The owner of Novel Designs LLC starts with a basket -- be it a traditional woven basket or something more unusual like a laundry basket, stainless steel colander, super-sized plastic storage bin or specialty measuring and mixing bowl -- then fills the baskets with an assortment of hand-picked specialty items.
Voila, a unique gift is born.
Formerly a sales director for a trade magazine, Behrens said she often bought gift baskets for clients, but often felt the baskets lacked creative spirit.
"I really got tired of all the same wicker gift baskets. There's just not a lot of options out there," she said. "So I decided to launch my own business and give people an option. I thought they would become a big thing, especially here in Las Vegas where image is everything."
Behrens started putting a business plan together in August, and officially opened her Internet-based business in December with the intention of providing clients with easy gifts for any occasion. In addition to the business plan, she spent much of her time deciding what sort of products to use in her baskets and researching vendors.
"It took a while to decide on products," she said. "I only wanted to use the highest quality. I had tasting parties when I was picking food items to make sure people liked the products."
Behrens said spa-themed baskets have been her most popular item, a result she attributes to the baskets' versatility.
"You can give them to anyone," she said. "I carry both men's products and women's, so I can design a spa basket for anyone."
The spa baskets often feature items like handmade soaps, sugar cane scrub, soy wax candles and loofah spa slippers. Novel Designs also carries pre-made baskets themed for housewarming celebrations, weddings, baby showers, birthdays and corporate or business events.
Behrens also creates custom baskets based on general themes or specific monetary amounts. She said gift cards for restaurants, spas and pet groomers, among other places, also are a popular component of her baskets.
"I like everything about this job," Behrens said. "The creative part, the customer service -- I personally deliver the baskets, along with my husband and my father-in-law. I have an associate's degree in graphic design and commercial arts, and I love getting to use those artistic skills when I'm putting baskets together."
Novel Designs often receives gift basket orders from out of town, and Behrens delivers many of her baskets to hotels on the Strip.
Mark Sherman, a local accountant, said he decided to give Behrens' gift baskets to his clients during the winter holidays.
"She did a good job of following up," Sherman said. "She delivered them, then e-mailed me to let me know the baskets were delivered, and in the next few days I started to get calls from various people letting me know how much they liked the baskets."
Some of Sherman's clients liked the baskets so much that they ordered more Novel Designs baskets for their own friends, family or clients. Behrens said her Web site also contains helpful information regarding appropriate times to give a basket and advice for creating a personal note to accompany a basket.
"I always include a menu of what's in the basket and a personal note in the baskets, but a lot of times clients don't know what to say, so my Web site has suggestions," Behrens said.
Sherman said he appreciated the personal detail Behrens added to his gift baskets.
"She tailored the baskets I ordered to what I do," he said. "I'm an accountant, and she included coffee beans and a note that said, 'Beans from your favorite bean counter.' I like that she made the extra effort to tailor the baskets to me, so when they went to the client, they looked like a real custom job."
Novel Designs gift baskets vary in price according to contents. For more information or to order a basket, visit www.noveldesignsllc.com.
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