Sale Organizer Advice

Franchises: To Buy or Not to Buy

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:18:00 GMT

Guest Post by Rhea Lana Riner of Rhea Lana's Children's Consignment Franchise

During event season many shoppers see all the excitement of Pre-Sales and shopping extravaganzas and think, “I can do this!” It’s true, you could, but what most people don’t see is the months of preparation work, the overhead and marketing expenses, and the hours of phone calls and emails. Many of these ladies decide to start their own sale and soon discover how much work is needed to make an event run smoothly and become a go-to place for hundreds of families in your community.

Franchises offer the answers that you need to help you be successful in the new but developed consignment industry. If you’ve decided this is a business you’d like to get into and you’ve decided to look at successful franchises here are three things you should consider.

Experience

Look for EXPERIENCE. Did the person you are buying from build a consignment business of their own? Are you buying years of experience that they are going to share with you? Will they be investing in your training? Experience cannot be bought but lessons learned can be shared, and that’s something you should make sure you’re getting when you’re paying for a franchise.

Support

SUPPORT is another thing you should make sure you’re getting with the cost of a franchise. Do they take your money and say, “Good luck!” or do they train and prepare you for building your own business? Are the people who are in the franchise available to owners for questions and do they provide year-round networking? If you’re buying a franchise, you want support to help you be successful.

Marketing Materials

One of the biggest reasons you would want to purchase a franchise instead of beginning your own sale is that they have already developed effective MARKETING MATERIALS. You want them to share their proven elements with you. Because getting the word out about your sales is one of the biggest challenges of any event, effective marketing materials are critical. They shouldn’t expect you to invent the wheel, but instead share what they have learned if you’re paying for their name. Ask yourself, “Are they innovative in their marketing efforts?”
These are just some of the things you should consider when you are looking at purchasing a franchise. The ideas have been developed and the industry is moving quickly, will you find a place that fits or will you make your own way?

About Rhea Lana's - Rhea Lana’s Children’s Consignment, Inc. is “The Nation’s Premiere Children’s Consignment Event Venue” and has experienced incredible growth since the company began selling franchises in 2008. Currently, the company holds 47 semi-annual consignment events in 16 states.

6 Tips to Make Working From Home a Successful Reality

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:17:00 GMT

You may have seen Just Between Friends Co-Founder, Shannon Wilburn on CBS News earlier this month, sharing tips for small business owners, here. We asked Shannon to share some tips with our savvy readers too! Here are some awesome tips!

1. Create some Accountability

Pretend you have to answer to "the man". If you work in corporate America, more than likely, you have a boss. Many people who work from home, work for themselves, therefore it is easy to miss a deadline, let a goal slide, not do your best work. Imagine that someone looks over your shoulder every day and that your "at home" performance will be a determining factor in whether or not you get promoted. Join a CEO group or a small group of others who work at home to hold each other accountable. I am a part of a small group of local business women. We meet once a month and have set times and topic ideas. We discuss challenges and offer advice. One woman in my group of 4 is a Social Media Strategist. Where do you think I go when I have social media issues?. Another is the owner of a Part Time Staffing Firm. She is my go-to when it comes to that thing I hate, HR! And the other woman also owns a franchise system. We strategize and commiserate on all things franchising. These women are a lifeline to me and I count on these sessions to get me through challenging times. We are open books to one another because we know that "what happens in our MMM (Mastermind Mompreneur Group) stays there. I also utilize a group of advisors that I call my "Executive Team". They are not employees, but have their own area of expertise. When I need advise about the tiniest to the largest issues/ideas…I know that I can run them by this group and get honest, transparent feedback immediately. I like to say that these are the people that can "spank" me and I am okay with it. They are not the friends that tell you everything you do is awesome. They tell you when you have a stinky idea or when you did something really dumb and they work through it with you so that you can get to the other side.

2. Manage your time

Set work hours as if you had a job in the corporate arena. Let your family know that these are work hours for you and interruptions affect your bottom line. Set aside specific days for specific tasks, for example...Mondays (Meeting day). Tuesdays (lunch with a client or customer). Wednesdays (Marketing and Sales), etc. Segmenting your work can help you accomplish more each week. The simple fact is that we only have a certain amount of time in our day. When I say yes to something that means that I have to say No to something else.

3. Utilize virtual assistants and virtual offices

If you are anything like me, you probably realize that you could use some help. But you aren't sure about inviting an employee into your home and don't want your business to take over every available space in your home. Take stock of what you do every day and determine what can be handled by someone else. Having employees is a key factor in the success of small businesses. Find someone that can work from the comfort of their own home and delegate tasks to them. Outsource your weaknesses to others who have strengths where you do not. Utilize services like FreeConferenceCalls.com and TimeClockOnline.com as well as shared file sites like Google Docs to track and help make effective use of everyone's time. Have a weekly or bi-monthly staff meeting to share issues, projects and vision with your virtual staff.

4. Plan

This is a big Duh...but many people do not do it. Set long term milestones: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 5 year and post it where you can see it everyday. Do at least one thing everyday that gets you closer to each goal. Jot down your daily tasks in your ipad or go old-school like me and use pen and paper! I like to be able to look at my list of to-dos and choose the hardest thing (the one that I really don't want to do) and tackle that first, then I don't have to think about it all day. Be specific on your short term goals and make sure that they give you some type of ROI and move you toward your big goal. Prioritize them and knock em out!

5. Find ways to Network

This is something that, in the beginning, I thought was so cliche. Yea, right, network…what good does that do? I have come to realize that someone knew what they were talking about! Networking is not about handing your business card to strangers. It goes much further than that. It is about strategically creating relationships with others that can affect your business and help your ROI. Your investment here is Time. There are so many different opportunities to network, and, unfortunately…this typically is not done from the comfort of your home in your pajamas. You have to get out there, attend conference, go to Chamber events, become a part of an association in your industry or any other opportunity where you interact on a business level. However, if you spend three hours a month in any group and get zero business, it may be time to re-evaluate your involvement and find another avenue for "relationship building".

6. Never stop learning

Early in my JBF business, I had hired someone to do my website and when I needed something changed, I had to call her. She was less than responsive. So I took my own advice and took an online class on "Developing a Website". With that new-found knowledge, I was able to get our website up and running and was also able to keep it up to date and fresh. Had I not learned how to do that…JBF could have floundered and quickly lost momentum. Participation in Free online webinars has been a huge help to me and to our franchisees. Join some business websites and get on their mailing list. Many of them offer free online learning opportunities and are dispensing business advice and new ideas all day long (Inc.com , MSNBC.com , Entreprenuer.com ). Follow strategic people on twitter and read the articles that they share. Someone once told me that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again in the same way and expecting a different result. Be innovative and look for ways to move your business down that path to success.

3 Time Savers that Will Change Your Life

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:26:00 GMT

As busy mamas, I know we all have ONE HUGE WISH on our Christmas list... more time!! Here are a few tools & tricks that will literally save you HOURS each month.

Stock Email Responses

Sale week is crazy and your patience is stretched to the max! Ever fired off a quick reply email only to look back and think, "Wow, that was snippy?!?" The reality of sale ownership is that your consignors won't read every page of your website or contract. And that will mean that even despite your BEST efforts, you will get those "stupid questions" over and over. Save yourself the stress and the time and create a series of stock answer emails NOW! Think about the top 10-15 issues that crop up and craft your message now... while you are calm... er, while you are "mostly sane." Some questions that always pop up:

How do I register? (and yes, totally OK to just copy & paste from your website and send them a link as a friendly reminder).
Can you extend the deadline?
Can you extend the item limit?
How many of X items can you sell?
I can't make my volunteer shift, can I still get my percentage / pre-sale pass, etc?
I can't pick up my items, will you save them for me?
Why aren't my items selling... I only have 5% sell-through so far?
Can I get an extra pre-sale pass for my mom, brother, uncle, friend, husband's-second-cousin's friend-of-a-friend?
Where can I get wire hangers? Safety pins? Cardstock?

Hootsuite

Facebook marketing can be both a blessing & curse. If you find yourself posting hot & heavy one week and then go silent for a few weeks, Hootsuite is a great tool to help you schedule & stagger your posts. Create an account, link up your fan page and then start scheduling posts weeks or months in advance. I love that I can create a calendar of posts WEEKS in advance... That way my fans don't get 10 posts in a single day at 2am just "because" that is when I had my brainstorm and no kiddos tugging at me... Maximize your Hootsuite-ing and schedule for optimal response times... 7-9am and 6-8pm.

Direct Deposit

Are you still hand writing check after check after check? Tired of tracking down lost checks? Fearful that folks haven't cashed their check in months? Direct deposit is an incredible tool that can help... big thanks to our ConsignmentMommies.com Facebook forum members for sharing this one!!

Check with your local bank about setting up your consignors with direct deposit. For most banks, all you'll need is a simple form and canceled check from the consignor, then you log into your account and link up the accounts. When it is time to write checks, you'll log in and just have the payouts deposited directly into the consignors' accounts. No check-clear time, less stamps, less wrist strain from signing. Win! Win! Win!

Do you have any other time saving tools you swear by?

The Buzz on QR Codes

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:24:00 GMT

QR codes are quickly becoming the “It” thing in retail. These two-dimensional barcodes actually started in Japan in the 90’s… but they are taking the US market by storm this year!

What are they?

“Quick response” or QR codes are designed to be read by smartphones and will direct a user to any web address. This makes for faster / easier web browsing on the go.

How does it work?

Step 1: Get a QR Code

Bitly (the go-to URL shortener for most Twitter users that also creates a QR code)
Goo.gl (Goggle’s version of Bitly also generates QR codes every time you shorten a link).
Microsoft Tag Resource center (tag.microsoft.com)
Likify.net – an easy to use system designed for FB users

Step 2: Add the Code to Your Printed Materials
You can add a QR code to your business cards, postcards, signs at your venue, near your checkout. When you use the sites above, you’ll get an image of the QR code to embed in your marketing materials. Unlike traditional barcodes, your QR code can be scaled to any size.

Step 3: Scan the Code & Go to the Website
First, you’ll need a QR code reader. On your smartphone, go to the app store and search for a QR code reader. You’ll find several free apps – just download & install. Two of the most popular readers are Microsoft Tag and ScanLife. Then, run the app and hold your phone’s camera over a QR code to scan it. The reader will direct you to the destination site you've specified for that code.

Creative Uses & Ideas

Facebook - I’m a big fan of the FB destination, as this will help capture them as a fan (hopefully) and help keep them on your radar.

Coupons – Offer a special promotion for folks just for scanning the code - maybe a $5 coupon to the spring sale

YouTube Videos – How about a funny video on tagging mishaps? Or a montage on setup?

At Vendor Booths – Offer a special coupon if someone visits the vendor booths and scans the QR code at their station

Sign up Links - Encourage a quick email signup by leading them straight to your newsletter signup page

Will People REALLY Use Them? Is it Worth My Time?

While QR codes are still relatively new, you will have SOME folks who visit your site. But more importantly, you’ll certainly make a good impression! People will think you are on the cutting edge!

By 2013, smart phones will surpass computers as the #1 device to access the Internet. Be a leader and jump on this bandwagon now!

For the Love of Facebook... It Changed Again!

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:01:00 GMT

Keeping up with the ever-evolving world of Facebook functions seems to be a full-time job these days! The original title of this post was "Why Does Chrissy Freeman LIKE all of My Posts?" But with yet another functional release with Facebook, I've shifted the focus a bit!

About the New Changes

As of 8:30 am this morning, the wise Mari Smith hadn't even posted her usual "what the changes mean" post about the latest update. I'll keep you posted on info as it comes out.

Here is a list of recent updates (prior to the 9/21 release) and how to start utilizing the new features:
http://next.inman.com/2011/09/new-facebook-features-breakdown/

My favorite of these new features is the "Lists" view. This will allow you to sort your contacts into sections (ie: create a Consignment Friends List). Then, you can send or make updates just to that group. Love that I can "love on my organizer" friends without my friends & family constantly seeing my consignment ravings and getting annoyed (hey, it happens!).

So, why DOES Chrissy Freeman LIKE all of my posts?

The new FB platform is moving more and more towards a filtered & Top News centered approach. What does this mean? People and pages that you interact with more frequently are much more likely to show up higher in your "feed." For your business, that means it is going to get harder and harder to reach your "fans" if they aren't actively engaging. I always LIKE your posts because it helps increase the chances that you'll show up in TOP FEEDS and helps you get a little bit more exposure.

*If you follow fellow consignment friends on FB, I would encourage you to at least LIKE their posts and, if you have time, leave a short little comment.

To see how you rate, go to EdgeRank and get a rating. These ratings were a good indication on your pages' ability to show up in top feeds. The formulas focused on # of followers, # of posts, level of interactivity, etc.

What Can You Do?

#1 Ask Folks to Make You a Top Story - This will help you be on their radar. A simple "Make sure you don't miss important announcements and contest info from {Chrissy's Sale}, click that little triangle on the left to make us a TOP STORY so you don't miss a thing!"

#2 - Be thoughtful & intentional with your posts. Over post and you are going to get BLOCKED or moved down in some people's feeds. Over posting without any interaction (likes or comments) can also affect your "rating" and make you less likely to show up in the top feeds. Under post and you'll seem less significant. Be thoughtful and look for optimal times (morning post-carpool and evening post-bedtime) to encourage the most interaction. (This is where EdgeRank can be helpful!)

#3 - Encourage interaction - One of the ConsignmentMommies.com most popular posts each week is a simple "Fun Friday, Like This" setup. I simply ask folks a silly / fun question and encourage a like. It improves our ratings and that post quickly moves higher into the Top Posts on Friday.

What other tips & tricks have you found with the ever-changing world of Facebook?

Giving Back

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 02:49:00 GMT

Guest Post by Melinda Gill of Cradle to College, LLC

When I first attended children’s consignment sales five years ago, I found that several sales were donating unsold merchandise to local charitable thrift stores. Then I heard of a sale that was inviting teen parents from a local program to “free shop” items before the thrift store truck arrived. My 17 year old nephew was one of these teen parents. He and his girlfriend were able to get numerous items they could have never afforded for their twin boys. From clothing to a double stroller to bedding and toys, these young parents were tremendously blessed. It was then that I decided my company would be designed to give back to families and community.

The first thing laid on my heart was to offer our consignors 70% of their sold item earnings. This is, on average, higher than any sale I had heard of or participated in. I knew what the extra money would mean to my family and I wanted to pay that forward to other families as well.
In searching for my “dream venue” I found that a partnership with a local church was the best way to go. I approached them with a plan in mind to give back to their preschool scholarship fund and they in turn reduced their rental rate to less than half of normal. In 18 months we have raised nearly $1000 through pre-sale tickets, and have now changed that program to gift them with 50% of every consignor registration fee. The school has also enrolled 18 new families that they have met as a direct result of our events being held at their venue.

Our area has two teen parenting programs, and the directors devised a way for their young parents to “earn” the opportunity to shop from unsold donated items at the end of the sale. Some of the requirements are that these parents must be involved in the program, active in church functions and services, active in school and parenting classes, and volunteer for at least 1 hour during the sale weekend. We invite 6 families from each program, and they are given access to shop for one hour. We also invite 5 (other) families in need from the community, who have been personally referred to us, to the “free shop” as a way to let them know that in hard times there are people who care.

Having seen other sales collect a nominal entry fee at the door, we tried it for our first sale and found that although we were donating the funds to a local food pantry, shoppers were not happy to “pay to shop.” We adjusted the program. For our second and third sales we asked shoppers to bring either a non-perishable food item and/or a personal hygiene item to be donated. In two sales we have raised over 100 pounds of food for our neighborhood food pantry and filled 4 totes with hygiene products to donate to an orphanage in Honduras through a partnership with a local mission group. We also give this group the unsold donated shoes and pajamas.

In an effort to market our business we had reusable tote bags made with our logo on them. At first our goal was to simply pay the bill for having them made. We quickly realized that the funds from the bags could be donated to another local organization or family in need. For our last sale we donated the funds to a breast cancer foundation, in honor of my sister’s best friend. For our next sale we have already chosen a family that will apply the funds to the cost of purchasing their son’s durable medical equipment. We sell about $300 worth of bags per sale and decided that investment in others was better served than an investment in the business itself. The sale itself more than covers the cost of anything we give away.

The upside to donating all that we can is first and foremost to bless families and community. The added bonus that we receive through shared marketing with these organizations is something for which we grateful, but surely not something for which we asked in return. My life philosophy has always been that “the purpose of life is a life of purpose.” Being able to use my company to help families and community has taken my passion and made it “on purpose,” and I am so very grateful for the opportunity.

I encourage each sale owner to identify a need in your own community, connect it to your business, and allow the blessings to flow.

Melinda Gill is the Owner/CEO of Cradle to College, LLC.

Sale Names - Setting the Right Expectation

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:38:00 GMT

As our site has grown and grown (wooo hoo!), we are noticing a growing need for sales to "differentiate" themselves and set clear expectations for shoppers & consignors. Having a concise & clear sale name with a specific differentiator can really help you target the right audience and set the right tone from the beginning. You don't HAVE to use these in your official sale name, but it is VERY helpful as an addition to your listing on ConsignmentMommies or when advertising elsewhere. For example: Chrissy's Consignment Sale - a Boutique Resale Event.

Below are a few trends in sale names that I think are really helpful for your consignors & shoppers.

Consignment Sale Fundraiser - Consignment sales got their start in the world of MOPS, preschools and churches. Make your non-profit message clear and obvious by adding the word "fundraiser" into your title. Folks will know that the proceeds are benefiting your organization.

Boutique or Upscale - Mamas who love their boutique and upscale items are looking for some indication of your high standards. Make sure your name makes that obvious by adding upscale, designer, boutique, posh, high-end, etc to your name.

Consignment Sale Event - If your sale truly is an "event" with vendors and supporting goods or services, up-sell by adding the word event to your name. If you are "just a sale," don't oversell by adding event or shopper & consignors will be expecting more!

Women's or Adult Only Sale - Even if you have a clever or "mature" name, it is helpful to add "A Women's Only Consignment Event" or the like to your listing and advertising.

Teens & Tween Sale - Few sales have a GOOD selection of teens & tweens goods. If you have this exclusively or in addition to your traditional sale, play it up!

Shopper & consigors: are there any other words / descriptors that help you choose your sale?

Staggering Your Traffic: Creative Pre-Sale Ideas

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:10:00 GMT

One of the biggest complaints I see on ConsignmentMommies is that "the lines were too long." And, one of the most effective tools that any seasoned sale organizer / owner uses is the pre-sale. It provides certain groups with an opportunity to shop early and it helps stagger the rush. Pre-sales are typically provided for volunteers & consignors, but here are some clever ideas that I have seen to increase "pre-sale" opportunities for additional groups.

New Moms Pre-Sale

This is such a great way to get moms hooked early! Make sure to allow a "Bring a Friend" option for this. A lot of folks can be intimidated by the world of consignment and having a buddy helps ease that anxiety. Plus, moms tend to spend more when encouraged by a friend / grandma.

Grandma Sale

I don't see a lot of these, but it is a GREAT way to bring in older generations who get the thrifty spending approach! It's probably best NOT to allow guests to this one... grandmas only! The challenge: Age / grandma verification gets tricky!!

Super-Volunteers

A lot of sales will provide multiple tiers for volunteer pre-sales. This rewards your power volunteers and encourages VALUABLE / LOYAL workers to sign up for more shifts. The more they work, the earlier they shop!

Pay to Enter

This is a common practice at many sales and the premise is simple. Bring $5 for this pre-sale opportunity or wait until tomorrow when entry is free.

Charity Event

Charity pre-sales can be either a pay to enter scenario (with proceeds going to the charity) or can be managed exclusively by the charity (where they send out invites).

Military Pre-Sale

If you live near a base, this is a great way to help those that serve our country!

Consignor Referrals

This is an especially powerful tool if you are trying to boost inventory (and you have the space). Offer a special pre-sale for consignors who refer a friend to consign with you. You may want to confirm that the friend follows through and drops off items at the sale to prevent signups with no follow through. Or, if you charge a consignor fee, you may be covered! If you already offer incentives for referrals (increased percentages, etc); consider offering tiers and adding a pre-sale as an option. Then, you also reward folks for MORE than one referral.

Contest Winners

Some people offer contests throughout the year on FB, through email or at local events to raffle off pre-sale passes. Make the contest a true event with food / drinks and lots of shopping - you'll create an even bigger buzz. Contest ideas could include FB referral contests, refer a friend contests, email sign up drives, etc.

Viral Shopping Pass Program

If you have a need for shoppers, offer a "next season" pre-sale pass to the top 25 "sale ambassadors." Simply provide mamas with postcards that they can print their name on (make it download on your website). They distribute to their friends, who bring them back to the sale and drop them "in the bucket." The top 25 names / referrers get into the special pre-sale next season. It could be as little as a 30 minute "early shopping pass," but the effort those referrers make to help market you will be really valuable!

10 Tips, Tricks and Tools for Facebook

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 03:29:00 GMT

Facebook is THE place to be for marketing your sale. If you haven't set up a Facebook Business page, get on it! It's free, it's viral and the promotional capabilities are amazing! Here are some of my VERY favorite tips, tricks and tools when it comes to Facebook and your consignment sale.

1. Set Up a Business Profile Page (Not a "Person" or Profile page)

Why? Facebook wants profiles to be real people. If you set up your biz as a "person," your chances of getting removed are pretty high. So, imagine having 1,000 friends and then you get totally shut down. You'll have to start from scratch. Here's the link to create the FB approved "Fan Page"

2. Have TWO Admins

Unfortunately, profile hacking is a growing concern on Facebook. If you are the SOLE admin on your Facebook page and your account gets hacked, banned and shut down... you lose your Facebook page. YIKES! Always have a backup admin in place so you don't lose your precious following!

3. Find a Balance with Your Posting

There is a fine line with how much you post... you want to create a community and build relationships, but you don't want to become a bother. Over post and people will "Unlike You" or they will close out your post and then choose that dreaded "Hide All by Your Sale Name" option. Then, you are off the radar forever.

A great way to track your posting skills is to examine your Daily Likes & Dislikes. In the left menu (under your profile pic), choose "View Insights." Once you are on that page, there is an option on the left "Users." The third graph on that page will show you how many new likes or new dislikes you've received. Did you over post one day and get way too many dislikes?

4. How to Get in Top News vs. Recent News

Just like Google uses a complex algorithm to determine what content is at the top of search results, Facebook has a formula for content that gets in Top News. FB basically looks at your # of fans, # of posts and the level of interaction you get. Interactions through likes and comments will move a post up in the rankings. It's the reason why I always "LIKE" all of your posts. I'm trying to help you move up into top news! And I'm a dork like that.... I'm not stalking you... well...

There's a really cool where you can see how you stack up at EdgeRankCheck.

5. Work Double Duty

Let's face it, our time as working mommies is LIMITED! Maximize your social media coverage and integrate your Facebook profile with a Twitter account. Go to Facebook.com/Twitter and your Facebook posts will automatically get posted to Twitter for you. (of course, you'll need to set up your Twitter account first!)

6. Invest in a Scheduling Tool or Assistant

If you are especially busy (think sale week!), delegate your Facebook posts. You can either pre-schedule and use a tool like Sendible. Or, you can have a volunteer post information for you. If you have someone else executing, make sure you set CLEAR guidelines and that you monitor the first posts to make sure you are on the same page!

7. Sell Your Sale with Photos

People love VISUALS. And consignors LOVE it when their items sell. Create a pre-sale buzz and have your consignors send in photos of their big ticket items, boutique clothes, etc. Post these on Facebook and you'll have folks lined up at the door for that Power Wheels!!

Then, during sale week snap photos of HOT TICKET items as they come through the door and post them on FB! EYE CANDY!!

8. Encourage Interaction

Your Facebook page isn't just YOUR platform to push out content, but it is also a GREAT tool for getting feedback, empowering your sellers or shoppers and building a community. Some of my favorite strategies:

Ask your fans for their own tips
Have fans post their "wishlist" - You may have a consignor who is hesitant to lug that Little Tykes, but if she knows Sally Sue and Betty want it, she'll bring it!
Create a "I'm Consigning with Chrissy's Sale" graphic and encourage people to tag themselves. Then, your little "ad" shows up in their feed and all of their friends will learn about your sale!

9. Link to Desirable Pages

By typing @ in front of a Fan page title, you create a dynamic link to that page. And, you show up on their wall (if they have settings made to display posts by others). Tag your vendors or similar targets. Example: Chrissy's Consignment Sale is so excited to partner with @LIttle Gym on Wendover for our Spring sale. The result? Those Little Gym fans will see your post when they visit that page and they can click on your link and become a fan of you!

10. Make Sure Your Contests Are Legit

Facebook has pretty specific guidelines regarding fan gathering & "liking" contests. Make sure to check the rules here before you do your promo. http://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php

Do you have any strategies or ideas to share? Please post a comment below!!!!

GUEST POST: Working with Competition

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 02:17:00 GMT

Competition. Some people l-o-v-e to compete – the roar of the crowd, the coach on the sideline, the game face, the sweat and tears, and of course the victory. Some people h-a-t-e to compete – they prefer the sidelines with the crowd, the cheering, and the concessions. But believe it or not, one thing you don’t need to spend time worrying about when it comes to your seasonal consignment sale is competition!

With 80-100 sales within 30 minutes of my sale’s location, I’ve changed my mindset about “competition” – I let these other sales benefit me in 3 ways:

Educate
Motivate
Alliances

Education

The education factor works like this – the more sales there are, the more people there are working together to educate families about seasonal consignment sales, the better the odds are that they will find your sale. In addition, you can work together to cross-promote (cross promoting means less time and money advertising / educating).

National consignment sale listing sites such as ConsignmentMommies are working diligently to educate families about the benefits of seasonal consignment sales, and they do this to benefit you. With 1200+ sales and growing, chances are, you aren’t the only sale in town… and if you are, you won’t be for long.

Motivation

The motivation factor will force you to constantly improve your sale. If you want continued success and business growth, you simply can’t continue to do “business as usual.” Each season, I now have to bring my A-Game, each and every time; I think of new ways to improve my sale and encourage more people to get involved with my event. If I didn’t have “competition,” it would be too easy for me to rest on my laurels.

Alliances

Alliances are important because having an ally will help you become aware of problem consignors, bad check writers, even thieves. While having a network of “national” friends is great, they can’t tell you about Betty BadCheckWriter. By having alliances, I also have sales I can refer my customers to – in return they have a vested interest to refer their customers to me.

And let’s face it, you can’t be everything to everyone. You can’t be the BIGGEST sale, the HIGH END MARKET sale, and the MOST FRIENDLY sale. You just can’t. My sale is capped at 350 consignors and I have a waiting list of 250 consignors. They need somewhere to sell – my location won’t fit them all. So I build alliances with other sale organizers. When we work together, our sales will grow as more shoppers and consignors discover the wonderful world of seasonal consignment sales.

Jenifer Gifford is a seasonal sale organizer for Once Around the Block Kids in Nashville, TN. She has hosted 23 sales in the Nashville area, including organizing benefit sales for local non-profits. Jenifer is the author of Consignamania™ - How To Start Your Own Seasonal Consignment Business manual. She also mentors and coaches new and existing sale organizers around the world.

Happy Volunteers

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:32:00 GMT

Volunteers make the consignment world go 'round!!! And happy volunteers make it even better! Today's article comes to us from Henriette Roe, owner of From Yours To Mine in Minnesota and founder of TwinCitiesKidsSales.com. Check out Henriette's tips to improving your volunteer's experience!

As a sale owner many of us struggle to find enough volunteers for our sales. There are a few ways of course to get more people to sign up like special pre-sales for volunteers that work more shifts, or paying out an extra percentage. But wouldn’t it be great to also retain volunteers from sale to sale? After all, repeat volunteers don’t take as much time to train in, they have done it before. It does take a little more than earning extra money to retain your volunteers from sale to sale.

Make it easy for them to do a good job:

Most people are visual learners. Make a cheat sheet for each position outlining the responsibilities, and give them to each volunteer to read along while you explain it. They can also keep those on hand to reference back to if needed. For example, we have the one for our door volunteer taped by the entryway. That way they can always check back to see how strollers are supposed to be marked, and if that back pack can be carried in or not.

People like to be called by their name

I’m really not good with names but there are a few ways to make them easier to remember. When I’m introduced to someone or they tell me their name, I try to make a point of saying their name three times. For example, while shaking hands I say “Nice to meet you, Julie.” Then I ask a question like “Did you have trouble finding your way here, Julie?”, and last something like “Julie, would you like to help at the door?” And of course you should have name tags to make it easy for volunteers to learn each other’s names.

Make an effort to get to know your volunteers:

Before you assign new volunteers to a specific role talk to them and find out what their talents are or what profession are they in. You might be surprised to find that one of your volunteers works in retail and knows everything about product placement, or the husband that was sent to help works in security.

Make sure you greet everyone and make them feel “seen”:

The worst thing you can do is miss that a volunteer showed up for their work shift, not marking them on your worker sheet, and then cutting their commission or banning them from signing up again for the next sale because you thought they were a no-show. Believe me, I speak from experience. I still don’t know how I missed that one particular volunteer and I can’t even say that I remember her at all. There is no amount of apologizing you can do to that person, that you didn’t even notice being there and helping you succeed with your sale. I now make a specific point to check in with EVERY volunteer a second time during their shift, checking them off on my list, calling them by their name, and making them feel appreciated.

Chocolate makes the (sale) world go around:

Have some snacks and water available for your volunteers to munch on. This is such a basic and simple form of showing your appreciation that really doesn’t cost you much. Just make sure there is chocolate, you are working with mostly women after all! I have to ration ours from day to day, otherwise there wouldn’t be any left come Sunday.

“Please” and “Thank You” should of course also be part of your vocabulary, and by implementing a few of the tips above you can increase the number of returning volunteers. The last thing you want is a bunch of confused, unappreciated and hungry women on your sales floor whose name you don’t even know, representing you and your sale. Without your volunteers it would be impossible for you to run your sale, so make sure to make them feel special. They will return the favor by volunteering again and again, and telling everyone else how great volunteering at your sale is.

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:01:00 GMT

I'm so blessed to work AMAZING sale owners while running this site. They are incredible business women and are always willing to share their words of wisdom with each other! I recently asked a few of my new "friends" what lessons they have learned the hard way in their consignment sale ownership. Here are a few highlights:

1. Collecting Sales Tax

Amazingly, a lot of sale organizers don't even think about taxes at their for-profit sales. In some states, there are "Occasional Event" tax exemptions, however, in others you may need to collect sales tax. Check with your state's Revenue department to see if you can apply. Find an accountant you trust and get things straightened out!

2. You {May Need to} Send 1099’s (REVISED 1/24)

EDITED on 1/24/11 - WOW, this one has owners & CPA's on both sides of the fence! Some say send, some say don't. We won't offer TAX advice... but we will say, BE PREPARED at year-end and ask your CPA for advice. Our "lesson learned" friend of mine found out in January she had to send 1099's and it was a MAD SCRAMBLE to get social's & to tally earnings (especially if consignors used multiple accounts!)

3. Ignoring Sign Rules

So, you’ve just spent $300 on great new road signs. The bad news? Your city doesn’t allow them on the weekdays and now they have all disappeared. Ouch! Make sure to check your city’s sign ordinances. Want a quick answer? Ask a local realtor, they’ll have the scoop!

4. Backup Power

10 workstations are ready to go and you’ve got a bustling floor of shoppers. The worst scenario? Your power goes out mid-checkout. You’ll lose data and deal with frustrated shoppers! Laptops are a great solution because they’ll run without being plugged in. If you have desktops, make sure to have battery powered backup plugs. It won’t buy you hours of time, but you’ll have a chance to save your data!

5. Backup Man Power

If the electricity totally goes out, do you have a backup plan? If your software system crashes, are shoppers going to just stop & wait? Can you collect manual credit card payments? Will you just hold items? Make this a part of your planning now and worry less later!

6. Theft

While we wish everyone was honest and helpful, there are folks out there that will inevitably take advantage. Do you have measures in place to help prevent theft? Bad checks? Security officers? Don’t regret not having someone else in place to help you with this!

7. Delegation

Veteran sale organizers can tell horror stories of “trying to do it all themselves.” The biggest lesson they’ve learned? Surround yourself with a great team and make sure they feel appreciated!

8. Crowd Control

The best problem? Too many shoppers, right? I see tons of negative reviews about too-long lines and frustrated shoppers. Find creative ways to stagger the rush or consider limiting entrance in the sale to prevent an over-crowded shopping floors and lengthy waits. Another great solution? Holding areas for a small fee.

5 Creative Marketing Ideas from 2010

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 01:26:00 GMT

As we look back at 2010, I'm totally in awe of some of the fabulously creative marketing ideas from sale owners across the country. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Facebook

This one is a no-brainer. Every sale or store needs a Facebook Fan page!

Facebook marketing in 2010 included photo posts of big ticket items to entice buyers, fan polls to encourage interaction and lots of contests to "recommend a friend."

2. Groupon and LivingSocial

Folks marketing on these social sites are getting an early start on this VERY popular and quickly growing marketing tool. If you have Groupon or LivingSocial in your area, it is totally worth getting involved NOW and locking in. Space is limited and return invites are given to those with successful campaigns the first go 'round.

WORD OF CAUTION: If you need to attract BUYERS, this tool is VERY valuable. Just be sure you have the inventory and man power to handle the demand. Many companies report a 30-50% increase in sales once they publish a Groupon promo.

3. Viral Discount Codes

I love this idea! There's no better way to help make your sale go "viral" than by finding the right target market and getting them to work FOR YOU! Offer a 10% kickback if a church, school, etc hands out fliers to your sale. It's a win-win for both parties... they get the extra money for their organization AND you get to reach a highly targeted market!

4. Super Magnets

We all know how much time a mom spends in the car! Become a mobile billboard and catch the eyes of "patiently" waiting mamas in carpool lanes with a few over-sized business car magnets. Find volunteers at different ages and geographic locations and have them display a magnet on their mini-van with your sale name and dates.

5. Tag Teams

This is hands-down my favorite "marketing tool" for 2010 and its soo not the traditional route. Plus, it helps solve one of the biggest dilemmas: Attracting consignors!

What is the #1 reason why most moms don't sell their goods at your sale? Tagging!
What is the #1 reason you don't offer a tagging service? You are too busy!

Bridge that gap with a select set of veteran consignors (your "Tag Team") that offer a tagging service to piggy-back your sale. This "Tag Team" can help market your sale and will make some money for themselves along the way.

Start Your Own Consignment Sale Resources

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:35:00 GMT

Thinking about starting your own consignment sale? There's a ton of resources out there to help you with your journey. Below are some of the best options available to you, at different price points and for folks with different levels of commitment.

Franchises

Here We Grow Again was started by two moms who wanted to provide quality used and new children’s items and sell them in a fun and exciting environment! Since that time, this idea has been transformed into a profitable and expanding business. Here We Grow Again franchisees provide sales event where both sellers and buyers benefit and walk away from each sale looking forward to the next. Our business has sale owners who are motivated, energetic and are part of a “growing” team!

Just Between Friends is seeking energetic, motivated bargain lovers with a commitment to helping their families and communities. We are committed to our company's core concept of bringing high-quality sales events to families across the nation. We're excited to find qualified, experienced franchisees who share our passion for great deals, our love for family and friends, and the Just Between Friends spirit of creating win-win scenarios for all involved. The Just Between Friends team has worked hard to put together a franchise program that includes proven operations and systems, intensive and comprehensive training, and target market development assistance through top-notch branding software.

Kids Closet Connection has recently started offering franchises to people that would love to start a Kid's Closet Connection children's consignment sale of their own in another community. We have enjoyed tremendous success over the past six years, and we wanted to open up this opportunity to other entrepreneurs.

Rhea Lana’s is the industry leader and pioneer in upscale computerized children’s consignment events. We began in 1997 and hosted our first computerized, web based event in 1998. We are an Arkansas based company and began offering national franchises in Jan 2008. Franchise Fee is $6,000 - $8,500 depending on territory size. All consignment management software, web hosting, web page design are included in the fee as well as a host of other benefits and an awesome summer franchise owners conference. Royalty Fee is 1-3%. This percentage decreases as franchise gross sales increase, which allows franchisees to keep more of their hard earned money. We have a family environment and are focused on only growing with the right folks who fit with the RL Culture and RL Values. Since January 2008, we have quickly grown to 28 high quality Franchises in 12 States and are adding more all the time.

Show & Tell Consignment Sale - We think that our company is so great that the whole world should be able to experience a Show & Tell Consignment Sale! Obviously it would take a lot less time if we have people who have the same vision of helping individuals and communities on board with us. Show & Tell Consignment Sale is a great company that you want to be a part of. We are looking for franchisees throughout the country and would love to talk to you about coming on board with Show & Tell Consignment Sale!

Books & Training Programs

Consignamania™ was written to walk you through the process of hosting a seasonal consignment sale in a logical process – from beginning to end and is full of lessons-learned, answers to hard questions facing new Sale Organizers, and proven techniques for hosting a sale that is profitable and fun for all involved. Consignamania™ also includes appendices including: checklists, floor plans, forms, merchandise preparation, pricing guidelines, and wooden rack construction instructions.

Start Your Own Sale is a complete, step by step business system and includes printed as well as customizable electronic resources which will guide you through the planning, operation, and growth of your consignment sale. Our system will provide you with all you need to know to operate a professional, organized, and efficient sale that people will look forward to shopping and consigning at time and time again.

Consultants & Coaches

Jennifer Upton has owned and operated Kentucky Kids Consignment Sales, LLC since 2004. She offers an individualized consulting plan to current and potential sale owners that is neither a manual or a franchise, it's individualized coaching to help you plan for and grow your business. Options include phone consultations, on-site training at her events in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and an all-inclusive plan that covers your first two years in business. Contact her at jen@kentuckykidssale.com or 859-296-0647.

Forums, Chats & Groups

Consignment Mommies - For Organizers Only Group - If you have hosted ONE sale and are currently listed on ConsignmentMommies.com, you can join our Facebook group! There are weekly chats before each season and great Q&A with owners who have "been there, done that!"

KidsSalesInfoShare - Are you in the process of starting your own sale and would like to ask questions or bounce ideas off of other owners/coordinators in the same boat as you? Join in on the free discussions at KSIS Incubator, an online Yahoo Group providing professional networking and infoshare opportunities for independent consignment sale owners and coordinators in the development/first year stage of operation. Request to join via the Yahoo Group button below or email Robin Mundell, Group Moderator, at robin@yourkidscloset.com for more information.

Consignment & Resale Group on LinkedIn - This is a group for sale and shop owners to network & share ideas.

(if you would like to be added to this list, please email me at info@consignmentmommies.com)

10 Benefits of Using an Online Tagging System (Automation System)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:53:00 GMT

By: John Wasson, MySaleManager.NET

Chrissy's Note: I get a lot of sale organizers that ask: is the automated system REALLY worth it? Most who switch NEVER look back. If you are still on the fence, here's an article from John Wasson on the benefits of automation.

1. Time Savings/Efficiency

As every sale owner knows, there are a myriad of tasks that must be done to pull off a successful consignment event. Often times these tasks begin weeks if not months before the consignment event actually takes place. Without automation, the time spent responding to email requests from consignors and volunteers can be very consuming. A good automation system will provide online tools that allow consignors and volunteers, etc., to perform tasks in a "self-service" manner. Such as, consignors can register for your sale, sign up for volunteer shifts and drop-off appointments, enter items and print tags, etc. This can all be done from their own home computers, at anytime of the day, and all without needing to contact you or generate emails that you need to respond to. This is a huge time savings for the sale owner, especially during that critical time a few weeks out from the sale when there are so many other things that demand your focus.

Do you manually resort tags at the end of your sale? Depending on the size of your sale, this process can take days or weeks. A good automation system will eliminate this task. At our own consignment event with 2,000 consignors, our automation system allows us to calculate seller reports and print checks in about 3 hours, most of which is spent simply printing.

2. Organization

Organization is critical to operating a successful consignment event. A good automation system gives you the tools to keep your sale and your sale-related data organized and easily accessible to you. Having computer printed tags with barcodes makes your sale look organized and professional as well as increasing the speed and accuracy at checkout and re-sorting. A good automation system should provide you with administrative tools that are easy to access, easy to use and provide a wide variety of reports that help you manage your sale data. An example of a benefit that only comes with an automation system is the ability to print a report showing how many items are coming to your sale in each category and size. This report gives you the ability to plan your rack space and sales floor as you are setting up racks, rather than trying to react and re-shuffle items on your sales floor right before you need to open the doors and let shoppers in.

3. Accuracy

Accuracy and integrity of information is critical to any business. An automation system allows you to collect data first-hand (input by your consignors and other users) which eliminates translation errors, lost information, etc. A good automation system will employ validation of entered data to ensure it is uniform and complete and will provide you with administrative tools so you can access that data quickly and easily when you need it.

Implementing a POS (Point-of-Sale)/ bar-coding system at your checkout stations greatly increases the accuracy of your sales transactions. Human errors (typos) are virtually eliminated, which translates to accurate reporting and payouts to your consignors. With an automation system you also have the ability to create, store and print detailed financial reports whenever you need them.

A good automation system should also give the ability (as an option) to actually "scan" each item that you accept from a consignor during drop-off so that you will know what you actually took in and what you didn't. This is really the only way to truly "guarantee" an item - that protects both you and the consignor.

4. Professionalism

Many sales, especially those breaking into new markets, battle a public perception that a consignment event is just a "big garage sale". You can combat this with a professional looking website which includes tools provided by an automation system that allows the public to easily interact with your business. Barcoded tags and an automated checkout system also go a long way toward tearing down those perceptions as well. The professionalism that comes from your automation system will build trust with consignors and shoppers to encourage them to participate in your business.

5. Communication

Communication with your sale's contacts (consignors, volunteers, shoppers) is very important to the success of your sale. Having the public "engaged" with you both during your sale and throughout the year will keep the "buzz" going about your event. Facebook and other social networking sites are excellent tools for this, but not everyone uses these tools. Traditional email is one of the best ways to stay engaged with everyone on your contacts (whether they use social networking tools or not). A good automation system will provide tools that allow the public to easily sign up on your mailing list. It also gives you the ability to send HTML formatted emails to all or different subsets of your contact lists and provides you with tools that keeps your contact lists clean and up-to-date.

6. Speed of Checkout

One of the biggest challenges that moderate to large consignment events face is long lines. Implementing a bar-coding POS system at your sale will greatly speed up your checkout lines – not to mention also greatly increasing your accuracy in selling items. Things to look for in a good automation system's POS software are:

It does more than just POS. You have a need to work with other sale data during your sale (volunteers, inventory, reprinting tags, last minute consignor registrations, etc.)
Networked stations: Your different POS computers need to be able to talk with each other so they can "know" what the others are doing and can be aware of all activity in "real time". This also allows you as the sale owner to securely see up-to-date sales and other information from ANY station at ANY time, if you choose. There is no need to compile all the data from each station first. There are many other benefits to your POS stations being networked - too many to list for this article.

A growing trend in the consignment event industry is to stop the practice of removing the tags from items as they are checked out and sold. An automation system greatly reduces the risk involved with this. Not removing tags will greatly increase the speed of checkout, but you lose your fall-back "paper trail" of what was actually sold at your sale. If you are considering moving to an automation system and not removing tags, be sure you get an automation system that can do a "real-time" backup (backing up each transaction immediately as they are completed). Any other backup strategy will leave you vulnerable to data loss in between backups.

7. Reporting

An automation system gives you the ability to look at your sale data in ways that just aren't possible otherwise, and that data is always up-to-date and available instantaneously. A few examples of what you can do with a good automation system:

See exactly what items (and their overall value) are coming into your sale. You can even break it down by category and size for rack-space/ floor planning purposes.

Keep track of your volunteers by using reports that show an overall view of your work shifts and which positions are filled and which are still open. You can add or remove positions from your volunteer schedule at any time to adjust to changing conditions. (Drop-off appointments can be managed in the same manner.)

View statistics during your sale that give you "real time" information on how much revenue you have taken in, how much money you have collected per register and/or per payment type, how much you collected in sales tax, how much each consignor has sold/ is owed, etc. You can also generate "After Sale" reports that show you all the collected statistics at a glance. You can track your sale’s performance from sale to sale, year to year, etc., and use the information to make valuable decisions based on your trend performance. (See more information on #8 Statistics/ Trending.)

Provide useful information/ reports to consignors. These include detailed reports on what sold and how much they earned, a listing of the consignor’s items that did not sell, and items that were donated.

8. Statistics/ Trending

An automation system provides you with statistics about your sale that cannot realistically be obtained any other way. These statistics, (including those from the reports mentioned in #7 above), can help you chart the growth of your sale and see trends in your sale performance. Trending information can help you see how your decisions affect the overall performance of your sale. Other benefits of statistics reports are to help you spot trends and forecast future sale revenues, etc.

9. Flexibility

As your sale grows and changes, new policies occasionally need to be implemented or changed. These policies include things such as capping consignors, placing limits on the number of items a consignor can bring, making changes to your seller agreement, etc. A good automation system should have settings to easily accommodate and adjust to these policy changes. An automation system helps you when these policy changes arise because it can be used to enforce those policies automatically.

10. Customer Service

Good customer service is critical to any business that deals with the public and consignment events are no exception. An automation system allows you to have your sale-related data at your finger-tips so that you can easily respond to questions. It also provides tools that will allow your consignors and the public to easily interact, register, enter items, and more. Your consignors have the ability to do these tasks at anytime, without waiting for a reply email from you and this greatly enhances their experience as they interact with your sale. It is especially handy during those days before your sale when many "last-minute" consignors are scrambling to get registered and get their items tagged. Also, a good automation system should provide you with a complete administrative side that will allow you to perform any activity FOR your consignor should you need to – such as, consignor registration, entering items/ printing tags, signing up for volunteer shifts, etc.

In conclusion - consignment events have been around for a long time, longer than computers! It is possible to pull off a great consignment event without using an automation system, but the benefits that an automation system brings to an event are huge and should be considered. You don't have to be a computer genius to make use of computer technology in your business. Look for an automation system that is widely used across the industry and that has a good customer support structure in place.

If have often wondered to myself "Who gets the most benefit from an automation system - the consignor or the sale owner?" Every time I think I have settled on an answer I hear another story that again makes me unsure. I'd love to hear what you think - e-mail me at Info@MySaleManager.NET and let me know!

John is the owner/developer at www.MySaleManager.NET, the leading provider of automation software for the seasonal consignment sale industry. He is also one of the owners of the Growing Kids Sale, a seasonal consignment event in Fort Smith, AR with over 2,000 consignors.