WAHM Forums

Hello All,

It's been a long time since I posted here. Been busy! Anywho, I was hoping to pick your brains a bit since you all always come up with some really GREAT ideas!

Here's the situation: I live in a very small town, surrounded by many other very small towns..LOL. It seems EVERYONE sells candles here, but most of them are homemade. All the nail salons, tanning salons, ma and pa stores, etc already have homemade candles displayed. I've tried businesses, but most don't want to be bothered and tell me not be 'soliciting'. I've tried to put in warmers in places that can't allow open flames. I have received a few customers through these places but I would like to expand in a BIG way.

I don't have a regular job, and therefore, don't get to interact with people very much. I NEED TO GET OUT MORE...but don't know where to go!!! Any suggestions where I can meet people to introduce them to our wonderful products?

Also, can we put up a sign at our house or something to advertise that we sell these candles? Or is that against policy? anyone know?

Thanks for your help!

Alicia

email me at FlickerScents@comcast.net I have a doc I can send to you.

Alicia, you might try joining your Chamber of Commerce or other business networking groups. It's a great way to meet people and get leads.

Be careful posting signs of a home business unless you've notified your home insurance carrier. Also, beware because sometimes your local government doesn't approve of homes that are zoned residential to have commercial businesses being run from them & you can get in trouble for posting signs. Another thing is if you live in a housing community, they might not approve of you putting a sign in your yard.

email me at FlickerScents@comcast.net I have a doc I can send to you.


Emailed you! smileys/smiley1.gif

Alicia, you might try joining your Chamber of Commerce or other business networking groups. It's a great way to meet people and get leads.



Ah! Never thought of that! Thanks!

Be careful posting signs of a home business unless you've notified your home insurance carrier. Also, beware because sometimes your local government doesn't approve of homes that are zoned residential to have commercial businesses being run from them & you can get in trouble for posting signs. Another thing is if you live in a housing community, they might not approve of you putting a sign in your yard.

Hmmm, I live in a single home, but it is listed as residential. I didn't realize posting a sign might cause such an uproar. Thanks for letting me know.



Speaking of insurance, I usually go to a local festival here every year where I set up my booth. Now, they are asking for proof of liability insurance or something like that. We have to send them a copy of our insurance. I don't even know what kind I need nor do I know where to begin to look for someone that would sell this kind of insurance. I hope it won't cost an arm and a leg. Ugh, this legal stuff is a bit over my head! It's a bit overwhelming.

what have you all done about this issue?

Some insurance companies have a home-based business endorsement, some don't. And it's going to vary state to state since insurance laws vary the same. Sorry, I know a little more than I'd like to since I work in insurance & my hubby works in our area planning commission. I tried to put a sign up in our yard once and he made me take it down telling me our county has people who drive around, look for those signs, pull them up & send a warning letter. http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley29.gif Our tax dollars hard at work, lemme tell ya!

I live in a small town like you (950 people) with several small towns around. Does your town have a communtity center or a chamber of commerece?? You can usually rent the building, and have a open house there, be sure to place flyers all over, and advertise in the newspaper. If you know of some others that do a direct sales or home business maybe you can all put on a show together and split all the cost. That way your productwill be introduced to their customers and their product will will be introduced to your customers.. I always always carry some candles with me.. I have gottenlots ofsales by smell and sell, I will walk into our small conveince store and bring them in, and just open the jar, and ask them to smell these candles I just got in.. (have the jar open and stick it under their nose..haha) even customers in the store that I don't know, ended up buying.. go to surrounding towns, put up flyers, business cards or brochures, lots of small ma and pa stores etc always has a bullentin board. go to the bank, and smell and sell, drop catalog at the doctors office.. if others sell homemade candles too. take one of your candles that has been burnt and another candle from another company, that has black soot all over it, and show them the difference, and tell them what is so great about your candles.. go and talk to people about fundraising, in our small towns, the cheerleaders, football teams, band, little league are always have some type of fundraiser. Best of Luck.. YOU can do it...

justmeuc I can relate! I live in a small town as well & have been trying to get fundraisers going . Well, so far everyone that I've talked to say.... everyone's selling candles. But they are selling another brand (OurOCCo.). I used to love those candles until I burned MB. I don't know how to confince someone to try ours. The last gal I talked to has smelled our candles & still no go.

Anyway sorry to high-jack your thread......sounds like great suggestions so far

Good Luck!

Just don't ever give up...I know I won'thttp://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley2.gif

You may not be able to put a sign in your yard... but could you put something on your vehicle (magnets, etc.) and have it sitting out where it can be seen? Just a thought...forum_images/post_button_smiley.gif

I have magnetic signs on both sides of my car, and I have a few T-shirts I always wear whenever I go somewhere. I keep ALL of my candles in my car, along with some melts, cinnamon buns, and a few pies. (MY TRUNK IS FULL!!) I always leave a catalog with scent sample attached EVERYWHERE I go. (I even leave them at the table when I go out to eat!) I've been with the company two years and have not had ONE SINGLE order off my website. I do a couple shows where I sell about $400 worth of products each. I only have about 5 regular customers that order from me regularly. I also don't have any downline. I want to change that, and I'm not sure who to get in touch with for fundraisers. I have contacted the local schools but they only allow me to leave a brochure at the front desk.

I have a picnic basket with 6 jars, some catalogs, a few soaps, and melts in that I have carried around to some businesses. But like I said, most businesses don't want you to come in and 'solicit' so that's kind of out.

I'm very friendly and I smile a lot and am very upbeat about our products, but I'm not very aggressive. I don't want to be one of those people that everyone runs from when they see them coming with something to sell...LOL

Send out letters for fundraisers to your schools, gyms, karate places, etc. The chamber of commerce is a good idea. Spend the day at a coffee shop or local restaurant working your business with candles sitting out. I also like the idea of getting together with others in direct sales and do a home show. Have fun and be positive!

Do you work online?

I have a similar issue, in that I work fulltime and go to school fulltime, so I don't have a lot of time right now to get out there. However, I'm utilizing other avenues for the time being.


Place ads on Craigs List for recruits and for catalog requests (we can't sell the candles online, but we can advertise catalogs and free samples.) I've received several inquiries, a new recruit and sale from craigs list.






Place ads in your local newspaper or pennysaver.

Here is another idea that I'm just trying, so I can't comment on results. I bought a mailing list for my local area (around $10), and I'm going to mail out catalogs, without scent samples, to that list. I'll have a label on the front telling people to contact me for samples. I'm hoping to get some interest this way, AND it is helping me use up my winter catalogs (I have a ton of.) I'll post back here later when I see my results.

Debbie

Maybe the church newsletter, neighborhood board in grocery store or senior center. Check with the school to see if the PTA has a newsletter that you could place an info ad in.

See, I knew if I picked all your brains a bit you would be able to help me! You all are GREAT!smileys/smiley31.gif

Thanks so much! I'm definitely going to try out all the things you have mentioned. I need to get out more!...LOL

Great ideas! When you do craigslist, do you just do your local area?

Great ideas! When you do craigslist, do you just do your local area?

Yes, I am only posting in my local area.

Debbie