[tweetmeme]In light of recent news where consumers are learning that many of the products they buy and consume are produced under sweatshop or child-labor conditions, they are beginning to ask questions about how the products are made. According to the World Bank, an estimated 2.7 billion people in the world exist on less than $2 a day. Among the tenets of fair trade is to correct that figure by offering fair wages to farmers and producers.

Retailers are wise to consider reaching this socially-conscious and educated market by stocking more fair trade products in their merchandising mix. Gone are the days when they only fair trade offerings were banana leaf baskets. Today’s fair trade options range from children’s toys to apparel to fashion-week worthy jewelry and accessories.

One example of a great vendor that supports Fair Trade is World Shoppe. It was founded six years ago with the specific intent to support women artisans in developing countries by offering their handmade products to the American market. An example of some of their work includes the efforts of their founder, Megy Karydes, who has been working with artisans in South Africa to bring their gorgeous copper and brass jewelry to dozens of retailers across the United States.

Why Does Fair Trade Matter?

Fair trade respects people and communities and that is something that resonates with most consumers. Now, by being able to offer affordable, fashion-forward items such as jewelry, apparel and home accessories, retailers can not only provide consumers with products that look great but also make a difference in the lives of artisans in developing countries.

For a list of fair trade companies that wholesale to retailers, visit the Fair Trade Federation (www.FairTradeFederation.org). The organization is hosting its annual Fair Trade Futures (http://fairtradeconference.ning.com/) conference in Boston in September 2010 where more than 700 fair trade supporters will gather and learn more about the movement. It’s a great place to meet other people, company representatives and consumers interested in fair trade.

Article contributed by Megy Karydes, founder of World Shoppe (www.World-Shoppe.com), a fair trade jewelry and women’s accessories importing business that works with artisans in South Africa. World Shoppe is a proud and active member of the Fair Trade Federation and Megy was also a founding board member of Chicago Fair Trade, working to promote fair trade in her hometown.

Some key things to consider when highlighting your product and business services include not just the table, but the space around it. To plan for this, find out in advance what your vendor “booth” area will consist of.

Dividers

Will you have a divider of any sort between you and the next vendor? If so, does this divider allow for merchandising opportunities, such as posters, banners or shelves? Leaving these bare won’t allow you to maximize your space and ultimately, you business. You could put press clips or enlarged photos of your product on these dividers, as well.

Tables

How big is the table you will be provided? Is there more than one available? If so, you could make a U-shape out of three tables and maximize your allocated space. Or work with two to add more opportunity for product exposure than just one would allow. Make sure you have table clothes to cover your tables to add more visual appeal. Fabric cut to size works great for this, as well.

Height

Are you tall? Short? We are all different and view things differently, so cater to every eye level. This also creates visual appeal that will lead any one’s eye directions up or down – allowing for them to see more than just a flat showcase of product. Use cake stands, pedestals, boxes and other height altering pieces to add depth and level to your display. Use your table clothes to cover these so they seem seamless with your overall display. Be creative here – the opportunities are endless.

Floor

Want to add some color to your display? Add a throw rug! This is a great way to add some fun with color and design while also identifying your vendor space from the rest. It’s likely you will be among the only tables to have thought to add some visual appeal to the ground – so expect more foot traffic as a result since it will make you stand out!

Color

Does your vendor table blend in or stand out? Be bold in your color choices in an effort to “pop” from the rest. You can still be sophisticated, sassy or whatever your style is while using color. Whether tan or pink, if you stay consistent and use color effectively, it will make a difference in your overall vendor table appeal.

Finally, think outside the box as to how your unique business can maximize a vendor table space. Remember to showcase your product first and foremost, but also make your table enticing enough so people want to approach it. Keep it clean and easy to understand so that “shopping” your table isn’t a challenge. And take notes so that next time, you can do it even better!

Have ideas on how you have created a great vendor table space? Let us know!

1. Find out your booth space size and if you will be provided a table and chairs. Then decide if you want to use the tablecloth provided by the show, or if you would prefer to bring your own to complement your brand, color scheme and merchandising plans. Some shows don’t have tablecloths at all, so make sure you have one in this scenario, as well. Your table is essentially your “store”, so make sure to take the time to prepare for how you will layer it in your merchandising plans, beginning with the tablecloth. If you need additional chairs ordered based on what they provide, do this in advance, as well.

2. Arrange the display on your table top in levels so that there is depth to your merchandising. The depth will bring attention to your booth and allow for a more creative, more visually appealing display to draw in customers. You can use simple cardboard boxes to add height, but make sure to use fabric or tablecloths to disguise the boxes. Consider using jewelry stands, cake stands and other items that add height and width to your display to help showcase the items in your displays. You don’t have to spend a lot of money here to be effective. In addition, make sure to display the larger items in the back and the smaller items up front so that nothing is missed within the display.

3. Use a power point presentation or other computer aided presentation to help support your product and brand. Make sure there is an electrical outlet close enough to your booth, though, before counting on this. You may also want to bring an extension cord just in case. Don’t lean on this as your only source of excitement for your booth, though. Some people respond to this type of presentation more than others… The catch is you want to reach out to everyone.

4. If your budget allows and the trade show allows it, as well, provide giveaways for the show attendees. Whether you are giving away a pen with your brand details on it or a product sample, most people will love the “free” appeal. The better the giveaway, the better the response, of course. Attendees of trade shows are quick to tell their friends what booths are worth checking out, and sometimes it simply takes a great giveaway to draw a crowd. You can turn them on to your product from there.

5. Have visitors to your booth provide you with their contact information through a raffle. You gain their contact information for follow up opportunities while they gain the chance to win something great. That’s the catch, though… You want to make sure the raffle is worth signing up for. Make your raffle exciting so that attendees will get excited about their chance to win!

6. If the trade show you are attending is for more than one day, it’s a good idea to have more than just yourself in attendance.This will allow much needed assistance in manning the booth for bathroom breaks, lunch breaks and the maintenance of taking care of the display and dealing with attendees over the course of the show. While it’s common for other trade show booth attendees to help each other the best they can, you can’t count on your booth neighbor to be the friendly attendee you may be.

7. Have take away details about your product available. If you are selling to buyers of retail stores, have professional Buyer’s Packets available for them to take away from your booth so that they can review the details later. You should make sure your cost details (wholesale and retail) are available per item, color choices are clear, order details are easy to understand and all other terms you have set up specific to your business are included in these take away details. And of course, make sure your contact details are accessible.

8. If you have wall space available, use it. Don’t waste any space that you may have! Use this to identify any press you may have received, highlight your must have products in a larger scale, display your marketing campaign or  more. Be creative. Just don’t waste the space by leaving it empty.

9. Use lighting to help maximize your booth space. If you have tabletop lighting that can spotlight your key products, brand or image, you will be more effective in communicating your message. Floor lamps can also add depth to your table when used effectively. Make sure you have access to an electrical outlet and it’s always a good idea to have an extension cord packed just in case.

10. Smile, be friendly and say hello to everyone. You never know who may be your next customer. And as for reputations… depending on your retail sector, everyone somehow seems to know everyone at one point or another, so you never want to give a bad impression.

Finally – have fun! To make this happen, it helps to plan in advance. So be prepared and check with your trade show organizing team well before you arrive to avoid surprises, secure your booth space and get any questions you may have answered.

In no particular order, the below points are valuable reasons to consider attending trade shows.

1. Gain knowledge and exposure to new trends, products and resources that are available for your retail business or wholesale company. This is a great way to learn about what’s hot, what’s fading and what your company needs to have or do right now.

2. Stimulate new ideas and creative ways to support your business despite the economy, past seasons and more. Where you will gain this knowledge is endless – your competition at the show, your general experience at the show and even your participation at the show will make an impact.

3. Meet other retailers and vendors who you can lean on, learn from and possibly gain business from that you would not have had the chance to meet had you not attended that trade show.

4. Learn what your competition is up to without having to go to great lengths since their business information will be easily accessible. Ask yourself how do you compare to your competition and evaluate your strengths and weaknesses to best support your business.

5. Expose yourself to the press attending the trade shows so they know about your business – retail or wholesale. Make sure your business stands out so that they will remember you.

6. Generate leads for strategic alliances and most importantly, potential customers. Collect business cards, refer to the directory and use all other outlets provided to you during the show to create a list of contacts for your files – and your business outreach.

7. Participate in educational seminars, networking events and surveys that only take place at trade shows and will expose you to new people, new business and new ways of thinking for your business success.

8. Get answers right away, whether from a vendor or a retailer, since trade shows allow for immediate communication and easy, accessible outlets of exposure for both vendors and retailers.

9. Become educated on your industry so that you can better support your clients and customers by utilizing all the resources trade shows offer.

10. Have fun. Yes – have fun. Nothing gives a business owner more energy than a good time while working to keep them motivated to want to work more!

CSPIA stands for the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and is intended for business owners, resellers, crafters, and charities. The purpose of this law is to enfore the safety of our children, however many people are arguing that the guidelines are too strict and too off base to really allow for small business owners to meet the laws demands. To make the details of this law even more complicated, they vary according to each specific product. But the one thing that is consistent is that ALL products sold for children are affected by this - whether it is a book, toy, shirt, cup or crib mattress.

Who is Effected

If you make, produce or assemble products that can be used by children, you are affected by this law. Even if you craft hair barrettes in your basement and then donate them to your church’s holiday fair, you are affected by this law.

The law identifies that products intended for children under 12 must obey to the details of this law, including in production and packaging, and that products not specifically intended for children under 12 do not necessarialy need to follow the details of this law. For example, if you produced and marketed a DVD for age 16 and up but a parent decides their 12 year old can view this, you are not held responsible for this. However, if your packaging or marketing suggested that children ages 12 and under are considered in your target market, then you would be responsible for following the laws of the CSPIA.

Necessary Tests

As part of this new law, many tests are required to be completed by third party accredited testing labs. These tests were designed to ensure safety standards that the CSPIA outlines, including if the product contains lead paint or other potentially hazardous materials. Whether or not you need to test a single item or multiple items will depend on the variations in the items you offer. A change in material, colors or packaging may mean you need to have more than one item tested. As a result, many businesses are tightening up their product assortment to keep testing requirements down.

Packaging According to the CSPIA

Generally speaking, the CSPIA recognizes that packaging of a product is not intended for play by children. However, some packaging is meant to be used again and for various purposes, such as a bag or storage item. If your packaging provides a multiple purpose other than packaging that wil be tossed out, then your packaging must be tested for the same potentially hazardous materials that your product will be tested for.

There are many, many, many more details of the CSPIA and more is yet to come according to recent reports in the press. For an overview that will help answer even more of your questions, the United States Government has released this easy to read Q&A guide – http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/smbus/cpsiasbguide.pdf.

If you have thoughts, comments, news or anything else you’d like to share about this, please include your comments below!

The contents of a buyer’s packet will vary based on what your product is, who your target market is, what your budget is, and what your marketing outreach plans are. In general, though, a traditional buyer’s packet consists of the following:

Letter of Introduction – A buyer’s packet should always open with a great letter of introduction. Short and sweet, this letter should not be too lengthy but should answer the questions of who you are, what the product is, who the target market is, and offer a peak into the product itself with some great descriptive shout outs. Tell a story about the product or the inspiration behind the product. Offer a glimpse into why someone may need to have this product. The goal of the letter should be to inform but also to persuade. Don’t get too wordy, though. No one has time to read a novel – make sure it’s short and sweet.

Price Sheet - A price sheet includes both wholesale and suggested retail prices. Make sure that you are at least doubling your wholesale cost for the retail cost so that retailers gain back their investment of purchase. I find many wholesalers are not prepared for their product to sell at retail because their prices are out of reach, so take the time to consider this before communicating with retailers. And remember – do not sell your product at wholesale online and expect other retailers to sell it at a higher price point. Even if you have your own website, you must sell your products at the same retail prices points your customers are to expect to keep your retail customers. I see too many start up wholesalers make this mistake and it backfires on them.

Overview – Whether you are giving a product overview or designer overview, you should have a deteremined overview identified so that your audience is aware of what you are selling and if necessary, who you are selling, as well. I refer to “who” in the case of designers. If you are launching a clothing line with your name attached, potential buyer’s will want to know who you are, so make sure to tell them. However, if you are launching a product without the association of a personal name, describe the product so that the audience fully understands it’s purpose, it’s target market, and why they should consider buying it. A great overview I recently saw was of PopATot, a fabulous portable activity center for children. The home page of their website also includes a great overview of this product, www.PopATot.com. Remember that when providing an overview, you want to offer answers to questions before your customer even asks while also enticing them so that they want to learn more or make a purchase.

Line Sheet – The line sheet is a must have for all buyer’s packets in my opinion. When done correctly, it offers a portrait of your product by including product photos, descriptions, prices, available delivery dates, and any other necessary details. Keep it organized by category and try to avoid using paragraphs but rather outline your product details.

Order Form – An order form can consist of an actual form to order your products on or it can be a guide as to “how to order” your products. Either way, make sure your ordering details are clearn and understood. If you need tax ID numbers from your potential customers, let them know this. In addition, this is a good place to include the terms of orders placed. For example, do you have a flat shipping feel or do you bill for actual shipping charges? Make sure to identify this. Also, do you take cash/check/money order/credit cards? Let your potential customers know this upfront. Once again, answer questions before they have to ask if possible. If you have color selections, size variations, case packs, or anything else specific to your product, make sure these details are all identified. Finally, make sure the order form is laid out in a clean, professional format that is easy to read and easy to write orders on.

Some buyer’s packets may include Look Books, product samples, customer testiomonials, Q&A sheet, care instructions, and more. Make sure your buyer’s packet best represents your product and your brand so that retailers will want to reach out to you and order. Afterall, that’s the goal, right?!

If you would like a customized Buyer’s Packet for your brand or product, let Retail Minded work for you! Contact Retail Minded at nicole@retailminded.com to learn more.

When preparing to distribute a product and bring it to the marketplace, one of the most challenging tasks can be to find a name that best represents what it is you are selling. Your goal should be to find a name that will rest comfortably with consumers so that it is not too difficult to remember and ideally catchy enough to never forget. The brand name you ultimately choose will be impacted by your marketing tactics, logo, and any messages you attach to it – and this isn’t even including the product itself that it represents. Loyalty to brands can often be more powerful than product performance or style, so make sure to that you consider this aspect, as well, when thinking about what you should name your product to best position it as a brand. Just think about Nike and Adidas. Consumer research may show that Nike has a better performing soccer shoe, but if you have worn Adidas all your life, you may buy Adidas even if research shows Nike performs better.

Once you have a few brand names you would like to consider for your product, talk to people to find out what they think about it before you bring it to the marketplace. Ask yourself and ask others the following questions:

1. Is the name easy to say? You don’t want anything that twists your tongue or can’t be easily pronounced.

2. Is the name too long? Many of my clients have four words in their brand name alone. I reccomend one or two words with a third word only if you feel necessary. Even then I suggest that the third word is used to describe the product, such as jewelry or yoga. For example, Swami Baby Yoga. The word “yoga” identifies the product type that Swami Baby represents.

3. Will it offend anyone? In January 2008, Beaners Coffee changed their name to Biggby Coffee. Based in Michigan and with over 77 franchises, Beaners Coffee had no idea that when they choose their name that the word beaners was considered offensive to Hispanic customers. After receiving a lot of hype about it, they officially changed their name. This was a costly change, so take the time in advance to do your homework.

4. Is the name available to use? Each state has registered businesses, so make sure you take a look to see if anyone else is using the name you want to use. I would also consider looking at this from a national scale in case you want to distribute your brand on a larger scale and even internationally depending on your growth plans. Look up your local and national Trade Mark Registers to get started with this search.

5. Is there a web domain name available to match this brand name? While it does not have to an exact match, it should be complimentary to the brand name so that consumers can easliy find you online.

Let these 5 questions helps jumpstart your brand name search and remember to consider all other details specific to your industry, competition, and product / service needs.

What Is a Look Book

To begin, a Look Book is a book that is similar to a portfolio, however it represents a product line rather than providing visual samples of one’s work history. Look Books are used as visual aides in replace of the product, however they are often presented to buyers with the product, as well. The purpose of a Look Book is to provide a “story”, “feeling”, or “inspiration overview” of the product assortment through photographs of the product you want to sell.  Some have lifestyle photos and can be very graphic while others use fashion models to showcase their product and yet others are sleek and simple with no models at all. The creative flexibility of how to show your product in photos can be very appealing to designers.

Look Books are often professionally bound with glossy photos and little or no words included in them while others are presented in three ring binders with plastic portfolio cover sheets. The presentation will vary in design, however the content will always be primarily photos.The details of the product are sometimes included, but more often than not these details are outlined in the Buyer’s Packet instead.

Who Needs a Look Book

While there is no clear answer to this question, it is common for higher priced products, luxury goods, and one of a kind items to be showcased in a Look Book. Not meant for largely mass produced goods and inexpensive items, a Look Book is meant to showcase products that need a bit of a push to sell. If you are a jewelry designer who offers one of a kind pieces, a Look Book offers a great outlet to showcase some of the best work you have done. Meanwhile, if you offer customized art or designer handbags, a Look Book can provide you with a creative way to tell your product story. There is more flexibility in the creation of your Look Book versus a line sheet or other contents of a Buyer’s Packet, therefore as a designer you may have more fun with this presentation.

Many new wholesalers in the marketplace include Look Books to help push their product. Since competition is tough, it can often be more tough for new designers/artists/wholesalers to position themselves in their respective marketplace. Using a Look Book will certainly add to your pitch, offering a great outlet to tell your story since you will not always have the opportunity to do this face to face.

Presentation of a Look Book

The presentation of a Look Book is ultimately the decision on the designer, however it should be clearly understood that this presentation is also a reflection of the designer/artist/wholesaler themselves. That said, I always suggest presenting Look Books in a polished and professional presentation if you are going to take the time to create one.  I realize as small business owners it can tempting to cut corners everywhere you can, but I suggest leaving the three ring binders at home, as this reflects a college student’s project versus a professional presentation. Instead, considering simple and inexpensive binding techniques such as book stapling, coils, and book binding will offer you a professional presentation on a budget.

Final Thought

A Look Book can offer a sneak peak to your collection, as well as it can tell a story about your product assortment. Whatever the purpose is that you feel a Look Book can contribute to your line, remember that a complete Buyer’s Packet is more beneficial to you as a wholesaler. A Buyer’s Packet should include a line sheet with photos, pricing, designer/artist overview, introductory letter, and order form. These essential pieces, if done correctly and presented well, can sell your product or at least get you a conversation with potential buyers. Be realistic with yourself as to whether or not you really need a Look Book or if the fancy image of it is selling you on the idea of producing one yourself.

A final thought – Budgets are tight in all aspects of retail these days, so linking potentail buyers to your website with an “Online Look Book” may be something for you to consider instead, therefore saving you costs yet also offering retailers a larger view of what you have to offer outside of what your Buyer’s Packet represents.  Another option is to include a disk in the Buyer’s Packet that offers a digital Look Book. Both of these options can save you expenses while also providing an extra something to your retail accounts and potentail retail accounts.

I want to know what you need to help support you in your retail dreams. Whether you currently sell to retailers, are trying to sell to retailers or would like to know how to sell to retailers, I want to help you. There is a lot involved in communicating with potential retail accounts, therefore I would love to hear from you directly regarding what your immediate issues are.

Please email me with questions that you would like addressed on a future blog that will help support you in your wholesaling needs. You can email me directly at nicole@retailminded.com. While I may not be able to get back to you individually, I will include your question in a near-future blog.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sellers

As a seller on Artfire.com, you are supported with the tools you need to sell online, however unlike Etsy, there are no commissions paid out when you sell something. The catch – You must be a member to sell on Artfire, and the subscription to maintain this membership is $20 a month. However, with no commissions and the opportunity for a ton of sales, this is an incredible deal. To sweeten this deal, Artfire is now offering a select number of membership subscriptions for $7 a month for life! If you are even considering joining Artfire.com, I’d sign up while that deal is still available. In addition, their marketing plans are pretty aggressive, though they have not dove deep into all of them yet. A recent interview by Rose Works Jewelry designer Ruthie found out that Artfire.com has a few things up their sleeves to help promote Artfire in the near future. You can learn more by reading the interview of founder John Jacobs for yourself at http://roseworksjewelry.blogspot.com/2009/01/artfire-interview-with-john-jacobs.html

To help you also understand the perks of selling your handmade goods on Artfire.com, check out their easy to understand checklist of the benefits they offer. They even compare their services to Etsy, allowing you to fully understand the competition. How great is that? See for yourself and make your own decision by visiting http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Sell

Buyers

As a buyer of Artfire.com crafts and more, you can be assured that your  money is going straight to the artist themselve, therefore supporitng handmade goods entirely. No corporations, not even Artfire, benefit from the purchases you make. If you are anything like me, you can certainly appreciate the value in this since the artists selling their goods are the ones who deserve the full return on their product. In addition, you have a variety of choices in your shopping direction to help you navigate how you want to shop. There are many categories divided into three sectors. These sectors are Handmade & Fine Art, Design & Media, and Supplies & Vintage. After shopping myself for quite some time, I found more than I could have imagined! There really is a ton of great things for sale, and this is only the beginnig. As Artfire.com grows, so will their choice of options for online shoppers. They plan to have a “sale” section, “local community” section, “featured shops” and more. Make sure to check back onto Artfire.com reguarly to see how it evolves into a great online store for handmade goodies. Take a peak today by visiting http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Buy

Still Deciding My Favorite

While I can’t say I love Artifre.com yet as much as Etsy.com, I can tell you that I am checking out both reguarly and will continue to shop both sites. My gut tells me that Artfire is going to definitely shake things up a bit at Etsy, offering artists a great alternative to be competitive with how they sell and where they sell. While I am sure this may have Etsy shaking in their boots a bit, I personally think competition is healthy and it will hopefully make both sites the best they can be. I’d love to hear what you think, though!

Talk to Me

Whether a buyer or seller, I want to know what you think of Artfire.com. Email me at nicole@retailminded.com with your thoughts. In addition, I’d love to hear about any other online sites that you either sell your product or shop for product from handmade designers. I have also been checking our www.Crobbies.com and www.Bonanzle.com lately and will update you soon with what I find out about these sites, as well.

Thanks in advance! I look forward to hearing from you soon.