Resarch the Market

OK. I need to start this one off with a little anecdote; its is such a funny "Me Too Kid" story.

Dawn from Michigan wrote me an email the other day with her "me too kid" story. Tell me what you think. "I have 3 boys. It was time to get to soccer practice. The oldest gets himself dressed & into the car. The 2nd, gets dressed, gets the ball & into the car. The 3rd (my ultimate me too kid), grabs his juicebox & crackers. He knows he's gonna be a while & needs to be sure there's some provisions!" A new twist to the latch-key kid. Its a to-go kid generation.

On to researching the market.
OK. The concept is good. You have an idea how to produce it. Now, where do you sell it? Its a little trickier than walking into the local merchant and taking a long time to tell them who you are, what you have done & would they like to buy it? BUT, by all means do that. WHY? It'll boost your confidence, you'll get a sale (likely) and they'll recommend to you where to go (which market) you could be an exhibitor at to sell in. Once you learn of the trade market, google it, & you'll see what other similar markets exists.

I strongly recommending attending the market only as a visitor at first. They can be daunting & overwhelming. You need to experience that buzz. Its a lot of fun & will surely inspire you. The reps there will fill your head with the huge numbers of attendees. You're seeing $$$ signs. BUT, don't be fooled, like me. There is so much work that goes into the pre-selling of your product. Stuff I had no idea about. Mailing lists, press kits, promotional give-aways, appointments, shipping, booth setup, signs, banner, oh my gosh , the list is endless. I would be happy to help anyone who is interested in what I have learned the hard way. Contact me & we'll chat.

Additionally, google the internet to get statistics on your product, industry, and trade reports too. Your local small business office may be of some assistance, but if its anyhting like our small town, take it for face value & go back to the internet. Again, this list is endless.

This is a reality check. This is very hard core. You need the number of widgets (like yours) that are sold, the potential # of persons who currently buy a similar thing, take 5% or less of that number & that's where you start. That's generous too. This is where the writing MUST BE put on the wall.

Tomorrow write it down.
Don't forget....send me a Me Too Kid story.
Lynne