Gift Wrapping Supplies – Meet Lonna Weidemann Of “Cello In A Box”

Posted by Sandy Naidu

My guest today is Lonna Weidemann of ‘Cello In A Box’. This is a story of a mom who turned her hobby into a growing business. From a very young age Lonna loved making gift baskets for family and friends. Soon her business savvy mind saw an opportunity and she started a website which sold gift wrapping supplies. Slowly one of her products the ‘Cello In A Box’ started selling very well. Lonna seized on the growing success of this product and filed for a registered trademark of ‘Cell In A Box’ and started to market this product more aggressively. Her gift wrapping supplies business grew from there.

She was awarded Best-Female Entrepreneur in the 2004 Stevie Awards. This is a remarkable achievement. She has authored numerous books.Lonna now offers the opportunity to others to become a representative of the company and sell the products.Thank you Lonna for participating in DotComMothers.Read and Be Inspired.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

gift wrapping supplies - lonna weidemann

I started making gift baskets at the age of 12 and loved the act of gift giving. In 2001 I developed a web site offering gift baskets and offered gift-giving ideas. I started receiving many requests for the supplies and found out that 90% of my customers were those in direct sales who were trying to spice up their products for presentation.

I then developed the site gearing towards direct sales and all those who love to give gifts without breaking the bank. Hence, this is how Cello In a Box Co. came to be.

You sell the cello bags to other business owners or for private use. Apart from buying the product, can business owners also approach you and learn how to present their products (using cello)?

Absolutely! We offer tips on our web site of how to use different types of bags, including which bags are FDA approved, and always offer an open line via email or phone for questions. We also offer a video on our web site that shows many ways to use cello bags for business or personal use.

How does one become a representative of your company ?

We take pride in offering a program that has no purchasing requirements as we feel our company is there to help others increase sales with presentation. Therefore, we want them to enjoy their stay, learn from it and feel worry free of tracking and order requirements. We ask that they purchase a starter kit, which gives them a variety of cello bags, sales tips and also provide them with a free affiliate link if they choose to offer cello products for sale to earn a commission.

How do you promote your products? Do you have an online and offline marketing strategy? Or do you concentrate more on online marketing ?

We currently have 1050 representatives with us at Cello In a Box Co., and many of them promote our products via online by having online parties, advertising on yahoo groups, etc. So it is like a family and we all pitch in. We are asked periodically to be featured in paper marketing such as a magazine or an online article but that is the extent of it. We choose to offer our representative’s incentives, contests, and prizes and they really do most of the advertising for us.

You have won “Best Female Entrepreneur” award. That is a great achievement. Congratulations. In your business if you had to start all over again would you do anything different?

I spent many years researching, making mistakes and just learning. I feel that we all have to go through struggles and obstacles to find success. One very big mistake I made was trying to develop and create products that I thought the world wanted. Not necessarily what I loved to do or what the world needed. Once I pinned down the “real me” and I was able to express my creativity doing what I loved to do, I excelled at great speeds.

So, if I were to do it over again, I would ask myself this one question…”Lonna, what is it you love to do?” This answer will tell me where my knowledge lies. A person is able to express enthusiasm and build trust with their knowledge; therefore, why should they only work in the areas of their own passions.

What is the most enjoyable part of your day ?

I am often given the opportunity to help our representatives with business ideas, answering questions, and giving motivational advice. This gives me self-gratification, and I sincerely love to help those who want to help themselves. I love what I do most from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed.

Finally, your five keys to success?

Love what you do! ~ Don’t do something to make a dollar or to be a part of the next big trend. Do it because you enjoy it. Ask yourself what is my passion and what am I good at. Everyone has a skill or a niche you just need to think about it.
Accept criticism as a learning experience ~ Consider the criticism so that you can change it to make things better for you and your business, then move on.
Daily dedication ~ Do not let a day go by that you do not work on your business.
Doing what you say you are going to do ~ If you cannot do it, then at least let your customer know that you are working on it. Provide the service that you would like to be provided.
Find something positive to smile about every single day ~ Be thankful for your position and your creativity. It is an accomplishment in itself no matter what you are doing in your life or business, so smile about it.