They do the thinking for you

Drawing a blank on a good gift? Bradenton-based Think Thoughtful helps for a price

KURT D. SCHULTHEIS

Herald Staff Writer

Think thoughtfully about that next gift.

That's what a young Manatee County entrepreneur wants people to do - and keep doing - in order to make her company, Think Thoughtful Inc., an Internet giant of gift giving.

For $9.95 owner and President Rhonda Grote, 30, and her team of creative consultants will research and suggest two gift alternatives, and then direct you to the Web sites for purchase. Hundreds have caught onto her idea.

"We basically take an individual or a company, who used to be labeled as giving boring gifts, and turn them into the rock star of gift giving," Grote said.

Through the company's Web site, thinkthoughtful.com, a customer can place an order and receive suggestions for a gift 48 hours later through e-mail. The company is charging the introductory price through May for gift ideas and presentation methods. Gift delivery is provided for an additional fee.

"Gift giving is a huge undertaking," Grote said. "Our goal is to be the eBay of gift giving."  Personal giving makes up 60 percent of company orders, followed by 20 percent for business orders and 20 percent for non-profit groups and churches. A wedding solutions section is in the works.

Grote, who has been in the marketing business for years, knows how to find creative gifts.

"It used to be my job to find out what people like," Grote said. "Now I can help them find personal, creative gifts with the click of a mouse."

The company opened in October and has four employees.

In the company's first quarter, Grote had 114 online customer orders. In the company's first four months, Think Thoughtful had 500 orders.

Men made up 57 percent of customer orders in December.

"All customers were attained through e-mail marketing and many have returned for a second order," she said. "I am following the path of eBay and trying to create my own online community of referrals."  Think Thoughtful has also worked with nine local companies, helping them with corporate gift giving and marketing gifts for potential clients.

"We basically take an individual or a company who used to be labeled as giving boring gifts and turn them into the rock star of gift giving," Grote said.

Christmas, birthday and anniversary orders are the most popular.

Grote and her team of three assistants have subscriptions to more than 30 magazines so they can find gift ideas.

"Instead of telling a client to give his wife a gold necklace, we will suggest they hire a baby sitter and get two gift certificates," Grote said. "One for a spa and one to buy a dress to wear to a romantic dinner that evening."

A time-strapped consumer in this day and age will go online to shop, said Scott Krugman, spokesperson for the National Retail Federation.  Krugman has not heard of an online company dedicated solely to providing personal and professional shopping tips.  "The concept of personal shopping has been around for a long time," Krugman said. "It makes sense that the natural progression in the industry would evolve from traditional personal shopping to online companies that can offer shopping tips online."

Grote said customers come to Think Thoughtful when they are out of ideas.

"We have suggestions that are a lot better than flowers," she said. "I hope to grow the company by 30 percent in two years, and in five years work across the globe taking domestic and international orders."

Kurt D. Schultheis, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 748-0411, ext. 2120 or at kschultheis@HeraldToday.com.