Monday, November 28, 2011

Climb Out of a Booking Rut!

  Hello Readers! I'm back and I'm excited to share some tips and ideas with you! Today's post is all about pulling yourself out of a booking rut. Maybe you've had a recent rash of cancellations, or maybe you're living in a new place, either way you MUST have bookings to keep your business humming. So, what are some ways to pull yourself out of a blank calendar?
   My favorite, and probably most effective way, to get at least one new booking is to do a party swap. Now, I know that I've touched on this before, but I cannot stress enough to you how effective it is! My friend Kathy Jo Henson approached me several months ago about doing a swap and it is STILL giving me bookings and new customers. We have even joined up for other events. It was like a shot of steroids to my business because we also bounce ideas off of each other like power partners. Find someone in your area that runs a small business that is in no way connected to yours. For example, Kathy sells wick-less candles and I sell jewelry; apples to roses, completely different! I held a party for her and she held one for me. Another benefit of doing this is that other business people are more likely to take the booking seriously, and make a real effort to get guests to their show. If you're new to an area and have not made friends yet, you could do an online show or make a promise to return the favor to that person once you've met some new people.
    Another way that I've talked about before is to do a booth. If you're living in the States there are always festivals, conferences, expos, and events that you can get involved in. Think about where your product could best fit: a wedding expo, home expo, craft fair, or even a baby expo. You can keep track of these online and you MUST jump on it when you can because these are very popular. These can require some investment for the booth so make sure you do your research first. Also, if you're military, consider pairing up with your local Spouses club to create the ideal event for your business. This can be fun and it's a great way to meet new people!
    What are some of the ways you pull yourself out of a rut?

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