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#1 Resource For: Starting a Successful Scrapbooking Business Growing Your Existing Scrapbook Business Insider Information on the $3 Billion+ Scrapbook Industry |
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You have arrived at the latest online issue of Scrapbook
Industry News, the email newsletter sent to scrapbooking professionals
from Fun Facts Publishing. Subscribe to Scrapbook Industry News! Fun Facts Publishing's E-Newsletter "Keep away from small people who try to belittle your
ambitions. Back issues of this publication are available online at: IN THIS ISSUE: 1. News and Updates Please Visit This Issue's Sponsors:
Ezine
Sponsorships Hello everyone! I hope June has been going well for you! You can see pictures from the event by clicking here. Has anybody gotten a copy of My Life, the new book
(or should I say new encyclopedia?) written by Former U.S. President
Bill Clinton? The 957-page book weighs a ton when you have to lug it around
under your arm for four hours. I should know - on Monday night, I slept
under the stars at 5th Ave. and 48th St., and ended up waiting a total
of 16 hours to get my hands on a copy of My Life. The last four
or so hours were spent moving slowly through the tight security and we
were not allowed to carry anything except our wallets and the book. Yours truly, This tip comes to us from Priscilla of Creative Consulting and Resources: "When trying to create a successful business, it is important to be excited about what you are doing, because excitement spreads," Priscilla says. "Make your business go with you everywhere," she suggests. "Create a mini scrapbook and attach it to your purse handle. On the front write, 'Ask to see my creation - I'd love to show you.' In the store line, talk to people around you. If they have kids, comment on what great pictures the kids must take, and then show your album of pictures. Ask the person if they too scrapbook their kids' 'gorgeous pictures.'" If you have children in school, Priscilla also recommends talking to their teachers about your business. "Ask if you can do a parent / child event as a fundraiser for the
class, while at the same time promoting parent / child relations,"
she advises. "Be excited as you talk to the teacher about all "No matter where you are, whether it's working out, at the bank,
at the post office, or wherever, talk to others. Smile...BE EXCITED. People
are going to want to know about this excitement!" Thanks, Priscilla! What I love about this tip is its applicable no matter what area of the scrapbook industry you're involved in - whether you're a retailer, custom scrapbook artist, direct sales consultant, instructor, etc. Thanks again! Do you have a business tip or article you'd like to share? You will receive a $25 credit for our products for every article or tip we choose to use, along with your byline and contact information. Send yours in to this email address: tips @ funfactspublishing.com.
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. We've got some fabulous "ScrapLights" coming up in the next
few months, including the stories behind KwikPrint, Crafts By Hand, and
The Essence of Memories. We'll let you know when In the meantime, take a look at the many businesses profiled in our archives. It's a good bet you'll walk away with quite a few nuggets of wisdom! Interested in having your business profiled as an "In The ScrapLight" feature? You can find more information here.
"I was really hesitant to subscribe to yet another publication on the scrapbook industry. I signed up and now words cannot describe how pleased and happy I am with the Platinum Edition. Sue really seems to have her finger on the pulse of the scrapbooking industry. From consumers to retailers to manufacturers to chains, you touch on it all. Keep up the AWESOME work." - Sue Lech, Thanks for the Memories Scrapbook Store Platinum members have access to exclusive industry content, e-books, promotions and specials, and much more! Here's a brief look at what members are reading about this month: Industry Insider We've got all the latest inside buzz on the scrapbook industry! This month, you'll learn about:
Concerned about the chain stores entering our industry? We keep a close
eye on the chain scrapbooking stores, such as Archiver's and ReCollections,
and pass this information along We believe that the chain stores DO add much value to this industry, and the strong independent retailers will survive - but it's a wise business decision to be as informed as possible. In this issue, we'll tell you about Archiver's eight upcoming locations, along with ReCollections' two new Texas locations and soon-to-open East coast locations. Platinum members have access to all back issues, as well as exclusive
content, specials and promotions, e-books, and more. View
a sample issue and learn how you'll benefit from joining us as a Platinum
member here.
Whether you’re attending as a buyer or as an exhibitor, true tradeshow
success can be achieved with proper planning. Here are some pre-show tips
to help prepare you for ACCI on For Buyers Pack The Essentials. Survival of the fittest means being prepared!
Register online as soon as you can, especially for seminars and workshops.
Many classes sell out quickly, so take a look at what’s being offered,
and try to attend as many as you can. Industry seminars and workshops
can be invaluable sources of information for your business. Even if you
just learn one thing you didn’t know, it’s well worth it to
attend! (And connecting
You should have received a floor map and exhibitor list when you registered
for the show. Take some time to go over it and decide what exhibitors
are must-see, maybe-see, and no-see.
If you’re at the show for more than one day, collect brochures and catalogs from the vendors you’re interested in and examine and compare at the end of the day. You’ll be able to make a wiser decision and decrease the chance of being stuck with dead product. Remember, impulse purchases are only good when customers are making them at your store!
If you’re able to attend the show with your partner or employee,
consider splitting up so you’ll have a better chance of tackling
the whole show area. If you do this, be sure you have a plan, and you
each know exactly what kind of things you’re looking for. Meet up
again for lunch or an afternoon snack to compare what you’ve discovered. For Vendors Management typically does a great job at promoting the show, but it’s also imperative you do your own pre-show marketing. Tradeshows are huge affairs, and buyers may only walk by your booth once during the entire event. You need to make sure they know A) you’ll be attending, and B) the number of your booth. Take Advantage of Free Marketing Materials. Utilize the free tools most trade shows provide, such as promotional postcards and stickers. Write your booth number on them and include them in outgoing correspondence.
Obtain a list of registered buyers from show management (ACCI offers
this list free to vendors a few weeks before the show). Prepare a mass
mailing of your marketing materials, or simply send a postcard promoting
the fact that you’ll be at the show. Make sure you list show specials,
new products, and your booth number. (A tried and true method is the offer
of a
Make sure you list complete information about the tradeshow, including your booth number and show specials, on your company Web site.
They should know the product line thoroughly and be able to answer any questions that may come up. It also helps a great deal if they’ve had prior sales and/or tradeshow experience. It’s always a good idea to do some role playing before the show - go over every possible scenario you may expect to encounter with buyers and other booth visitors (members of the media, other influential people in the industry).
Sponsor a workshop, display your products in the New Display area, and make sure your press releases and press kits are placed in the Media Lounge.
Take advantage of some of the "extras" that make ACCI an excellent show. Online Show Specials. Exhibitors can add and edit their show specials at the ACCI Web site (http://www.accicrafts.com). Buyers, take some time to check out these specials before traveling to the show. Convention Center Map. You'll find a map of the convention center's layout on the ACCI web site. This will make it easier to locate the booths you'd like to visit, as well as locate classrooms. Free Signs For Exhibitors. ACCI is creating three kinds of booth signs for this year’s event. The signs will identify new products, show specials, and items ready to ship, and will be available for pick up when exhibitors arrive to set up their booths. Comfort Zones. These areas are probably the ones for which attendees
are most grateful! Comfort Zones are located around the show, and include
comfy couches, magazines to read, and best of all, foot massagers. When
we exhibited at ACCI, we were lucky enough to be right We'd love to see you at ACCI! We won't have a booth, but we'll be walking the show each day. Please say "hello" if you see us! Return to top of page
Scrapbooking Media Links - More Than 20 New Links Added! It seems as if everyone is talking about scrapbooking! This month,
our industry was the subject of articles in local newspapers from Florida
to Oregon, as well as national publications One article, in the highly-respected Diversity Inc. magazine, focused on diversity and scrapbooking and featured some outstanding quotes from our very own Michael. (Thank you, Angela, for reporting on such an important topic and including our viewpoints!) The article also featured Same Differences and Color An Angel, two companies producing truly innovative products for the scrapbook market. Direct Sales Companies List Updated Our listing of the various direct sales companies in the scrapbooking / stamping world has been updated. Sadly, one of the companies finally shut its doors after a prolonged ending. We've also added links to two new direct sales companies. 'Make Money Scrapbooking for Others' Continues to Empower Women to Launch Professional Scrapbooking Service "Sue, I received your manual and read it over the weekend in two sittings. As I'm sure many others have told you, it's very informative and motivating. Let me tell you how grateful I am to have found your publications. Tomorrow I'm going to the county office building to apply for my DBA!" - Lisa You
can read about this 200-page manual here.
13 New Ads! Florida Retail Store For Sale, Online Store For Sale, Tons of Inventory and Fixtures For Sale, and More! 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! Several new classifieds have been added this month. To view the current list, please click here.
Fun Facts Publishing's mission is to help present and future scrapbook entrepreneurs succeed by providing them with solid information and inspiration. We offer a wide variety of books and reports, a monthly industry trade publication, national seminars, personal consulting, Web design, and an informative Web site, http://www.funfactspublishing.com/ . We also publish this ezine, "Scrapbook Industry News," currently going out to over 9,000 subscribers. Fun Facts Publishing, established in 1998, is owned and operated by Sue DiFranco and her husband, Michael Venzor. Please visit our Web site to learn more! Fun Facts Publishing Administrative: Like this ezine? Forward it to your friends and colleagues! Back issues of this publication are available online at:
Or... Send an email with the word "subscribe" in the subject line
to this email address: If you would no longer prefer to receive "Scrapbook Industry News," send a blank email to this email address: unsubscribe @ funfactspublishing.com. To update your email address, please send the change to this email address:
info @ funfactspublishing.com. If you would like to contribute articles and tips on scrapbook business
related topics, please send them to this email address: articles @
funfactspublishing.com. You will receive a 25-dollar credit for our
products for every article or tip we choose to use, along with your byline
and contact information. Our policies are listed here:
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The recent complete acquisition
of a trend-setting, extremely popular wholesale manufacturer