Needing to Quit. 

Sure, I was really busy, semi-fulfilled with my busyness and even hectic schedule. I felt that Elderberry Creations would be (or become) my future basis for income. It has been “my baby” over the past four years. If it looked like an income was forthcoming, then I was willing to stick it out. But we had $55,000 in sales last year, 1997 our highest year. In this year 1998, only $50,000 so I don’t see it making me rich. Especially while mom and dad are in debt (unbelievable) from the business.

If they want to stick it out, it won’t be for me. I’m not contributing to their going deeper into debt. I’ve done what I could to help build up the business and get our name recognition out there.

Needing to Quit

Mom and I have done the best we could over the past five years. We’ve lived, eaten, slept, and teared for the business. Both of us have grown to hate the holidays. We get irritated by people calling for “custom-ass” baskets.

The best improvements we’ve made to the business are contributions to the industry, through By Design and Gift Basket Review articles and interviews. And our creation and marketing of Lavender Lane and Castles for Baskets. Therefore we’re going to continue with these.

Meanwhile we’re advertising on a new CD ROM 💿 (think pre-internet) for basketeers. Incidentally the guy running the company is giving us free advertising and has asked us to be his west coast distributor for Baby’s First, a popular product we sell a fair amount of. We’ll also represent Special T, another company he bought out. Or rather mom and Jennifer will do that. Supposedly they’ll receive the product here February 1st. It’s a good opportunity to increase our revenue.

There will also be less expenses, as we’re subleasing the back of our space to Ian (who owns the Sorrento Valley Bike Shop nextdoor), as he needs the workroom to expand his bike repair area. Plus, or rather minus, we’re dropping the expense of our unprofitable Yellow Pages ad. So that’s the business recap.

New Beginnings

Mom will continue Candles for Baskets and will do baskets for 911 (a precursor to AOL and Red Envelope🧧Gifts. We sold our database and customer list to a nice Claudia at Expressions. Claudia and other members of Gift Basket Professionals Network are doing a good job of buying up our inventory.

Yes, our talk on January 12th went good up at the Los Angeles Mart! We gave a presentation for other gift basket business owners and designers. Dad was in the audience and I kept on looking at him smiling at me from the back corner. Everything was alright just having dad’s approval.

Friday 22 January, 1999

The decision of Needing to Quit, would lead to my adventure living in Eastern Europe in 1999. Naturally being Sagittarius I take everything to the extreme. (A quality that I’ve worked on tapering down over the decades.)