How trade and fairs can boost your business

While many people are happy with their office jobs, there are some innovators who want to quit their regular job and start their own business. Looking at many successful ones and planning to emulate their success, they plunge headlong into a new venture. You can always get capital from the bank if the plans are attractive enough and there are plenty of people around who specialize in writing such plans. Then one fine day, armed with the plans for his new business, he walks into the bank manager’s office and manages to get the loan he needs to start his new project. So far things are looking pretty good and working as planned.

After a location and the plants, machinery, etc. have been purchased. established, you start your new venture that will make you rich overnight. You’ve also been smart enough to hire an ad agency to handle the various media ads that will help sell your products. As the days go by, your warehouse fills up with unsold stock. There is no doubt that the advertising agency has done its job because it is receiving inquiries from some sectors and some of them are also translating into business. But they are far away and few in between. Is that what you had in mind when you left your high-paying job at the office?

While your approach isn’t wrong, your strategy is. Newspaper ads may have been overlooked by many and it is simply not feasible for a future company to invest too much in TV ads, which are quite expensive. You are sure that your product is good and the same echoes the few who have become your customers. In fact, some of them swear that their product is much better than the competition, and yet there is a lot of unsold stock in their warehouse. You have missed one aspect. Unless you have a great idea and a hot item, the only way to promote your products is through direct contact with end users. This is where trade shows can be extremely useful for your business.

Just search the net for trade shows that are specifically designed for the types of items you’re making and you’ll get plenty of results. Get in touch with the agents of these fairs and reserve a decent booth at a couple of these fairs. The costs for these stalls are quite reasonable, and you might as well get by with a small one to begin with.

Now that you’ve booked the booths, it’s time to get some eye-catching brochures with details and images of your products. You should also print some carrier bags with your business name, address, logo, and contact phone numbers. Set up your stand with your products and offer a special discount for those who purchase your merchandise at the fair itself.

These special trade shows will help you to increase not only your business, but also your contacts because they are visited by people of the same trade. Suppose you are in the clothing manufacturing industry, having a booth at a clothing trade show will give you extreme exposure not only with customers but also with potential wholesale buyers. If an agent from a reputable chain store likes your products, you can be sure that great days are ahead. These agents and other bulk buyers make it a point to visit all the trade shows around the world that cater to the range of products they stock.

Apart from the agents, there are a good number of retailers that visit these fairs. They know that they can compare various products under one roof without having to go from one country to another. This not only saves them time and travel costs, but also helps them get in touch with new suppliers who might offer exactly what they have been looking for for a long period of time.

Then there are the direct customers who visit these trade shows hoping to get quality products at discounted prices. These people are also extremely important to your business because they act as your advertising agents and your word of mouth advertising does not cost any money. If they are fascinated by your products, they will not only come back the next day for more, but they will also tell their neighbors about your products. What more could you want?

Then there’s the chance to meet some of the greats in the industry. As you are a fair participant, you have a better chance than the visitors to talk to them. These people, the industry gurus, can easily summarize your product and tell you the flaws, if any, in it. They can also give you tips that will go a long way in improving your business. Most trade shows organize special seminars for their attendees and attending these seminars can give you valuable tips and advice on how you can further improve your products. It’s a good idea to have a good stock of your business card ready when you’re setting up a booth at the show. Pass your cards out to your business partners. Who knows, one fine day they might have a demand for the product you are making and they may very well supply you with that big order.

It is recommended that you continue to visit fairs even after you have established yourself. Do you remember the guru who gave you the hint? He too had started out the hard way, but even after establishing his name in the industry, he still makes a point of visiting trade shows. The newest technologies continue to evolve every month and it is by visiting these fairs that he can get first hand information about them. In fact, many leading companies launch their major products at the trade shows themselves.