Tickets are now available for the Benefit for Beads of Courage, Inc. and the Beads of Courage Programs in the Greater Chicago Area.

Join Ed Hoy for an inspiring evening on March 10, 2012 from 6:30 – 9:30 PM.

Come and BEad Inspired as you enjoy an evening of wine, tapas, dessert and entertainment!

Special presentations by the Founder and Executive Director of Beads of Courage, Dr. Jean Baruch and honored Beads of Courage Members.

• Learn how bead are used in the Beads of Courage arts-in-medicine programs
• Watch bead artists light their torches in honor of Beads of Courage members
• Tour the Beads in Space exhibit, part of the payload on NASA’s shuttle missions
• Make a strength bracelet to donate to local Beads of Courage Member
• Sponsor a Bead of Courage ($5) and package it with a personal note
• Shop the Beads of Courage Store handmade items by supporting artists
• Become a Wingman ($5) Let a child know they are never flying alone.

Beads of Courage, Inc. is passionate about giving children the ability to record, tell and own their unique story of courage! They accomplish that through providing innovative arts-in-medicine programs for children coping with serious illness, their families, and the health care providers who care for them.

Thank you for helping make healing happen!

You can purchase tickets for this special event on the Beads of Courage website. For more information contact ashley [at[ beadsofcourage.org or maria [at] edhoy.com

By Maria Moran, Director of Business Development

As I write this I am working on a fundraiser for children with cancer. It is a humbling chore. In my other life I spent many years working in the Pediatric ICU. I am reminded of the real challenges that these children go through – the pain, the procedures, the loneliness, the ultimate lack of power to control their situations.

In an odd, small way, it mimics some of the struggles that we have as a result of the poor economy. No one is alone or immune to these challenges –No manufacturer, no distributor, no store, no customer – No one. But these sick children challenge us to keep things in perspective. We DO have choices and we ARE in control of the ‘procedures’ that our businesses undergo.

We are reminded as this year ends to embrace the power of choice! We are blessed with hard work! While we may not enjoy all aspects of it – we have the luxury of determining how we direct it.

May your New Year be one of hope – guided by new procedures – that provide you the wonderful success that all hard work deserves.

Here at Ed Hoy’s we believe firmly in the power of using social media to grow your business. Social media is all about building relationships and trust. Check out these tips from Kizer and Bender to help you boost last minute Holiday sales!

Even if you’re already made a list and checked it twice, it’s not complete if it doesn’t include networking via social medias. Social media marketing builds word of mouth: the number one thing that brings new customers to your business. The important thing to remember is that social media marketing is social: It’s all about the interaction you have with friends, fans and followers. Here’s how to get the conversation started:

1. Make it easy on yourself: Connect your Facebook page or profile to your Twitter account so you can update your friends, fans, followers and subscribers all at the same time. Click to learn more: https://www.facebook.com/twitter/

2. Give your profile photos a holiday twist: The photos you choose to represent your business need to stand out on a busy news feed. Choose ones that are easily identifiable and add a holiday theme.

3. Listen. Interact. React. Sell: Customers need a reason to visit your social medias; if all you do is sell, sell, sell they’ll quickly tune you out. Follow this formula for best results:

Listen: You need to keep up in real time. Studies show that most people are on social medias in the morning and early evening, so 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM are good times to check in. Listening on-line means reading what people are talking about and responding frequently and accordingly.

Interact: If you see something interesting, get in on the conversation! Commenting on someone else’s wall or retweeting a message is one of the best ways to get your store noticed. Interact with friends, fans and followers, plus your trade associations, vendors and products you enjoy, even if they’re not related to what you sell. The goal here is exposure.

React: Answer fan posts, comments and tweets in a timely manner – the sooner the better. Smart phones allow you to post from anywhere.

Sell: Plug your products and services about every fifth post; any more than that and your social medias become an infomercial.

4. What to say: Talk about product and services that make great holiday gifts. Add photos and pepper your posts with the words Christmas, Hanukkah and Holiday. Gift cards are always a favorite holiday gift, so promote them weekly.

5. Make a list of great holiday gifts: Create a list of “Top 10 Holiday Gifts”. Post your list on your social media sites and on your website. Have copies to hand out in the store, too. This list makes a great bag stuffer!

6. Give incentives to those who visit your social media sites: Offer coupons and deals that are only available via your social medias. Promote them via your website, e-mail blasts, newsletters, and in your store.

7. Use the Facebook Events tab: The Events tab allows you to organize and promote all of your holiday happenings. You can easily invite friends and fans, and encourage them to invite their friends as well. You can see who RSVPs, comments, and more.

8. Facebook ads: We use Facebook ads to promote our e-book Jingle Bells… Christmas Sells: Events, Promotions and Tips for the Holiday Season . (Shameless plug alert: It’s a must read for retailers!) Facebook Ads allow you to reach potential customers by location, age, and interests. Learn more here: http://www.facebook.com/advertising

9. Use holiday hashtags on Twitter to expand your audience: Placing a holiday related hashtag (#), i.e. #Christmas, #holiday, #shopping, #gifts, #coupons or #Santa, at the end of your tweets will help you connect with an audience that reaches far beyond your current followers.

10. Back up your social media marketing in your store: Hang signs throughout your store and in your windows that encourage customers to like/follow you. Award deals or incentives if they check-in while in the store.

The marketing you do on social medias to promote your store during the holidays will translate to other times of the year as well. Build momentum now and carry it through to 2012 and beyond!

COPYRIGHT KIZER & BENDER 2011 . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Trying to push your business to meet sales goals before the end of the year? Most retailers need to have a strong fourth quarter finish and the art glass industry is no different. So how do you take what you’re already doing well and make it better to step up sales? It’s all strategically driving people from your Facebook page, Twitter account, Foursquare location, website and newsletter to your brick-and-mortar store or your physical storefront with targeted campaigns.

Photo credit: smmcamp.com

More and more people spend time online – at work, at school, at home – and while they’re catching up on emails, checking out friend’s photos and tweeting, your business has a prime opportunity to capture their attention and get out your message. But you can’t just go out there and shove sales messages at your fans and customers. Remember, it’s the holiday season and consumers are being bombarded with offers and information. Creating effective messaging requires a plan and strategic timing. In order to make the most of your marketing efforts and your fans’/customers’ time, here are some tips to make it work:

1. Where do you want your customers to shop?
Is it your physical store, an e-commerce site, or both? Knowing where you want to target sales growth will help you create the most effective plan. Once you have this decision made, the remaining two tips will be much easier to implement.

2. Decide which mediums you’re going to use.
If you’re trying to drive traffic to a physical store location, having in-store demonstrations or an exhibit/open house is a great way to get people through the door. Offer special discounts to people that “check in” on Facebook Places or Foursquare so that you can get an idea of how socially savvy your audience is (this will also help with future marketing).

Looking to get people on an e-commerce site? Have daily specials and use Facebook and Twitter to drive traffic daily to your site(s) and make sure you’re driving them to specific landing pages with sales information – and update for each campaign. There is nothing worse than using the same thing every day. You’ll burn out your fans/followers and they’ll start to believe there’s nothing new to see.

3. Offer value to the busy shopper.
There a million other businesses that want the same dollar you are fighting for. What can you do different to draw their eye to your post/page/ad? Help them solve a common problem or offer a solution to a common challenge. Customers like feeling like they’ve learned something and become a trusted resource keeps customers coming back for more information. Want to focus on a particular product or product line for a promotion? Help a customer solve a problem and they’ll turn to you – for reliable information and products.

From the Kizer and Bender Blog

Holiday is the most important trading time for retailers to achieve high, profitable sales. The Christmas quarter usually accounts for 36% of a retailer’s annual sales and represents the highest level of profitability.

Get it wrong and you can place your future at risk! “Jingle Bells… Christmas Sells!”, our best selling book with Australia’s retail guru Debra Templar (we met on Twitter!), will get you through the Christmas period intact, sane and in profit.

Inside “Jingle Bells… Christmas Sells”:

• Visual Merchandising for Holiday 2011 and beyond
• Security Awareness
• Managing Your Staff
• Gift Cards and E-tailing
• Delighting Your Customers
• Specific Events & Promotions
• Plus, Fully Customizable Templates galore!
• Holiday Poster Packs are available ala carte!

You can download your copy for $24.95 here.

Looking for ways to connect with old customers? Well, the team at Glass Patterns Quarterly has made it easy for you. Simply go to https://www.glasspatterns.com/press-room.html to grab images and text for you own personal ‘Come Back to Glass’ campaign.

Good Luck!

Via Glass Patterns Quarterly:

We want You . . . yes, You . . . to help us spread the word to glass addicts who have fallen away to “Come Back to Glass”! Whether we blast it, melt it, grout it, cut it, or grind it, we all love glass and want more people to join the fun. So if you know someone whose grinder is holding open the cellar door instead of shaping glass, ask them to join us and come on back to glass. (Don’t forget to encourage some newbies, too!)

It is important to first note the difference between trends and fads. Trends can be very long standing and gain momentum. They intrigue people and evolve over time. On the other hand, fads strike hard and fast and burn out quickly. The trick is to be aware of the differences and learn and take notes from trends.

Take fashion, for example, which is a forecast of color trends throughout many genres. It affects not just the clothing industry, but color popularity in fabrics used for home furnishings and décor. A business can stay ahead by watching what the consumer is interested in and creating a unique line to fill these needs paying close attention to color, texture, size, and motif.

Color forecasting is a great way to use knowledge of up and coming consumer trends to inspire a vision and make a successful product that will be well received in the market. Pantone is a great color forecasting company for manufacturers and product designers. However, there are more affordable techniques if you’re on a budget.

• Visit a local paint store and pay attention to popular brands and their chosen color palettes. Take samples and match them up with the product you are envisioning to see how well your product fits into the color scheme.
• Popular blogs and magazines are a great introduction to trends with staying power. Covers, which garner the most attention and exposure, are key. For example, try Design Sponge, American Style Magazine, StyleList Home, and Design Milk for starters.
• Wall art is also a great predictor of things to come. Art Publishers websites are great portfolios of what the future has to hold. Note groups of related color and subject matters and see how they match up with interior colors. It’s also wise to note corporate art and follow corporate art blogs to get insight into the business environment.
• Trade and gift shows are a great place to watch continuing safe trends that cautious buyers tend to stick with.

Trends are influenced by a great deal of media outlets. Museums and movies can have a tremendous effect on popularity of certain movements. The best thing to do is stay aware of the movement of trends and designs a line with a comfortable mix of new and emerging trends with those that are steady and developed. The mix is up to you.

It has been said many times that purchases are emotional. The way a consumer feels about and perceives the quality of your product has an enormous impact. However, in the current economy many small business owners are lowering prices to stay competitive. It’s a good idea to explore how this may impact the perceived value of your work as this may not be the best option.

Your heart and soul go into creating a product that is unique and alive and that is the image you would like to present to your customer. The design quality, skill, and craftsmanship, are all impeccable which captures their attention. So what’s next? What will help seal the sale? Here are a few tips:

• “American Made” labeling can do wonders for a product. Consumers place a high level of value in the meaning behind this brand. It represents hard work, quality and pride so show it off proudly.
• Give a background of yourself and your artwork. People look for connections and a way to relate. How did you get started? What inspires you? What do your creations mean to you? Answering these questions gives customers and intimate view of you, the artist, and it heightens their interest and value in your work.
• Presentation, presentation, presentation. The way a product is presented and packaged says a lot about the value you yourself place in the item and will surely impact your customer. Tags, wrapping, packaging, care instructions, all display high quality and increase value. Take the time to show how much you care and your product will be even better received.
• Appeal to their emotions. Perhaps, you use recycles products or donate a portion of proceeds to charity. These are great selling points worth drawing attention to as they draw people in and add value, charm, and can increase demand.
• Use an unexpected material or element. Set yourself apart by adding extra detail which may allow you to charge a premium price. For example, pottery or glass is sometimes embellished with gold colored accents to create a high end allure and effect that garners a higher price due to increase in perceived value.

As an art glass artist, you have all the qualities necessary to effectively design and produce a unique and stunning piece of work. Marketing the product requires a great deal of attention to the consumers view and feelings. Put yourself in their shoes and view your product as a consumer. Make sure you have all bases covered and present your product as a one of kind. By increasing the customer’s value in a product you are increasing your profits as well.

This post from the always insightful Kizer & Bender will get your gears turning about Holiday sales (if they aren’t already). Follow these six easy steps to ensure your Holiday sales are jolly and bright.

1. EVENTS ARE ESSENTIAL: Customers need a reason to visit your store. Plan on having at least one major and two minor in-store events every week in November and December. Our new e-book, Jingle Bells… Christmas Sells! will provide you with a wealth of ideas to grow your sales, plus plenty of templates you can customize for your store.

Glass Knobs from Our Recent Hot Knobs Class

2. ROTATION DEVICES: Work your lake front property! Move the displays and fixtures at the front of your store at least once a week so customers are continually exposed to new products. This will keep your store associates on their toes and it will help you sell more merchandise.

3. MAKE A LIST OF GREAT GIFTS: Create a “Top 10 List of Holiday Gifts”. Have copies to hand out, feature the items on your web site and Facebook page, in your advertisements and promotions, and make sure staff know them off-by-heart. Go even further and create a Top 10 List for men, women, and kids of various age groups.

4. THE BUDDY SYSTEM: Pair each new hire and temporary staffer with a veteran who can mentor them throughout their holiday employment. Encourage new hires to read product labels and they’ll be pros in no time at all!

5. POLICY DECISIONS

Post your return and exchange policy behind the counter, on your web site and on any promotion materials. Write it in a friendly voice: “Returns and exchanges are accepted up to 30 days of purchase. Your receipt guarantees it.” You will also want to decide where holiday returns will be processed: at the checkout or at a separate table.

6. A MARKDOWN MANNER: Plan now for your post-holiday markdowns. Determine how much each item will be marked down, what signage you’ll use and how and where it will be displayed.

Join Jingle Bells… Christmas Sells on Facebook and watch our Retail Adventures Blog for strategies, tactics, tips and techniques to help you make the most of Holiday 2011.

Have you ever experienced this scenario? You are trying out a new local coffee place and you are unhappy with your drink. Rather than make a fuss, when the barista asks you how you like it you say, “Oh it’s just fine, thanks.”

Photo Credit: Brafton News

I am sure you have all been in this position. As an artist and a business owner chances are your customer are doing the same thing to you. They aren’t going to necessarily tell you to your face how much they dislike something. Rather they are more likely to go home and share their experiences (both positive and negative) online.

Here are 3 free ways to listen to what is being said about you or your business online.

1. Google Alerts

Sign up for Google Alerts http://www.google.com/alerts and and enter keywords and phrases relevant to your business. Google will email you any time it encounters those keywords online, based on your preferences.

2. Twitter Search

Search the Twitterverse http://www.search.twitter.com for keywords relevant to your business, particularly your company name. You can also have results sent to you via RSS feed or email.

3. Facebook Page

Set up a Facebook Page for your business, then simply check the wall daily for comments.

Here are a few more great articles on the subject:

• How to Monitor Your Social Media Presence in 10 Minutes a Day
• 10 Steps for Successful Social Media Monitoring
• The Problem(s) With Social Media Monitoring Technologies