the end of the journey

so now you have a product you're excited about, have an accounting system in place, have a business plan completed, your pencils are sharpened and your inventory all ready to go. how do you make the phone ring? there are several schools of thought about marketing and advertising and websites and social media, etc etc. I would say the #1 thing to have is a website with e-commerce. (yes, i know - do as i say, not as i do). that way, if a person sees you at a festival but doesn't purchase, hopefully they've taken your card and can buy online. people wanting to re-order don't have to wait for the next festival, or next gallery show, or home show, etc. it also gives legitimacy to your business. along that line, have a "corporate ID." even if you aren't a corporation. simply put, it's creating a pleasing logo/tagline, etc, that reflects your business aesthetic. it will be on all your media & advertising. (think Golden Arches). it's matching the sheets and pillowcases, if you will. if your biz cards are different from your website, it's confusing...it looks like 2 different businesses. if you aren't good at that sort of thing, call a professional. your image is as important as your quality. cheaply made biz cards done on an inkjet printer using clipart, will reflect poorly on your business. (inkjet smears & disappears when it gets wet, btw). i am using Assante Design because he is a maniac about detail, and has local and national accounts. this is important to me, because i want my ID to relate to my local area, but want a larger appeal. Leonard Assante has that experience, so he can design for me with that in mind. my logo, biz cards, letterhead, etc, will all match. repetition helps the customers remember you. there is a local artist that does art festivals, and has a purple tent. she has had to argue with many event organizers about this (as most want standard white tents) because people look for her purple tent at every festival. even if they forget her name, they remember the tent. this is part of her corporate ID. don't cheap out here...spend what you can reasonably afford...this is your chance to make a good, professional first impression. if you really really cannot afford these services, at least tie everything together - Vistaprint allows you to order products with your chosen design, whether uploaded, or using one of theirs. i've matched my biz cards, banners, t-shirts and hats. as far as social media, i'm personally not certain it's essential to have a facebook page. my personal feeling is no. i closed my facebook account, as it was more of a timesuck than it was an advertising vehicle, and due to the recent facelift it's gotten, there is an overwhelming negative response. any ad message you would post could become lost between the announcements of potty training and YouTube links, etc. I recently got an email from a store that offered a huge secret discount if you Liked them on Facebook. i went to their store and asked for the discount anyway, advising them that i don't use facebook. they were unaware of the promo, and said they never have seen a referral from their facebook page. my gut feeling is that with artwork (in particular) people want to see it in person, touch it, experience it. a website will help sales after the customer becomes familiar with your work. for service-related businesses, a website will do a nice job. it is your 24/7 sales rep! make absolutely, positively certain that there are no typos or misspelled words. make certain that the servers are reliable - ask how many outages they've had in the past 12 months, and how long they lasted...and what they attributed the outages to. busy holiday shopping traffic can bring a server to it's knees...do you want your customers frustrated and going elsewhere? other forms of marketing really depend on your product or service. selling jar openers at a flea market may work great, but don't expect designer fashions to do well. this ties in with your biz plan. I will say that I have never had a followup sale from any item donated to charity for an auction. not once, and no matter how high the bidding got. as i mentioned before, donate if you choose to, but do it because you like the charity and want to help...not because it's free advertising. it just doesn't pay off, and the write-off is not for the retail value of the piece, as i understand it. i have 1 charity that i will donate to every year, and because it's a cause that's very close to my heart. i donate 1 piece, and it's usually a piece i make specifically for them. the best advertising i've had is myself. i go to events that i know my target market is at, and wear a piece of jewelry that i know they will be interested in. in doing this, i get a night out, and am promoting my work. this is where your 30-second elevator speech needs to be polished and perfected. invariably, when you meet someone, one of the first pieces of information exchanged is "what do you do for a living?" or similar. another way to get your name out is to join a professional business organization. In my area, we have a group called Women TIES. (Together Inspiring Entrepreneurial Success). this is a group that is focused on business...hosting retreats with national and local speakers, and short lunchtime speakers and meetings. A wealth of information can be gained from these speakers, and members, and they also do "speed networking." i was put off by this at first - sounded too much like speed dating. then i realized i would have the opportunity to present my business to as many 150 other business people in an hour or so. what could be bad about that? again - the elevator speech is essential - you have 30 seconds to 1 minute to "give your schpeel" and then the person you're paired with does the same. then you move to the next person. have a large stack of biz cards in one hand! it may sound shallow and shark-like, but it is effective. you are there to promote your business, and to see if there may be a business or service that you can use. there are no illusions about these events - they are for networking & marketing. it isn't a kaffeeklatsch or whine session. you dress professionally and present your best self. and it works. i established a connection with 4 people at a recent event. it's now up to me to nurture those connections into sales. i first heard about this organization over 10 years ago (i think it was that long ago) and to this day remember a sugar artist i met, and will always give her name out as a source for anyone needing a cake that's out of the ordinary. (think Cake Boss and Charm City Cakes). even if a woman i met couldn't use my product, she'll remember it and pass my name along. if you're a man, think of the organizations you can join, or are already a member of ...Optimist Club, etc. Remind them of what you do, or let them know what you are starting up, and perhaps offer a bonus for buying your product or for referrals. (13 T-shirts for the price of 12, or free design or shipping, etc). discounts work, but then you may see everyone asking for a discount. who hasn't bragged to someone that they only paid $X for something, not realizing they were getting a deal? then the referral wants the same price. it is important that your core values match that of the group you are joining...if you join a group just for the marketing potential, they'll smell you a mile away and it could do more harm than good. and it just isn't nice. every person you meet is an opportunity to market yourself, which could translate into a sale. people remember kindness. if you hire sales people, or phone people, be absolutely certain that they are reflecting your mission and core values. i recently changed doctors because the phone people and front desk people were just so disinterested in me as a patient (the person that ultimately pays their salary), that calling for an appointment & going to the office did not leave me with a good feeling. the Dr. herself was wonderful, but the total experience was not what i felt i deserved as a patient. the same is true with your product. unless you have a patent on the cure for the common cold, people have a lot of choices, and they will go where they feel appreciated and respected as an individual. yes - even if you're selling mousetraps. to backtrack - also in the realm of corporate image....make your packages nice. not only the gift box, or product packaging, but the box it is shipped in. if you've scrawled the person's name on the side with a ballpoint pen, and slapped some twisted up packing tape on it, that says a lot about how much you care about your product. this summer, i was swamped with orders, and i am also the shipping person in my business of 1. there were many days when i handwrote the address with a Sharpie on the side of the box, because i hate shipping so much, and just wanted to be done with it. i regret that, as it just wasn't as professional as it should have been. print out a nice label, or print out the address on a computer and cover it with packing tape. (the post office will love you too!). regarding mailing - always always get a delivery confirmation or tracking number. always. they cost very little, and can save your reputation and save you an argument at the post office. i attach the receipt from the postage sale to the confirmation receipt, and file that in my Outbound Order file. once the package arrives safely, i can file it in the completed orders. if it doesn't arrive within the specified time, i can go online and see what the heck happened to it, and contact the carrier. also, if the item is valuable ($100 or more) or irreplaceable, always insure it. i have sent one-of-a-kind necklaces to clients that were expensive and irreplaceable. for those, i always take detailed photographs of the piece before wrapping it up. that way, if it gets lost in shipping, i can provide the shipper with the photos, the delivery/tracking number, and hopefully collect insurance. it also provides me with a record to show the client that i did, in fact, ship it on time, and it's the carrier that dropped the ball. i keep the photo, and the receipts in my client's file for future reference in case they call and say, "remember that necklace you made me?" there is a tremendous amount of organization involved in keeping things running smoothly and appropriately. i usually take 1 day as an administrative day to run errands for supplies, go to the dreaded post office or shipper, and get my paperwork under control. if i had an unlimited amount of cash to spend, i'd hire someone to do the shipping. i just don't like it. but i would do the bookwork and filing myself, as it gives me a chance to look at what is selling and where, and also what needs inventory. it's a great way to focus. i use that time to play with spreadsheets too, to see where i need to improve marketing or if it's time to re-contact clients, etc. it's difficult to say what is the most important aspect of starting a business, or what the most important 1st step should be, because everything is linked together...for example: creating a website first requires photographing your product, first creating a corporate ID so the website & photo styling reflect the business in the way you desire. I would say that a business plan (a plan for your business) should be done absolutely first before you purchase your first box of paper clips. (and save the receipt for those paper clips!). If you have anything further you'd like me to discuss, please let me know. i think these past few posts should get your mind going, anyway. Again - I am not a business coach or professional business adviser...these are just my experiences and references to businesses I've used with success. your choices should be made based on your gut and knowledge and experience. Although this is the end of the series, i am happy to answer any further questions - just post here, or contact me by email. (when you post, I get an email of it, which I have to approve before it's published. if you would prefer i not publish your comment or contact info, just say so and i'll read it from my email, but not publish it). One last note: I freely share what i have learned. This is not always the case, and depending on your area, people are downright territorial and closed about sources and knowledge. this doesn't make me a better person, but if you are in a group that "takes" more than it "gives," you may want to spend your time better. I hope I've given credit where credit is due on the information i've presented, if i missed something, please know it was not intentional and please let me know so i can correct that. I wish you each great success with your endeavors...however you define success!