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!

 MILOS CREATIONS, www.miloscreations.com, is a unique online retailer that believes everyday is a day for dress up -  it doesn’t need to be Halloween to play make believe in Milos world! With their fun assortment of dress up clothes for boys, girls and adults, Milos Creations offers kids and adults the opportunity to engage in imaginative games by experiencing first hand the look of someone other than themselves. You can be a princess, astronaut, chef, cowgirl, or just about anything else you or your little one’s heart desires. In addition to a vast assortment of dress up clothes, there are fun accessories and toys that are a bit unexpected – such as lunchboxes, puzzles, baby slings, t-shirts and more. My favorite part of this site is that it truly promotes creative play for children that engages their imagination… And considering we live in a world surrounded by videogames and television, Milos Creations offers a wonderful alternative for good old fashioned children’s play! Learn more about Milos Creations by viewing their entire IN THE SPOTLIGHT, which includes an interview with their founder Cherly Vicory. http://retailminded.com/blog/?page_id=394

Our featured wholesaler is Swami Baby and Swami Wear. Founded in June 2007, Swami Baby Boutique provides a breathe of fresh air to those shopping for babies. Founder Katie Holley created Swami Baby with a very calming and peaceful message attached to it – which is that children provide kindness and wisdom and therefore the messages attached to Swami Baby should do the same. One of Holley’s first designs said “Just Breathe, Mom”. Currently this remains one of her best sellers, understandably so. After success in Swami Baby, Swami Wear was born, which offers adults, children and babies comfortable yoga inspired peices that include t-shirts, pants, and onsies. In addition, there is a “think green” line that supports the ever growing and always important green market in retail. To learn more, please view their complete profile at http://retailminded.com/blog/?page_id=168.

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.

Craft Shows and Street Fairs

There are a variety of ways you can sell your homemade designs. A popular and often entry level step in doing this is through craft and street fairs. Depending on where you live, craft shows and street fairs are a great outlet in showcasing your product to a broad audience of potential customers. Typically, you need to register in advance for these shows and will often have to pay a participation fee. This fee usually covers the promotion of the shows, a table for your product to be merchandised on and any other necessary costs to put on the show itself. Most shows are one or two days total, so your time investment is not too much. In addition, vendors at the shows end up meeting other designers like themselves and network to help advance their product recognition while also finding support in what they do. These are great perks to managing your own small business, since knowing others in similar positions as yourself can only help you advance yourself and better understand your local community.  Finally, one the best things that comes from shows such as this is the opportunity to gain feedback on your product and to see what sells and what doesn’t. If you are serious about making and selling your designs, then this is a great first step in understanding who your customer is, what products work for you, and how you can improve your overall product and presentation.

Etsy

For most homemade designers, crafters, artists, and more, www.etsy.com is part of their lifestyle. Whether as a place they shop or for inspiration, Etsy offers a wonderful assortment of homemade designs in a variety of categories. If your product falls into an Etsy category, selling your product online through your own personalized Etsy shop is a great next step.  Etsy gets over 20 million visitors from around the world each month on their website, so your selling opportunity is truly endless. Of course, so is the competition, but this is simply the reality of retail.

Building your own Etsy shop is as easy as a few quick sign up steps on www.etsy.com. Don’t let the online selling intimidate you from opening your own Etsy shop. They have made it easy and accessible for designers to showcase their homemade goodies online, while also taking away the added stress your own website would entail – such as marketing, press, and more. There are minimal costs involved, but the reward is a great website with a customer base ready to shop.

Consignment Selling

Maybe you have a boutique you visit often that would consider selling your goods. Possibly you have a friend, or even a friend of a friend, who owns a store and would sell your product to help get you started. To help encourage these stores to want to sell your product, offer to sell your product on consignment. Consignment selling, which is when you provide stores with your product without them having to pay for them upfront and only paying for them once they are sold, is a great way to get more of your product into more stores at once. This is a very realistic scenario for new designers as well as in our tough economic crisis. Consignment selling often demands a contract to be in place, however many small shops and boutiques do this on a friendly, non contract basis. I would recommend using a contract that outlines how long the product will be in the store, what the store will owe you per each product sold, and any merchandising, packaging, or care instruction details that would help sell the product. You may also want to include in your contract the opportunity for the store to buy your product upfront after a certain period of time or after so many products have been sold.

By selling your product in more than one outlet, you open yourself up to a variety of customers, selling opportunities, feedback, and growth. Be open to what you learn from each of your selling experiences to help your business grow in the direction in which you want it to. If your dream is to place larger orders in larger stores and have a larger customer base, don’t let these small steps get in the way. Each step will bring you something that will get you closer to your retail dreams. And if selling on Etsy and at your local craft fair is all you want, then get at it and have fun!