"Brand" is a buzz word that's thrown around a lot in reference to business, social media, and marketing. But what exactly is branding?
Jesse and Lauren Ray Wagner, co-owners of Nathanna Design Studio, recently led a Make. Learn. Grow. session at the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center about branding for makers. They've broken it down into 5 steps for developing a brand for you and your business.
Kate Thurman and Alaina Smith have lots of experience selling from booths at craft fairs and markets. Alaina, who runs Cold Gold, has participated in 20+ craft fairs, and Kate of Smarty Pants Paper Co. has exhibited at craft fairs and trade shows and has created counter and floor displays for a product-based business. Both women have won awards for their craft fair booths. (Yeah, they're awesome.)
And they’ve shared some of their top tips for a successful day of selling at craft fairs.
If you are signed up for our email newsletter, attend Maker Meetups, or follow our social media, you've probably heard us talking about the Maker Directory. Again and again. And again. But you might be thinking, “What’s the big deal? What’s in it for me?”
Mahasti Vafaie started her small business as most people do – with a big learning curve in front of her.
An engineer who wasn’t particularly happy with her career choice, she returned to school with the vision of becoming a doctor.
Then a 1990 trip to New Orleans with her mom led her in a new direction.
“I had been working as a waitress and managing some catering, and while I was in New Orleans I thought I’d come back (to Knoxville) and open a restaurant,” she said.
“I didn’t really have a vision when I opened it. I didn’t want ferns and brass, which is what we had in Knoxville at the time. Originally I wanted a French bistro, but the space that I found on Market Square had a pizza oven, and the landlord didn’t want to move it. I didn’t want to open a pizza place, but I thought about it over the weekend and leased the space from him.”
And with that, The Tomato Head was born, serving pizza only at lunchtime.
Are you interested in learning new ways to grow your maker business? Do you want to pick the brains of experts in marketing, branding, social media and more? Do you love a really good cup of coffee?
If the answer to any – or all – of these questions is ‘yes,’ then mark September 23, 2018, on your calendar for the third annual Knoxville Maker City Summit at The Mill and Mine!
Are you ready to start selling in person? Have you applied to a craft fair and gotten the dreaded “maybe next time” email? This blog will show you how to find the fair that best fits you, and how to submit an application that will get you accepted!
