Marketing Jewelry Making Kits
and Bead Art Patterns

Just like there are numerous ways to market your finished bead jewelry designs there are many ways to market your bead art patterns and jewelry making kits.

Jewelry Making Parties

Jewelry making parties is a fun and creative alternative to selling finished jewelry through a home party plan.

At these parties the guest make their own jewelry with your kits and patterns.

The guests could either purchase their favorite kits and/or patterns to take home to make or the party could be set up where the participants make their wearable art at the event.

Craft Shows

Many craft- shows do not allow the sale of kits and patterns, especially finer craft shows. But there is nothing saying that you can't pass out your catalogues or brochures featuring jewelry making kits and bead art patterns.

If you sell only kits and patterns then you are better off to selling at craft shows that are designed for the hobbyist. Such as bead shows or creative festivals. These shows are geared to the crafter whether an entrepreneur or a hobbyist who will attend to learn new techniques, new ideas, and to purchase supplies, materials, patterns, designs, and even finished products as well. For secret of selling handcrafted jewelry see Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth.

Trade Shows

Unlike retail craft shows, the wholesale or trade show is not open to the public but only to store owners and buyers who place orders for future delivery.

Trade shows are an excellent way for you to reach hundreds even thousands of potential customers in a short span of time and at a fairly low cost. All you need to do is display your finished samples along with a few sample jewelry making kits and beading patterns, and lots of order forms and catalogues or brochures.

Trade shows offer tremendous exposure. Each buyer represents many future outlets. Prepare promotional materials that buyers can take with them. Many buyers may not buy at the show but go back to their shops and ponder over what they have seen and maybe even discuss different products with their staff.

In addition to the sales you do at the show, it is critical that you follow up every lead as research shows that almost triple the business is done after the show is over. Therefore, your promotional package should contain everything a buyer needs to order from you in the future. Also be sure to have a U.S. and Canadian price list available. Many buyers cross borders looking for new and innovative ideas, but they want to be quoted prices in both U.S. and Canadian dollars. Be prepared � the United States can be a vast and profitable market to get into as it is ten times the population of Canada.

OnLine Sales

OnLine ordering is quickly becoming one of the most popular marketing channels in the country. It offers convenience and easy shopping for both the buyer and the seller.

The buyer needn't travel or find time to shop through traditional outlets. With online selling a customer can ponder over the list of products available and order at their leisure. And for the jewelry designer, you can do everything from your studio, there is no need to travel (except to the post office), rent a shop or a booth or anything else. With online sales you can work any time of the day or night and you can sell your products right across the country and overseas opening you up to a national and international market.

Selling online simply means conducting a business without personal contact � in such a way that orders are solicited either through your own website, ebay or even a third party site. The merchandise is shipped by any means of suitable transportation, and the money is generally collected by credit card or paypal.

Jewelry making kits and bead art patterns make excellent products for online/mail order marketing. They are lightweight, not as fragile as finished goods, and are usually priced quite reasonably. Many crafters and hobbyists are always looking for new ideas, designs, and projects to work on.

Beading kits and jewelry making patterns are also an excellent online product for rural areas where there are few craft or bead supply stores available for the crafter or hobbyist to shop at. Many residents in rural areas appreciate the fact that they can order quality products without having to travel hundreds of miles to shop.

With online selling you can start small and build as you go. As in any business, repeat orders from past customers is where you will find most of your sales. Therefore, you should have a line of jewelry kits and bead art patterns to sell. This not only gives your customers a choice but also if they like their first purchase, they will certainly want to order more. For more information of selling on the internet see Easy Internet Selling.

Design a brochure or small catalogue that can be advertised and mailed out or emailed to names you have collected for your mailing list. Be sure to include prices, an order form and where they can order your products.

Craft & Bead Supply Stores

With the interest in crafts sweeping the nation for both hobbyists and professionals the list of retail and wholesale craft and bead suppliers have grown tremendously over the last 20 years. Super stores such as Michaels are popping up all over the country, and you will find chains like Lewis Craft in just about every mall. Department stores are creating entire departments for craft supplies, and just about every town has at least one independently owned craft or bead shop catering to the needs of their local crafters.

Approaching craft and bead supply stores is no different then approaching a gift shop or boutique. If the owner or buyer is interested in your products then he or she will place an order. They too are always on the lookout for new and unique craft kits and patterns to offer their customers.

When you have arranged an interview with a buyer, be sure to have samples of a few completed bead jewelry projects to show them. They may want to order only a few kits or patterns to begin with, so be sure to leave your business card and a brochure or catalogue with them. What ever you do, don't sit back and wait for more orders to come pouring in.

Shop owners and buyers are busy people, and they usually expect the supplier to contact them for more orders. ALWAYS follow-up on every store you contact, whether they made an initial order or not. If they didn't place an order the first time for one reason or another, they may be ready to place one the next time you contact them.

For more detailed information on how to get your products into shops, click here Sell Jewelry Wholesale

Craft Guilds and Beading Societies

There are hundreds of guilds, societies and associations which are non-profit organizations dedicated to the promotion and development of art and crafts. The members of these guilds are both hobbyists and entrepreneurs, and like most crafters, they are always looking for new designs and patterns to work on as well as suppliers of raw materials.

Contact the different craft and beading organizations that may be interested in your products and send them a few brochures listing the various kits and patterns you have to offer.

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