Image of megaphone sculpture by istolethetv
To speak out or not to speak out
Yesterday The Studio Source went dark as part of the protest against SOPA and PIPA anti-piracy legislation in the United States.
I almost didn’t participate.

 A couple of online friends asked if I’d be part of the strike. I’d already scanned an article on how to make the adjustments to my site, saw a bit of code, and moved on.
“I can’t do much but be in the cheering section,” I said, “but I’m watching developments. It will affect Canadians, too.”
It seemed like a reasonable response. But it wasn’t the truth.
Image by Rachael Towne
Now that the holiday dust has settled…
Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?
Did you really want to make New Year’s resolutions?
I’m guessing you didn’t.
I’m guessing what you really want is for a bunch of things to happen for your business this year.
Say, for example, you want to finish your taxes done before the deadline, so you’re not in a panic.
Or you want to get more organized.
Or you have this vague notion about getting your marketing butt in gear. You know you need to do something, but you’re not sure where to begin.
Forget the resolutions.
Resolutions sound noble and courageous, but resolve is pointless if you don’t take action.
As in, right now.
Image by Bradley Gordon
This is part two of a series dedicated to retail craft and art shows. Part one was about marketing, and how creatives can no longer depend on show organizers to connect with their customers. Today it’s about how one simple (and painfully common) mistake drives existing customers away.
Words you don’t ever want to hear
Dear exhibitor:
I spent nearly 10 minutes looking for a parking spot, then walked three stinking blocks in freezing drizzle. Then I see your vehicle parked less than 100 feet from the door (maybe next time you should take your decal off the window).
Then I get the unparalleled privilege of paying $7.50 for admission to the building, and to put the sprinkles on my soggy cupcake, when I finally find your booth, you don’t look up from the book you’re reading.
I can get better parking and deal with equally disinterested people at the mall.
Sincerely,
The customer who won’t be back
Do you really know where your customers are?
Customer traffic has dropped significantly at many retail craft shows and art fairs. Some of it has to do with poor marketing, some of it has to do with competition, but there’s another reason people walk away.
It also applies to high end shows and online selling.
The reason is multi-faceted, but very simple: the customer has been dropped from the equation.
