Jewellery Stall

[marc0191]

Hi, we are a small business just starting up with big future aspirations and at the moment we travel to 5 different locations in the notheast on a weekly basis to sell our jewellery, handmade and imported.
We are hoping that people may be interested in us coming to their place of work (if large enough) to set up a stall on the run up to christmas.
We have had a limited success rate on our website amber925.co.uk and prefer to deal directly with the public.
Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly apreciated.
regards, marc0191

 

[RebeccaArmstrong]

Hi
My advice would be to get a list of all the big call centres and contact their sports and social clubs - they generally let you go in for a small donation

I work at one at the moment so if you drop my an email to [email protected] I will see what i can do

Becky

 

[marc0191]

Hi, have emailed you, thank you for the advice.
Little but tricky to get some doors to open to you and as for a list it's pretty much a knock on doors thing(at least this is what I found so far).
Have tried some of the large call centres near me here and out of about 7 only 1 was willing to allow us in.
Any leads from anybody would be great.
Oh! also we are possibly looking to do jewellery parties in the future, havent a clue how they work so if anybody can shed some light it would be great
M

 

[oldeagleeye]

Police and Fire Bricade social clubs at least a 1000 members in a big area. All will be buying stocking fillers for the ladies in teir lives and the scretaries in these orgs very approchable. Offer them a small percentage or a few freebies for their own Christmas raffles.

Rob

 

[Penelope Pitstop]

School fayres, playgroups etc? In the run up to Xmas these could be great places to have a stall or space for little/no financial outlay - targeting busy mums who have lots of presents to buy but don't want to brave the shops!

I am setting up a toy business and although I am aiming to open a bricks and mortar shop next year I'm doing a bit of early marketing and selling at events and a couple of home parties like this in the next couple of months.

Have you tried leaving little boxes of samples at offices etc with an order form - like the book companies do? You then go back and collect the box say a week later and hope that you've got a few orders on the form! Probably easier to persuade a business to let you do that than go in and run an actual stall.

Good luck!

 

[marc0191]

thank you all for the replies.
generally speaking its a little bit of a hunt to find all the places to make up a month, at the moment we have 5 regulars (low turnover) and these are very good for getting the word out.
If any one can possibly direct me to one or two leads it would be great.
not trying to be lazy but my fulltime job gets in the way a bit, hopefully will quit and go fuly self employed.
Thanks again
Marc amber925.co.uk

 

[commercial sports managem]

hi I have links with lots of sporting clubs in and around the north east at the moment from Blyth to North Shields.

Drop me a line if you think i could help you.

 

[primrose]

Contact the PTA of your local schools - they are likely to run Christmas and Summer Fairs which would be ideal for you to sell your wares.

 

[marc0191]

thanks for the replies, all good. Will get in touch about the sports side of things.
Just for the info, I will be at the Holistic Harmony Festival October 2010.
Newbiggin Sports and Community Centre, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, NE64 6HG on Sunday 10th October
Went to one of these years ago in my 'hippy' days.
Get the chakras out!! Should be a good day, google 'Holistic Harmony Festival'
marc

 

[stephen72]

Hi ,
I am based in the northumberland area and offer a bookkeeping and payroll service .If you are interested please let me know
thanks

 

[JoTheEntreprenette]

Have you considered contacting large hotels in your area?

Regards

Jo

 

[mrquib]

I've PMed you. I run a social media marketing company and could attract new customers to your website.

 

[marc0191]

hi whats PMed? and while you offer something about my website, I am looking for 'real world' sales at this time, web sites are fine but the upkeep is extremely time consuming. What do you offer, hits?
kind regards
Marc

 

[M@ster IT]

Why not join others who have used our services to help boost the potential of their business by having a website created to suit the needs of both the customer and the business?

Simply click on the lnk below:

www.masterit-solutions.com/index.php#

We look forward to hearing from you!

M@ster IT

 

[oldeagleeye]

hi whats PMed? and while you offer something about my website, I am looking for 'real world' sales at this time, web sites are fine but the upkeep is extremely time consuming. What do you offer, hits?
kind regards
Marc

Marc. You STICK to your business medel in looking for real world sales and you could realistically end up earning a decent living . There are 1,000's of wannabe's who think that they can do that sitting on the bum in a warm bedroom and a cheap website however that havent got a hope in hell of earning even the min wage. Good on you then for taking your goods to the market and not laying back waiting for punters to come knocking on the door of a black hole in cyberspace.

Now couple of more tips. The wedding market is huge albeit oversatuated with with newbee's wanting their own bridal shop. Likewise the wedding stationery market is highly compeitive.

The latter does reveal something very interesting however. Couples getting married spend a great deal more on all the trimmings than the wedding dress itself. A full stationery pack with invites - place mats - thank you etc can set them back over £1,000.

Now to the point. Brides in particular love to gives little presents and momento's away. Not too sure about yoiur fairy's but a suitable cheapest memento under a fiver should go down well.

Tip 2. Marketing and indeed timing are all important in growing your business and here you are in a good position. After what should be a busy Christmas period anyway the wedding fayre season will start In Jan.

Instead of taking a stand yourself however get a list of exhibitors (Usually on the orgainizers web site) and ask them to give you space for say a small card table on their stand in exchange for a few freebes's that they can give away as incentives and here we get to marketing ploy number 2.

During the build-up before the show you can wholesale to other stands. As well as giving out cards and taking orders from brides who may plan to give them to bridesmaids etc - every visitor and an exhibition is a potential customer because most people will spend at least £10 quid as a momento of the show itself.

I kid you not. You could end up earning more than a stunning bridal wear stand from your little trinkets.

Good luck

Rob.

Incidentally. PMed means you have been sent or recieved a Private Message.

 

[M@ster IT]

Marc. You STICK to your business medel in looking for real world sales and you could realistically end up earning a decent living . There are 1,000's of wannabe's who think that they can do that sitting on the bum in a warm bedroom and a cheap website however that havent got a hope in hell of earning even the min wage.

I was not saying to stop getting your products in front of the public at all, I was merely stating that having a professional website can only expand your potential market place and can make your brand accessible to anyone with an internet connection!

I totally agree that it would be foolish JUST to rely on a website but having one certainly will help!

 

[oldeagleeye]

David. You are blatantly trying to sell your services. There are in fact many businesses that don't need the Internet and the cost of web site design is only the start of it.

The vast majority of web sites designed by people like you are lost in cyberspace without paying huge sums on top for SEO.

On a more personal note. You really ought to look at your own business model.

You seem to be split between IT support for private punters which implies that you have neither the qualifications or confidence and experience to offer professional services to the business community while at the same time you say you are into web design. Where then is the portfolio. Indeed have you ever been paid to design a web site. If so please reveal it.

In all in may I respectfully suggest then that you have nothing whatsoever to teach the OP.

Rob

 

[M@ster IT]

If you looked at our website it clearly states that we DO offer these services to business and have several contracts with local businesses providing support!

Ignorant Baffoon!

 

[oldeagleeye]

I will let that go this time but watch you mouth in future insulting fellow members is a banable offence and I want you to stay for a mo because I repeat. You were blatanly spamming your web design services.

So where is the portfolio. ???