Graceful Baskets fills gift needs
Local resident Grace Little found a way to weave her hobby into a creative business venture, one she intends to take on full time later this year upon retirement from employee health services at an area hospital.
Little developed a specialty gift basket service about two years ago in her home. Within a few months she discovered the need for more space and found a small Spokane Valley office that could be her workshop and storage.
A couple of weeks ago, the entrepreneur renamed her business Graceful Baskets to better reflect her services of designing custom-made gift baskets for all occasions.
“I would make baskets as gifts for other people. I enjoyed it,” said Little of first deciding she could join the handful of others in the area offering similar gift products.
Graceful Baskets had first been named Gable Box Gifts Gourmet Gift Baskets. The new name better represents the business and rolls off the tongue much easier, says Little, who provides $10 delivery service in the Spokane area and also mails nationwide.
Little offers a variety of gift themes, from thank you, staff appreciation, and welcome home to new baby and happy birthday and even get well and bereavement. Gift items can include food, spa creations, soy candles, books and chocolates. They can be in baskets, boxes, mugs and diaper bags. The possibilities, the owner says, are endless and she is open to suggestion for custom gifts.
“A lot of my business is special order. People call with a budget and leave it to me,” Little says. “I theme it according to what the event is.”
Prices range from $15 for a mug package to larger gift baskets starting at about $60. Her latest creation is the $90 Spokane basket that includes locally created chocolates, wine, a book, candle and more from the Inland Northwest.
She attempts to make every effort to include something Northwest in other offerings, including the locally made diaper bags for the new baby package.
Each gift basket or mug is wrapped in cellophane with a hand tied bow, and a personal message is included if requested by the customer.
Little says she hopes customers will recognize her gift basket service for the creativity, prompt service and affordable prices.
In the past year, Little said she doubled her sales and currently finds herself averaging 20 gift packages per week.
“My goal is to build my business in the next six months so when I retire I’m ready to go full time,” she says.
In other business
Pure Beauty has moved from the Spokane Valley Mall to 1319 N. Argonne Road, and owner Amber Doyle is preparing for a grand re-opening next Saturday.
Doyle, who opened her business last October, says the new locale offers a cozy environment and the ability to grow her business that specializes in natural skin and body products that are made without petro-chemicals or synthetic preservatives, fragrances or dyes.
The new location is a brick retail building that once was a home, and Doyle is setting up the separate rooms for massage therapy starting in April and an esthetician soon after.
The phone number remains the same at (509) 928-2766. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit online at www.purebeautyonline.com.