you know when all you lovely people give advice...

Yorkielass

Another card maker here, although I just make to give to friends and family atm.

I think a car boot or table top sale would be a great way of selling some of the cards you've made and 'testing the water' in your area with prices, what people like etc etc.

If you do sell a card online while you're out have you got the materials to make another one - surely it's the same as if 2 people bought the same card at the same time online?

Don't give up!

postingalwaysposting

Thanks all... i am trying not too but its a case of maybe having to? With regards to the car boot sale etc some of my toppers/cards are one of a kind and i dont have the same 'stuff' to make an identical one up ikswim. It would be fine if they both brought one with minamal detail but say they brought one of the baby ones i am uploading today, i cant make another one.

Do you think i will get more sales if i sold they in poly bags? At teh momment i send them out as they are in a hardbacked envelope.

CAFCGirl

PAP hun!
Dont give up, the cards are absolutely gorgeous!!!!
As with anything that retails, there are always slumps, plus with the economy running a bit scared people may be a bit wary of spending out at the moment.

I agree with everyone so far that its more to do with advertising. We've got a little newsagent with a board in their window where you can place a card for 50p a week, maybe you could make up a little piece of signage with your web address and a few lines about what you're making and see if anywhere around you does that?
Even if nowhere near you does it I'm sure there are plenty of other people on here who do know somewhere that does that, and I for one would be more than happy to go and place one for you. Beauty of internet retail is that you can advertise much further afield, rather than just your local market.

Boot fairs/craft fairs etc will all pick up soon especially with the weather brightening, bank holiday weekends picking up etc.

I'd say pop a little something into some local churches, playgroups, local community centres, GP's surgery.
It is tough when first setting up but it wont hurt to try these things and if they dont work, then you can move on to the next thing. Do whatever you can that wont cost much first, then your outlay on it is minimal.

Who are big employers in your areas? Anything with an office/waiting area is a good place to advertise. How about where your mum works? Even ask your local newsagent if you can stuff some adverts into the local paper. Even better call your local paper and see if they would like to give a small mention one week to a new up and coming business run by a local resident.

As for people bidding online and buying when you're at a stall, I would say the chances are minimal at the moment. If you're worried about it, only take to the stalls those cards which you can make repeats of and leave the individual bespoke ones at home in case someone does buy them online. That way you dont have to tell anyone its out of stock and they cant buy it?

And do make sure that those you do sell carry a little business card, or even on the back of the card itself, your web address that way the recipient can buy one as well....Im sorry if you've already thought of that...
But thats also what I'm hoping you'll do for my invites (if you're still ok to do them?) and that way you'll have reached out to 100+ people and been paid for it

Anymore ideas you need hun, just give me a PM. Sorry if what I've said all seemed totally obvious... I'm a bit out of touch after not having BB for so long!

Take care and dont give up!

rog2

Hi PaP - Sorry I'm not around much at the moment - but I do try to look in on your thread as often as possible.
I'm sorry to hear that the card sales are a bit slow at the moment, but I would think that it's quite normal this time of the year, with most people still 'recovering' after Christmas.
Yours is a 'niche' market, and, being hand made, not always the first marketplace that people would turn to when they 'need' a card.
I think that you need to 'promote' your service - rather than just 'advertise'.
Craft Fairs are an excellent, albeit time-consuming, idea as they will attract the type of buyer that you are looking for - I think you would also need to be fairly mobile to attend them as they tend to be in village or church halls, often quite difficult to get to on public transport.
Another possible way to 'promote' your cards could be a small 'flyer' or poster that you could ask local florists, restaurants and hotels to display, or leave with their other (usually tourist) brochures. Other businesses, such as the Supermarkets may also allow you to display a poster in their canteens - or, even, hold a special 'card' morning, where you could 'set up shop' over the lunch period.
I know, from my own experience, that the first 'orders' are the hardest to get - the most satisfying orders are 'repeat orders' - but once you have gained your 'foothold' in the marketplace, business will soon pick up.
Chin up PaP.

postingalwaysposting

Cafc girl i may do that... also i may ask some on here if they will stick up a busniess card in there post office. Obviously i will send the cards and a cheque for the £1 or whatever it will cost to display. I could put them around where i live too although it may mean people collecting the cards rather than posting but hopefully if they then send the cards on the stamp I put in the ack of teh cards will get some covarege too.

Rog I think i am just impatient :rolleyes: i guess untill i have a bigger range of cards avalible not many will be buying them anyways. I think i need to get making. Also since being asked to be part of a circle journal with people on here and then finding uks (a scrapbooking website) I seem to be spending more time doing that than card making. This needs to stop asap... Its getting to a point now where i am making on average one card per week rather than one per day. I have also got in contact with the lady i buy my monthly scrap kit with to change to the card makers kit... maybe that will give me a bit of a kick start. I guess i will get out what i put in so once i start upping the ammount produced i will see the rewards.

In other news the car insurance will cost £50 per month untill november making it £400 or just over... unsure if I should go for it or not?

Ohh and i had a delivery of one of my parcels and 2 main things are missing so i have emailed the company and fingers crossed it can be sorted.

Gemmzie

How much will you drive the car to get your £50 worth?

postingalwaysposting

Gemmzie wrote: »

How much will you drive the car to get your £50 worth?

Dunno gem... prob once or twice to work a week... nothing much.

CAFCGirl

Well hun if you make up a little flyer I'd be more than happy to put one up in our newsagent on way to work...

Also had a thought today as well....you could send samples to business who would buy direct from you and then sell on via shops. Basically I was thinking if you made a couple of themed cards (i.e tea and coffee) I'll buy the samples from you and send them to our buying team for the store!
Theyre always looking for add on items and I think as we get closer to tourist season they'd be great for our shops.... Just an idea but one way of getting your foot in the door and promoting yourself with little outlay!

PM me or maybe I'll see you on MSN later and we can talk more

lucy1000_2

Hi Pap - long time reader here, first time to actually leave a message!

Have you been on Etsy? You could sell your wares on there? Don't lose heart. x

moonlightpjs

Hi my lovely
Will e-mail you soon as I want to do something for you and I've got a card here for you that I need to post from a certain little boy who told me he had posted it but left it in Grandmas car :rolleyes: xxxx