Choose Your Words Carefully from Beth Andrus on Vimeo.
March 11th, 2010
Choose Your Words Carefully
March 10th, 2010
Craft Fairs & Art Shows As A Marketing Tool
If you’re just starting your product business, arts & craft shows, gift fairs, etc… are a great way to test the viability of your product. You will get instant valuable feedback, even if that feedback is zero sales. Also, selling at these types of events is a relatively inexpensive way to gain visibility, build a customer base, and promote your online store.
Start at local farmers markets and annual shows in your city, and if you get favorable results, expand your reach. You can get a comprehensive list of these types of events from Craftmaster News. The annual subscription is $48.95 and includes 6 bi-monthly printed issues of the publication, e-mail updates of the latest event information, and online access to their entire database of events (updated daily). And maybe you can split the cost with one or two other business owners, to make it even more affordable.
The list includes arts & crafts shows, street fairs and festivals, county fairs, state fairs, home and garden shows, farmers’ markets, antique & collectible shows, music festivals, car shows, holiday gift fairs, and more. There are two separate lists, one covering the Western U.S. and another for the Eastern U.S.
Once you’re up and running, you need to get the word out about your product. I think this is a good way to go for some businesses. Try a local event first, and if you see some marketing benefits, check out the Craftmaster News list. You have 30 days to cancel, so it’s as low-risk as you’re going to find.
March 9th, 2010
The Best Use Of DIY Courses
As you know, I’m a big supporter of DIY (do-it-yourself). Sometimes it’s your only option, especially in the early stages of business. There are tons of books, courses, seminars and webinars out there, covering everything from PR to accounting. And many of these are good. But even if you learn everything and understand what needs to be done, there are only so many hours in the day.
Frequently, after taking a course, we realize we don’t have the time or interest in handling the tasks ourselves. When this happens, we are inclined to hire the person that taught the course. There’s nothing wrong with that, but assess your time and personality before shelling out money for anything. If you think might hire a professional in the end, don’t waste your money on the DIY course. Instead, put it toward hiring a professional.
If your budget won’t allow for that, and your schedule won’t allow for you to do everything, there is an alternative. Take DIY courses and/or read some books, and then hire a temporary assistant, virtual assistant, or bookkeeper to do certain things for you.
Once you know the what, how and why of certain business activities, you can direct someone to do what you would be doing (if you had the time) at a fraction of the cost of hiring a professional. The more you know, the less likely you are to overpay for relatively simple tasks, or to hire an unqualified person. Learn as much as possible about all aspects of your business. Then do what you can, and farm out the rest. Taking this approach will save you some money, and keep you from hating your business.
March 4th, 2010
Is It Venting Or Just Complaining?
Venting from Beth Andrus on Vimeo.
March 3rd, 2010
Listen To The “Experts” But Don’t Lose Sight Of Your Path
Whether it’s marketing, social networking, PR, or sales, there are a lot of experts out there. And every 12 to 18 months, a new star is born. Everyone worships at their altar – for a while, anyway, until the next “business genius” steals the spotlight. I believe many of these people have a lot to offer. Their experience and knowledge gives them a certain perspective, and this insight helps people who are trying to get their business up and running.
But I believe we all need to be selective when taking the advice of others. Not necessarily everything someone else has done will work for you. Your business and goals are unique, so an approach that propelled them toward their goal could actually put you on a detour away from your goal.
So how can you avoid that? Get clear on what you want your business to look like and what you want it to do – for you and for your customers. Once you know what this means for you, step onto your path with confidence. Then you can easily determine what will assist you in reaching your goal. There is so much good advice out there, but treat it all like a buffet or dim sum. Take only what will work for you.
March 2nd, 2010
The 2nd Annual Unique Los Angeles Spring Show
The 2nd Annual Unique Los Angeles Spring Show is scheduled for April 24th & 25th, they are now accepting vendor applications, through March 10th. Unique Los Angeles puts on two-day shopping events twice a year; a spring show and a holiday show. If you’re an independent designer, it’s a great opportunity to display your products.
Unique Los Angeles events have quickly become one of the city’s premier shows for designers and artists. Last December, their holiday event was attended by over 11,000 people. I strongly advise that you apply today.
If you aren’t in Southern California, you could find a way to create our own opportunity. Do a Google search for similar events in your part of the state/country. If you still can’t find anything, you could always pull together your own event. It’s been a long, hard winter. When spring finally arrives, people are going to be ready to get out of the house. A local designer show may be just what they’re looking for. Here are some ideas to help get you started.
February 25th, 2010
Lessons From Rollerskating (Rerun)
Lessons From RollerSkating from Beth Andrus on Vimeo.
This video is a rerun. I will have new videos, again, starting next week.
February 24th, 2010
You Need To Have A Website & ChooseWhat.com Makes It Easy
If you already have website, go back to what you were doing. If you don’t, there is a site that can help you get set up. Like anything else that’s new to us, setting up a website can be intimidating, and frustrating. If you have a business, though (any kind of business) you need to have a website. It gives you credibility, and will help you market your product or service. There, your customers can find out about your company, get contact information, etc...
ChooseWhat.com offers a “build-your-website” option that is incredibly easy to use. You start by selecting an “information only” site ($9.99/month) or a web store ($24/month). You are then literally stepped through the process. The price includes a domain name. And the first 30 days are free, so check it out before committing.
Here’s what you’ll see:
Get Started.
a) Create a free account.
b) Choose your layout and color scheme.
c) Choose your domain name.
Add Pages to Your Website.
a) Customize your Home page.
b) Customize your Contact page.
c) Add supporting pages
Create Logical Navigation.
a) Create main navigation links
b) Create secondary navigation.
Enhance Your Website (optional steps).
a) Customize your header and logo.
b) Change your layout.
c) Change your color scheme.
d) Get your website listed in search engines
e) Add images, video and other multimedia.
Everything in this guide is straightforward and easy to understand. As you click on each task, you are given a full, clear explanation of what you are doing, and why. You should be able to create your website in an afternoon.
Having an online presence is so important. You are missing out on opportunities each day that you wait. So give it a try, because the need for a website is not going to go away.
February 23rd, 2010
Don’t Get Ahead Of Yourself
Getting caught up in the excitement of starting your own business can cause you to get ahead of your self. It’s a common mistake, but you may pay dearly for it.
Starting a business is part hard work, part lots of fun. Unfortunately, in the beginning, there are bigger doses of hard work – getting your website up and your shopping cart in place, registering for tax ID numbers, not to mention preparing your product or service. So it’s understandable that people want to jump into the much more satisfying activities of marketing and PR, but don’t take these steps until you’re ready.
First, if you hire a marketing or PR person before you’re ready, you’ll be wasting your money and their time. And, second, even if you’re doing these things on your own (I love DIY!) you could be caught with your pants down, so to speak. If clients, journalists, and sponsors coming knocking before you’re ready, you will look amateurish and create a reputation for being unreliable.
I once jumped into a marketing opportunity before I had my vendors lined up. A huge order came in from this and I suffered a sleepless week getting the work done for my new customer, with the added pleasure of paying a subpar vendor a fortune for a “rush” job.
If your dream client/PR contact called you, would you be ready? If the answer is, “Yes, but I just need to ______”, then the real answer is no.
I get it. It’s thrilling to go full steam ahead, but you have to make sure you have something to offer before inviting the world in. It is easier to build a strong reputation from a clean slate, than it is to repair a damaged one. So clean house, get your ducks in a row, or whatever other metaphor you would like to use, then get out there and show the world what you’ve got.
February 18th, 2010
Stand Out With Your Message
Stand Out With Your Message from Beth Andrus on Vimeo.
