with all things in our world, times and things change.  Evolution is on the march again.

As fewer people became interested in a 20 to 30 page digital magazine, it was discontinued after being published monthly for thirteen years.

But we still have a commitment to sharing years of experience, mistakes made and learned from, and the tips and techniques learned along the way with those who have come behind us.  

And this website is the result.  

Not nearly as important as the history behind this website but a question that is frequently asked is “Just who is behind Gift Basket Business Insider?

Gift Basket Business Insider is a division of Creative Gifts to Go LLC  owned by Joyce Reid

  • Thirty plus years veteran in gift industry
  • Award-Winning Designer
  • Staff writer for Rave Reviews for six years
  • Faculty of Cherie Reagor’s Gift Basket Connection’s Conventions
  • Faculty of Celebrate Xpo! Convention
  • Former SCORE Counselor and President of Flagstaff Arizona SCORE
  • Small Business Coach/Consultant for Coconino County Arizona Small Business Empowerment Program
  • Small Business Influencer Award
  • Wall Street Journal Women of Note Award
  • Featured in print book – A Cup of Cappuccino for the Entrepreneur’s Spirit
  • Owner:  Creative Gifts To Go
  • Published author: Runaway Secrets and E-Commerce Websites that Work plus various E-books and magazine articles for local, regional, and national publications.
  • Former founder/publisher of statewide newspaper
  • Former member of City Council, School Board, and Planning Commission
  • Founder of Magic Curtain Productions Children’s Theatre

A Personal Letter From Joyce to You

I started my gift basket information business which has evolved into this website  because I was sick and tired of get-rich schemes and information that is mostly fluff or thinly-veiled sales pitches.  If you’ve been bouncing around on the Internet and, like me, you’re tired of bombastic, crappy (yes crappy — unfulfilled promises after you pay your hard earned money) information, I want to make sure that your search will end here.

My goal is to make sure you get the best possible information on topics vital to building your business without having to spend a fortune.  Topics like customer retention, both online and offline marketing, successful sales tactics, advertising, add-on niche markets that can increase your income and more.

The information is based on years of tried and tested common sense methods of creating, building, and growing a successful business (by successful, I mean profitable) that has survived the ups and downs of the of the economy.

The key to success is getting all the pieces of the puzzle and fitting them together.  Sometimes that missing piece is so elusive that it takes hearing how someone else fits it in to result into that ah-ha moment.

I am providing you with those pieces.  Take what you need and use it to grow your business.  And when you need help, I am here for you.

But I will NOT be your “Coach.”

Your Mentor, by all means.  But your Coach, never.

People have asked me for years why I don’t offer coaching packages.  You know, the kind where you pay me so many dollars for an hour or a year’s worth of working with you personally to take your business to the next level?

I don’t have anything against coaching, but personally . . . I prefer to earn my money doing what I teach.  And I do earn my money from my own gift basket ecommerce business.

That said, I do have a Facebook group where I, and many other experienced gift basket company owners, answer your questions and provide the mentoring you need.

Never feel that you are alone.  Join in the conversations in our community, share your passion and your knowledge.  Sharing is what make life wonderful!

Your friend and mentor,

Joyce Reid