May 2010

Positively Heather

Is your USP a swing or a miss?

Heather Gooch

When you started your business, it's likely that you chose your unique selling point (USP): Why you felt you deserved to be out there among the competition, and how you were going to grab your share of the market.

But in the intervening years, is your USP still relevant? Or have you evolved from your starting point so much that something like "We provide a safe haven for beginners" doesn't make as much sense now that your core customers are typically experienced and looking for more complex projects?

For Heather's full article, click here.

Recent Musings

What we can learn from the CHA study

The Craft & Hobby Association's 2009 Attitude & Usage Study surveyed approximately 6,000 households to see how many craft projects they did during the year. Although there was an estimated $27. 4 billion spent on crafting, the study found that the percentage of participating households has remained at a steady 56% — the same as in the previous three years, in fact...

This… is American idle

If you’re feeling like you’ve become too immersed in the day-to-day of business, and not enough time for the reason why you got into it — the creativity — I encourage you to take a step back, even if it’s just for a little while. Spend some time with a loved one. Call an old friend...

Whether direct or digital, it’s trade show time

There is a lot of talk in trade show circles that virtual shows are increasing in popularity — after all, there is no travel or shipping costs involved, and with their username and password in hand, attendees can conceivably browse 24/7. However, unlike a traditional trade show, you do lose some of the spontaneity that comes from a casual conversation at a booth, identifying a visitor’s needs and getting the chance to show him or her how your product fits the bill...

Links I Love

Dyeing2Stitch.com

This Virginia Beach, VA-based shop, which is also home to R&R Reproductions, knows its brand and works it well. The Dyeing To Tell You page (which gets bonus points for staying freshly updated with new blog posts) lives up to its kitschy title, while engaging customers frequently. After all, you have to check back on the blog to see who won the fabric giveaway last week, right?

Similarly, the Dyeing to Show You page allows new and returning visitors alike to check out the latest goodies at the shop.

Pictures and narrative from a recent retreat keeps the close-knit customer vibe going, while the Home of a Needleworker page chronicles what is essentially a case study: A dabbler in stitchery picks up the bug and today is not only a frequent shopper of D2S, but its webmistress. The Brick and Mortar page gives a visual tour of the shop (I hope they're working on a video tour, next!).

What I love most is that their address, phone number shop hours and directions link are conveniently posted on every page. There's no wondering about whether they're open or even within driving distance. The Facebook link is another good sign that they are making every effort to be relevant to their customers.

Got a link you love? Tell me!

Let us spin a Positive Yarn for your company!

Heather is available for marketing and editorial services for the needlearts and handmade crafts industries.

Email positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com or call (330) 723-3539.

Check this out!

Photo: MerelKarhof.nl

Throwing yarn to the wind: Product designer Merel Karhof hooked up a knitting machine to a wind generator. The result, the "Wind Knitting Factory," is both eco-friendly and practical. "The knitted material is harvested from time to time and rounded-off in individually packaged scarves," she writes on her blog. "Each scarf has its own label, which tells you in how much time it has been knitted and on which date."

The Knitty Gritty

X Why knitting is popular, perhaps: The U.K. magazine Lucid features an op-ed piece by Lucy Graham, who shares her experiences as a hesitant public knitter, as well as her theories as to why it's cool to pull your needles out on the train or in a restaurant again.

Tip: Offer needlework as comfort food. Graham proposes that in troubled times, whether it was "knitting for victory" during a world war or returning to our domestic roots in the midst of a crumbling world economy, there's something to be said for the familiarity and escapism when one picks up a needle. Look around your shop. Are you providing a welcoming atmosphere, a candy store of sorts for customers of all stripes? Are there comfortable couches to sit and sort through a project? Do employees treat customers like family? I mean that in the loving sense, not in the dysfunctional, headed-for-divorce sense...

X Just bead it: The San Gabriel Valley (CA) Tribune profiles Irene Sanchez, owner of Upland's Garden of Beaden, who periodically hosts challenges for her customers. The latest was an "Alice in Wonderland" theme, and according to Sanchez, her customers did not disappoint.

Tip: Keep customers interested and excited about what you have to offer. Sanchez is quick to point out there's a difference between a challenge, which pushes your customers to try something out of the box, and a competition, where if you're not a winner, you must be a loser. Rather, she puts all the entries on display for the public and hosts a big bash (in the spirit of Alice, this time it's going to be a tea party) to celebrate everyone who put their own unique spin on the theme. What a great — and adaptable — program for any craft or needlework shop!

X Location, location, location: According to The Washington Post, Waste Knot Needlepoint is celebrating its second year in business in a lively Arlington, VA, strip mall. Shop owners are gearing up to participate in the "Taste of Arlington" event later this month.

Tip: Look for win-win opportunities with your neighboring businesses. "Managers and owners of the stores at Lee Heights meet a couple of times a year to discuss ways to collectively promote their shops," reports the Post. This summer, look for opportunities like sidewalk sales, tie-ins with local festivals and the like to get your regulars in a festive (spending mood) and gain exposure to many new potential customers.