Business Spotlight: Taylor Made Gift Baskets, Gifts and Flowers

22 years ago Jimi Taylor decided to turn her hobby into a career. Three years after starting as a home-based operation, Taylor moved into the Old Town section of Lilburn and six years after that found her current location off of Lawrenceville Highway. creates products tailored directly to what their clients needs are including designing custom gift baskets that can satisfy any price stipulation. I recently sat down with Jimi to talk about her store.

Patch: What is the best aspect of owning Taylor Made Gift Baskets, Gifts and Flowers?

Jimi: Well being creative and being my own boss. Nancy Kinkade and I think a lot alike so that's a good working relationship. Being able to create whatever I want to do and not have to answer to anyone is one of the biggest pluses. That and I love being with people.

Patch: What is the most challenging aspect of owning your own business?

Jimi: Especially this day and age in our economy we're not able to pull it out of the heavens as quickly as we used to be able to. Venders and suppliers are no longer keeping up with the big demands like they had five and 10 years ago so customers don't realize that we can't get it as quickly as we used to. That's been a real challenge this year and will continue to be in the future. We've had to do most of our ordering in July and hopefully we get what we ordered because if there aren't enough orders they don't make the products. But we'll always have plenty of good food and we're doing a lot of Georgia foods and American made foods this year. 

Patch: What makes your gift shop unique?

Jimi: Our customer service. We can turn it around quickly. We just had an order for a 50th wedding anniversary at a hotel and we made baskets, 50 roses and we stayed in touch with it until it was a done deal. So customer service is number one with us and there is nothing that we will not do. Our slogan has always been we do it all and we do it well and that is what we try our best to do and that is why we've remained in business.

Patch: What makes the Lilburn community special?

Jimi: It's just hometown. We live here, we work here, we play here, we have good friends here. It's a great place to be with a hometown feeling and laid back. We're involved with the city and we support the schools. It's our favorite place to be. It's like living in a small town but being in the middle of a big city.

Located at 4838 Lawrenceville Hwy., Taylor Made Gift Baskets, Gifts and Flowers is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. During holiday seasons the hours are extended. The store will hold a meet and greet with Santa Saturday, November 5. This holiday season the store will also have fresh baked goods for sale. For more information visit www.taylormadebaskets.com