It's been a while hasn't it? I thought we could all do with a break from the Cheeky Blogs for a while as I find too much info can get a bit overwhelming at times, don't you? But we are back with part two with Jo, from The Writing Bureau and her extremely inspiring blogs about her first ever trade show.
Please read part 1 here where Jo talks about how she started her greetings card business and the reasons why she took the nail biting decision to book her first ever trade show. Part two is about how she prepared for the show, a diary of the busy weeks of preparation and also the weeks after and the sales she made. I know you will enjoy this blog as it is just so, so positive!!
Go on, gab a cuppa right now, you may also need a couple of hob nobs :)
over to Jo.......
website
shop
I started The Writing
Bureau, which is a wholesale greeting card business, in July 2011.
I mainly sell to
independent shops with direct selling through not on the high street
In February 2012 I
booked my first trade show, 'Progressive Greeting Live' which was on 29th
and 30th May. http://www.progressivegreetingslive.com/exhibitor/writing-bureau
I was told when
booking not to expect many orders on the day but that orders/interest will come
in afterwards. With this in mind,
once I booked the show I decided to write down what I wanted to
have achieved by the end of 2012 rather than by the end of the show.
Sort social media
and blog
Update website
Create new ranges
Sort product photography
Good press coverage
Sales agent
representation in the UK
Achieve good sales
with enough cash flow to grow business in 2013
Book and pay for
2013 tradeshow using cash from business
My main purpose of PGLive was to
launch the business. However, The
Writing Bureau has so far funded itself so I also wanted to take enough
orders to at least cover all my costs.
In the run up to
the show there were a lot of expenses and they went on the business credit card...as the show got closer it really felt like make or break!
trade show diary....
I booked the
tradeshow when I only had 24 card designs. I knew I had a
massive amount of work to do but I felt confident I could do it. Due to my lack of
computer design skills it took me a year to get my first 16 cards printed to a
high enough standard. Once I'd sorted all
those frustrating 'how do I' questions, I knew that creating further designs
wouldn't be so tough.
So here's my diary
in the run up to the show. I hope it makes sense and helps others
thinking about booking their first show. If you have
any questions please drop me a line and I will try and help.
February 2012:
I booked the show
and within a week started blogging more regularly and finally joined
Twitter, two things I've had on my to do list but had never got round to. Both
have definitely helped spread the word of the brand and also helped me
meet people in the industry.
This month I also
wrote press releases, worked on new range designs and took time
photographing and editing images for press pack.
I also found out I
was pregnant...brilliant news but comedy timing :)
March 2012:
I spent every free
moment in March creating artwork for cards.
However, pregnancy
wise I had a hard month, I was ill and my energy levels were totally zapped. The techniques I
use to create each card are labour intensive and my original goal of 64 cards soon
became a more realistic 48. Through Twitter I
discovered lots of previous exhibitors who also launched with 48 cards so this
helped reassure me that my stand wouldn't look empty!
On the positive,
having less cards to print meant my cash didn't get completely tied
up in stock.
I still created
four ranges as planned just with a lesser number of designs in each
range.
It also gave me the
opportunity of talking to customers at the show about their best sellers.
From this feedback,
the cards I planned to add to each range are very different to what I am now
going to create.
April 2012:
April 2012:
Like many stay at
home mums, I've set the business up whilst looking after my toddler.
It's a tricky
balancing act and it's meant I've had to develop the business at a slower rate
than sometimes I'd like.
But, the positive of this
is that I am definitely more focused and efficient with the little
time I have. I always carry a
notebook and I've spent many mornings at toddler groups, feeding the ducks
or whilst washing up planning exactly what I need to do with the next free time
I have.
When I found out I
was pregnant we decided to put Annalise into nursery two mornings a week.
Wow, six whole
hours to work on the business during daylight hours - it's made such a
massive difference to growing the business.
1st April -
Exciting times...I have my first sales agent start, so now The Writing
Bureau is represented in the South West!
5th April -
Wowsers, more exciting times...TWO more sales agents start, The Writing Bureau
is now represented in the South East and East Anglia!
30th April -
Artwork for the last card is finished.
I definitely cut
it fine, but knew I could rely on my graphic designer and printers as they are
both brilliant and stick to their word.
May 2012
Really busy this
month with orders from agents but the pressure is off as artwork has been
completed. I designed the
brochure in a couple of days as I'd had it planned in my head for months. So far, no major
wobbles! I think pregnancy hormones make me calmer than I
normally am!
1st May - Press coverage in
Progressive Greetings Magazine about exhibitng at the show. The coverage brings
new stockists and more sales agent enquiries.
11th May - Samples
back from printers and fortunately they are all perfect!
To be honest, I
really didn't have any time left to alter them if they needed
changing.
I spend lots of
time photographing and editing the new ranges.
14th May - Brochure
proofed and sent to printers.
16th May - Ordered
brochures and biz cards and told they can take up to 10 working days. Only
problem is the show will be over by then!
It's a gamble but I
decide to stick with these printers as the price is really competitive.
19th May - This was
my major wobble day! Fortunately it was a Saturday so husband was home to
look after Annalise and give me some space.
The wobble was all
about the stand design; I knew exactly how I wanted it to look, I bought
all the materials to do it but realised it wasn't going to happen.
This was because I
run the business on a shoestring budget and to keep costs as low as possible I'm
travelling to the show by public transport. I live near Wales
and the show is in London so its a long way with lots of changes and I realised
that I simply couldn't carry everything whilst pregnant. It meant having to
alter the display of the show which I'd been planing for months.
20th May
- Spend the day sorting the new stand design. It all feels like its coming
together and I'm starting to feel more confident.
24th May - Wowsers,
little me has been featured on my favourite design blog, Print and Pattern
Perfect timing just
before the show and it's really good for my confidence.
Confidence' is a
word that I've talked about lots to friends and family over the past few
months.
Having been out of
the workplace for over two and half years the thought of promoting my own
designs had been freaking me out a little.
I talk a lot and am
rarely lost for words (as you can probably tell by this blog) yet I've had this
worry I'll be talking to someone, look down at their badge, see they are someone
'important' and just totally freeze. Honestly it's kept me up at night!
My youngest sister
had the best reply out of all the advice I've been given on this. She simply
said 'well Jo, just don't look down'.
25th May -
Brochures and business cards arrive which means everything is finally
here...phew!
I spent the weekend
doing last minute stuff that seems to take forever and head to my sister Kat's
place in Oxford. She has taken time
off work and is doing the show for free with me - legend!
28th May
7am - We take a
taxi to Oxford bus station, catch the coach to Marble Arch and catch a bus to
Islington where the show is held. We have all our
stuff with us but the sun is shinning and we have until 8pm tonight to get our
display all up ready for the big day tomorrow.
2pm - Arrive
at the Business Design Centre, getting through London with all the bags (and a
including a wooden foldaway desk!) took longer than planned.
4pm - Many stands
are up and finished - yikes!
Everyone is
friendly but you can feel the tension all around, it's an anxious time for
everyone and particularly in our area as we are all newbies. We are having lots
of fun but I've got to admit, our progress is slow...we finish with only ten
minutes to spare before doors are locked!
10.30pm - Finally
find the hostel, it's on the other side of London but it's only £20 a night -
phew, it's been a long day.
29th May
Day 1
The day went really
well for us. Our first customer
ordered our entire collection which got us off to a great start! We took more
orders than I had expected. A couple of
national companies were interested in licensing images as well as wanting
me to work freelance for them.
I met a couple of
my agents for the first time. I had interest from another UK agent as well as distributors
from the UK and overseas.
30th May
Day 2
Speaking to a sales rep for a large company at lunch they said the show had been noticeably quieter than in previous years. However, being a new business and a first time exhibitor we had nothing to compare it to.
Speaking to a sales rep for a large company at lunch they said the show had been noticeably quieter than in previous years. However, being a new business and a first time exhibitor we had nothing to compare it to.
I received
orders from new stockists and met a couple of journalists who wanted
to feature me in industry magazines. My day was made up
when the buyer from my dream national stockist stopped, introduced herself and
wanted samples!!! And as predicted, I
was quite literally lost for words...
since the show........
In the four weeks
since the show I've been nonstop and received lots of orders from
customers I met at the show.
I've had another
agent start which means I'm now represented in Wales and I'm currently in
discussion with an agent for another area of the UK.
My attitude to the
business is make it work in a recession and things can only get easier in the
good times. I really do watch
every penny and I'm glad to say our frugal travel and accommodation were
all worth it! Our budget choices
mean we've covered our costs and have cash flow to book a new show and continue
to grow.
I'm currently in
the process of changing the business structure to a Ltd company so I can
bring my family on board to help when I have the new baby. I keep wavering at
booking Top Drawer Spring 2013 and then I think, stop, your'll have a ten week
old, are you crazy? But who knows....I guess time will tell!
a few things I've
learned from the experience....
1. Have support in
the form of a listening ear - some days your'll need to chat through decisions
and just offload worries before the show.
2. It's not
essential to spend lots of money on your display as eye catching displays can be
created without a big bill at the end. I had lots of positive comments on
my display from other exhibitors and visitors and I spent less than £50.
3. Most stands are
3m x 1m but it's worth considering smaller stand sizes if they
are available. I had the smallest on offer, 2x1 metres, but this didn't
deter anyone from stopping. I purposely chose a corner stand to have
a more open feel to it and this really worked.
4. Remember - one
of your unique selling points is that you are the new kid in town with fresh,
brand new designs! Don't try to compete with the bigger companies or make out
you are more established than you actually are.
5. With this in
mind, have a budget and remember that a simple brochure and business card are
fine. You can get carried away with printing gorgeous brochures or double
embossed business cards but they won't bring you any more orders in. All these
things can come in the future.
6. Have someone
with you at the show. It really helps to have a friendly face you can rely
upon, bounce ideas off and simply help you out.
7. Visit tradeshows
before booking one.
8. Get on
twitter/facebook and introduce yourself to your neighbouring exhibitors...it
makes it more fun!
9. Be flexible with
exhibiting your work - think of alternative ways to display just in case you
need a back up plan or things don't look the way you had expected.
10. Enjoy it and
have fun! Being designers, we spend most of working time on our own and tradeshows
are all about meeting people.
Wow, who feels inspired right now? I know I do. Thanks Jo so much for a truly fantastic blog, we all really do appreciate it. Please feel free to write all your comments below.
P.S.....
Don't forget, voting is still going for Ausmumpreneur of the year where Cheeky Pickle is in the running for Favourite Handmade Business. I would really love it if you could vote for me. If you would like to, please follow the directions here
Thank you
Ali xx
Wow, who feels inspired right now? I know I do. Thanks Jo so much for a truly fantastic blog, we all really do appreciate it. Please feel free to write all your comments below.
P.S.....
Don't forget, voting is still going for Ausmumpreneur of the year where Cheeky Pickle is in the running for Favourite Handmade Business. I would really love it if you could vote for me. If you would like to, please follow the directions here
Thank you
Ali xx
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