Any advice on new business?
Any advice on new business?
i am sure many people here can offer good advice. i would like to wish you very good luck in your enterprise! :-6
Any advice on new business?
CeltWmn wrote: Thanks Lady Cop! At this point, I'm just getting started, really. But, of course, now I'm worried about getting my business out there. Little scary!!
i am sure you will succeed...and i'll take some candles!
i am sure you will succeed...and i'll take some candles!
Any advice on new business?
When I began my dog obedience business, I got business cards printed up, fairly cheap, (about 40 bucks for 500) and left them EVERYWHERE. With tips in restaurants, on bulletin boards, public phones, anywhere I could think of where there was a lot of traffic.
[FONT=Arial Black]I hope you cherish this sweet way of life, and I hope you know that it comes with a price.
~Darrel Worley~
[/FONT]
Bullet's trial was a farce. Can I get an AMEN?????
We won't be punished for our sins, but BY them.
~Darrel Worley~
[/FONT]
Bullet's trial was a farce. Can I get an AMEN?????
We won't be punished for our sins, but BY them.
Any advice on new business?
CeltWmn wrote: Hello! I thought maybe I would try and glean some advice from anyone who will give it!! I have just started my own at-home business. I make homemade soap, lip gloss, candles, bath salts, etc. Does anyone have any advice on how to start a web page(Or any other form of advertising, for that matter.) Because of our particular laws in my area, I can't have any sort of sign or anything that tells people I have a business in my home. (This excludes the internet.)
Any help is much appreciated! Thanks!!
Good luck I don't know if you can but maybe you can post your wares on Ebay? And ask anyone who hosts a website if you can use a wee corner of their site, and like Babyrider said put your biz cards everywhere, heck you can print your own biz cards at home and go wild. If you make your own website you have to flog the internet with it cause just making a site does not mean success instantly not like "if you build it they will come" there are places that are like a strip mall idea and they will take your money and host your website and link you all over the place. I know of someone who does that so if you are interested PM me and I can see if I can get you some ideas and rates.
But regardless, stick with it and have patience your candles interest me hehehe I love those things.
Any help is much appreciated! Thanks!!
Good luck I don't know if you can but maybe you can post your wares on Ebay? And ask anyone who hosts a website if you can use a wee corner of their site, and like Babyrider said put your biz cards everywhere, heck you can print your own biz cards at home and go wild. If you make your own website you have to flog the internet with it cause just making a site does not mean success instantly not like "if you build it they will come" there are places that are like a strip mall idea and they will take your money and host your website and link you all over the place. I know of someone who does that so if you are interested PM me and I can see if I can get you some ideas and rates.
But regardless, stick with it and have patience your candles interest me hehehe I love those things.
�You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.�
• Mae West
• Mae West
Any advice on new business?
How about agricultural, horse shows and the like? In this country there are usually "trade stalls" for clothing food etc and craft stalls. There is an actual circuit that some companies follow, they use it to raise name awareness amongst their target market. I know one company, hand made furniture wardrobes etc, that's how he got started now is so busy with word of mouth that he doesn't really have the time any more but still does them because his customers like to browse, another with designer shirts and the like, expensive for what they were but then I think Armani is overpriced.
It's Direct selling so long as you cover the costs for the stall etc you also get a sense of whether your stuff is any good and what people want, if theytell you it's crap ask them why, anybody buys get them on your mailing list-you do mail order build up a customer list. Three regular small customers are better than big one off hits. Same with shopping malls, does your local one allow market type stalls for small businesses? Try it for a few weeks to see if it is worthwhile.
Don't know how practical that is for you, bear in mind I am someone that would have to get out a map to find out where colorado (is it in new mexico?) is so haven't a clue how applicable the above is.
Who are your target market (Craft shops and the like?), where are they and how do you get their attention. Doesn't matter how good your stuff is nobody will come looking for you have to go to them.
Doubt a web site will help initially unless people use it to place orders but they won't find it unless they are looking for it specifically or you have made sure your site shows up on random searches. You could spend a lot of time and money on something that won't get you business. A good IT web design consultant is one that will tell you not to waste your time if that's what they think. Your kind of product is touchy feely stuff. Would you buy a candle off a website unless you already knew the stuff?
That was the problem with the internet boom and bust, you looked at these web based companies and wondered where the income stream was coming from, unfortunately many banks and investors never asked such basic questions.
Response from mail shots or paper drops is less than 1% unless you target market properly and follow through with phone calls, think carefully about who is likely to buy. likely response might get up to 6%.
It's Direct selling so long as you cover the costs for the stall etc you also get a sense of whether your stuff is any good and what people want, if theytell you it's crap ask them why, anybody buys get them on your mailing list-you do mail order build up a customer list. Three regular small customers are better than big one off hits. Same with shopping malls, does your local one allow market type stalls for small businesses? Try it for a few weeks to see if it is worthwhile.
Don't know how practical that is for you, bear in mind I am someone that would have to get out a map to find out where colorado (is it in new mexico?) is so haven't a clue how applicable the above is.
Who are your target market (Craft shops and the like?), where are they and how do you get their attention. Doesn't matter how good your stuff is nobody will come looking for you have to go to them.
Doubt a web site will help initially unless people use it to place orders but they won't find it unless they are looking for it specifically or you have made sure your site shows up on random searches. You could spend a lot of time and money on something that won't get you business. A good IT web design consultant is one that will tell you not to waste your time if that's what they think. Your kind of product is touchy feely stuff. Would you buy a candle off a website unless you already knew the stuff?
That was the problem with the internet boom and bust, you looked at these web based companies and wondered where the income stream was coming from, unfortunately many banks and investors never asked such basic questions.
Response from mail shots or paper drops is less than 1% unless you target market properly and follow through with phone calls, think carefully about who is likely to buy. likely response might get up to 6%.
Any advice on new business?
The mall idea is a great one! I'm no expert, but I can tell you what gets me to buy a new product:
1. Location! If it crosses my path, I'll look at it, but rarely do I go out of the way to find a new store. That's why I think the mall idea is a winner.
2. Need. I only buy stuff that use regularly. I'm not much into knickknacks.
3. Cost. I'm a teacher on a budget, and although I like homemade wares, I'm not buying a $20 loaf of bread, if you know what I mean.
4. Presentation. I will break all of my above rules if the thingy looks cool enogh.
1. Location! If it crosses my path, I'll look at it, but rarely do I go out of the way to find a new store. That's why I think the mall idea is a winner.
2. Need. I only buy stuff that use regularly. I'm not much into knickknacks.
3. Cost. I'm a teacher on a budget, and although I like homemade wares, I'm not buying a $20 loaf of bread, if you know what I mean.
4. Presentation. I will break all of my above rules if the thingy looks cool enogh.
All the world's a stage and the men and women merely players...Shakespeare
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LottomagicZ4941
- Posts: 752
- Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2004 12:00 pm
Any advice on new business?
Absolutly discusting that they will not let you have reasonable signage. Yet the big corporations get to run their adverts everywhere.
People even advertizing in the restrooms.
One town has a rule that you can't have more then two gradge sales a year or you running an illegal store.
They ran the last Arcade out of town by having a co-op tax of $80 or was it $180 a machiene. As if their insurance bills were not already outrages enough!!!
Well enough of my venting. Advice-- well you already did the smart thing and asked for advice.
Perhpas a referal bonus for people who send busisness your way. A free gift of product?
That is what the people who do the candel party do. They give a gift to the host of the party.
Also check out your local senior center if you have them in your area. When I was an insurance agent I donated decks of cards with my adress and number on it. Seniors often have time to check stuff out that us younger folks do not. I also did the grocery store cart advert when I was an agent. Took about 6 months before I got any calls. And it was not worth the $500.
The Welcome wagon worked great at first when I was the only agent in it. Then when other agents went it became less then cost effective when we split up the new people. I felt that was real deceptive when they told me I would be exclusive then all of a sudden there were a ton of us adverting to the same people.
_________________
Lotto
http://www.flalottomagic.net/cgi-local/ ... elcome-344
MagicZ4941A
People even advertizing in the restrooms.
One town has a rule that you can't have more then two gradge sales a year or you running an illegal store.
They ran the last Arcade out of town by having a co-op tax of $80 or was it $180 a machiene. As if their insurance bills were not already outrages enough!!!
Well enough of my venting. Advice-- well you already did the smart thing and asked for advice.
Perhpas a referal bonus for people who send busisness your way. A free gift of product?
That is what the people who do the candel party do. They give a gift to the host of the party.
Also check out your local senior center if you have them in your area. When I was an insurance agent I donated decks of cards with my adress and number on it. Seniors often have time to check stuff out that us younger folks do not. I also did the grocery store cart advert when I was an agent. Took about 6 months before I got any calls. And it was not worth the $500.
The Welcome wagon worked great at first when I was the only agent in it. Then when other agents went it became less then cost effective when we split up the new people. I felt that was real deceptive when they told me I would be exclusive then all of a sudden there were a ton of us adverting to the same people.
_________________
Lotto
http://www.flalottomagic.net/cgi-local/ ... elcome-344
MagicZ4941A
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chicagolosina
- Posts: 108
- Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:07 pm
Any advice on new business?
Good Luck! Your already on your way to doing well, by asking questions! You can always try a flea market/farmers market as well! They may be cheaper and you don't have to commit to a lease, you may have to with the Mall thing. Plus you can get a good idea of what people really like and make more of it.
Any advice on new business?
Sorry everyone...on the sign thing, I'm not with you. You see, in my town, we have no anti-sign ordinance and the entire town is a sea of beat up, glaring, garish homemade signs. Plus a ton of those cheap looking 'lighted arrow" signs.
It's complete sight pollution. A total eyesore.
i've been to nice, planned communites that have good ordinances. Scottsdale and Boulder are good examples. You cannot have a sign larger than 6 ft. tall, and it has to be pulled back from the street with some landscaping. The effect is to make the area seem like a nice neighborhood. It's both pleasant to look at and cooler in temperature. the whole city has a nicer atmosphere
I'm for sign control.
It's complete sight pollution. A total eyesore.
i've been to nice, planned communites that have good ordinances. Scottsdale and Boulder are good examples. You cannot have a sign larger than 6 ft. tall, and it has to be pulled back from the street with some landscaping. The effect is to make the area seem like a nice neighborhood. It's both pleasant to look at and cooler in temperature. the whole city has a nicer atmosphere
I'm for sign control.
All the world's a stage and the men and women merely players...Shakespeare