let’s get together!Feel the fluffy loveGilliangladrag runs loads of differentcourses and workshops at her fabulousretail outlet The Fluff-a-torium, focusingprimarily on felting, spinning, knitting andcrochet, but is soon to offer some simplesewing courses too. Company founderGillian Harris tells us more…“Apart from obviously promoting ourown products to sell in store and online, wefind a lot of our retailers like to come andlearn some new felting techniques and skills.They (retailers) are then better equippedto educate their own staff - and sell moreeffectively. It’s also a great opportunity tomake samples for their shops – as inevitablyproducts always sell faster when samplesare available to see and touch, in store.“In addition, our “Knit & Knatter” groupat The Fluff-a-torium goes from strength tostrength, most recently having triumphed by“yarn-bombing” our local landmark - TheDorking Cockerel with a knitted OlympicGold Medal. There were pictures of it allover the internet - including The Daily Mailwebsite! It’s great to support communityspirited projects, and we get lots of localpublicity when the “guerilla knitter” pursuitsget followed by the local press!”Gilliangladrag, W: www.gilliangladrag.co.ukand www.facebook.com/GilliangladragChain of craftsCreative Beadcraft regularlyruns get-togethers in the formof workshops, where they canmeet customers and get peopleenthusiastic about beading. Wethought we’d ask Laura Ells fromthe company about the sessionsand the advantages of running them1) What prompted youto set up workshops?We regularly had customers askingour London shop staff and mail order department if we did workshops, particularly for beginners.2) How do your workshops ‘work’?All our workshops are based at our central London shop, just off Carnaby Street. All thematerials used are our normal stock, sourced from a variety of suppliers. We run severalworkshops during the day on weekdays and on Saturdays, which run for two hours.Workshop information is available in the shop and on our website and sessions canbe booked either in person, or over the internet.3) What sort of people come along?Many participants are complete beginners and we often get friends or family comingtogether. Participants often start with the Beginners Workshop and then come back formore to develop their skills. They usually want to learn a particular technique such aswirework and tiara making or chain maille.Most of our workshops are geared to beginner and intermediate level but we arecurrently developing a new series of weaving workshops for more advanced beaders.4) What kind of atmosphere do you like to create?Our workshops are very informal and relaxed. We like to create a fun atmosphere withplenty of participation and practice. Having said that, it is essential to plan each workshopso that all the information is clearly imparted and the workshops run smoothly.It’s really important to have the right tutor. As well as being knowledgeable, they needto have the right personal qualities, including patience and good communication skills.5) What are your favourite workshop makes/projects?Our most popular workshop is definitely the Complete Beginners Class. This covers theessentials for beading; such as types of pliers and findings and the basic techniques soparticipants can go away confident that they can make bracelets, necklaces and earrings.The most popular specific technique this year has been the very trendy shamballa bracelet.7) How do you think craft retailers could benefit from workshops?Workshops provide a great after-sales opportunity. Beginners, especially, often want tobuy a whole range of products including tools, books, beads and findings. We offer a smalldiscount on purchases made after the workshop which works well. It’s also worth offering adiscount if, for example, three workshops are booked.Other benefits include building stronger relationships with your customers. We get verypositive feedback on our workshops and developing new workshops is a great way to keepcustomers coming back, while word of mouth is a great selling tool to attract new customers.Creative Beadcraft, T: +44 (0)1494 778818, W: www.creativebeadcraft.co.uk C76 craftfocus
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