Who are your customers?

This is the first question you have to ask yourself in a business. Who are your customers? This will determine the type of product you will be able to sell. How many times have you come up with a beautiful product, you go to a fair and nobody even looks at it? I know I've had quite a few of those. it's not only about how pretty it looks to us, it's about who your customers are.

Imagine trying to sell one of these to a teenager.

Or one of these to a vegan

Granted there are exceptions, but that's what they are, they are not your regular customers. When identifying who your customer is, you have to take into account every aspect of his or her life: their age, their upbringing, their life filosophy, are they big spenders or are they thrifty...everything goes in the mix. Once you understand what your target audience is, you can tweak that very special bar of soap or pot of cream to their needs, and be more successful for it.

One very good example are yoga practitioners. Not the "I look cool doing yoga" people, but the ones that really have taken the teachings to heart. They practice yoga with both their bodies and their mind. They also need a product that goes with their filosophy. Vegan, naturally colored, essential oils only but for more than just nice smells they feel the need to have a synergic blend. If you plan to sell to this crowd you have to understand their life and values.

On the other hand, if your crowd is a much younger preppy type, you'd do best to fragrance heavily with sweet sticky fruity type fragrances and bright colors.

If you have no idea who you're selling to, go with the middle ground until you find your niche. If you're crazy like me, do them all!! But you know the saying "Jack of all trades...and king of none"

Why am I telling you this? I want you to be successfull in everything you do.

Enough with my ramblings...Fair update!!

I did very good, would've liked to sell more (of course) but I covered the table fee plus some more :) I loved the way the table looked, it differs slightly from my previous fair in that the soaps are all in straight lines, and I liked it better. Thanks to my DH for setting it up...I just helped him :)

I'm currently out of coconut oil so I have to buy some, plus I need to stock up on essential oils. I'm testing out synergic blends I'd like to include and need EOs for it. I'm also putting myself out there (customers don't fall from trees). I contacted the organizers for three very big fairs. So far I've heard back from the most important one - a three day fair focused on Yoga - and I'm still waiting on the other two. I also found out there is a local organic farmer's market every Sunday near my house, so I need to get details on that one. I'm going Sunday to check it out :) With summer coming it makes sense to go to that one, I wouldn't have been a happy camper this past month with all the rain. I want to have more brand presence this coming year, and it all starts with getting out there.

Hope you've found this helpful.

xoxo
Ire