Sometimes when inspiration hits, it’s like “WOW! two brain cells rubbed together this time”! That’s exactly how I felt when it suddenly dawned on me how many new customers I was getting after I started spreading the word about sewing nursing garments, which meant many new babies are now in my “client market”.
I suddenly realized that ALL of these new customers needed baby things as well as the nursing garments! Then when I stopped to really think about it, it occured to me that many of my regular customers would, from time to time, need baby gifts for baby showers, birthdays, Christmas, etc. In addition, each of my customers knows others who are pregnant and needing baby gifts as well.
I started making a few notes about how I could capitalize on this new-found “baby” market! Then I went to work making a portion of my customer waiting area into a small “baby world”. I made some baby/toddler/child items such as the portable diaper changing station, unique crinkle toys, a childs sleeping bag, a few fabric toy blocks, a set of bibs and a few other items and attached them to the wall and on top of a portable playhouse that I’d made as a little playhouse for the children who come in. In addition to putting price tags on the items themselves (including the portable playhouse), I made a list of all the items with prices, and a heading of “Suggested gifts for babies / toddlers”.
YIKES!! Where had my brain been all these years! My original plan was to make the item as somebody would inquire about my sample and place an order, but almost immediately somebody came in and went on and on about how unique the portable diaper changing station was, and wanted to buy THAT one because she had a baby shower that night. Even though she’d already gotten a gift, this was so unique that she just had to have it too.
My “original plan” got shot down quickly, so I put together a shelf beside the “baby world” corner and started making a few of each of the items that I had on display – put them in zip lock bags, put a little label on the bag with my logo and “custom made by” on the bag, and presto! I was in the baby gift business as well as sewing!
Whether you’re in a sewing, alteration or craft business, these items could add some extra dollars for you, and would be readily available for the customers to look over and purchase as they come in for your main business.
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