Marketing strategy

[momtohaley2004]

Anyone care to share marketing tips? I currently do craft shows, have some wholesale accounts (one of which as you may know I am discontinuing and going to court with), a website and word of mouth. Any other ideas on how to promote your business? The reason I ask is because this guy who has done me wrong has done the same to several other people. I'm changing my labels because of him because several people recognized my label (not my name but they remembered the label....i know this cus they said "i remember seeing this label somewhere....oh yeah it was X). So, I'm changing my label after hearing more horror stories from other customers of this guy who wrote the bad check to me and how he's done his regular customers. They relate my product to him and although my product is no longer sold to him, he still has my product in his store. (my attorney said to leave it until we go to trial cus the attorney wants to force him to pay for the product versus pulling it especially with his history). So, I"m chaning my label and looking for a new way to promote my business in the area. Any suggestions? Sorry so long?

[Vio]

You have a penny saver type free sales listing in your area? It's usually a place where you can list products to sell, and it's free. Check and see if there's one in your area and if you can post candles in it.

[sockmonkey]

Before you go changing everything, ask yourself this--did the majority of your sales come from this man's store? If not, then it's not anything you should worry about.

Only a certain percentage of people in the area shopped at his store. He may be a terrible business person, but expecting people to avoid buying your candles just because they were sold in his store would be like someone saying they will never buy a Lazy Boy recliner because he sold them. You have already created your brand, your look. Changing that now will be like starting over again. Not only that, but for purposes of your lawsuit, if you change the look of your product it will be difficult to prove that your lack of sales are a result of anything he did, and not as a result of your new labels.

As far as marketing, what kind of plans do you use now with the clients you have? Do you have incentive or referral plans? Do you belong to any business or crafter's groups? Those always provide a way to toot your own horn. Also, if you teach classes, that gets your name out there. Places like Joanne's pay people to teach classes. Sometimes libraries have community classrooms where they pay you to give a lesson on crafts. Universities may also pay you to teach non-credit classes, and you don't need a degree to do it. At a university here they've had classes for flower arranging, photography, stand up comedy, etc. The class may only last one night, or it might be as much as 10 weeks, but I would think that candlemaking would be a popular class.

[momtohaley2004]

Just to address the sales issue......my sales have not really dropped. I had sales before him and I still do. I just am getting tired of being related to his store and his bad business practices. I was already looking to change my label anyway as I didnt' particularly like the way they look. Besides, he was buying wholesale from me and the products in his store now are not paid for by him anyway. He paid the first few orders fine so I allowed him 30 day net and got screwed. He hasn't paid since and so I'd say at least 75% of what is in his store he doesn't own and I haven't got paid for. My sales otherwise are just fine. I was just mainly looking for a way to update my candles, provide a fresh look and not have me tied to his store per say. He is still selling my products despite not having paid for them (my attorney said to leave it like this as it's theft if he continues to sell them w/o paying and that is another charge we can get him on). I wanted a new, fresher look and was wondering how to promote this new look to new clientell. Does that make sense?

[HeavenScentU]

I like your business name. I wouldn't change it just because someone left you high and dry. It is costly. I am currently changing my name a tiny bit, well just shortening it. I have been wanting to do it for a couple years and decided to just this month. Changing all my labels, sending out cards to all the merchants with my new name, new invoices, business cards, brochures, flyers, and all the places where I have trademark stuff all has to be changed. I am doing it all this week and even my website is changing. It is alot of work to change a business name but if you have to time and money you can do it.