1000 Beautiful Bracelets
Notes from the Journey of the Radio 702 / Cape Talk Money Show R1000 ($100) Business Startup Challenge
How I made a Profit in just 6 Weeks and How You Can Too
Tips for Micro-business Entrepreneurs
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
1000 Beautiful Bracelets: The Book!
This is the article which appeared today via Facebook:
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
1000 Beautiful Bracelets Celebrates its First Birthday!
Beautiful Bracelet & Pendant with Luxury Chocolate Gift Set |
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Soweto Festival Expo Competition 2013
"1000 Beautiful Bracelets" Prize Gift Set comprising two Beautiful Bracelets and Luxury Chocolates... |
The CathSSeta Bus - the Kind Sponsors of our involvement at this event... |
Monday, September 16, 2013
Open Letter To Bruce Whitfield
Dear Bruce,
I think no one is as surprised as I am that my life could change in a spectacular way through "1000 Beautiful Bracelets" and a phone call to the Radio 702/Cape Talk Money Show a year ago.
What surprises me more is that the business seems to have developed a life of its own and continues to grow (with a new product launch at the Soweto Festival Expo this weekend) and to push the boundaries, and also that it reaches its 1st Birthday on 1 October which means it falls into a special category of between 30 and 50% of micro startups that survived longer than a year.
Over the past year "1000 Beautiful Bracelets" received wonderful publicity not just on Radio 702 and Cape Talk but also in the printed media: through articles in "The Saturday Star", EntrepreneurSA magazine (January and July issues) and elsewhere..and tonight it reaches a new high: Television exposure!
Tonight at 9pm "1000 Beautiful Bracelets" has its first TV appearance in a half hour feature on "The Big Small Business Show" on Business Day TV (DSTV Channel 412) which will air to 100,000 viewers in Southern Africa. This is an amazing milestone for a micro enterprise.
1000 Beautiful Bracelets was recently at Decorex and a couple of weeks ago received a CathSSeta (DTI) sponsorship valued at R20,000 for the SMME Program at the Soweto Festival Expo. This comprises a stand at the Expo this weekend 20=22 September, as well as substantial Business Marketing Training over the next 6 months that will really help take this business forward.
I think my favourite part of this journey is that I have been invited as a (paid/professional) Speaker at the 5th Annual Vaal SMME Conference on 2 October to speak on how I started 1000 Beautiful Bracelets with very little.
And the Book "1000 Beautiful Bracelets" should be out soon...
So I really want to thank you, Bruce, for being a catalyst for so many dreams I'd actually forgotten about..to write a book, to speak and inspire others at Conferences*... but most of all to lead an interesting life and have fun on the way. "1000 Beautiful Bracelets" and the Money Show R1000 Challenge put me on a path to achieving all this in the most amazing and unexpected ways.
Thank you, Bruce Whitfield!
(and Radio 702/Cape Talk Money Show)
* I trained myself in public speaking years ago at Toastmasters, and I'm actually a Charter/Founder member of Midrand Toastmasters: won their Humorous Speaking Contest two years in a row - I'm funny by accident..
Saturday, February 2, 2013
How to Ensure Better Success at a Flea Market or Farmer's Market
- Plan to arrive early. The organizers usually give a window of time for traders to set up, there is nothing worse than feeling stressed and sweating to get everything set up and ready whilst customers are already trying to purchase items off your table. Rather be early at the start of the window period given by the organizers for setting up. If you finish early you can always go buy a coffee from one of the traders..
- Decide if you want to actually sell your stuff or not. Seriously! You could sit in the back of your stall or in a corner reading a book or texting/SMS'ing people all day while assuming people will buy something if they like it, or you can stand up and sell your products to people. People don’t usually come to flea markets to buy stuff they NEED, they come to see if there’s anything they WANT. It’s your job to show them why they want something. Personally when I do flea markets, I never sit down unless it’s a really slow period. I don’t hover over people though, I just re-arrange or neaten the table or sort through excess stock, something menial so people don’t feel they’re interrupting if they have a question. Standing behind your table makes people more comfortable asking a question about a product, and thus, more comfortable buying from you. If a person browses through things for a while, or fingers an item like a bracelet, I’ll casually mention they are welcome to try it on if they’d like or recommend a pair of earrings or pendant I think might be a good match. Be honest! If someone tries something on that doesn’t look good on them, clashes with their face shape or hair color, say it! But recommend something new in its place. They’ll appreciate your honesty and be more inclined to try more things on. Now, rather than deciding WHETHER to buy or not, you have them deciding WHICH product to get. And that’s the key to a sale.
- Unless you have a lot of stock on multiple tables or it’s a busy flea market, you probably won’t need someone else there all day. It’s more fun if you can get a friend to help you out, but it isn’t necessary. It DOES help though, to have friends pop in throughout the day either to chat, break the monotony if things are slow, or watch your table and attend to any customers when you have to go to the bathroom, grab something to eat or even just get out for a short break and browse other stalls. It’s better not to ask the trader next to you to watch your goods while you take a break. It’s difficult for both of you because you’re entrusting them with your things and they’re stretched enough trying to handle their own business. Plus, with no one behind the table, you’ll lose potential sales anyway. If you have no choice and have to ask them though, realise they’re doing YOU a favor and perhaps bring them back a bottled water or hot dog or something.
- Packing up: Be careful to watch the money. This can be just as frantic a time, because you might have been holding out for the last possible customer or sale, and there’s a panic to get everything out of there before the market closes or, if it’s an outdoor market (which is a great feature of Sunny South Africa) before the rain comes down.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Check List for Selling on Flea Markets or Farmer's Markets
Christmas Night Market at Kyalami Estates, December 2012 |
If you would like to get into Flea or Farmer's Markets to sell your products: Do an internet search, get recommendations and referrals from friends, go to existing markets and find a way to chat to the organizers. Once you manage to get onto one market, you usually end up meeting other traders who can help you get onto other markets if you want to. Some markets in Johannesburg/Pretoria have a 3 year waiting list!!
Tips and Preparation List
- Organise your products (jewellery, accessories, clothing, food items). It helps to have everything you sell in one container or several. If your things are too heavy, use a suitcase with wheels.
- Do a test run. Set up your table beforehand in case you might be missing something. I find it’s always good to have these items just in case needed: a ball of string, clothes pegs, long nails and hammer (useful at times), sellotape, packaging tape, glue, prestik (aka Blue-Tak, Fun-Tak, pattafix), scissors, marker pens, ballpoint pens, paper, notebook, invoice book and business cards. Once you’ve done one Market, keep these items in a box or container solely for the purpose of Markets, so it’s easy to grab and run. You need a nice table cloth or cover to show off your products to best advantage. Essentially this cloth should touch the ground! Work with the season (eg Christmas / Valentines / Easter decorations for the table). Practice setting up your gazebo if you have one you’ve never used before.
- Be sure to put price labels on each item. People seem to prefer it (although some traders swear by not putting prices on the products.)
- Wear a moneybag or an apron with large pockets for the cash. It can become pretty hectic at times and some people are at the market not to buy from you but for easy pick pocketing of your cash or your goods! One woman at a table near me at a recent market was throwing all the cash into an open basket with people brushing past it all the time. Unwise!
- Pack everything ready to go and if your car is secure and unlikely to be stolen, load the car.
- Make sure you have plenty of change in the right notes or coins. Get it at the bank the day before if necessary.
- Try to prepay your stand, it’s easier, and ensures you get a better spot on the day.
- Work out your route to get there beforehand, take extra cash in case needed for parking.