BadAss at business is where I yammer on about the business side of the quilting and retail life.
National quilt shows, Row by Row, and local guild events, oh my! You don’t have to look far these days to find some sort of sewing or quilting related event. Each of these events offers opportunities to vend, sponsor, or in other ways become part of the action, and of course this all comes at a cost.
The Situation
The average quilting customer has little idea of the costs shops incur to be part of these events, let alone the angst-ridden weighing of choices about what to participate in, when, and where. These events take money, manpower, and a certain amount of risk, but with the right mindset they are part of a solid long game to the shops that take on them on.
The Background
Currently, we at SPOOL don’t vend at any shows due to our size and family obligations, but on the horizon we will and it will center around BadAss Quilter merchandise and our awesome BAQS members. Where we DO put our attention is sponsoring a good number of local events, both quilting related and not, as well as taking part in Row by Row Experience.
The BIG Issue – Money Money Money
Being part of even a local small- to mid-sized guild show can be a serious expense for many shops. Of course each is entered into with the hope of big $ales, yet often these dreams are dashed on the quilting rocks. As the 2-3-4 days of the show go by, the shop owner/ staff become more and more discouraged; this leaks out in how they relate with the customer whether they know it or not. Competition at these events start fierce and then the price dropping starts! Sometimes these situations end with vendors giving away ridiculous deals in a panic simply to cover booth rental costs. For others it makes them pushy for a sale. The customer can sense that and it rarely ends well.
But what if ….
But what if as a shop owner you had a paradigm shift (Thank you Dr. Covey!) and took part in these events with, not the money, but the long-game in mind? What if that $500/$1000+ entry fee was all advertising dollars and it was about how many people learned about you and your store and came away with an amazing impression about you and your shop? What if your booth was so intriguing and eye catching, your staff so bent on education and not sales while at the event that people felt pampered and cared for not ~sold to~? What do you think would happen?
Paradigm shifts are not easy. They take time and staff (let alone self) education. But just noodle around the idea that as a brick and mortar or even online only store, maybe shows are not the place to sell, but the place to gather.
Moving past the show to Row by Row
While RXR has been great for many shops and there is call for year-round RXR (which is such a craptastic idea that it boggles the mind), others are vexed, if not totally disappointed in how their efforts are going. These shops are only using one yardstick to measure their success: the green yardstick of the dollar bill. Of course there are many things shops can do to rock their RXR game and I wrote about those the other day, but a change of attitude is by far the best change any store could ever make when it comes to this event.
To think that sales of row kits could or should save any store is poor business acumen by any measure. While tracking kit sales and pattern giveaways can help give a peek into traffic from the event, it is what you do with that traffic that matters.
It is true that many who cross shop thresholds this RXR season are tourists; this is still the time to capture e-mail addresses and pull out all the stops giving them a good impression of your shop and your area, whether they are there for just the complementary pattern or buy two shopping bags full.
Always keep in mind that this year’s RXR quick stop in is next year’s vacationer who is looking forward to coming back to your shop, mentions it to their neighbor who will be in the area, or becomes a fan on your FB page.
Each person who comes to your store (or show booth) walks out into the world as an unofficial ambassador of your business – what are they sharing about you?
And that my friends is long-game thinking.
Your time to Respond
Tell me about your experience at quilt shows and the like. What do you love and what could you do without??
