Saturday, November 1, 2008

IN HOME SHOWS

Planning a show in your home?

We are having our 3rd Annul In-Home Show Saturday/Sunday, November 29/30 from 9 am to 9 pm if anyone living in our area would like to come. Please e-mail me at kmprimitives@yahoo.com and I will send you details. We are in Burlington, the southeast part of Wisconsin.


Here are a few tips to consider


  1. Send out invitations at least 2 weeks prior to show. Put large ad in papers at least 2 weeks before show and then the week before the show put a small reminder in.
  2. Have more than enough small bills and change. Sometimes customers only have a $20 or a $50 if you are their first stop!
  3. Be ready for a large crowd the first 3 hours of your sale - this is when the bulk of the customers show up so be prepared. It tends to get less after that and by the last 2 hours there are usually just a couple here and there.
  4. Have one door for entrance and one for exit to prevent crowding at the doors.
  5. Have spotters in all rooms. You may have friends bringing friends but you still don’t know who their friends are…it’s not a nice way to feel, but believe me it’s better to have someone in each room even if to help the customers.
  6. Also make sure these spotters can help the customers as well such as getting familiar with prices and if you have more than the one of something in your inventory.
  7. Offer your customers Special Orders if they don’t want to purchase ones you have - like different colors or sizes. Every order adds up!!!
  8. Use Homespun fabrics to cover tables - use risers in the centers of your tables to get your items up off the flat surface - stage your products to make it more appealing to your customers.
  9. Give them ideas - you really have to show people the different ways they can use the items you are selling. For instance BOWL FILLERS...put some Rosehips or Potpouri in a wooden bowl and put in the bowl fillers. Take some of your items and make an arrangement or a gathering of them.
  10. Take plain candles and wrap them in grungy gauze or take some Kraft package wrapping paper, cut strips to go around the candle, rub it with a coffee/cinnamon/vanilla mixture (very thin) and tie it with some coffee dyed butchers string or twine...put a small sprig of Sweet Annie behind the string or tie two grungy bells onto the string. You have to catch their eye!!!
  11. Keep your check-out area spacious so your customer can set their items down and have a place to open their purse and or write a check.
  12. Wrap breakable items when possible and items that may snag on fabric items. So stock up on tissue paper.
    You can buy boxes of plastic bags at places like Office Depot, Office Max - Something like 250 bags for $5.00.
  13. Have helpers wrapping and bagging so customers don’t have to wait too long in line.
    Try and have small baskets by the entrance door for ease in carrying the smaller items they pick up.
  14. Have light finger snacks at the end of the show area such as where they are checking out. Things like cookies, brownies, assorted candies and to make wonderful aromas in the air, hot mulled cider, hot chocolate.
  15. Set aside a space for signing up for the door prize if you are offering one. People won’t sign up if it’s crowded and they can’t get into the space.
  16. Most of all be friendly to each customer as if they are the only one there.
    Put a business card in with each receipt.
I hope I have helped you with your HOME SHOW!


We have had much success by following these guidelines.


Here’s a few pictures of last years show in our home.

24 comments:

  1. Oh,I'd love to be there!!!...Too bad Georgia is tooooo far away for a day trip!HA!....Jen

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  2. I've never heard of an in-home show, but what a great idea! Oh if I was in your area, you can believe I'd be the first in line!

    Wishing you the very best!
    Lea

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  3. That looks wonderful~I wish I could come! I got my candle hugger and absolutely love it! Thanks so much!
    Janae

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  4. Karen, what wonderful tips!! Last year looked fabulous! Wish I could be there too!

    Hugs,
    Shari

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  5. Thanks guys...I wish all of you could be here too!
    Sad that we make so many good friends through these sites and can't actually visit!
    Good thought though....
    Hugs, Karen

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  6. Karen, thanks for the fabulous tips. You know I'd be there if I could.

    Pam

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  7. OH OH OH - Sorry I was hyperventilating there for a minute looking at the pictures of goodies! How I wish MA weren't so far away!! You really know how to stage a home show. I have been to some that could seriously benefit from your tips. Can't wait to see pics of this years show.

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  8. Hi Pam and Linda...thanks so much.
    Wish you were all here.

    PAM...good luck on your show!

    Karen

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  9. What a great looking show!!!!! I would have loved to come!!! I hope it was a grand success!!
    Christine

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  10. Hi Christine, yes it was a huge success. I seem to do better at my home shows than at a craft show.
    Karen

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  11. Karen,

    You better believe that I would be there if I lived close enough! I would be looking forward to it! I hope that yours goes really well and is a BIG success!

    Tammy

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  12. Oh wow Karen...whatta set up...everything looks so nice...can't wait to see this years...wish I lived closer :(
    GOOD LUCK!!



    hugs-Kath

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  13. TAMMY AND KATH...wish you all could come too.
    I hope I'm not making a mistake opening it up to the public - has been by invitation only the last few years. We'll see!

    Karen

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  14. Goode Evening...

    Well, honey chile you will have to give them... there snickerdoodle cookies a try... they are a must!!!

    So glad to see you stop in today for a visit.

    Love your in home open house... great idea...

    Many Blessings 2 you this upcoming week... Pamela

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  15. Wow Karen,
    I love the photos of your home show. I did a home show for a few years back in the early 90's. We did really well and had lots of fun. My best friend and I have been talking about having one for the last few years but still haven't gotten around to it...but after seeing how you displayed your items in your home...it makes me really want to have one now!!
    Hope this year's show was great for you!
    Cindy

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  16. PAMELA, I will for sure make the cookies...guess I have been out of touch with baking for some time - If I bake, I eat! lol

    CINDY....Doooo have a home show - they are the best and you don't have to pack and unpack all the displays/setups to and from the place the show is being held....let me know if you decide to have one!

    Karen

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  17. Great tips Karen..i was actually thinking of doing a home show next year...my driveway is an issue though..it's a hard one to get up and if we had snow...hmm..well, I'm still working out all the kinks!!!

    Love the pictures of your home show..your home is amazing and you have everything set up so beautifully.

    Hugs
    Doreen

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  18. Karen, I just had to come back and take another looky! :)
    I just love all your things and your HOME!

    Will you adopt me???
    PLEASE?!! :) LOL!


    hugs-Kath

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  19. Karen,
    About your question of machine stitching on wool felt...so far, I haven't had any problems at all. Either it goes through the harder spots or I just haven't hit any. (Hope it's the first one.) It sure does stitch out so nicely!!
    I have also machine embroidered on wool blazers in the past and I did have spots that gave me trouble, but I think it was because of the thickness.
    I just had to look at your home show pictures again. Soo... wonderful!! Since I have two shows this month, it will most likely be next year before I do a Holiday home show. I've been wondering if it will be too late to have it in December as I always had it in November years ago.
    Cindy

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  20. Karen,
    Thank you for posting all of your tips and pictures! I would LOVE to come to your show, everything was just BEAUTIFUL!! Much success on your upcoming show!
    kIM

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  21. Oh how i wish my lotto numbers would come up my prim friends and i would be hot footing across the atlantic.We never have anything like that here.Your home looks lovely, wish you well on your open day.~Kate~

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  22. THANKS EVERYONE!
    HOPE ANYONE WANTING TO DO AN IN-HOME SHOW DOES ONE BECAUSE THEY ARE SO MUCH FUN.

    KAREN

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  23. Thanks for the sweet comment on my blog. Oh how I love yours! These pictures are great. I love all of the tips you shared.

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  24. Could not find a suitable section so I written here, how to become a moderator for your forum, that need for this?

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So glad you came to visit - feel free to leave a comment.
I will try and answer as many as I can - maybe not immediately but I will get to you!

Karen