Personal gift basket maker is a kind of personal service. So, if you want to run this kind of business, you have to be able to do the marketing. First, you can place flyers in community centers. Then, you can also advertise it in shopping guides and newspapers. Besides that, establish a relationship with gift shops, gourmet food stores, and other locations where you might shop for supplies, and ask them to post your flyer or business card; in return you could promise to buy some of their products when appropriate. Ask friends and relatives to spread the word. This sort of business does not necessarily have to be limited to your local area. It would work well in conjunction with a web site. Visitors could send you e-mails or call you to discuss jobs, or you could request that they send you a phone number where you could call them. For web site sales, you would probably need to establish a credit card merchant account.
Generic baskets would be sold at a fixed price plus the cost of shipping or delivery. You should make arrangements to purchase products at wholesale or discounted prices whenever possible, marking them up to retail price as part of your profit. If you are called on to custom-design a basket for an individual or a corporate client, you can charge on a cost-plus basis (the cost of the elements in the basket plus an agreed-on fee or percentage), or you can bill at an hourly rate.