Spring Fair advice

[Janeeb]

Hi

I'm going to the Spring Fair next week to source possible suppliers. I'm just starting up my business and never been to one of these before. Has anyone got any advice or tips for a newcomer at one of these?

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

Hi

I'm going to the Spring Fair next week to source possible suppliers. I'm just starting up my business and never been to one of these before. Has anyone got any advice or tips for a newcomer at one of these?

Take business cards, or you'll go dotty allday giving out your details.

 

[Nicksyb]

I wanted to go, got tickets and everything but work are mean and won't let me have time off

My advice is don't spend to little

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

If the organisers are the same as the Interiors Event (and i think they are) it should be a really worthwhile event. I would go if i could, and at the moment i don't even have a retail business.

 

[MH1]

Wear decent comfortable footwear, stop and have a drink and some food every couple of hours around the various restaurants, wear smart clothes to be taken seriously, business cards as mentioned, be open and honest, and most importantly, book a hotel and spend at least two and preferably three days up there.

It's a very big show. You won't need to go to any others.

One last thing, don't go next week, it doesn't start until the 3-2-08

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

Wear decent comfortable footwear, stop and have a drink and some food every couple of hours around the various restaurants, wear smart clothes to be taken seriously, business cards as mentioned, be open and honest, and most importantly, book a hotel and spend at least two and preferably three days up there.

It's a very big show. You won't need to go to any others.

On the food/drink note, the NEC, to my surprise, charges quite honestly and reasonably for food drink etc withing the venue. Ingliston (Edinburgh, are terrible, and if your're going their you need to take a trolley full of food, cos you'd go bankrupt buying breakfast!!!) but i was very pleasently surprised by the NEC. Also free parking, and bus from car park sets the day off to a good start (Well done NEC!!)

 

[Janeeb]

I can only go on the 3rd as I've still got a day job! I'm still doing my research so still in the early days but didn't want to miss this opportunity. I haven't got any business cards yet so maybe I need to make some?

Do I really need to take much money at this stage and are you able to buy samples etc?

 

[Rusty]

Definitely comfy shoes and cool clothes, it gets really warm. Also the suggestion of business cards with your address on is a really good one or you will get fed up with writing it for everyone.

This is just a quirk of ours but we pay attention to which stalls are busy and which have got suppliers sitting doing crosswords or reading books, needless to say we join the queues at the busy ones.

Good luck

 

[Rusty]

I can only go on the 3rd as I've still got a day job! I'm still doing my research so still in the early days but didn't want to miss this opportunity. I haven't got any business cards yet so maybe I need to make some?

Do I really need to take much money at this stage and are you able to buy samples etc?

You don't actually need business cards but I would suggest that you print out a load of slips with your business name and contact details on, believe me it will help.

We have actually never ordered at the fair, what we tend to do is just go and look at everything, then come home and at our leisure look at the brouchures and catalogues and then decide who to place orders with, although if you are actually buying at the fair I believe you can get some good discounts.

Hope that helps

Kerry

 

[MH1]

Generally samples are not sold at the fair, the stall holders are interested in opening up new accounts and getting stock orders in, particularly for new lines.

Depending on the success of orders on new lines many decide whether to import them, sometimes they realise they have chosen incorrectly, so it's useful to gauge the markets reaction.

Take a look at the busy stalls, but everyone else will have the same stock, so sometimes the quieter ones hold a really profitable line, the trick is in recognising it when few others have.

 

[Trulli]

You could use one of them vending machines that make business cards as a temporary measure.

Sarah

 

[Janeeb]

Thanks everyone for all your advice and tips, really looking forward to it - Trulli, where will I find these vending machines - it sounds like a good idea just to tide me over - I want to be taken seriously!

 

[Trulli]

They are normally in shopping centres and such. I know there is one in the large woolworths near me and one in Middleton shopping centre. I've seem them in motorway services as well. You'd have to have a good nosey round.

Sarah

 

[Joanne_UK]

We are going to the SpringFair also on the 3-4 of February and we have been going the last 3 years.

To look professional you will need business cards, from my experience they all ask for it.
It is better to wear comfy shoes but wear smart clothes.
You don't need any money (apart for your personal expenses) because all you do is placing orders, they will send send you an invoice then you pay and they send you the goods.
Before placing an order, have a look around (don't just place an order at the first place you see) to see if you can get better somewhere else.

Ask them what is their minimum order (can be more the first time, for jewellery usually between £250 - £500)
Ask them when you can expect the delivery (sometimes they don't have it in stock for new lines and it can take a few months before they can send it)
If you are an internet shop, some suppliers will not want to supply to you.
Some suppliers (mostly jewellery) will not sell to more than one person in an area but those usually will not accept internet only shops.

If you are not sure , the best is to take their catalogues and decide afterwards.

The NEC is huge and just to see the jewellery section take at least a day so it is better that you try to decide what you want to see.

Joanne

 

[Janeeb]

Thanks Joanne - good to know about some not selling to internet only shops, which is what I'll be doing, at least I'll be prepared for a few rejections. Sounds like there will be more than enough choice though which is good. I think maybe I'd have been better booking an overnight stay though!

 

[MH1]

Most importantly buy the show catalogue, all the exhibitors will be in there and you can store them for future reference.

I had eight rejections for trade at a recent trade show due to web based only at the NEC a week ago, four of those eight now supply me

 

[Janeeb]

Why did they reject you and then decide to supply you?

 

[Fuzzy]

You could use one of them vending machines that make business cards as a temporary measure.

Sarah

What a good idea and have lots of Fun!

 

[Janeeb]

To sum up then, go:

Suited, Booted and Looted!

My mantra - I can't go wrong, here I come............!

 

[MH1]

Either I was persuasive or they liked the colour of my money, either way they are now supplying a web only enterprise, they just don't want the retail outlets to know about it.

I pointed out to all of them they could either gain market share from the web, or look back in two years time and wish they had, and see their competitors already had done so.

It might seem strange to web savvy people but many businesses still have little idea on both the opportunities the web offers but also the challenges.

Have fun, I'll be up there as well, have a major supplier I want to do business with but they have rejected me out of hand, but their owner will be on the stand so I'm gonna have a chat with him as well.

 

[Janeeb]

Either I was persuasive or they liked the colour of my money, either way they are now supplying a web only enterprise, they just don't want the retail outlets to know about it.

I pointed out to all of them they could either gain market share from the web, or look back in two years time and wish they had, and see their competitors already had done so.

It might seem strange to web savvy people but many businesses still have little idea on both the opportunities the web offers but also the challenges.

Have fun, I'll be up there as well, have a major supplier I want to do business with but they have rejected me out of hand, but their owner will be on the stand so I'm gonna have a chat with him as well.

Very interesting reply and I was curious because my strengths lie in my admin/organisational skills but I know I need to toughen up in other areas such as negotiation and bargaining. In fact I'll check with my kids - they're very good at knowing that 'maybe' actually means 'yes' and so does 'no'.

 

[chiggs]

Sign up for trade mags if you can, while you are there. (Individual mags often have stands at trade fairs where you can sign up for a free subscription)

This will help in the future as they feature show previews, and are also a great source of trade information, suppliers details, new trends etc.

 

[SillyJokes]

I'm not sure which is the best day but avoid Sunday as it is manic.

Get there early and don't take a pushchair as it's busy enough as it is.

The comment about supplying websites is so true, some of these dinosaur suppliers haven't even got a website and won't entertain supplying one. We found this much more 7 years ago but now a lot of those suppliers can't get enough of internet sites.

I wish the suppliers I want to visit were all in the same hall but they are dotted all over the place so we end up walking miles and miles.

 

[Cathy]

The reason some suppliers may reject you if you are internet only is because their 'bricks and mortar' customers have been around for years and probably form the main of their customer base.

With high retail rents, rates etc it's hard for those people (the 'bricks and mortars') to compete with people selling only on the internet and so if you take that to its potential conclusion the supplier ends up only supplying online only retailers, who have less 'history', not to mention the tendency of some 'internet only's' in some sectors to offer 'silly prices', thereby eventually (or even quickly) going out of business themselves.

If I were in that situation I would try negotiating on the basis of asking them to trust you, agreeing not to cut prices to 'silly' levels and reassuring them that you're in it for the long haul - speaking to reps they often refer to the 'interneter with his garage who places one order and that's it!'

Hope this helps, just my take.