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About Formal Night on a Cruise
It's formal night, yes, but how "formal" is "formal" ...
Much excitement and mystery surrounds the “formal nights” on cruises. It’s customary to have one formal night on a 5-day cruise, more in proportion on longer cruises. On my first...
Essential Factors in Women’s Self Defense
Criminals are more intelligent than we give them credit for when it comes to their choice of victims. They do not typically choose a victim at random, but rather when they see a good opportunity available to them. It’s the same scenario as the low...
Finding Joy in Christmas- When Everything 'Feels' Wrong
The year 2001 proved to be a life altering one. Barring our own personal problems which already may have had you in a state of despair, the attack on America left the nation- the world- in a state of sadness, disbelief and hopelessness.
As we...
Fun Pirate Birthday Party Ideas
Thar be fun pirate birthday party ideas ahead me buckos...AAARRRH! So haul in the gang plank, trim yer sails and be watchin' for ships flyin' the Jolly Roger. "Avast and ahoy maties, this here be yer captain speakin to ya... Captain Grandpa Mike...
The Castaway
In the recent movie, "The Castaway," Tom Hanks played the role of a FedEx delivery man. His job was to fly all over the world making sure that the packages were delivered on time.
One fateful trip found his cargo plane flying through a nasty...
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Are there too many machine quilting businesses in my area?
Recently, I received a question from one of the QuiltingBusiness.com community about determining if her local market was over-saturated with machine quilting businesses (name withheld). Here is the question (which I've paraphrased for brevity):
"While inquiring about the need for a long-arm quilter in our area in a local quilt shop, I was told (in a not-to-friendly tone), "There are 13 home-based quilters in our area and that's enough!" I have been very excited about starting my own business after my Gammill demo and she sure took the wind out of my sails. How do I go about doing market feasabilty without scaring my competitors?"
Here's my take on how to go about doing a market feasibility study for the machine quilting business in your area.
First, make some phone calls to the 13 other machine quilters in your area. You can get these numbers from the phone book or from the local quilt shop (you may want to have a friend get the contact info from the quilt shop so they don't know it's you asking).
When you get them on the phone, tell them that you have a quilt top you'd like quilted, and want to know:
* What is the pricing?
* What is the turnaround time?
* Do you have an references?
* Do you know of other machine quilters (if they can't handle the job quickly - gives you more names to call)?
If you find out that most of the machine quilters in your area have very long turnaround time, then this could mean a very active quilting market. If most of the machine quilters are not busy, then perhaps the market is over-saturated.
If you do find that the competitors are very busy, and they cannot deliver in a timely manner, then this could be a great opportunity for you to come into the market and dazzle the customers. That is, if you can turn the quilts around for customers sooner than your competitors.
Assuming you can, then the first thing to do would be to try and get some publicity for your new business. Push the angle of the over-demand for machine quilting in your area, and that as a new
Around The Jazz Internet: May 18, 2012
Ten albums for newbies, the hated Cabaret Card and composer/arranger Gil Evans' centennial.
The Harmonica-Playing Baron Of Belgium
Whistling guitarist and harmonica master Toots Thielemans has played in everything from Charlie Parker's band to commercials for Old Spice. In his childhood home of Brussels — really, throughout his homeland — the celebration of his 90th birthday is on.
machine quilter, you can do their quilting job much quicker than your competitors.
In addition, you should hold an open house where you demonstrate the techniques and materials that you will use if you are chosen for a quilting job. Make it very informal - coffee, cookies, etc. - but also very informative. Talk about the quality of your quilting machine, the techniques that you use, etc.
You may also want to differentiate yourself with some kind of marketing spin. Perhaps you can offer a 100% money-back guarantee. Or, you can guarantee that the quilt job will be done in 1 week or less, or you save 20%. Anything that will set you apart.
You should also strive to make your business as professional and inviting as possible. Don't go overboard, but have some nice cards printed and prepare your price lists and other business handouts with an eye for your potential customer. Quilters are artistic, so your materials should look great (again, without overspending).
As you gain some customers, ask them for referrals and recommendations. Also, find out where your customers congregate - is there a local quilt guild you could visit or join to discuss your machine quilting business?
There are a lot of different things you can do for marketing as your business grows, including Yellow Page advertising, newspaper advertising, postcards, direct mail, etc. But first and foremost, focus on customer service and customer referrals - these are money in the bank.
Good luck with your research,
Chuck
If you have any questions about your quilting business - whether just starting out or looking for a boost with some solid marketing or business advice - feel free to send me an email at chuck@quiltingbusiness.com.
About the author:
Chuck Smith is the owner of QuiltingBusiness.com, the web's only site dedicated to helping you make money with your quilting. Visit QuiltingBusiness.com today to sign up for the FREE email mini-course: "7 Unique Ways to Make Money with Your Quilting.
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