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[Debra]

Hi

I have been registared before but have forgotten my password, and I have not been able to retrieve it. I have reregistared. So I have been quite for sometime. Sorry!

I have really enjoyed the postings.

I do have some questions. I need help in getting customers. I have been at this business now for over a year going on two years. I get about one customer a month. This is not enough to sustain my business.

The things I have done are:

Gone to the quilt shops, quilt shows, guilds, with sample, leaving them my business cards and price lists.

Told all my friends, and relatives

Given many as gifts

Donated to many charities

Made quilts for quilt and crafts stores, where I have received return business

Word of mouth has help most with the most return business

I have offered free battting, and discounts.

I have been told I do nice work. What I find is in this area (Idaho-Utah) everyone has their own people that they like, and are not willing to change.

How do you find people outside of your area? Does a web site bring people in? I know that there is business out there, but where and how do I find it?

Right now I have a good turn around time. Christmas is just around the corner. Where are the customers? Help

Thanks for any help

Debra (the willing quilter)

[Giftedhands]

My teaching brings my students to me as customers. Can that work for you? Also, I would imagine that telling people that you have immediate openings would move them to your business. Christmas is coming. Put out a flier at the shops saying bring your quilt in and get it back before Christmas!

Cynthia

[busybee]

Hi

How about a quilt class. If you were in a quilt class, that helps get you contacts and they get familar with you and your work. Sometimes people are just scared to change but getting to know some locals and trust helps with that. As you all finish quilts in class, they will start looking to put their quilt to the finishing stay. Go to craft fairs or carnivals with flyers. Good luck and keep getting the word of month out. Even with sewing machine repair person. They have lots of contact with the public and come accross with people wanting quilts,quilted. Nita

[Sams Mom]

I offered to quilt one of the quilt store's samples for free. They hung it with a blown up version of my business card (in August). I am pretty much booked up thru Christmas. Hope this helps. Also give extra business cards to your customers. They are good at passing the word about who quilted their quilts.

Donna

[Robin W]

In regards to minimal business, have you tried advertisiong in the local paper, penny saver, leave your card in the laundromat, how about the regular fabric & craft store. How about enlarging your business card and putting it in both back windows of your car. Also how about a magnetic sign to put on the outside of both passenger doors? another thought, what about your church bulliten? Food for thought, hope something helps. Robin W.

[JudyL]

I think it's something like $35/month to advertise at Quilters Cache. She gets a TON of traffic! I had been making contributions to Marcia and so when she began accepting ads, I bought several because it would be a deductible expense. But, people got aggravated when they contacted me and I had no openings so I may not advertise again there but it does bring in business.

Another thing that has really attracted attention for me is entering my own quilts in shows. Do the best you can do . . do something weird that you might not would do on someone else's quilt but that will get attention. It can be something that's a little bold or something that's a little unconventional . . just so it's GOOD! Anything that will make your quilting stand out from the other quilts in the show will make them remember you.

As we all know, there are more and more longarmers out there. If you listen to the politicians, the economy stinks (I don't agree but obviously some people believe it). There are more people getting the home quliting systems and while they may not be able to do exactly what we can do or do a huge quilt (but again . . they may be able to do whatever they want), they may be less likely to spend lots of $$ having us quilt their tops when they have their own system stuck in the basement.

For 2005, I have scheduled almost half as much as I scheduled in 2004 and I am sticking with it this year. My last customer quilts will be out of here by Thanksgiving and I have nothing scheduled again til February 1. Time for ME and my own quilts!

Hang in there . . I do believe the business is out there.

[Kay M.]

Hi Debra,

I get most of my business from word of mouth. However, I just picked up another new customer from outside the area who saw my work in a quilt shop. All of my customers from outside my area came to me because they saw samples of my work. I read that you are putting your cards in shops but what about quilting samples? If any of the shops take quilts on consignment, you could make some to sell, which would bring in money and customers. The new customer who came to me last week said she would never take her quilts to anyone without seeing his or her work. This woman lives in an area with plenty of longarmers so the competition doesn't automatically eliminate you. Hang in there and let your work speak for itself.

Kay