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Marketing your business?
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Downsizer Forum Index -> Small Business Questions, Ideas and Advice

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hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 07 8:46 am Post subject:

Sally, as an addition to your 'straight' marketing, you write well and have expert knowledge so could write articles that indirectly advertise your products too. Just as an example, write an article on how women have coped with family washing through the ages for a magazine and include a short summary of your business with URL and contact details.

This is probably a bad example, but you get the general idea.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 07 9:21 am Post subject:

Stacey wrote:

Not particualrly marketing related but the thing that is becoming obvious for me at this stage of the game is that I don't have enough residual stock. As I'm getting more orders and more exposure (ooer missus) I realise that I need to have much more back up stock than I have at present. That was a problem because until some money started coming in I wasn't able to buy raw materials to actually make enough stock. I'd suggest whilst you have some money coming in from a different source that you make enough stuff to have a back up stock before you start (unless you have already in which case ignore all of that

)

To me that is part of the general if somewhat pious principle that you should not start a full time business without adequate funding, having your decisions driven not by the needs of the business, but by the problems of cash flow can be one issue too many to deal with.

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 07 9:53 am Post subject:

jema wrote:

Stacey wrote:

)

In an ideal world, Jema - but unfortunately not all of us reside in one of those

I'm doing ok - more than ok - things have really taken off since doing wonderwool. It's not a major drawback, more a pain in the rear

I think it's hard sometimes for people to understand they way the majority of crafts/arts based buisnesses start out. They aren't like 'standard' businesses and many of them start out in ways that would have 'proper' business people tearing their hair out. One local woman who started making bags in the kitchen out of old velvet curtains while her son was at school is now making a massive profit. Her stuff is everywhere.

So, the really important thing is the finished product IMO not necessarily the way the buisness is run. Sally is organised and makes fab stuff - she'll be fine, I'll be fine - we're all fine!

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 07 10:05 am Post subject:
As I said it is a pious point, but one that if you are working in an existing job and planning on going full full in your crafts business, that you can consider in terms of how you time things.

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 07 4:05 pm Post subject:

jema wrote:

As I said it is a pious point, but one that if you are working in an existing job and planning on going full full in your crafts business, that you can consider in terms of how you time things.

I agree.

How do you feel about that?

sneeuwklokje

Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 277

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 07 8:48 pm Post subject:

hedgewitch wrote:

Sally, as an addition to your 'straight' marketing, you write well and have expert knowledge so could write articles that indirectly advertise your products too. ...

That is a good idea.

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 07 8:52 pm Post subject:
For our business I often look up competitors on the internet, and check out what type of adverts they have, and how big a package they have invested in. I have found quite a few good sites like this, and so far they are paying off advertising with them.

n

Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 211
Location: Lothian

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 07 1:05 pm Post subject:

Sally, get a blog!

Write on your blog often... at least every other day.
Write knowledgeable posts, with good links to useful websites so that people see YOUR blog as an information resource.
Look for the blogs of other enthusiasts in your field... re-enacters etc, comment sensibly on their blogs, not self promoting comments, but thoughtful, interesting comments which will send them clicking to YOUR blog, where there is a link to YOUR shop.
Do write about what's in the shop, but make sure that's not ALL you write about.
When you go to festivals and events, ask if you can take photos of people wearing costumes, their equipment (!) etc... make sure you get their name and their permission, and then put them on your blog as "this weekend I met Fred and he had the most fantastic Fredogolopolus which he made himself, isn't he clever?" Ask if they have a blog and make sure you link to it, and comment on it. Most people will be really chuffed to get a mention.
Once it's up and running, offer a small prize every so often as an incentive for people to comment, this makes them engage with your site. I have offered a set of knitting needles for example. A few weeks ago I couldn't think of any new names for the yarn colours, so I asked for suggestions... they flooded in.
Consider integrating blog and shop.
When Fee (fab person) did my new site I asked it to be set up so that when someone goes to the site

www.theyarnyard.co.uk

they go first to the blog.
The longer they spend on the blog, the more likely they are to look in the shop. If the blog is interesting (I hope it is), then people who have no intention of buying will still come back, just to be entertained. Eventually they may buy something.
I started the Yard in September last year.
I have never advertised anywhere, and I think that at the moment, if I advertised I would be swamped and that's not what I want because my standard of customer service would go down.
Just because the business advisors say you need to pay for advertising, doesn't mean they are right!

n

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 07 3:11 pm Post subject:
Hello stranger! How's the yarn empire going? (Actually, I know it's going very well, because I read your blog. So obviously it works, least on gullible yarn-a-holics like me!)

n

Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 211
Location: Lothian

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 07 4:01 pm Post subject:
I rest my case! Nice to "see" you again, WW. n

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 07 4:57 pm Post subject:
Ha ha - Little do you know I've been spying on you via your blog!

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 07 4:59 pm Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

Ha ha - Little do you know I've been spying on you via your blog!

Beware blog stalkers.

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 07 5:45 pm Post subject:

I guess it depends what you're selling. I can see a blog working if you're selling yarn as there's a pretty hefty yarn/knitting blog community who will just be looking for blogs to read - the shop is an added bonus. However, I don't get many people going from the blog to the site by nature of what I sell. If someone is looking for a gift or specifically hand made felt they won't think of looking for a blog first - they'll want to go straight to the site. They look at felt blogs for ideas to pinch

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 07 7:40 pm Post subject:

Stacey wrote:

They look at felt blogs for ideas to pinch

Not always true - I look in awe and wonderment at both felting and knitting blogs.

But maybe I'm the exception that proves the rule...

dottyspots

Joined: 28 Jun 2007
Posts: 286
Location: South Yorks

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 07 6:31 pm Post subject:
Oooooh, knitting and felting blogs.... I came across Cledry before I came here through searching for that sort of thing. Sally - if you have a blog I'd certainly read it

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