How to Get Business
How to Get Business
by Lynne Davies (HyperloopHoops)
Get out and about and be seen. Visit craft markets with some of your goods. Show people your wares and ask for opinions. If you get a good response ask if you can trade there next time they run the market.
Hold parties to sell goods. Offer anyone that signs up to have a party at their home discount. Make the parties fun and not all about selling. People spend more money when they are happy. Remember to always have good business cards and promo material to hand out to people.
Get your local paper to do an article on you. They are often looking for local people to feature, so if you can think of an angle that makes your goods topical, contact them and tell them. I make hoops and every time there is a local carnival on I contact the local paper and offer them a story about me at the carnival etc. It gets you free promotion.
Pin up fliers about your goods in public places. Does your local market have a pinboard? How about a "goods for sale" board in the local hypermarket? Get your name out there and seen. Make sure all the photos on the promotional fliers are perfect as they are the worlds window on what you do. Have small rip offs at the bottom with your contact details, so if anyone is interested they can take that info away with them.
If the thing you make is something you can wear, always wear something of your own making every time you go out in public. You'd be surprised how many people will ask you where you got it from. Always have business cards with you to hand to them if they do ask.
Go to local independent stores and ask them if you can have a small spot in their shop window for a small fee, or trade them some sort of service. If they look interested in your products but they don't seem keen to stock them, offer them a sale or returns deal. They might go for it.
In short, be cheeky and ask people... what's the worse they can say.... no? Well you are no worse off if they do and if they say yes... well you're laughing.
Lynne Davies lives in South Wales with her partner Jon where she runs Hyperloop Hoops.
Website: hyperloophoops.com, hyperloophoops.etsy.com
by Lynne Davies (HyperloopHoops)
Get out and about and be seen. Visit craft markets with some of your goods. Show people your wares and ask for opinions. If you get a good response ask if you can trade there next time they run the market.
Hold parties to sell goods. Offer anyone that signs up to have a party at their home discount. Make the parties fun and not all about selling. People spend more money when they are happy. Remember to always have good business cards and promo material to hand out to people.
Get your local paper to do an article on you. They are often looking for local people to feature, so if you can think of an angle that makes your goods topical, contact them and tell them. I make hoops and every time there is a local carnival on I contact the local paper and offer them a story about me at the carnival etc. It gets you free promotion.
Pin up fliers about your goods in public places. Does your local market have a pinboard? How about a "goods for sale" board in the local hypermarket? Get your name out there and seen. Make sure all the photos on the promotional fliers are perfect as they are the worlds window on what you do. Have small rip offs at the bottom with your contact details, so if anyone is interested they can take that info away with them.
If the thing you make is something you can wear, always wear something of your own making every time you go out in public. You'd be surprised how many people will ask you where you got it from. Always have business cards with you to hand to them if they do ask.
Go to local independent stores and ask them if you can have a small spot in their shop window for a small fee, or trade them some sort of service. If they look interested in your products but they don't seem keen to stock them, offer them a sale or returns deal. They might go for it.
In short, be cheeky and ask people... what's the worse they can say.... no? Well you are no worse off if they do and if they say yes... well you're laughing.
Lynne Davies lives in South Wales with her partner Jon where she runs Hyperloop Hoops.
Website: hyperloophoops.com, hyperloophoops.etsy.com
Tags: business
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Chauncey on
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Thanks for the wonderful tips! You definitely mentioned things I hadn't considered before.
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Permalink Reply by juicychristians on -
Thanks. I am new and still trying to get my stuff out there. It seems daunting, but I know that If I just get out there, I will be successful.
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Permalink Reply by Dulce on -
Thank you for your tips. I recently sent an email to my local newspaper that I was featured on neatostuff.com and they emailed me back, they are interviewing me for the craft section of the press this week. I am so excited.
Hopefully this will be the beginning for me.
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Permalink Reply by Chinouk Tees on -
Great ideas!!
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Permalink Reply by Sheratzapan on -
Thanks so much. What an inspiring post!
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Permalink Reply by Barbe on
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Diolch yn fawr, Lynne!
I would also add a couple fo things:
Join social networking groups like Indiepublic(live journal, myspace, facebook, twitter, etc).
Start a blog and comment on others peoples blogs.
ALWAYS have business cards and hand them to everyone you meet-you'd be suprised how many "my friend had your card and suggested your site to me" sales I've made from handing mine out.
if doing a craft show by yourself scares you-find a friend and share a space. Its twice as fun that way and you have moral support (and someone to watch the stuff when you need a bathroom break)
Cheers,
Barbe
www.barbesaintjohn.com
blog: barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com
Jewelry Making Editor- Craft Gossip
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Permalink Reply by sailingbystarlight on -
Some great advice here.
I need to be more "cheeky" I think lol
~smile ~
Etsy
Buy Handmade
sailingbystarlight
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Permalink Reply by World Artisan Gems on -
Exclusive interviews with the most talented emerging and established artisan jewelry designers, beadworkers, metal and glass artists, etc., from around the world.
Artisans are featured on this site by invitation only and are hand-selected to be interviewed here from a large volume of submissions. If you are an artisan jewelry designer/beadworker, glass artist or metal worker and wish to be a featured artist on World Artisan Gems, please apply here.
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Hope to see you there!
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Permalink Reply by icecreamdrops on -
thanks for your post!
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Permalink Reply by Serena Lee Peña- SapphireIce on -
EXCELLENT article!
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