Surprise! I know that you haven’t heard from me in quite awhile but there are two reasons for landing in your email box today.
The first reason is that I received an email today from one of the subscribers to Gift Basket Network asking if I was still sending out emails. She thought that somehow she was no longer on the list.
That made me wonder if perhaps there were others who cared. That is the reason for this email to you today.
First, let me say that I am grateful. Grateful for those of you who followed me and together, we journeyed through the world of gift baskets through the years—going all the way back to 2005 (wow that’s 19 years) when it all began as a directory of gift basket companies. Later, we added the blog and the digital magazine.
It was an exciting time as we learned, shared, and grew our gift basket businesses together. But as time marched on, times and interests changed. Directories were no longer in favor with Google and interests and need for information dwindled.
Therefore, in June, 2022, I announced that I had reached that “fork in the road” with the last issue as subscriptions had declined. The magazine had evolved and changed through the years since March 2010 when Pam Monroe, Sandi Overstreet, and I joined forces to send out the first issue of the only digital magazine for our industry after it became no longer economical to produce a print one.
I left the blog and what was left of the directory online at giftbasketnetwork.com and continued the Facebook group which is still in existence today.
November 29th will be the first anniversary of the death of “the man beneath my wings” creating a whirlwind of emotions, paperwork, decisions, and more in both my personal and business life. There was little time for emails and anything related to business other than maintaining my own gift basket business. Fortunately, I’ve come through this year intact and emotionally healthy.
But I now look at this anniversary as time for another fork in the road. My own gift basket business has changed with a new model, design, and shopping cart. It has survived and is doing well.
So now is the time to look back at the other facet of my business – GiftBasketNetwork. Even though I am paying to maintain the website, it is used little and I no longer have any products to sell there. No magazine, no directory submissions, no ebooks, no paying advertisers. The Facebook group is still somewhat active but it, too, has changed as new people decide to enter the industry.
As I said, I am grateful to those of you who have followed me to this fork in the road. The second reason for this email is to ask you to help me decide which fork to take. If it makes no difference to you and you don’t care, that is fine. But if you still see a need for something related to what I have provided in the past, give me your input and suggestions as I make this decision.
I see the two forks as (1) close it all down completely and just concentrate on my own gift basket business and perhaps create a new and different niche for using my writing skills or (2) evolve what I have created in the past into something new and different that will appeal to those both new in the industry as well as those who are even more experienced than I am.
Time is not a problem. I have lots of it now. But like you in your business, I don’t like creating and producing for free and for those with little interest. Those are the two factors affecting my decision. So if you care or have any interest, email me at orderscreativegifts@gmail.com with your thoughts and suggestions.
I will get back to you in a future email with my decision.
Thank you,
Joyce Reid