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Showing posts with label business tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business tips. Show all posts
Saturday, August 24, 2013
8 MISTAKES THAT CAN HURT YOUR BUSINESS



Have you every said to yourself  “If I had known then what I know now, I would have done things a lot differently.” ?

The following are a few that I wish I could go back in time and tell myself!

  1. WRONG PRICING: If the price is too high then no one buys, if the price is too low  then you don’t make money. Almost everyone prices low. If you think you’re priced high, you’re probably just lower than you ought to be. I would suggest to reevaluate bi-annulaly or annually as material cost can change.
  2. MARKETING ( WHORING OUT THE GOODS): If people don’t know about your products, they won’t buy them. Alot of time, first time "crafters" think it is enough to produce a great ( sometimes not-so-great) product and just put it online. You  have to ge the word out! An easy way to do this is by participating in a craft show or fairs.
    Create a sign-up sheet and begin developing an e-mail list immediately. These are the people that have already expressed an interest in your work, so they are the most likely to buy from you.
  3.  KNOW YOUR ROLE: Spend your time doing the things you are good at, not struggling at the things you don’t do well. If you are lacking in a particular area, then try to consider hiring someone  or outsourcing to someone who is strong in the areas you are weak.  If you can’t afford to do so yet, tap into your network of friends, family or crafting network ( trust me, the crafting network is big and mighty!).
  4. RIPPING OFF THE GOVERMENT: Pay your taxes. All of them.Don’t cut corners with the government. File what you need to file. Even when you may think that you have gotten away with something, trust me.....you haven't! They will lay in wait  ( sometimes for years) and just when you are waiting for a refund check ,  maybe a lotto scratch-off or notice a freeze on your bank account...you get a letter stating that it is being with held for an outstanding tax balance.
  5. NOT SEEKING ADVICE: If you are the smartest person in your circle....then get a bigger circle!  There is a whole group of smart people around you: personal friends, craft business associates, local business connections, parents, siblings, children, or a spouse. All of them have something to offer, and may see things you’re going to miss.
  6. DON'T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB:  Even if you feel like your product is in high demand, most small businesses are not profitable within their first year or two. You should have a reliable source of income from something other than your new business to sustain yourself during your intial start-up period.
  7. SPENDING TOO MUCH: Many small businesses spend too much money "setting up shop," That inclues buying to much material, inventory, website, brochures and etc.  There are alot of ways to have a professional presence without spending alot of money.  Take a look at our different articles for Business Tools, that provide low cost ways for "upgrading" your business!
  8. FOCUSING YOUR PRODUCT: If your business isn't doing as well as you'd like it to, it's very easy to become impatient and try to shake things up with a new product.
    Businesses that do well stick with what they do best.  Several years ago , I have a variety of products, but realized that my best sellers were the  funny cards. This led me to really evaluate my products and focus my line....hence my brands called Glib Greetings and Courtesy Cards. Think about it...when you want a Frappachino you know exactly where to go right? The same should be said for what every your product is....when they want it, they should know to go to you to get it.

 What advise do you think can hurt a business?


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Sunday, April 15, 2012
Whoring Your Business Out: 39 Sites To Advertise Your Products

Though by no means am I an expert in marketing , but since I started my business I am constantly looking for new ways to advertise or some might say "whore out " my business . Advertising is really "Trial and Error" and some of these methods work better than others. It is really up to you to decide what works best for your company, budget and structure...but of course that is the great thing about advertising, if something doesn't work, then you can easily change it.


The following are a list of ways and places to promote your business...
  1. Flikr: Online Photo Sharing Website ( great to store photos for your own website & share)


  2. Indie Public: Independent Art & Design community that is a place to share your items as well as speak with other artist in your field or elsewhere. You can sign up with your Google account and it includes options to "customize" your page.


  3. Kaboodle: is a social shopping community where people discover, recommend and share products. You can create groups and share your products or others and hit a wide audience.


  4. Craigslist: is not just for perverts and theives, it is actually a good place to advertise your products and for free under "services". You do not have to meet anyone, just direct them to your website or email.


  5. Postaroo: is an online classifed ad community similar to Craigslist . Though currently it is "invite only" if you add your email to the list they will update you when it will be open.


  6. Stumbleupon: is site that members (free to join) can recommend or "Stumble Upon" web pages that interest them. You can then discover and review/rate web pages, photos, and videos,"like or dislike" pages so that they can tailor what they find for you.


  7. Bust.com: is an online as well as paper magazine that celebrates handmade. They sponser there own "Craftaculars" which are craft shows around the U.S and London but they also are a good place to advertise. Just be prepared to pay a little extra for it.


  8. Craft Juice: is basically a social networking site for all things handmade. You can submit any item that you would like and the item goes out to a community of 5, 000+ . The way that you become "popular" and seen by more people thru votes. The more the community votes for your item, the more its seen......it is essentially a giant popularity contest.


  9. Craft Stylish: is an online (free member only) community where you can create a public profile of your work, promote your blog, tutorials or share photos of your work.


  10. Crafty Tips: is similar to Craft Stylish where a person can share thier work or crafting tips/tricks with other members.


  11. Designs to Love: is similar to Kaboodle, where members (free to sign up) can share with others products that they love.


  12. Try Handmade: is great handmade blog that sellers can submit pics to the gallery and if picked a possible write up will ensue. Also great resource to chat and discover other artist.


  13. Cool Mom Picks: is a blog that is geared towards products for mothers and kids. There is a section to submit your picks for review as well.


  14. Craft Gawker: is a photo gallery that allows you to visually search and discover handmade arts and crafts to inspire your own projects. They publish photography submitted by craft bloggers from around the world and the editors review submissions daily and choose the highest quality, coolest images to showcase. Though you can submit any handmade item (within the rules) they do have other sites such as Food Gawker, Wedding Gawker and Dwelling Gawker that are obviously catagory specific. I have personally recieved alot of traffic from the site and any one can submit to them, even your customers.


  15. Etsy Lush: is a picture based advertising site similar to Craft Gawker , that only accepts handmade submits from Etsy stores. Any Etsy seller of handmade goods can submit an item ( url) and upon approval it will be placed on the site with the link to the product. There are a list of Do's and Don'ts , so make sure to read the FAQ's thoroughly. Also you are only allowed to submit 1 picture within a 24 hour period and if you "abuse" that rule you could be blocked from the site.


  16. Pintrest: is a website that you can essentially make online "pin" boards in a similar fashion like Etsy Treasuries from anything/picture found on the web. In addition , you can browse other "Pin" boards that other people have made so that you can discover new things. Because it encompasses the whole web, you can make a "pin board" about anything, but the most popular are pin boards about weddings, home decor and food.


  17. Squidoo: is basically webpages or "lens" about what ever you would like to say/promote similar to a Facebook Page. You can find a variety of "lens" about things such as cooking and technology to shopping and how-to's. The best thing is that you can create as many "len's" as you would like. You can also make money from the site when someone clicks on your page ad. This is a great site if you have a variety of interest that may not specifically pertain to your company, but you can link your products to.


  18. 100 Craft Links: is exactly as it sounds, a site where you can list your shop with a "text" link.


  19. tumblr.com : Join and add items from your shop. People can follow you and you can follow them. Also can act as an inexpensive web page


  20. Wanelo: Social store similar to Kaboodle, where users post, collect and organize products and follow people and stores they like. You can sign in with an existing facebook account or via email.


  21. We Heart It: is similar to Pintrest , where users share images and products from the web.


  22. Artchain.com : A free directory that list your shop. Just add your shope where it says "Submit Artist Listing"


  23. Thefind.com : is a site similar to Kaboodle, where a user can find and recommend sites to other users. You can sign in with your existing Facebook or email, just go to the bottom where it says "submit a site" and put your shop or website in.


  24. Ravelry : is a community based site specifically for crocheters,knitters or anything that has to do with fibers and yarn.


  25. things people make: Is a sight to upload and promote your products as well as tutorials or blog. You can sign in using Facebook.


  26. My handmade Registry: Allows you to list items from your shop


  27. Craftcult: Though this is know to be have tools for Etsy users, they do have advertising options that can bring traffic


  28. Indiepublic: Is a community based site where you can create your own page with your products, share ideas and etc


  29. Pearl Trees : is similiar to We heart It or Pintrest , where you can collect ,organize and share interesting things on the web.


  30. Wist: is similiar to We heart It or Pintrest , where you can collect ,organize and share interesting things on the web as well as make a slideshow for your blog )


  31. Snipi: is also similiar to the above, but you can also share video as well, so if you have a video tutorial, it is easy to add.


  32. Crafters Buzz: will only link to your shop, but can advertise single items


  33. Unanimouscraft: is a directory for crafter to submit links to shop


  34. Etsy Shops Directory: Is a site specifically for Etsy Shop Owners that are allowed to add your shop to their directory.


  35. Etsy Love: Is similiar to Indipublic where users can set up a page for their Etsy Shop.


  36. Bloglovin': Is a central site for those of you who have a blog as a promotional tool. Just add it to Bloglovin' to get followers

  37. Indie Quarter: A site similar to Craft Gawker where you can submit your site to be featured.
  38. Indie Spotting: submit a find to get featured or you can just advertise with them.
  39. This Next: is similar to Kaboodle where users can recommend products.
Don't forget to check out our other post " Social Media For Your Business:Whoring Out Your Facebook and Twitter"
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Wednesday, November 2, 2011
IS ETSY STOPPING YOU FROM GROWING YOUR BUSINESS?

I have a love/hate relationship with Etsy....they have brought me exposure to a wider audience, but in some aspects they have also hindered me from gaining new customers.
The community is large and for the most part extremely helpful, but I have found that some customers are put off by having to go to Etsy and join the site just to buy my or others products. Also it stands to reason that while a customer may go on Etsy intending to buy from a particular seller, there is a strong likely hood that they will stray from the intended purchase by searching thru the site ( I have done that many times). One seller brought up a good point....when someone asks you "Where did you get that?"...do you say the store name , like" Gramkin Paper Studio" or do you just say "I got it on Etsy, or Ebay or Artfire...." More than likely you stated Etsy or the selling site as opposed to the actual name of the company who makes the item.
Now there are people who do "Quit Their Day Job" and I like others, read those featured sellers, but the majority of people who sell on etsy, have a "back up plan" in the form of a full time working partner or a job themselves. I am a big promoter of not putting all your eggs in one basket, having income from various sources and because Etsy doesn't really have the easy "social media" integration that a website gives you, it makes it difficult to cross promote your brand. You really cant add a blog, twitter or an other site that you might have that the customer might like to see. There is no mailing list for your specific store, just Etsy in general and the customer has to sign up to be part of the marketplace to purchase items from you. There are definitely customers that I have lost because of this last option.

What am I doing about it? Well, my business has expanded beyond what Etsy solely can do for me so I have decided to do a company overhaul. We now have a brand new site "Gramkin Paper Studio" and market outside of Etsy.This allows me to not only sell my merchandise, but also integrate all the other branding tools that I need. Now I still have love for Etsy, but now I love it like a mistress as opposed to my website that I love like a spouse. Etsy will now be a secondary option for those of my customers that still shop there..... basically a giant promotional tool for my business.



HAVE YOU GROWN BEYOND ETSY?










pictures courtesy of BearandRobot
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Friday, February 18, 2011
FREE COMPANY BUSINESS TELEPHONE NUMBER

I am always looking for ways to stream line my business more professional and now


Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google launched on March 11, 2009. The service provides a U.S. phone number, chosen by the user from available numbers in selected area codes, free of charge to each user account. Inbound calls to this number are forwarded to other phone numbers of the subscriber. Outbound calls may be placed to domestic and international destinations from any of a user's configured telephones, or from a web-based application. Inbound and domestic outbound calls (including calls to Canada) are free of charge, while international calls are billed according to a schedule posted on the Google Voice website.
When you register you can choose a virtual phone number in any area code. You can use that number to send and receive text messages, record voicemails and even receive and make calls over the Internet, but it becomes particularly useful when you attach it to the number associated with your mobile or land-line phone.That means that you can now a have separate number for your business but have it come to your home or cell phone and you won't be worried about privacy issues.Tracking Calls From Your Website

Some Features of Google Voice:


Track Calls Thru Your Website: One of the great features is being able to track your calls. Since all of these calls are logged, if you use this number on your website you can tell how many phone calls your website is generating for you. Google Voice provides you with a “Call Me” Widget that you can put on your website, and if people click it and enter their phone number, the service connects you with your potential customer instantly.

Voicemail Auto Transcribed to Text Form: Google Voice automatically transcribes your voicemails into text messages. This is very helpful if you are in a place where cell phone usage is "frowned upon" like in a meeting or a noisy place.

Different Personalized Greetings: llows users to personalize voicemail greetings by caller. So if you want certain people to hear a professional greeting when calling your Google Voice number, you can set the greeting according to their number. For friends, you can record and set a more laidback greeting.g.

Google Voice App: So conveniant for this day and age , letting you access your features while on the go. Also you can send SMS messages from your app without charges from your carrier. The app is free and is currently available only for Android, Blackberry and Iphones ,just go to your phones "app market" and look for "Google Voice" under search.

Screen Callers: When callers dial your Google Voice number, you have the option to send them directly to voicemail as well as listen in to the voicemail as it is being left. This comes in handy for those unknown numbers directed to voicemail that you really wish you had picked up. If you determine that you do want to take the call, you can hit a number to cancel the voicemail and connect the call.

Now the Downside Google Voice:

As with all good things there are also some bad and though this is a fantastic platform, it is not the end-all solution to ditching your land-line altogether. There are some of the downsides to using Google Voice

New Phone Numbers: Changing to Google Voice requires picking a number from Google. If your business is established, changing phone numbers may be a problem. There are also no 1-800 numbers, thought if you are looking for a "Toll free" number for your business try Ring Central, a small fee based option.

Reliability: Every now and then there is a small delay in the call– hopefully the fact that they are opening up the system means issues like this are solved.

PRIVACY: By using Google Voice to control all of your phone activity, you're exposing a vast amount of personal information to Google. Everything from whom you call to what you discuss.... even that drunk night naughty text you may have sent your your significant other-is stored on Google's servers. Together with the other various data Google may have on you, all of that could create quite a file on you. Though I highly doubt that Google is going to set your information free to the masses as with other Google services, Google Voice is governed by a privacy policy that explains what can and can't happen with your data....but it's still in someone's hands and can "technically" be used for other things.

Caller ID Confusion: If you start using a Google Voice number as your primary number (which I dont recommend), be prepared for the fact that regular calls from your cell phone (or any other phone) will still show up as your old number. This may create confusion, as the number you give out won't match the number from which you actually call.

Number Change: You have to get people to start reaching you at a new number. You might have to reprint business cards or stationery, and you'd have to take the time to update your information anywhere you have a registered account (other websites, anywhere you have linked your info to and etc).Until they fix this problem ( which they are in the process of doing) be sure to think carefully about what's involved before you decide to make the move to the new service or try this Hack that I found.
Cool Hack: Use Google Voice Without Changing your Number

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT GOOGLE VOICE, GO TO THE WEBSITE OR TAKE A LOOK AT THE VIDEO BELOW:


TELL US ABOUT YOUR GOOGLE VOICE EXPERIENCE.....
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Thursday, July 29, 2010
SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUR BUSINESS: WHORING OUT YOUR TWITTER AND FACEBOOK

One of the most asked about questions is "How do I use social media for my business?"..Translation, "How can I whore my business out on Twitter and Facebook?
As you know, I myself am a "Twitter Quitter", having shut down my account since it didn't increase sales or add any value to my business. But there are alot of people who swear by it and it does benefit there business is some way.There are no "hard and fast" rules or magic wand that can give you success with these outlets, but the following may be some info that can work for you.


1. Separate your personal and business social pages!
That means if you are all ready on Facebook or Twitter for yourself, dont use that same account to then promote your business. None of your customers want to get pcitures and video on the fantastic trick your cat learned last night. Stay focused on your product and objective ,give your personal Facebook to your friends and the professional to your buyers.If you are really serious about your business and promoting, keep it professional.

2.Social Media ResourcesResources to help you with using and promoting your social media for business




3.Don't Forget to make sure the button is working!
Make sure to test your button/link. I can't tell you how many times I have clicked on something and it wasn't linked. In addition to the company buttons that social media sites give you, there are also some that you can install yourself. Click below for a link of great and free social media icons to download.
FREE SOCIAL MEDIA ICONS

Most Importantly .....just because you posted new images on your social media accounts or Etsy store doesn't mean people will rush to buy them. You still have to get them to your website and thats why you really have to promote your Social Media Accounts just like as much as your shop to build your following.





Facebook Birthday Card Available Here
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Friday, July 23, 2010
COMPANY UPGRADE:WAYS TO MAKE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS MORE PROFESSIONAL

I constantly get emails asking about our website or how to make a business more professional. Most people think that you need an extensive knowledge of HTML/CSS, though this is helpful, it is not necessary to make your business more professional.
There are little things that you can do that can make a big impact on the look of your business.If you cannot "hire" someone to do your site for you or are on a limited budget, the following are some things that you can do yourself to very inexpensively "upgrade" the business.
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1.PURCHASE A DOMAIN
This is the one thing that I feel is necessary, even if you don't do anything else. When you have a domain you can then forward all of your shops , whether its your etsy, artfire, ebay, blog or other site to it. There are several important reasons to get your own domain:


  • The ".COM" instantly makes your business look more professional , especially on the business card.

  • The domain protects your business name. If you have a sucessful online( etsy, artfire, etc) business and then someone else has your business name in a domain you could be loosing business.
There are several places that you can get a domain name,some of the more popular ones are Go Daddy and Yahoo. There are several others, but these are great because they are known for easily interfacing with alot of servers ( website host and etc). For new users,Go Daddy usually has specials for a few dollars per yer, right now for the actual ".com" it is $10/yr. They do offer the option of purchasing a ".net, .info, .org" and etc that is cheaper than the ".com" , but we don't recommend that. Info and Org are usually for organizations and the Net looks subpar ( you have to think about the international buyers who come to your site), we suggest paying the extra for the ".COM". Also note that GO Daddy usually offers a "one web page" when you buy a domain name. This allows you to make the link to send to your various places (you do need to know the code to link pictures...its easy). Just remember that the Go Daddy Advert is on top, but you can pay extra to remove.
Yahoo is another good place for domain purchases. They also offer the $2/yr for new users or there rate normally is $9.95/yr. One thing to note with the "First Time Rates" that both of these have, if you only purchase a year at a time, then after the first year the price goes up to what every is the company going rate. But if you purchase several years when you first sign up, you can get all of the years for the same intro rate. This is especially the case with Yahoo, just make sure to read all the policies and restrictions before purchasing.

TIPS: If your domain name is already gone and the service you purchased from doesn't automatically give you alternates for your name, then try Nameboy. This site lets you put in your domain name and it comes up with a list of alternatives that you might be happy with.

2.GET A WEBSITE...SORTA
A website is something that everyone wants but doesn't think they can afford or have. There are several cheap place to get a website, especially easy for the "First Timer". The following offer "drag and drop" interfaces, that allow you to just point and click to change things.We suggest you try out services for free before you upgrade and pay the low fees...just to see if they work for you.




  • FAVORS ME offers a simple one page site, that lets you add 4 data sources for free. Anymore links than that you have to pay the low price of $20/per year. The great thing is that they can easily link to 20 different popular sites, like your blogger, wordpress, twitter, facebook, flikr, picasa and a whole lot more. Take a look at there directory to see what others have done using this site.

  • SOOPSEE literally turns your Etsy Site into a website. The good thing is this site is FREE and if you already have your own domain name you can easily use this site as well. For examples of how other Etsy members are using this site just go to there Gallery. Another good thing about this site is that it offers a more "user friendly" site analytic for those who are totally overwhelmed or confused by Google Analytics ( though you can easily use Google Analytics with this program)

  • WEEBLY is a free "Drag and Drop" website that lets you either buy the domain from them or you can easily integrate your own with the site. This beta site lets you easily change things, have unlimited pages and incorporate your blog or they even offer you the option of haveing your own "Weebly " Blog if you don't want to sign up for Blogger, Wordpress or etc. They do have a variety of templates that you can choose from and easily customize ( color , layout and etc) They also interface with alot of sites, like paypal, flikr and etc.

  • WEBS is another site similiar to Weebly. It has the same "drag and drop" system, but I think that they dont have as many templates to choose from as Weebly.
TIPS: USE YOUR BLOG AS A WEBSITE. If you have a blog already like Blogger , Wordpress or TypePad, this can be used as a website , forwarding your domain (if you have one) to this site. By using your blog as a website, you can easily use the sidebars(depending on your layout that you use) for your company items (link to your shop,gift certificates, etsy mini, company ads/announcements and etc).Just remember that the "minimal" templates (the white basic ones) are the most easily customizable for your needs.3.SIGN UP FOR AN ONLINE PHOTO SHARING ACCOUNTHaving a photo sharing account is good for several reasons. If you have a blog, the photo sharing account lets you upload large size images to use on your blog, essentially eliminating file restrictions since they are on a separate site. Also these sites gives you another outlet to get your product out there...basically free advertising (as long as you mark the photos "public").
There are several sites that offer this service and the following are the more popular ones that work with a large variety of sites easily:

TIP: just remember that though these are free to use, the free accounts have limited storage, so if you find that you need more then you will have to pay the low storage fees..usually not more than $20/yr.
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Just remember that you don't have to do everything at once, try them out and then decide if you want to commit(as well as pay the fees associated ).
Now that you have all of that together you can start to customize your company with certain Business Tools. We have several post and links that can be used for your website (from above) or if you are not ready to take the website plunge, they are great for your blog or general business.The following are links of interest that may help:

Etsy Business Tools You May Not Have Known
Business Tool To help your Company
Customizing Paypal for your business
Company Gift Certificates Made Easy
Basic HTML Codes
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Monday, July 12, 2010
10 TYPES OF DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS:SNAPPY ANSWERS TO STUPID QUESTIONS

  • 8:53 AM
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I came across this article by Patrice Lewis (author of The Home Craft Business:How to make it survive and thrive) for Crafts Report ( unfortunately isnt not linkable format so I have to cut and paste) and I thought it was very interesting as well as a little funny for those of us who encounter that rather "Difficult" customer at craft shows.
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With the new 2010 Craft Show Season already in full swing, its a way for to to grow your business as well as get the word out about your product, but, as with everything, there’s a downside—a factor that literally every craftsperson has experienced:
The Difficult Customer.
You know the type I mean, the kind that backs you into a corner and regales you with details of Great Aunt Martha’s gallbladder operation. The one who knows more about how to make your product or run your business than you do. The one who tries to bargain down the price by criticizing every aspect of your product.The one who invites himself to sit down in the chair left vacant when your husband dashed to the restroom (and then proceeds to tell you all about Great Aunt Martha’s multiple root canals).
So how do you deal with do-gooders, busybodies,know-it-alls and other annoying and persistent types? When you’re a captive audience at a craft show or other selling venue—when your sales depend on you being pleasant and professional to browsers—how do you get rid of those people who have no intention of buying anything and apparently want to make sure no one else
does either?
So here are ways to deal with 10 types of difficult customers:

1. THE PROUD RELATIVE: They are always talking about their niece, son, etc., who does such fabulous work.
2.ARTSY TOURISTS: They love to go on about how they spent a lot of money on vacation buying some art or crafts (yet never consider spending a cent with you).
3.CONCERNED PARENTS: They ask endless questions about how to help their 33-year-old daughter—who has never worked a day in her life but has spent the past 15 years in college, graduate school, art academies, overseas study, etc.—to get rich in art overnight.
4.BRAGGERS: They brag endlessly about another artist.
5.THE OVERSHARER: They like to describe in minute detail every piece of arts and crafts that they have in every nook and cranny of their home.
6.WHINERS: They whine about how they just do not have time to do the arts and crafts for which they have boundless skills and talents, but were sidetracked by ___________ (fill in the excuse).
7. OLDER SINGLE MEN ON THE PROWL:“Usually I can tell whether someone is interested in my product or in having a conversation. I get a lot of older single men who will stop in for a conversation with a captive audience (me). I answer a few questions and then ask,‘Are you looking for a gift?’ Once I figure out that they are just there to talk, I busy myself with straightening or I turn my attention to another customer. Eventually they get the point and move on to another victim. I don’t feel a need to be accommodating to someone who is obviously
not exhibiting interest in my product just because they’re standing in my booth.”
8.SOCIALIZERS: “My booth can get crowded sometimes and I get former customers, other craftspeople or acquaintances stopping in to chat (not to purchase). I move myself to the side so that they have to move, too. I don’t want them standing in front of my product and blocking the view of someone who is there to buy.”
9. BORED HUSBANDS: “I keep my chairs behind my table, but I have offered a chair to husbands in tow just to keep them from being so bored the wife feels it’s time to move on. I will also chat up a husband to try to get him interested in the product his wife is looking at. It’s amazing how quickly you can turn a sour, bored expression into an interested one just by engaging them in the process, asking their opinion of how the jewelry looks on the wife or asking if they are having a good day.”
10.WITCHY CUSTOMER: “You have to be very firm about what you will put up with. Sometimes I get a customer who obviously doesn’t ‘get’my work and is really critical or asks for changes. I have empowered myself that I don’t have to sell to these people. If someone is nice and shows appreciation for what I do, I amhappy to work with them to make the piece work by changing a chain or adjusting the length. Ultimately, you get to make the decision to what ends you will go to make a sale. “All of these strategies are undertaken with a smile and extreme courtesy,”concludes Tischler.“I am never rude to anyone who enters my booth, I am just very
clear withmyself about what I will put up with. It’s a lot of hard work to make a product, run a business and set up booths. And, on top of that, I also have to pay additional income taxes. If I am going to deal with annoying, cranky, hard-to-please people, I might as well get a 9-to-5 job and stop paying self-employment taxes.”
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On a personal note I find that looking them in the eye and saying “And which of my products
were you interested in buying today?" really works on all these types of customers .
AND ...if all this fails, just start waving your hands and telling them to "Get Away From My Booth" always works, though the cops may be called, lol
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Friday, May 14, 2010
BUSINESS CARDS:MARKETING FOR UPCOMING CRAFT SEASON

When we hosted the "Business Card Giveaway" last year, we posted some sources for making your own Business Cards. Since the 2010 Craft Season has just started we thought we would revisit the post for as a refresher for those of you who are about to begin your craft season or are about to do your first show.
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Alot of times I have bought items and received business cards and have been somewhat surprised. Here are these great products and then when it comes to the business card or marketing material, the same thought wasn't put into them. I have seen countless business cards made of that thin office supply store cardstock or the "pre scored" packaged cardstock with some skewed resized banner placed on it .

Business cards are important as they display your company brand and are a representation of you . Great business cards will leave an impression on the buyer, making them remember you and your product, which is what you are ultimately aiming for. But, sometimes sellers forget to put as much thought into them as they do their actual products ,which may leave you forgotten by the buyer.

There are a number of different programs that you can use to create business cards (we do not suggest Microsoft Word or Paint) but setting up the layout properly and getting it ready to print can be the most challenging part.
If you are not crafty , your home printer is not "up to par" or just don't know where to start. You can contact one of the many sellers and buy a premade design that you can just add your information to. Or you can buy a "design file" which can then be printed as many times as you want, either at home or you can take to one of the many online business card printing services.
The following are a few, just remember to research , read the fine print and ask around if unsure about feedback from these sites...don't forget to troll the Forums as well for reviews.
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{BUSINESS AND MARKETING PRINTING SERVICES}

Moo Cards- Home of the popular "Mini Card", are based out of the UK but with the popularity
increasing in the USA, they have now opened up a USA branch and website. This is good for premades as they have alot of cute designs and you are sure to find something for all types of designers. Also they interface with Etsy, Facebook and Flikr, so if you have pictures of your work on those sites, you can easily upload from them. The downside is that the cards run a little high, (50 for $22 plus shipping). They also sell postcards as well as holiday cards and people tend to have good feedback and positive experiences ordering from them.

Vista Print- One of the more popular online printing services. Reviews for this site have been mixed, some having great experiences with customer service and products and some not. One of the benefits is it is a one stop marketing shop. They produce postcards, greeting card, posters, bags, hats, banners, books and a whole lot more. Also they usually have sales or discounts, so you can wait to buy different sets of materials.

Overnight Prints-Another popular online printing service. Generally positive reviews and they have competitive prices as well. The sell a variety of different sized cards (postcards, rack cards, fliers and etc) as well as magnates and bookmarks. One of the great things about them is that they consistently have great discounts , like now, everything is 20% off. The discounts are splayed across the front page so that you cannot miss them. They also have a variety of printing processes as well as paper and finishes , some of which are free.

123 Print- This site also has mixed reviews, but they do have some products not found at other sites, like the pens and Post-it notes. The Post-It notes are good when you are at craft shows and maybe need to write something down like a product for the buyer to purchase later. You can write them on your own company official 3M Post-It Notes, so that way they can see your company info at the bottom when they look at it.

Got Print- They have a large selection of promotional materials and alot of price tiers for business cards. One promo I do like is the Notepads and the Event Tickets that you can do for your business. These would be great tools to use for Upcoming Promos or sales that you may have..

48 Hour Print- This is an option if you are in a pinch, since like the name indicated, its 48 hour guaranteed printing and processing of your order at no extra charge.Reviews have been mixed as well, but they do produce nice glossy booklets, great for those of you who want a wholesale or holiday catalog.

PS Print- In addition to the standard letterhead items, the do event tickets with the foil stamping as well as the CD jewel cases which are nice if you are sending files or images on cd....you can have your company logo on them.Reviews are also mixed for this site.

My 1 Stop- They really have a small selection of products which includes the business cards. But what they do have are gift cards as well as luggage tags and key tags, so if you were always interested in offering these items, but didn't know where to get them, this is one of the places.

*If you are unsure about quality, printing and etc, RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. You can easily find feedback via google or forums on these companies. Also all of these companies have samples, so if you are still in questions, just request the samples of the product you wish to see.
*In addition , alot of these sites have ongoing promotions and discounts. VistaPrint , Moo and Overnight Prints constantly have specials ( 25% off business cards, free postcards, etc). Just Google the company name and put "coupon" or " discount" after it and any "specials" will come up.
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Friday, April 30, 2010
HELP: BUSINESS RESOURCES & LISTINGS



















I am constantly on the quest to find things that make not only my business better but also more efficient. Some info out there is useful, others....not so much, so the following two are resources that I have found to be useful for business. Some you may have heard of others you might not of, but they are both worth taking a gander at
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{The Crafts Report}
This monthly magazine delivers tips and tricks on everything from creating great photographs of artist's work to setting up a show booth and handling legal issues that surround running a small business.
Each issue contains features of crafters who have turned their hobby into a profession. There are monthly columns on business basics, crafts law, advanced business concepts, crafts technology, retailing and more. They have listings of supplies, craft shows, and equipment which is especially good for that #1 question I always see..."WHAT IS THE BEST TENT TO BUY?"
To receive the report you can subscribe online at The Crafts Report Subscription for $40/yr for either print or digital, but if you can't wait and secretly you want to "thumb " thru it before you purchase, the do sell the "hard copies" at Barnes and Noble, Borders, Books-A-Million, Hastings and Jo-Ann Fabrics. The downside to that is there is no "set" location to which stores carry them, it is not based on size of area or size of store, but landscape. This means that areas where there are traditionally more "Crafters" located is where they sell it :( ........this is one of the times where living in a smaller town may be an advantage.
Good News though, after speaking to a lovely rep from the publishing company, it was suggested to purchase the digital version( same price as the magazine). No only does the digital version arrive quicker ( usually withing about 2 business day from puchase) it has more content. They also only have the Craft Show Listings in the digital version, they are no longer in the magazine. Not to mention that since it is digital they can add more articles and resources that they might have to cut to fit in a 40 page magazine.

PRO: With monthly subscription there is constantly new ideas and info for your business.
Suggest getting the digital version for more content and access to archives
CON: May be a bit overwhelming to the "newbie" crafter, may need to wait until you
have a few shows or experience under your belt, but still a good resource.
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{American Style Magazine}
This monthly magazine arts lifestyle magazine for art lovers, collectors and travelers. Each issue features contemporary art and artists, art galleries, art collectors, and arts travel and tourism. American Style offers readers exclusive visits to American artists' studios and art collectors' homes, as well as articles about art glass, ceramics and pottery, art jewelry, handmade crafts, furniture and more.

ARTICLE OF INTEREST: WEB ONLY EXCLUSIVE
2010 ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

DOWNLOAD LISTINGS: 2010 GUIDE TO FAIRS AND FESTIVALS LISTING
This guide has current listings for 2010 and up to early 2011 for fairs as well .
GET IT NOW BEFORE IT EXPIRES!

PRO: Great place to get inspiration and major fairs/festivals you may not have heard of
CON: Seemed to be geared toward finer arts and crafts, so this is good for the jewelry, sculpture and other such crafters. More about established artist and inspiration than business resources
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Friday, April 16, 2010
HOW TO HANDLE TO CRAFT SHOW TALKER :D

Anyone who has done craft shows knows about "The Talker" ...you know that chit chatty person that comes by ask you a ton of questions and your products and life in general , but never buys. The one that won't take a hint when you are trying to sell your products or who doesn't understand that you this is not a social event but an actual money making event!
So I was sent an email with the Q & A about "The Talker" and I thought it was interesting advice that was given on how to handle them without being to much of an a-hole, lol

Q: I attend a lot of shows each year, and it never fails—I always have at least one person visit my booth who is there to simply visit. Meanwhile, I have many buyers coming in and out that I’m unable to talk to effectively, because the “talker” continues on...and on...and on! What are polite ways of breaking the conversation and concentrating on people who are there to do business?
A:There are always chatty people who seem to enjoy being with artists. Often they have no sense of the inappropriateness of engaging you in long conversations.
I believe they haven’t made the connection that although you are in a public place in a social situation, you are indeed working. I think the “talker” is hard to offend and urge you to excuse yourself to talk to other customers.
Alternately you could pick up your duster and excuse yourself saying, “I can’t believe how dusty it gets in here” and go to work. Or get the glass cleaner or reorganize your merchandise...you get the picture.
Soon the “talker” will be off to another booth, pleased with themselves for having talked to an artist.-Donald Clark
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Now, that is usually what I do, if they have been there for 30 minutes and are talking to me about the new episode of "Jersey Shore" (which I will only give 10 minutes of my time to Snooki & The Situation) I will start "Rearranging" and "Stocking". I have actually seen other vendors blatantly tell "The Talker" to exit the tent, but I am not a big fan of that, lol.
This is really because you never know who "The Talker" is or knows. There are instances where "The Talker" is actually beneficial, such as in this instant from Bob the Woodcarver.
I was doing a show in Memphis. I had a gal that looked like she had lived under a bridge someplace; dirty torn cloths and all. She hung around my booth all day. She would leave for an hour then be back to talk. She asked about a zillion questions about six foot tall cigar store female Indians and could I do one. Yes I could do one! This ran on all afternoon. Finally she asked how much and how long it would take. By now all I wanted to do is get rid of her. I said the price was $1000, 50% down and 50% on delivery. I thought this would shut her up. She thought for a moment, got her wallet out and laid five $100 bills on the table. She gave me a post office box number where to send the photos as I progressed. I finished it in a couple weeks and requested a land address where to deliver the piece. Using the directions I drove out this winding road and found the address except there was a large iron fence and a locked gate. In the wall of the gate post was a phone. I explained who I was and the gates opened silently. The driveway had to be a half mile long. I rounded the last turn and an old antibellum mansion stood there. I thought maybe she was a worker there. I rang the door bell and a gal in a maids uniform met me at the door. "Oh I'll get her for you." The same gal came down the stairs in almost the same outfit she wore when I talked to her originally. Turns out she was some country singer. She turned to the maid and told her to give me the final $500 an extra $200 for delivering it. Somewhere in Memphis is a six foot tall female cigar store Indian. Sometimes it pays to talk to these "talkers." -Bob the Woodcarver
So in essence, treat every "Talker" differently, because you really never know who you are "Talking " to.........
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Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Craft Fair: Tips & Tricks For A Smoother Day

Even though the summer craft season is winding down, the fall and holiday craft show season is just heating up! I am always on the hunt for new info about upcoming show, tips, tricks or any other info that I may not have thought of that will make my life and show experience easier.
I have seen alot of info over the years, so here is just some of my tips that will hopefully help you or at least give you ideas!

{TIPS}
Having done Craft Shows & Fairs for awhile, here are some of my following tips and info that have helped me over the years:






  • Price all items to the dollar to avoid dealing with loose change. So if something is $3.50, either price it at $3 or $4. It is easier and will save you and the customer hassles.



  • Bring a buddy along, even if they don't stay for the whole event( some people just can't seem to get up early on the weekends) ask them to come for a couple of hours to man your table during peak times like 11-3 or 12-4, etc so that you can take a break , walk around or etc.



  • Bring CHANGE, CHANGE and more CHANGE. I have found that people tend to make a stop at the ATM before a show, anticipating buying, so they pay with nice $20 dollar bills. The best ratio I have found is fifty $1 dollar bills , two $10 dollar bills and six $5 dollar bills for a total of $100 dollars. Whatever ratio you do , just make sure to bring alot of ones like you are going to the strip club.



  • Because people are going green and trying to conserve , I have found that lately more people are not giving out bags with there merchandise. But it is handy to have some because there will be people who ask for them. If you are not going to provide "Company Bags" , (which we highly suggest )with your logo on them or etc, then those good ole plain plastic bags or paper bags from the will do.



  • If you have never done a show before and have the time and space, try setting up your table in your home (or garage) and see how it looks, that way you can fix anything you don't like about it before you get to the show.



  • Don't bring out your whole inventory, I suggest bringing out a nice range of pieces but not each and everything you make



  • If you cannot enclose the sides of your tent and need to, just purchase heavy shower curtains (the ones with the metal grommets) and clamp them underneath canopy to metal frame with grommet size down. Then tie down bottom ends thru grommets at each corner to pull tight. Viola! Four walls and since shower curtains come in a variety of colors you can find a solid one in to match your canopy color.



  • No need to buy a Tablecloth, just purchase a Full or Queen size flat sheet(not the fitted) for your table cloth. You can purchase these at any linen store, Walmart, Kmart or Target in variety of solid colors for just a few dollars. And the good part is that they come in hundreds of colors are durable and can be easily replaced.



  • I suggest an apron or pouch for the cash , as I have heard horror stories of those big cumbersome cash boxes getting taken. With a pouch or apron you can always have it on you.



  • Make sure to take a variety of priced items, especially with this economy. This is a buyers market, so people are more apt to make a variety of smaller priced purchases as opposed to one large one. Of course this also depends on your product. So if you have a larger product maybe make smaller items "specifically " for the craft show and label them "Limited Edition" so that customers know this is the only place and time to get it.
{TABLE}
One of the best tables that I have found ( and trust me I have reasearched and gone thru alot of tables) is this 6ft Folding Table (standard craft show size) at Walmart. They also sell the brand at Target as well. Though the standard price is around $89, they usually have it on sale and you can get it for $40-$60, maybe even cheaper. This table is sturdy and has a nice hard High-density polyethylene top as well as easy to carry and set up with handle to carry. If also comes in 4ft size for those of you needing smaller tables.

Or you can also get a nice 6ft Resin Folding Table at Amazon , just remember that a table without the center seam will always be more durable. If you don't have a car that can carry a non folding table, then these are the best ones to get. And if you still are unsure about the amount of weight the table can hold, you can always place a "stablizer" underneath the table where the seam is located. Like maybe stack your cartons/boxes that you carried your products in under the seam.

{CANOPY}
If you are serious about doing craft shows, you will end up at some point needing a canopy. They are large, cumbersome and can be annoying to lug around, but they are necessary.
The most popular canopy is the EZ UP, pop up tent. Though they are easy to use( most of the time) , they are not "Water Proof". And that is VERY IMPORTANT. Most Pop Up tents are "water repellent" and not "water proof", so that means that the water will bead off for awhile, but eventually it will soak thru ( as I have found out the hard way)
If price is the main issue for you, then you can get an EZ UP or any other pop up tent from EBAY alot of them coming with four walls and some with a roller bag for easy transport. If you want to spend a little more to get a good tent, we recommend Swiss Gear Canopy, it is Water Proof , pop up construction and comes in a canvas zip up bag with wheels for easy transport. You can get them for about $100 but check Ebay as you may get it cheaper. Just remember that most craft show spaces are 10x10, so just get the 10x10 tent size .
The following are places to find canopies of a variety of prices and styles.



{WHERE TO APPLY}
One of the number one questions I get asked is "Where do you find the info for the shows? So I have compiled a list of some( I am sure not all) of the better avenues to find show for your area. The good thing about all of these is that they can be categorized by city/state. But one of the best resources is "word of mouth" , so when you are at a craft show talk to your neighboor. Find out how they heard about the show, what other shows they do and more importantly what kind of turnout business the shows tend to do. Actual first hand account of an event is the best information to have...do you actually think the promoter of the event is going to tell you the "real truth" about turnout and buying?

{CRAFT SHOW RESOURCES}_____________________________






  • Indie Craft Fair Guide-geared towards the large heavily publicized annual shows, like Renegade, Bust, ETC



  • Indie Craft Shows- geared towards the true handmade artist so they have alot of smaller crafts shows listed as well as the larger ones



  • Craftlister- large comprehensive list of events, not just craft shows, but fleas, markets, streetfairs, and etc. Can search by state or zip code for free for up to one month. Since you will need to apply to shows several months in advance you can get free limited time (days-week) searching up to one year in the future by either paying or commenting on crafts shows past and present. Time of access depends on how many comments you make.You do have to sign up (for free) to access the free membership comment program.



  • Event Lister- Same as Craftlister, with benefits, membership program, etc



  • Craft Fair Online-group shows and resources



  • Art & Craft Yellowpages- subscription service, catagorized by state



  • Bob's List- List by state



  • I Want Crafter's Guide- For Tri-State area and a little bit beyond, so includes NY, NJ,PA, Delaware,Maryland & Virginia



  • Also Google "Craft Fairs or Street Fairs in... insert city" and some will come up that you may not have known about.

There are no hard and fast rules about craft shows but hopefully this will point you in the right direction.

Have any craft show tips, tricks or resources? Send us a comment..

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