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Our specialty is turning successful companies into franchisors--allowing them to double their profits in 3 to 5 years by selling clones to their concept. We offer referral fees to anyone who connects us to one of their clients or acquaintances. These generally run from $3,500 to $4,500 each.
We just produced our first YouTube episode which is a good introduction to franchising. It's at http://bit.ly/3GE8KHi I love to talk franchising to anyone who's interested. You can now officially say "I've got a friend in Franchising." I can be reached at jd@franchisedoc.com if you'd like to follow up.
Jim Deitz
The Franchise Doctor
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Janet,
Hope these ideas will prove useful. My company turns successful companies into Franchisors--setting up stores, restaurants, home-based clones across the country. Unfortunately, that won't work for you since few have your eye or your talent. I do spend a lot of time helping my clients...
(more)
Janet,
Hope these ideas will prove useful. My company turns successful companies into Franchisors--setting up stores, restaurants, home-based clones across the country. Unfortunately, that won't work for you since few have your eye or your talent. I do spend a lot of time helping my clients find new ways for their franchisees to succeed in their new venture. Thankfully, with Covid, I've been studying how to make my phone ring with calls from successful companies eager to expand through franchising.
Having read most of the others' posts with ideas I'll try not to be repetitive but I fear many haven't gone down the road you're approaching--as my clients and I have.
I hope the trials of the year behind didn't freeze your pottery wheel. I pray you have a large inventory of unsold items. My goal for you is to do twice the sales of 2019 to help you "right your ship."
First off, you may need to do a self-evaluation and get a proper mindset. Your artwork is amazing, in my opinion, Museum-quality. However, how many of the artists with their work on display in museums died penniless? Being of your age, I often think about what my bank account will look like when I pass, so my plans for my family are motivators every day.
You should set a goal for weekly sales and stick to it or increase it as 2021 progresses. Is it $1,000 a week, $2,000, $3,000 or more? When you decide, break this down into daily sales by dollars and number of items you need to sell to reach these goals. Your talent proves it should happen for you but the world doesn't know you or of you. Below are some ideas to change that...
The quickest way to make sales are to get product heading out the door in exchange for cash. Who do you think would like to buy your items? I've seen others tout Itsy, your website, SEO promotion, etc. etc. but I'd like to suggest the best buyers admire your work every time they pass through their living room or kitchen. Most new Fords sold every year are sold to people who already own one or more Fords. They know the product, its quality vs cost and they return to a showroom and make another purchase. All sales result after the buyer "knows, likes, and trusts" the seller. If those needs are met, color and price become less important. Keep this in mind and you're on your way to a good 2021.
I hope you have a list of all your last purchasers -- at least, the last 3 to 5 years worth. Is the list on your computer? Do you only have street addresses? Hopefully, phone numbers? You need to turn this into a list, maybe 500 to 1,000 long with email addresses and first names of the buyer.
I'm guessing every one of your purchasers smiles when they walk by the art you sold them on their trip to Tuscon! Unfortunately, they won't be back soon---3, 6 to 9 months at the earliest. How many weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, retirements in their family will pass in that time without a chance to spread the joy of one of your creations to their loved ones? {My wife & I took a Viking Cruise down the Danube in June 2019 and one night on our "ship" a glass blower put on a presentation of his craft from a roll-aboard table that looked like a salad bar. Naturally, he invited us to his shop down the river and we dutifully visited the next day. Unable to reach deep enough into our savings to buy the $5,000 item of choice, we settled for one that only cost $550. But we've never regretted it as a decoration and a souvenir of our trip.} Think of ways you can duplicate this experience for potential new buyers.
Set a goal of building your list of 500, 1,000 or more to send an email newsletter to every other week for the next six months. Plan to have 2 to 4 photos of pieces that you're "showcasing for sale" on a first come, first sale basis. This builds urgency and scarcity causing the reader to pick up the phone and ask "How fast you can get it shipped to me?" They already "know, like, and trust you" and your work but they may have forgotten your name, even the city they found you in. In your newsletter, offer items at 20% off the regular price if purchased within two weeks of the mailing date. After that, the buyer should pay full price (if the item hasn't already sold). Of course, mention that you can create whatever they can imagine on consignment in __ days. Talk about how your creation can make the recipient's family member's birthday, wedding, retirement, anniversary one to remember.
When you build your mailing list, I'd send a quick email or USPS letter if necessary, saying something like... "High, hope you remember us at Sabino Stoneware Pottery in Tuscon. I imagine the pottery we sold you a few years back continues to bring joy to you or the receiver of such a lovely gift.
In 2021 we have many new offerings in our store but Covid predicts you won't be visiting soon. We're developing a newsletter to send you twice a month to show you our latest creations and offer you special pricing. Would you like to be included on the list?
If so, just reply to this note and we'll be sure you are with the "in" crowd. If we don't have your email, please include it."
When you receive a, "yes, include me" immediately reply with a quick note saying, "We'll be mailing our next newsletter in about 10 days.
By the way, do you know someone else you think we should add to our list? Please send us their name and address."
This process should get you going.
My suggestion is to walk your shop and decide what most of your items sell for. Say $1,000? I'd start trying to produce twice as many items for $500 or even $350. By reaching thousands of shoppers regularly, you can expect many to come in with an "experimental" purchase and then return for another item in the future once they touch and feel your craftsmanship. Naturally, it's easier to buy in at a lower price than going "top dollar" on their first purchase.
While this may sound a bit overwhelming, I think it's the quickest way to serious sales. Happy customers are your best prospects. Half your work is done--just re-establishing contact, showing some special items in your newsletter and guiding them to your website or suggesting they call and ask what you may have for the couple celebrating their 50th Anniversary, etc.
Even though things are tough for you and many others, a major portion of the workforce are considered essential workers and their income has gone on unscathed by Covid. They are bored and not traveling or dining out. Seniors like us especially and they're actually saving money that they would have spent in better times.
It's easy for them to spend $500 or $1,000 on one of your exquisite creations.
Don't let the workload of this type of program deter you. Check with the University or look on https://www.fiverr.com/ or outlook.com for people who can do all the work for just a few hundred dollars. Realize, at our age, its probably wise to pull some funds out of our retirement to jump-start Sabino Stoneware Pottery!!
Patience and "holding on" is NOT the answer. This is the month for ACTION.
Good Luck and GodSpeed in your adventure.
Call or Write: Jim Deitz, The Franchise Doctor 303.242.5868 jd@FranchiseDoc.com www.FranchiseDoc.com
Please feel free to ask questions and be sure to let me know how this works for you.
Another idea to generate cash is to offer items at a discount. This might be good on Itsy, etc. Many merchants walk their store and move anything that's been sitting around for 30 days to a special discount and mark it down 10%. The next month they mark things down 20%, then 30%. Soon you've recovered cash and space to showcase the items customers are quick to grab. I know with Covid your store traffic is just a trickle but you might even have a "mark-down" table as a page on your website. Again, getting SOMETHING into the hands of customers gets your name exposed to many more people than having it sit in your unvisited store.
The US population is about 340,000,000 these days. Let's suppose only 1,000,000 of these people have the education and good taste to appreciate your creative items. Do you have a feel how many customers visit you on average? 10, 20, 30? A newsletter going to 1,000 every two weeks would be 24,000 impressions a year or the same as 65 visitors a day!
The potential is awe-inspiring!
MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!