Archive for Markets
“Free” Samples
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Are "free" samples getting you results?
Samples are great. They can help customers try before they buy, they can be used as fillers for goodie bags, they can great.
There is also a down side to samples. As a business owner, it usually costs money to purchase or create these samples, so when you get “sample hunters”, people who just want to get samples, they are not so free, or so useful.
I went to the Australian Business & IT Expo a couple of weeks ago and there were some high school students running around collecting pens and other samples off stalls. It seemed they were playing the game “He/she with the most free samples wins”.
I have also heard of a number of business mums being contacted by people who only want the free samples.
So, how do you get around this?
One idea is to pre-qualify sample hunters with a survey or similar. Also, let them know you will add them to your database and will follow up. If people are just in it for the samples, they may not fill in your survey.
Another idea is to charge for the samples. For example, you may charge $5 for the samples to cover postage and the sample. You may want to include a $5 voucher with the samples, meaning if the customer loves the samples and goes on to buy a full size product, the samples will be free as the voucher will cover the samples. If people are just in it for the sample, they won’t pay for them.
If you are at an expo or market and people just want your samples, put them a little further back, or only hand them out once people have either bought something or entered your prize draw. Again, this puts your sample to work for you and you are handing them out to people who are genuinely interested.
Samples also make a great gift with purchase - include a couple of samples with your orders so customers can try something else in your range. This works as a reward to your current customers as well as introducing them to new products.
If you are giving out samples in a goodie bag or similar, include a gift voucher or similar with the sample to encourage people to buy and so you can track any sales that may come from this marketing activity.
As with any other marketing you do, work out what you want out of it and put your samples to work for you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyMarketing Monday - Uniforms at Expos & Markets
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Last Friday, I helped Bernadette from The Needlework Boutique at her stall at the Craft & Quilt Fair. I didn’t have much time to wander, but there were a few things I noticed about the people behind the different stands.
While most people just wore neat clothes, there were a few who stood out.
- Colour - some stands had their staff wearing the same colour. For the most part, they were different shades of the same colour, and it helped the staff stand out.
- Aprons - some stands had their staff in matching aprons. These had the added advantage of having pockets in the front to keep things like calculators, pens and keys, as well as giving the staff a uniform appearance, regardless of what they had on underneath. Some aprons had logos printed on them and others were in the business colours.
- T-Shirts - some stands had staff in t-shirts that had the business logo printed on the front. These people really stood out as you could spot them standing in the coffee queue as well as on their stand.
- Tiara - there was one stand that had all their staff in a kids plastic tiara. While the tiara looked a bit tacky, it was uniform and the staff members stood out.
These were all simple ideas and, other than the tiara, was duplicated on a number of different stands at the expo. The beauty of these ideas is that you can do them too at markets, expos, and anywhere else you may be displaying your business.
Is there something you have done in your business that helps your business, stall and helpers stand out from the crowd? Please share your ideas by adding a comment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyFriday Five - Uses for e Books
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It’s a great idea to create e Books and reports for your business to share your knowledge and give tips and ideas to your customers. Most people can think of one or two ways to use them in their business. In this post, I will share 5 ways you can use eBooks in your business.
- Sell them - this one is obvious. E Books can be a great product to sell and bring in additional income to your business. A product such as e-Junkie makes selling e Books easy.
- Incentive for newsletters - e Books are a great way to grow your email list. Give away an e Book in exchange for people signing up to your email newsletter list. You can send the e Book through an auto responder, or simply have a download link on the confirmation page.
- Goodie bag giveaway - there are many opportunities to include items in goodie bags. If you have an e Book, you can either print it out or burn it to a CD and use it as an insert in goodie bags. Make sure it is branded with your business so those who read your e Book can follow you up.
- Gift with Purchase - e Books can make a great gift with purchase. You can either email it to people after they have bought your products or provide them with a download link. You could also either print it out or burn it to a CD to include with the package you send out. How you present your e Book as a gift with purchase will depend on what you sell and how people buy from you.
- Strategic Alliance Offering - some of your strategic alliance partners may be looking for e Books to use as a promotion or reward for their customers. If you have an e Book, you can offer it to some of your strategic alliance partners for them to give away. Again, make sure it has your business details on it so readers can follow up your website if they want further information or to buy from you.
While printing an e Book or burning it to a CD may seem a bit odd, if you are able to do this, you can end up with an additional promotional tool for your business and a new group of people who will read your information and be exposed to your business.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyFriday Five - reasons to choose hand made
Posted by: | CommentsThis post is inspired by a status update I saw on Facebook from Vintage is Beautiful last weekend. And yes, I did create this post when I saw it. Some of the points are the same and others are different. I hope the owner of Vintage is Beautiful doesn’t mind me borrowing her idea.
Here are five reasons to choose hand made products:
- You are supporting a small business - most people who sell home made products are small businesses, and many of those are work at home Mums. By buying from them, you are keeping these people in business and helping these Mums support their family.
- You are getting a unique product - even if the designer of the product has made 5 items the “same”, there are still aspects of the creating process that means no two items are exactly alike. For example, dress fabric is cut on a different place in the pattern, or flowers are placed in a slightly different spot on the front of a card. No two items are exactly alike.
- You can find them in unexpected places - have you ever been to a little craft market and found the perfect hand made gift for someone, or in a little nick nack shop somewhere? There are many places you can find hand made products - markets, on the Internet, in boutique shops, expos, and more. You never know when you will come across something that is exactly what you are looking for.
- Hand made items are made with love and attention to detail - the creators of hand made items are making them because they love to create. This love and attention to detail comes through in the designs and the quality of the products. It also comes through with the materials they use to make them.
- You can get things personalised - if you have a little girl who has recently become obsessed with a particular football team, or a friend is decorating their baby’s room in an unusual colour or theme, you may be able to contact some of the businesses who create hand made products and get things made to suit. Not all hand made businesses accept custom orders, and they will want a deposit up front and it will take longer to get to you, but there is no harm in asking. You will end up with a special gift or product that exactly suits what you are looking for.
So, where do you find these home made businesses? A great place to start is local craft markets. There are markets on almost every weekend and some week nights. Check your local paper for markets and fairs in your local area. You can also do a Google search for craft markets.
Other great places are Etsy and Made It. These are like online craft markets. You can search by item or by shop to find the goodies you are looking for.
There are also many directories of work at home Mums, such as the Business Mums Directory, where you can find business mums with their own websites who sell home made products.
Happy Shopping!
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