 |
Your
#1 Resource For: Starting a Successful Scrapbooking Business Growing Your Existing Scrapbook Business Insider Information on the $3 Billion+ Scrapbook Industry |
|
|
You have arrived at the latest online issue of Fun Facts Publishing's ezine, Scrapbook Industry News. Subscribe to Scrapbook Industry News! Fun Facts Publishing E-Zine "Willingness is essential in any initiation or in making
an Back issues of this publication are available online at: IN THIS ISSUE: 1. This Issue's Sponsors Please Visit This Issue's Sponsors:
Ezine Sponsorships Click here for more info! Hello and a warm welcome to all new subscribers! Wow - what a great time we had at the HIA trade show! As usual, we were able to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. We were also able to spend some time with Michael's best friend Joseph and his family, Lula, Vivi, and soon-to-be Julian, who live in Dallas. It was a fun time! We're still compiling our notes on the show and we'll have a full report in March. When we returned, it was time to play catch-up with all regular business activity. We mixed that with a healthy dose of spring cleaning - down came the holiday decorations, out went tons of stuff I was inexplicably holding on to. (Additional packages were sent out to our storage facility, otherwise known as my parents' house.) A day trip to the recently-opened The Container Store was a highlight. It's an organizing geek's dream! And completely justifiable - how can one possibly feel guilty about spending money on items that make you more organized and productive? Now we've got a fresh new home, added space, and a new venture... Those of you who attended HIA know about our latest project - ScrapbookingDiversity.com.
We are very excited about this new addition to the scrapbooking world
and we've got very large plans for it! It is still a work in progress,
but we invite you to take a look and let us know what you think: Don't forget about International Scrapbooking Industry Day, the new "holiday"
we have created to help promote the industry around the world. You can
learn more here: If you're a new subscriber, you might be wondering why certain words in this ezine are separated with asterisks. It's because the appearance of certain words will trigger some email providers to not deliver the message. If you find that you're not receiving this ezine on a regular monthly schedule, it might mean your email provider is rejecting it. Remember that you can always read each issue online here. Thanks so much for being a part of Fun Facts Publishing! I hope you enjoy
this issue, and please feel free to stay in touch with whatever comments
or questions you may have! Have a fabulous month! Here are two ideas for any and all event organizers out there... One: When manufacturers donate product for your event, let them feel appreciated. We have donated to several events these past couple of years, and the response we recently received from Scrap That Idea! in Pennsylvania was excellent: Shortly after their event, Snap and Scrap Academy, was held, they sent a package with:
It was an example of the "going the extra mile" principle. Sure, they could have sent an email thank you, or even a short letter (or not responded at all!). But by sending this package, sponsors were able to feel a connection with the participants - their product donations weren't just being sent out to random faceless scrapbookers. Great job, Tammy and Staci! Two: As part of our spring cleaning, we found a box with some forgotten scrapbooking t-shirts from our discontinued PossibiliTEES line. (Surprise!) We packaged them up to donate to a few events who had requested products, and then I decided to do a search to see if any other event organizers needed product. To my surprise, of the events I found, very few of them had donation requests prominently displayed on their site. Granted, probably not too many manufacturers actively seek out places to send free stuff (although they should - see more on this below), but if they are, this information should be easy to find. Those who do have this information on their sites, please write to us and let us know! (P.S. - the shirts have all been sent out - sorry!) Therefore... I decided to dedicate an area of our Classifieds section to event organizers who want to connect with manufacturers. Organizers, send in your donation requests, and manufacturers will be able to take a look and decide what (if any) events they'd like to donate to. We can't promise anything, but it sure beats faxing/emailing hundreds of scrapbook manufacturers! Send them to: Read them here: A tip for smaller manufacturers: depending on your budget, we think it's
a great marketing idea to donate products to various events. You can read
more on this topic in the October issue of the Platinum Edition! ================================================== "I LOVE your Platinum editions! You do a terrific job of
gathering pertinent information every month. Yours is the only magazine
(paper or electronic) that I read from top to bottom. Thanks for giving
the industry a great tool." - Mary Lou Sheridan, Novel Approach,
Inc. "Scrapbook Industry News Platinum Edition" is a subscription-only monthly publication that features tons of articles, tips, insider information, regular features, and much more, to help you and your business achieve even more success! Here's what our subscribers are reading about in the February issue of
"Scrapbook Industry News Platinum Edition:"
Chain Store Watch In this issue, find out what where Archiver's is headed next, along with information on ReCollections' 10-day, celebrity-filled celebration.
One successful retailer shares her thoughts on the monthly costs of running a bricks and mortar store, along with her feelings about competing with online stores. To view a sample copy of "Scrapbook Industry News Platinum Edition,"
and to take advantage of all the benefits of subscribing to this monthly
publication,
please click here. Our "In The ScrapLight" section showcases the success stories of scrapbooking business owners from all areas of the industry. You'll learn start-up advice, marketing tips, resources, and much more, from these scrapbooking entrepreneurs. Be sure and read each profile, even if it's not your area of the industry - you never know what piece of advice you may pick up!
Here are some areas on our web site that may be of interest to you:
Learn what other scrapbook business owners are doing to celebrate this day, along with a list of resources, sample press releases and fact sheets that are free for you to use to promote your own business. Please click here to learn more!
Retreat, crop, and expo organizers - list your requests for donations here. Manufacturers - if you're interested in donating products as part of your marketing plan, check here for donation requests. Please click here to learn more!
Check here for an updated listing of scrapbooking media links (more than 10 new links added!), trade shows and magazines, industry links, and recommended books and industry tools. Please click here to learn more!
We're excited to announce the launch of our latest project, ScrapbookingDiversity.com! The site is still a work in progress, but in the future you can expect:
Please visit http://www.scrapbookingdiversity.com
and let us know what you think! While you're there, don't forget to subscribe
to the Scrapbooking Diversity email newsletter - simply send a blank email
to subscribe@scrapbookingdiversity.com. Our Classifieds section features scrapbook business owners who are looking for help. If you're a teacher looking for a place to teach, or an event organizer looking for a teacher, this is the place to do it! If you're looking to sell your store, or hire some help, this is the place to do it! We have just added a new section for Event Organizers' Donation Requests. If you're an organizer of any size, please send your request to classified@funfactspublishing.com. Please list your request, location, dates, and contact information, as well as how many participants you are expecting. Several new classifieds have been added this month, including stores and inventory for sale, sales reps wanted, and more! To view the current list, please click here.
|
A sweet
thank-you letter detailing the event's success