I just have to say, “Sorry…”

The response to the Rollercoaster Craft promotion has been incredible so far, but I’m obviously not doing a great job of explaining exactly what the Rollercoaster Craft promotion is. So, I’m taking some of the questions I’ve received and doing a quick Q&A which will hopefully clear up some of my confusion.So, here goes…

1. What is Rollercoaster Pricing? This is probably the most frequently-asked question. Rollercoaster Pricing is where the price will go up and down randomly every time you refresh the page. So, if the first time you visit the page the price is $16.51, when you refresh the page the price will be different – either up or down. You can refresh the page until you come to a price YOU want to pay.
2. Why are you having this sale? Basically, I’ve decided to reduce the price of all my craft business products and offer a lot more information for free. I think this will help the community grow and thrive, and will give you a reason to come back. And, selling more lower-priced products will expose more people to my business guides and resources.
3. Do I need to sign up for the Rollercoaster Craft List? You don’t need to sign up for the list – I will be alerting the entire Craft Business list to the Rollercoaster Craft Sale – but if you want to grab some of the great free bonuses on the Rollercoaster Craft Resource Center page, you’ll need to be signed up for the list. I want to make sure that you really are interested in getting first notice that the sale is live, and it will help me gauge interest for further Rollercoaster promotions.
4. What’s the deal with your 7-week web site building course? Right now, I’m only in the earliest stages of planning out the 7-week course. Basically, I’ve had so many people asking about building a web site, that I thought it might be a good idea to have a course that will take you through creating a web site and setting it up for selling your crafts on the Internet. It’s not going to be cheap, and there will be a limited number of seats available (I can only handle 20 or so initially), but at the end of the course, you’ll have a fully-functional web site that you can update easily and that search engines love.
5. Why is the Rollercoaster promotion limted to next weekend? There are a couple of reasons. The first is that I really want to get my products organized under the new pricing scheme. And to introduce the new pricing scheme, I think this Rollercoaster Craft promotion will really get people to check out all the products. The second reason is that I have no idea how well this will work out. This is a new script, and I’m just learning how to install it. And, I could be selling a ton of products at a VERY low price – maybe as much as 50% or 60% off the new reduced pricing. I want to provide a lot of value, but I also do need to make some money to pay for costs.

To get onto the Rollercoaster Craft List – and grab all the free “goodies” at the Rollercoaster Craft Resource Center – just sign up using the form on this page:

www.craftbusinessblog.com/rollercoaster-craft-list/ 

I hope this little Q&A answers all your questions. If not, please use the Contact Form to send me additional questions.

Thanks,
Chuck

Bookmark to:

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

If you want to succeed in today’s over saturated business environment, you need to have a story for your craft business.

Why? Because people are completely overwhelmed by the amount of information they process on a day-to-day basis. With hundreds of television channels, regular and satellite radio, and not to mention the Internet, today’s buying public is exposed to hundreds – if not thousands – of marketing messages each and every day. It’s getting harder and harder to stand out in the crowd, and most businesses are becoming part of a generic landscape with very little distinguishing them from the next provider in their market. You can barely distinguish one pizza place from the next, one gas station from the next, one plumber from the next.

Which businesses stand out from the crowd? It’s the businesses that have an easily identifiable story that resonates with their market. A story that defines what the business is about, and what customers and potential customers can expect in every dealing they have with your business. And, a story that your customers will tell others, passing your story along and championing your cause.

Let’s take a look at some established, well-known brands that have a story that’s recognizable:

• Life Is Good – This clothing company, started by two brothers, espouses a philosophy stated by their company name, “Life Is Good.” Having expanded tremendously over the past decade, Life Is Good offers not only clothing, but books, pet goods, and other items that have really hit a nerve with people.
• L.L. Bean – Since 1912, L.L. Bean has been guaranteeing everything they sell, for as long as you own the product. You can bring back any product of theirs for any reason, and they will refund your money or give you credit, no questions asked. This is a powerful story about how much the company believes in everything they sell.
• The Body Shop – Even though founder Anita Roddick recently passed, The Body Shop carries on her five values for running the business; Protect the Planet, Support Community Trade, Against Animal Testing, Defend Human Rights, and Activate Self Esteem. Millions of women (and men) feel great about purchasing the naturally-inspired, ethically-produced beauty products.

What all three of these businesses have in common is a great story – Life Is Good’s message, L.L. Bean’s ironclad guarantee, and The Body Shop’s community consciousness. And, because their customers identify with the stories, they go back again and again, and they tell all of their friends and family about their love for these companies.

You have the same opportunity to craft a story around your own craft business, and if you want to survive and thrive, you need to come up with your unique story. It’s no longer enough to just create great craft products to sell. You need to stand out from the crowd AND be memorable above and beyond the initial transaction (whether it’s a sale or just an exposure to your goods). Your story will drive all of your marketing decisions, and help you achieve the success you desire.

Crafting Your Craft Business Story

Coming up with a compelling story for your craft business doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact, it can be kind of fun to brainstorm story ideas and get involved in the creative process. In fact, creativity is the reason you want to have a craft business to begin with, isn’t it? If you just wanted to make money, you could sell cars or work at Home Depot.

So, here’s a quick primer on how you can come up with your unique story:

1. List all of the core values you have about your craft business. Are you making traditional crafts? Do you use unique styles or materials? Have any celebrities (local or national) used your products? What do you believe about customer service? Just list anything and everything you can think about your existing craft business, or what you wish about a craft business you’re getting ready to start.
2. Create a list of things about your favorite businesses that you think could be applied to your craft business. What do you love about your favorite restaurant? Which companies stand out to you for their customer service? Who do you think of when you think of your favorite business? Put down anything unique, or if they have a good story, some ideas that you can use for your craft business.
3. Ask friends, family, and past customers (or people you have given your crafts to) what is unique about your craft business. Do they have a common theme? Does everyone have a different idea about what your business’ story is (a warning sign)? Can you group their comments into a few main categories? Get input from those who know you best.
4. Visit local stores and craft fairs to do some field research. What types of items sell best? Are there some common themes that run through the local offerings? What is the price range of the crafts that sell? Are there any low-priced items – $5, $10, $15 – that sell well? Find out the conditions in your local market by keeping your eyes open.
5. Digest all of your research and come up with a few different themes for your craft business story. Based on everything you know, what would be a good story to tell about your business? Are there some themes that seem to “fit” you better than others? What would you like your story to be about? Narrow down your choices to two to five good story ideas.
6. Present your story ideas to some trusted friends and associates. Which ones do they like? How well do the ideas resonate with your trusted advisors? What other ideas do they suggest based on your list? NOTE: Make sure these are people who will give you an honest opinion WITH some explanation – not just people who only want to tell you what they think you want to hear.
7. Pick your story theme and start refining the story to fit your craft business.

Ultimately, you need to be the final say in the decision (it is your craft business after all), and you need to be very comfortable with the story idea that you select. This story will be the major driver for all of your business decisions going forward, from marketing messages, to customer service interactions, to developing new products. In fact, with your story in hand, you can:

• Create a name and unique identity for your business
• Design your product line to complement your story
• Develop the look and feel for your logo, packaging, and marketing materials
• Use your story to guide you in creating a web site
• Write press releases and work with local newspapers and magazine to promote your business
• Build your product displays and booth for craft fairs and local gift shops
• Define customer service policies and instinctively know how to deal with customers and prospects
• Follow up with customers in a natural manner consistent with your story

As you can see, your craft business story will help you define your business as unique in an over-crowded marketplace. When you have your story in place, you’ll be able to command premium prices and customers will naturally tell their friends and family about your products, and the very unique craft business.

With your story in place, you’ll be positioned for long-term success.

Bookmark to:

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I recently ran across this article in the Miami Herald about one crafter’s experience with another vendor at a small church-sponsored craft show. Basically, she purchased an item from another vendor at the show, who then cashed her check and did not deliver the item.

There are some great customer service tips you should take to heart in your own crafts business. The name of the story is: One bad vendor can ruin a bazaar.

Check it out!

Chuck

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, scrapbooking, quilting, small business, work at home

Bookmark to:

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.