Today we’d like to introduce you to Sue Swanson. She and their team share their story with us below:
Three Basketeers was founded by three young men on the autism spectrum, their parents and their vocational coach, Sandra Tanner. As the Basketeers were aging out of high school, their parents and Sandra knew that job opportunities for adults with autism are very hard to find. They met over chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant to brainstorm and decided on a gift basket business. Gift baskets would allow the Basketeers to show off their artistic skills and creativity, as well as their attention to detail.
We opened for business in December 2019 with two Gift Baskets: our “Home Sweet Home” Basket and a “Grief Care” Basket, inspired by the passing of Basketeer Brett’s dad in 2018. From the beginning, it was decided that everything we offer would be made by the Basketeers or by business partners that also employ adults with special needs. For example, our coffee comes from BrewAble in Alpharetta, our baked goods come from Special Kneads & Treats in Lawrenceville, our caramel corn comes from Popcorn for the People in NJ, and our soaps come from as far away as California. Our Special Gifts provide meaningful work for not just the Basketeers, but for countless deserving individuals around the country.
We were just getting traction when the COVID pandemic hit in March 2020, causing us to close our doors for about six months. When we re-opened, we expanded our product line to include “Basket Bits” – small gifts such as notecards and key rings made by the Basketeers, “Boxes by Basketeers” – shippable versions of our Gift Baskets, and “Basketeer Wear” – clothing featuring the Basketeers’ designs and our logo. We expanded our Gift Basket offerings to include everything from a “Just Because” Basket for under $20 to custom “Build Your Own” Baskets & Boxes.
As demand for our products has grown, we have had to hire more Basketeers. We just hired Basketeer Ellie, our 6th Basketeer (and first female!) We recently moved into a new shop that allowed us to open a retail store. We plan to grow to have 50 or more Basketeers.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to success hasn’t been smooth. COVID was definitely a setback. We were just starting to build a customer base and we had to close down for several months. When we re-opened, supply chain issues caused many frustrations, but we resolved to never skimp on the quality in our products.
As we have grown, we moved our workshop from a garage door warehouse to a space over a gym to a collection of rooms in downtown Cumming. Each new location had its own unique challenges. We are so happy to be in our current home in North Forsyth County, which not only provides us plenty of work and storage space but allows us to have a retail showroom for our products.
One of our biggest struggles has been spreading the word about Three Basketeers. Social media is constantly changing, and it’s hard to know how to best reach potential customers. We try to attend at least one fair or festival each month to introduce the Basketeers and our products to a new audience. We have been fortunate to have stories about us done by WSB-TV, the Forsyth County News and of course, VoyageATL, to help us grow. We recently hired a marketing consultant to help us share our story, as more sales mean more work, allowing us to hire more Basketeers.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Three Basketeers?
Three Basketeers is a nonprofit that showcases the Special Gifts of adults with developmental disabilities. Every item we offer is made by the Basketeers or by partner businesses that employ adults with special needs. They are top-quality products that you will be proud to give.
We have a wide selection of curated gift baskets such as “Home Sweet Home”, “Grief Care”, “Happy Birthday” and “Fur Baby” Baskets, as well as “Build-Your-Own” Baskets that allow you to create a custom Special Gift. We offer Special Delivery in North Fulton and Forsyth counties, where a Basketeer will hand-deliver your gift basket. “Boxes by Basketeers” are shippable versions of our gift baskets that can be sent anywhere in the US. Our “Basket Bits” are unique little gifts made by the Basketeers, such as note cards featuring their artwork, key rings, and custom picture frames, priced from $5-15.
We are most proud of the fact that everything we offer shows off the skills and talents of the Basketeers and our business partners. From product design to packaging, the Basketeers are involved in every aspect of creating our Special Gifts. They proudly sign their names on stickers that say “Specially Packaged for You by ________”. They take such pride in their work!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
We have learned to learn from our mistakes, whether it’s waiting too late to order Christmas materials during a pandemic or missing a customer order and having to scramble to get it ready on time. As our Vocational Director Sandra always says, “when you know better, you do better!” Each of these setbacks is an opportunity to create a method to prevent it from happening again.
Pricing:
- Gift Baskets – $19.95 and up
- Boxes by Basketeers – $19.95 and up
- Basket Bits – $5-15
- Basketeer Wear – $20-25
Contact Info:
- Website: ThreeBasketeers.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threebasketeersinc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threebasketeersinc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVeeUGVtY2DKLVAo2wT4MoA
Image Credits
The final photo of the Basketeers holding completed gift baskets was taken by Shanna Carol Photography.
