by Dan Perkins

Deborah Harris says she has always been an arts and crafts person, but the idea to establish a business that supplies specialty gifts only came to her seven years ago, when she received a gift basket at her wedding.  “I told my husband I could do that - and do it a little better – with my own twist,” recalled Harris. 

She started her gift business, Especially For You Gifts, while she was still employed in the pharmaceutical industry.  She would work on assignments in the evenings and on weekends, and slowly developed sales.  The pace quickened after she established a website.  The site provided Harris with exposure to a much larger base of potential customers, including large corporations.

This year, Harris' business entered a very elite club.  Her company was one of 17 minority and women owned businesses selected by Major League Baseball to supply goods and services for the All Star Game, which was held on July 15, 2003 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.  

Her company provided roughly 600 gifts for the All Star Game, and a portion of those gifts went not only to the players, but also the celebrities that participated in the three day event.  “Jerry Reinsdorf even got one of my gifts,” said Harris with an enormous smile.  Having Jerry Reinsdorf, owner and chairman of the Chicago White Sox, receive one of her bags was a special treat for Harris who has been a supplier to the White Sox for several years.

The celebrity gift bags were black tote bags filled with an assortment of food, beauty and personal-care items.  The personal spa items included bath and shower gel, bath crystals, and a massage roller.  Other items included the newly released jazz CD by New York Yankees outfielder, Bernie Williams entitled The Journey Within; an MLB visor and afghan; a book on the history of baseball; a guide to the best golf courses in the United States; trail-mix and an assortment of beverages.

The joy that comes to most recipients when they receive such a well-stocked bag is a powerful motivator for Harris.  “Having someone praise our gifts and our company means a tremendous amount to me,” said Harris.

The timeline for assembling and delivering the celebrity bags was extremely short given the volume of the order.  Harris had four days to get the gifts to all of the hotels where the celebrities were staying.  “It was frenetic,” said Harris as she recalled the challenges of keeping up with changing hotel reservations.

As every entrepreneur knows, overcoming obstacles is key to growing a successful business.  For Harris, the rewards of entrepreneurship far outweigh the constant challenges.  “I should have done it sooner,” said Harris as she reflected on her decision to start her own business.  She has little reservations about encouraging others to pursue their dreams. “Get the courage to step out on faith,” said Harris.  She also advises would-be entrepreneurs to be prepared.  “You have to have the capital to take on projects like Major League Baseball, and then wait three or four months to receive payment,” she warned.

From the outset, Harris was aware of the potential pitfalls of starting a business, so she continued to work at her pharmaceutical job until she built up enough capital to sustain herself.  She also established personal lines of credit to meet unexpected shortfalls. “We constantly get the personal orders and we have corporate clients that we do baskets for on a regular basis, but when you do mega orders for 600, 900 or 2000 items, that takes a lot of start up capital,” said Harris.

Given her success in supplying gift bags for the All Star Game, Harris hopes to expand her business among other sport franchises and  new corporate clients.  She plans to attend several minority business conferences in the coming months and values the opportunity that such conferences provide to meet corporate buyers directly.  After all, she met Mike Spidale, Purchasing Manager for the Chicago White Sox at a local opportunity fair, and that introduction led her to become a supplier for the 2003 All Star Game.  

Given her enthusiasm and attention to detail, there's no telling how far Harris' gifts will take her.

The End