While many people are happy with their jobs in the office, there are a few innovative ones who want to quit their fixed job and start their own business. Looking at many successful and planning to emulate their success, they jump headlong into a new venture. Capital can always be had from the bank if the plans are luscious enough and there are many people around who specialize in drafting such plans. So one fine day, armed with the blue prints of your new business, you walk into the bank manager’s office and are successful to get the loan you required for starting your new project. So far things look pretty good and are running according to plan.
After a location has been purchased and the plants, machineries etc. have been set, you start your new venture which will earn you riches overnight. You have also been wise enough to engage an advertising agency to look after the ads in various medias which will help to sell your goods. As the days pass by, your warehouse gets filled up with unsold stock. There is no doubt that the advertising agency have done their job because you are getting enquiries from some quarters and a few of them are also translating into business. But they are far and few between. Is that what you had in mind when you quit your well paid job in the office?
While your approach is not wrong, your strategy is. The ads released in the papers might have been overlooked by many and it is just not feasible for an upcoming business to invest too much into TV ads which are quite costly. You are sure that your product is good and the same is echoed by the limited few who have become your clients. In fact some of them swear that your product is far better than that that of the competitors and yet, lots of unsold stock lie in your warehouse. You have missed out on one aspect. Unless you have come out with a great idea and a novel item, the only way to promote your goods is by direct contact with the end users. This is where trade fairs can be extremely helpful to your business.
Just search through the net for trade fairs that are specifically meant for the types of items that you are manufacturing and you will come up with many hits. Get in touch with the agents of these fairs and book a decent stall in a couple of these fairs. The costs of these stalls are quite reasonable and for starters, you can well do with a small one.
Now that you have booked the stalls, it is time to get some eye-catching brochures having details and pictures of your products made. You also need to print some carry bags with your companies name, address, logo ad contact phone numbers. Set up your stall with your products and offer a special discount for them who purchase your goods from the fair itself.
These special trade fairs will help you to increase not just your business, but also your contacts because they are visited by people of the same trade. Suppose you are in the garment manufacturing industry, having a stall in a garment fair will give you extreme exposure not just with clients but with prospective wholesale purchasers too. If an agent of a reputed chain of stores likes your products, you can be rest assured that big days are ahead. These agents and other bulk purchasers make it a point to visit all the trade fairs across the globe hat cater to the range of products they stock.
Apart from the agents, there are quite a number of retailers who visit these trade fairs. They know that they can compare various goods under one roof without running round from country to country. Not only does this save them the time and traveling expenses, it also helps them to get in touch with new suppliers who might be able to offer tem exactly what they have been searching for a long period of time.
Then there are the direct customers who visit these trade fairs in the hope of getting quality gods at discounted prices. These people are also extremely important for your business because they act as your advertising agents and their word of mouth advertising does not cost any money. If they are fascinated by your products, not only will they come back the next day for more, but they will also inform their neighbors about your products. What more could you want?
Then there is the chance of meeting some of the industry greats. Since you are a participant of the fair, you have a better chance than the visitors to talk with them. These people, the gurus of the industry can easily sum up your product and tell you the flaws, if any, in the same. They can also give you tips which will go a long way in improving your business. Most of the trade fairs hold special seminars for their participants and attending these seminars can give you valuable hints and tips on how you can make your products even better. It is a good idea to have a good number of your business card ready when you are setting up stall at the fair. Pass on your cards to your fellow business persons. Who knows, one fine day they might have a demand for the product you are manufacturing and they might very well provide you with that huge order.
It is recommended that you keep on visiting trade fairs even when you have established yourself. Remember the guru who gave you the hint? He too had started the hard way, but even after he has established his name in the industry, he still makes it a point to visit the trade fairs. Newer technologies keep on evolving every month and it is by visiting these fairs that you can get first hand information about them. In fact many leading companies launch their important products in the trade fairs itself.
