Am I missing the bigger picture?

[~Louise~]

Just a little business advice needed, to me this doesn't seem like a profitable idea but maybe I'm missing the bigger picture?

I'm running a few free special FX courses in my shop for Halloween (obviously not a professional one), of course the idea is that people will buy our products afterwards. We have had great interest in it.

But this morning someone (possibly the Head) of a college 30miles away, contacted asking if we could give a free one at the college. That they have 4000 students, great advertising etc. I said i would get back to her.

the only thing is I can't honestly see any of them travelling that far to get our products afterwards, they'll go on ebay or get it from the costume shop in their town. Also I could never stand & talk in front if a large group, I would die. So I'd have to get one of my other MUAs to do it & have extra people in the shop covering us if we were away, so I'd be paying wages etc

I don't like saying no & I offered to do it if they came up here. Is it worth my while? Maybe I'm missing something? I think I'm wary because I've done a lot of stuff for free, while still paying staff wages, and not seeing a great result out of it!

 

[umvemve]

Just a little business advice needed, to me this doesn't seem like a profitable idea but maybe I'm missing the bigger picture?

I'm running a few free special FX courses in my shop for Halloween (obviously not a professional one), of course the idea is that people will buy our products afterwards. We have had great interest in it.

But this morning someone (possibly the Head) of a college 30miles away, contacted asking if we could give a free one at the college. That they have 4000 students, great advertising etc. I said i would get back to her.

the only thing is I can't honestly see any of them travelling that far to get our products afterwards, they'll go on ebay or get it from the costume shop in their town. Also I could never stand & talk in front if a large group, I would die. So I'd have to get one of my other MUAs to do it & have extra people in the shop covering us if we were away, so I'd be paying wages etc

I don't like saying no & I offered to do it if they came up here. Is it worth my while? Maybe I'm missing something? I think I'm wary because I've done a lot of stuff for free, while still paying staff wages, and not seeing a great result out of it!

It could be a good pr opp if you can get local paper there and a plug for general public to learn at your shop with dates and times of your workshop.

 

[nailednails]

The only way I can truly see it so working is....local press, explain that your doing a free workshop at the college, get nanoparticles print up and pictures, should be an interest given the subject, plus it's current given the time of year (if you can fit it in around Halloween)

. Another way that MAY get clients/generate interest is to make sure your Facebook page is all up to date, and encourage the pupils to 'like your page' or tag their own pictures from that workshop to your page, if 50 students did that, with an average of 150 friends each on Facebook, POTENTIALLY you have reached 7500 people (personally on my personal Facebook I have 1500 friends, so this is a conservative estimate for young people) young people LOVE social network, so will more than likely add/like your page!

X

 

[~Louise~]

The press is fantastic idea! Thank you so much! :hug:

Also do you think, with me being the boss I would need to speak a bit? I don't think I could without sounding like a bumbling idiot :cry:

 

[umvemve]

The press is fantastic idea! Thank you so much! :hug:

Also do you think, with me being the boss I would need to speak a bit? I don't think I could without sounding like a bumbling idiot :cry:

Yes. Just plan what you are going to say - maybe an intro / summing up (also paper will want a quote - you can give this to them when you speak to them but make sure it says what you want to say about what your business has to offer people). Practice it until you feel confident.

 

[Absolutebeautyx]

I think it sounds like a great thing to do could you not just take a lot of retail stock and give them the choice to buy it from you?


Sarah xx

 

[Littlegems1]

I think it sounds like a great thing to do could you not just take a lot of retail stock and give them the choice to buy it from you?


Sarah xx

I was just going to say the same ha ha.
I'd definitely bring key retail items for them to purchase.
Could they maby use their student discounts if they purchased retail on the day?
Or perhaps a gift with purchase ( maby some testers in an organzer bag)

 

[Chrysalis]

Could you not setup an online shop they can buy via your website?

 

[Jaksnip]

Bring a case with products and sell, and also the Facebook idea- it's fab free advertising!!