Dear Design Doctor I have a company wanting to take my products to a meeting with a very large department store, and they have requested information from me as below: prices per unit when ordered in batches 25/50/100/200/500/1000? to provide lead times on above amount? can i give Exclusivity? Is this product covered by your [...] Read more »
The Design Trust webinar: Speak like a TED Talker, become better at public speaking with Sarah Lloyd-Hughes
Do you find public speaking scary? Most of us do! Whether you are pitching for business, doing a talk, or running a workshop or training session, there is no better way to influence and inspire people and potential clients about your work than through powerful, passionate and authentic public speaking. Sarah Lloyd-Hughes is a coach, [...] Read more »
What is niche marketing? And 8 good reasons why you should bother and not worry about loosing out
There is a lot of talk on small business websites about the importance of creating your own niche. So what is that all about? What is niche marketing? A niche is a focused, targetable part of the market. You are a specialist providing a product or service that focuses on specific client group’s needs, which [...] Read more »
The Design Doctor: I launched … and nothing happened! How do I start selling my crafts?
Dear Design Doctor After 17 years as a freelance artist, I decided to start up my own small business designing and producing silk scarves. With only £1000 to my name I set to producing the first 3 scarves in what I would like to be a larger collection. It’s taken 7 months and I have [...] Read more »
Should I participate in a contemporary craft or design fair?
This might seem like a no-brainer, but actually fairs might actually not work for you (at this stage). The positives – fairs are a great way to: have face-to-face contact with potential and existing clients get feedback about your products or services to research the market you work in and compare yourself with ‘the [...] Read more »
The Design Doctor: How to get started with marketing my crafts on a limited budget?
Hello The Design Doctor I am just starting out with my own eBay shop. I make all my own jewellery and buy only the highest quality of home decor and gifts. I have just started Facebook and twitter and all this is new to me too. How can I get myself noticed more? I don’t [...] Read more »
Top tips to sell your crafts online
Do you want to sell online, but find that creating a website takes too much time and money?! Promoting or selling online with an established website or directory is one of the best and cheapest ways to increase your profile and to generate sales all year round. They have overtaken galleries and other sales opportunities [...] Read more »
How to increase my prices (confidently and without losing clients)?
There are lots of reasons to review and increase your prices on a regular interval. Many creative business owners find it difficult how to approach this topic, but in the business world it is fairly normal that prices or fees increase or change. What is really important is that you tell your clients in advance [...] Read more »
Do’s and dont’s to build your credibility effectively
There are three specific areas that you can use to build your credibility most effectively: networking & referral building, public speaking and writing & publicity. This is based on CJ Hayden’s marketing strategies for professional services in the book Get Clients Now!: Networking and referral building Get people to refer you to potential clients is [...] Read more »
How to write an intro email that opens doors?
It is really useful to have a ‘model marketing email’ that you can use to introduce yourself to potential clients or to follow up when you have met them or heart about them. Writing emails from scratch can take up a lot of time. However, it is important to tweak it slightly each time to [...] Read more »