1) Create a target list of people to contact and set contact goals. The list can include family, friends, and neighbors; colleagues; professors and alumni from schools you’ve attended; vendors and salespeople; members of organizations you belong to or volunteer with; other professionals (e.g., accountants, doctors, real estate agents, hair stylists); and bloggers and members of online groups and communities.

Once you have your list, set goals for making contacts. Plan to email three people a week and to meet one person a week, for example.

2) Develop a 30-second “elevator speech” – a concise statement about who you are, what you are looking for, and what makes you unique. Have it ready and use it at every opportunity.

3) Create a business card and carry it with you at all times. Companies like Vista Print (www.vistaprint.com) provide business cards for discounted prices or even for free. The card should include all of your contact information, job title or objective, and even some highlights from your “elevator speech.”

• 500 Premium Business Cards only $1.99! Hurry, limited time offer!

4) Attend networking events, and come prepared. Networking events may include any meeting or forum held by professional associations, alumni groups, user groups, civic organizations, or social groups. When attending an event, try to obtain a list of attendees in advance or just before you walk in the door.

Decide before you enter whom you want to meet; a reasonable goal might be five people. Dress appropriately (usually business casual) and arrive early. Have pens and business cards ready. Ask others for their cards and follow up with a handwritten note. To overcome shyness, prepare a list of questions in advance.

5) Practice good manners. When meeting a contact at an event or elsewhere, always say please and thank you, use the person’s name, make eye contact, and when talking to the person again, mention something they said in the first encounter.

6) Remember that networking is a two-way street. Maintain a mindset of being a resource to others, and help fellow job-seekers whenever you can. This will not only build your network but also boost your confidence; everybody feels good and useful when they can help someone else.

7) Always maintain a networking frame of mind. Everywhere you go, everyone you meet could present a networking opportunity. Always have your card and your 30-second elevator speech ready, and take every chance you get to let people know who you are and why you’re special.

A long job search can get discouraging, but meeting new people and continuously expanding your contact base can help you stay optimistic. At any moment, you may meet the right person to change the course of your career.

We were very fortunate to find a great van for my mother-in-law at such a great price and so quickly. About a week later, I received a phone call from a lady. Apparently, her friend was also selling a van on Craigslist that we had inquired about. Since we didn’t buy the van from her, she gave our number to her friend who was now selling her van. I had to tell her we had already found a van.

After hanging up the phone, I started thinking about how smart the lady was at being proactive in selling her van. She could have just listed it on Craigslist, wait for a call and hope for the best. But she went one step further. She utilized the resources of her friend who was also selling their van. It only took a few minutes for her to give me a call. Of course in this situation, we already found the van, but what if we hadn’t? We could have become a potential customer.

Finding customers for your scrapbook business isn’t always about putting out the information, then waiting patiently for a call or email. You need to get out there. Don’t wait for them to come to you, go get them!

Your assignment:
Look around you, what resources do you have at your disposal that you can tap into right now? Pick up the phone. Send a card. What can you do today to be proactive in your business?

Holiday Season Sales Or Slump? Use The Holidays To Market and Sell
By Angela Booth

During the holiday season, you’re busy buying gifts, attending celebrations and doing the hundred and one things that make the season so frantic.

But what about your business? You can get a real business hangover after the holidays if you forget that you’ve got a business to run.

You’ll want to relax and take a few days off, but don’t drop the ball completely. Holidays or not, the bills will keep coming in, and you’ve got to keep moving and keep your business humming.

If you’re tempted to slacken off, tell yourself that your competitors are almost certainly not guzzling champagne or lounging on the beach in Tahiti, they’re working harder than ever.

Here’s how to keep sales steaming along during the holiday season:

* Send greeting cards to customers: all your customers. Your customers are your personal gold mine. Say thanks. Offer them a special holiday deal;

* Use holiday season parties to network. Keep a stash of business cards in your pocket;

* If you’ve set a working schedule for yourself, stick to it as much as possible. Don’t give yourself time off just because you’re the boss and you can. If you don’t have a schedule, create one;

* Keep up your marketing schedule. Whether you advertise online or offline, get your holiday period marketing push under way. No excuses, like: “People are too busy to buy from me over the holidays.” No, they’re not, especially not online, where you have potential customers from all over the world.

Get marketing, and make this holiday season your best season ever. Happy holidays to you and your business.

Author of many books, including Making the Internet Work for Your Business,
copywriter and journalist Angela Booth also writes copy for businesses large and
small, and consults on search engine marketing. Angela has written copy for
companies in many industries, ranging from technology and real estate to the
jewellery trade. Her clients include major corporations like hp (Hewlett Packard),
WestPac Bank, and Acer Computer. For copywriting services and marketing
advice contact Angela at http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Booth
http://EzineArticles.com/?Holiday-Season-Sales-Or-Slump?-Use-The-Holidays-To-Market-and-Sell&id=113074

Overcome Craft Fair Negativity
The sheer thought of building up an inventory that may or may not sell, packing up the car, driving, unpacking the car, setting up an attractive display and sitting all day hoping for some sales is just not my idea of a productive Saturday. Does this sound like you? If so, I’ve been there. However, are these thoughts realistic? In reality, this negative attitude probably will yield the results you fear.

Positive Attitude
If you want to succeed at a craft fair, you must start with a positive attitude. As you prepare for the craft fair, think positively about each part of the process. As you are setting up your display, think about your creations, what are the hot selling points? What are some conversation starters?

For example, have an album opened to a favorite page. Let’s say you have an adorable page of your daughter’s silly faces for a sample. As a browser looks at it, and perhaps smiles, make a comment to open the conversation. “My daughter is always making silly faces. I just had to capture it before she grows out of it!” You can then ask about their children/grandchildren or wait for a response. Perhaps a passerby will hear and think, “my son is always making faces…” and come over to see what this conversation is all about. The point here is to be interactive with browswers and passerbyers. Don’t sit back and read a book because you may be bored. That always annoys me when I visit a craft fair. It makes the vendor unapproachable.

Engage in Conversation
The best way to make a sale is to build repoire with a potential customers. Do you see a passerby pushing a stroller? Ask if they are a scrapbooker? If not, ask if they are interested in a keepsake they can cherish forever of their sweet baby. Do they have a child with them still in their soccer uniform from a game earlier that day? Showcase a sports page or album and state how you can preserve their soccer memories.

Overcoming Inventory Woes
Don’t think of it as building up inventory that won’t sell. Instead, you are creating albums, cards, layouts or paper piecings that will showcase your talent and scream “buy me!” If you are concerned about the upfront costs of creating an inventory, try a different approach. Your inventory can be lower priced items. For example, create cards using scraps from previous projects. You can also create journals or themed mini-albums. For the shoppers who aren’t ready to make a larger custom album purchase from you, might be more willing to purchase a smaller priced item. While this may not be your ultimage goal, you have made a crucial step in building a relationship.

Building a Relationship
Be sure to collect the purchaser’s name, email and other contact information. Now you can regularly contact them regarding new products, special offers or other pertinent information to your business. Continue building a relationship and this first time customer, who liked your work enough to buy it, may soon be ready for a larger custom album purchase.

Don’t let a negative attitude affect your success at your next craft fair. Replace with a positive attitude, willingness to engage in conversation and build a relationship with your customers to ensure sales during the event and in the future as well.

Learn how to be successful at your next craft fair!

And so much more!

Learn more…

Take the Time to Plan
Before you sign up to sell your keepsakes at your first craft show, be sure to attend a few. Discover who is selling, what kinds of products are featured(and selling) and at what price range. Take some time to chat with the vendors to ask questions and get a feel for the environment. Find out which fairs are best for your creations.

Gather all the information necessary before you take the plunge. Be sure to find out the cost to have an exhibit and what the expected attendance is. When calculating costs it ‘s important to factor in travel, shipping costs and the cost for your table and display. Determining your potential profit and loss will help you make an informed decision.

Try to keep you investment small to begin and build a customer base. You might consider sharing a booth with another vendor or renting a smaller space. Starting small will take the pressure off as you learn how craft fairs work for you.

Be Prepared
Customers who attend craft fairs are from all walks of life. While cheaper items often sell quicker you might consider offering items priced at all price points. Selling a fewer number of more expensive items is very possible. Depending on your business, you could offer completed cards, layouts and albums ready for sale. You can also have a portfolio of samples of your work for custom orders.

Craft fairs are typically seasonal. You will find them in the spring around Easter and Mother’s Day or in the fall for the holidays. Start preparing your inventory to reflect these holidays along with your typical samples.

Build a Relationship
One of the most important ways to build your customer base at craft fairs is developing a good mailing list. Customers tend to come back year after year to frequent their favorite sellers. Use creative ways to entice customers to share their contact info. For sharing their business card or contact information, they would have a chance to win one of your original pieces, a set of cards, or other attractive give-away. Once you have your list you can send out notices promoting your business and inviting them to your next show. Be sure to collect emails as they are far cheaper than snail mail. You can also send periodic emails with new product notifications, special offers or friendly advice. The key is to work on building a relationship to turn a potential customer into a lifelong customer!

In my personal experience, I attended a small craft fair to get my name and business out there. I got one customer. But that one customer told her family and friends and expanded into a nice client base just from that one customer! If it has been awhile since you attended a craft fair, why not add it to your marketing arsenal? You will reach a new audience and just may be surprised with the results.

Learn how to be successful at your next craft fair!

And so much more!

Learn more…

Because most people love and cherish their photos. You are offering a service that people not only need and want, you offer a service that people treasure! Not only is scrapbooking a way to preserve memories and create family heirlooms, it’s also a fun and relaxing hobby.

Finding new clients for your scrapbooking business does not have to be difficult. If you think outside the box and get creative, finding new clients can be a fun part of your business.

Here are a few ideas:

• Craft Fairs-You can find craft fairs in your local area by reading the local paper, visiting the websites of local television and radio stations, and keeping an eye out for signs and posters on area bulletin boards.
• Partner-Partnering up with other professionals is a great way to market your work.
• Home Parties-Scrapbook consultants who sell scrapbook product for big companies are not the only ones who can take advantage of the home party. The party plan method has been around for so many decades because it works!
• Girls Night Out/Retreats-By offering a girls night out, you are opening your business to a whole new market.
• Networking- it is one of the best ways to meet new people and establish yourself in your field.
• Teaching classes-Whether you teach a class at a local scrapbook store, community college, networking group or some other place, teaching is a great way to get your name and business out there.

Above are just a few ideas to get you thinking outside the box. Be persistent, do something each day for your business and you will have plenty of clients.

This is a great way to take your love of scrapbooking to a new level and begin to create an income for yourself doing something you love.� Workshops are one fun and un-intimidating way that you can share your scrapbooking skills with others.

Workshops will allow you to not only share the fun of scrapbooking but also showcase the skills that you have learned and your talents and abilities.� In turn, people will realize that you are serious about scrapbooking and may come to you for advice, for products, or even for services, wanting you to do theirs for them, rather than having you teach them.

Whatever happens holding the workshops is a great place to start when attempting to create your scrapbooking business.� Getting the workshops going is relatively easy as well.� Simply ask a few friends or associates if they would be interested in getting together to scrapbook.� If they are a little hesitant, assure them that you will be there to help and share your excitement and expertise with them.

Help them to feel comfortable by offering to provide everything that they will need in order to begin, minus the pictures of course.� Set up a time that is good for everyone and then work your magic before them, showing them what you love about scrapbooking and your skill for it as well.

You may want to make the initial workshop free, with the understanding that future workshops will be held for a fee.� You will want to be sure and cover the cost of your supplies, your travel expense (if any) and your time.� This after all will be how you will profit from the workshops.

Once you get started, you will begin to understand just how well workshops can work in growing your scrapbooking business.

One of the ways that you can increase your client base is through home parties.� What could be more fun than getting together with a group of people who share your love for scrapbooking or introducing scrapbooking to a group who have never done it before?� Either way, it is a wonderful opportunity for you to gain more clients.

The setup is simple you find someone who is willing to host the party in their home, business, church or elsewhere and you set up a time with them to hold the party.� They then invite family, friends, coworkers and others who they feel would be interested in scrapbooking to come.� At the party, you give them a sampling of what scrapbooking is, and allow them to complete one scrapbooking page or project to get them interested.� You might also want to have some completed scrapbooks of your own to show them to peak their interest.

You will in the end have the goal of selling them scrapbooking supplies or your services as a professional scrapbooker, where they would pay you to do their scrapbooks for them.� Either way, you can stand to gain clients and make some money at the same time.� You will also want to ask guests to book their own parties and invite others who they know that might be interested in scrapbooking as well.� It will take a ripple effect and you will in turn fill your calendar with parties and your client list with customers.

Word of mouth is a wonderful way to promote your scrapbooking business.� After all, people talk, and if you are doing a fabulous job with your scrapbooking services or have some really cool products and supplies others can use to create their own scrapbooking creations then they will tell others about it.

Then there is the notion of referrals.� There is simply nothing wrong with asking your clients and customers to refer their friends to you for their scrapbooking supply needs or services.� Plus, you can ask for referrals of people they specifically know who might enjoy the products or need your services and then you can get in touch with them yourself.

If a client is particularly helpful you might even want to reward them with a referral reward of say a percentage off their next order or throw in a freebie with their next order.� It is always a good policy to say thank you in some way.

This in turn will most likely get you more word of mouth promotion, which after all is what you are aiming for and want the most.� Above all, you want to provide the products and services, as well as customer service that will have others itching to tell someone else about the exceptional deals or service that they received from you.

So, in order to insure that you do obtain the word of mouth promotion from your clients that you want in order to gain more clients, you will want to provide outstanding service to those clients.

As a result you will begin to see your hard work and initial promotion of self begin to pay off and you will be astounded at the number of referrals that will come to you, by word of mouth.

Craft fairs are typically inexpensive and allow you to markup your goods to reflect a good profit on what you create. Making money and building customers at craft fairs takes research, planning and a positive attitude.

Tips for Craft Fairs:

Attend Shows

Before you sign up to sell your wares at your first craft show be sure to attend a few first. It’s a good idea to check out who is selling, what kinds of products are featured and selling. Take some time to chat with the vendors to ask questions and get a feel for the environment. Find out which fairs are best for your creations.

Do Research

Gather all the information necessary before you take the plunge. Be sure to find out the cost to have an exhibit and what the expected attendance is. When calculating costs it’s important to factor in travel costs, shipping costs and the cost for your table and display. Determining your potential profit and loss will help you make an informed decision.

Small Investment

Try to keep you investment small to begin and build a customer base. You might consider sharing a booth with another vendor or taking a small space with borrowed equipment. Starting small will take the pressure off as you assess how craft fairs work for you.

Price counts!

Customers who attend craft fairs are from all walks of life. While cheaper items often sell quicker you might consider offering a items priced at all price points. Selling a fewer number of more expensive items is very possible. Keeping tabs on the market at hand will help you succeed on many different levels.

Build Your Mailing List

One of the most important ways to build your customer base at craft fairs is developing a good mailing list. Customers tend to come back year after year to frequent their favorite sellers. Use creative ways to entice customers to share their contact info. Find unique individual giveaways or even offer them a chance to win a piece of artwork when they share their business card or contact info. Once you have your list you can send out notices promoting your business and inviting them to your next show. Be sure to collect emails as they are far cheaper than snail mail.

Learn how to be successful at your next craft fair!

And so much more!

Learn more…