An idea?

So i was trying to think of how we could get a few more sales... and since we are such a small animal team (meaning most of us have small animals) I was thinking maybe we should start sample boxes. ( I know some of you are in pets jubile, and i dont know if you have seen their sample boxes, but its a pretty good idea, but we could have them for small animal items)

Let me know if any one is interested, or how you think we could go about this if we did decide to go with it.

It sounds like a good idea in theory, but i just dont know how we would come up with the sample box? we could advertise it on our facebook page.. but how would we put together the sample box? everyone sends items to one person? do people send items to someone at a discounted price? how would the money be pooled by the sample box? things like that.
I would love to hear feedback.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
21 Replies
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

I am in the other team too but never been very active as of yet. I saw the box thing but did not quite get it.

I dont think it is a bad idea...just how to do it.
I guess have things to one person if it is a sample box to send or sell or how ever that one works.
Of gift certificates might be easy and coule even maybe be something to email out?

Got me on this one. I will participate and help out what ever we decided on.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...

Re: An idea?

Yeah i havent been active enough in that team to get how it works. and it says that it could be items for dogs or cats... i dont have a cat.. just two dogs. so its a little confusing.
but pretty much all of us sell either hammocks, pouches, beds, plush small animals, small animal art.. it seems like an easier target, as we can just say a box of sample items for small furry friends. (such as guinea pigs, rats, hedgehogs.. etc)
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

I'm totally in! The thing is, since most of us do sell a lot of very similar products, how do we decide what to include? Will there be enough variety? I'm not a member over at the other team you're talking about so maybe I just don't really get the concept.

Team gift certificates would be really cool, too.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...

Re: An idea?

Well like we can have two people put in pouches. one or two people put in a hammock, bed or tunnel.. i know some people do artwork with guinea pigs, so maybe throw in a couple of those.
and just have like a sample box. or something like that..
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

How does the payment work? Does 100% of the money, minus listing and fees, go back to the shops who put the items in? Or are the items donated and the money is used on other things, like advertisement and things like that?

If the money just goes back to the shops who donated items, then if each item sent in is labeled with an approximate price that the seller would like to receive for it (discounted from how much they'd sell it in their own shop), then the person who is collecting the items and setting up the boxes would know based on that how to price the boxes, how many items to put in each box, and once the box sells, who to give the money to.

However if the money is pooled/split in a different way, like to give each donor a percentage of each sale, or to pay the person collecting all the items for setting up the listings, it could get a little more complicated.

I've gone over Pets Jubilee and I have no idea how they set theirs up. It looks like the items are donated, but I'm not sure where the money goes.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

OK I guess I am still confused.. does someone purchase the Box with everything or is ia a 'box' of items at special pricing to entice customers?

On the everyone making the same type of things... yes that is the case but maybe what we should do on that point is go through (those willing to participate) and see who has some different things too and at least have some variety along with all the adorable little critter things? Might grab more attention.
I know we have a few people in this team that do some nice artwork, there are ones that make plush critters and so on..so there can be some animla based variety should we get them to participate.

A Team gift certificate type box would be a cool thing too. Kinda like a Special coupon each shop throws in the pot for a one time shopping spree. Then people could choose what they want from the shops participating.

I think it is a great idea it is the how to part that is a stumper still. I never donated anything to pets jubilee cause it did not make sense on how/what they were doing.

We could do a ...I dont know... Monthly special... have everyone toss in the Best coupon deal or special that they can afford to do....Then there is not having to get items to a person and them having to worry with shipping and all. Would take out that possible issue. Then the specials/sales could be posted on all the venues that have been set up...as a advertised...this is it for ----- hours or what ever??
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

I love the Monthly special idea; I would love to participate in that. We could also have team sales -- maybe a Christmas in July sale that spans as many shops in the team as want to participate -- or something like that.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
SewCat
Inspiration Seeker

Re: An idea?

It's always nice when all can participate...

Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...

Re: An idea?

yeah monthly specials sound like a good idea.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

Monthly specials may be easier to pull off than a box deal... but we could try both...any thing that could help everyone sales would be great.

A Christmas in July sale sounds great.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...

Re: An idea?

I know i think a christmas in july sounds like a fun idea! we should try it out for sure!
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

I still think it would be good to do a sample basket as a prize for newcomers to the facebook, blog or shops. Purchases to a team member count as more than one entry, that sort of thing. So in that case the items would be donated from each shop that wanted to participate, and we would only count purchases from those shops as entries. I think that just eliminates the confusion of splitting up the profits later on as they come from purchases and not those items that were donated to the sample basket. One person would have to be in charge of all of the items I think.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

I love the idea of sample baskets as prizes instead of as something that's purchased. I would totally be willing to donate for that.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

Donation sounds fine with me... I was confused how we could make it work if all are getting some sorta pay out.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

The only problem I see is you can't "sample" our products so much as there aren't a big variety of "big and small ticket items". They are very similar in value.

Of course I would love to participate in whatever happens.

Or maybe I'm not following.... I don't know.

I was wondering if maybe contests or something would be a good idea. Maybe we could host contests for small animals and feature different shops each time. We could promote them on various sites for people who own small animals to win our products?

So for example so and so would have a funny ferrets photo contest. The person with the funniest ferret photo wins a specific item from so and so's shop. Then the next month could be glamorous guinea pigs and so on.

This way it would make coordination a little more individualized as the person featured could just ship off their own item. However, then you add the problem of coordinating the contest, entries and all that fun stuff.

You also only officially promote one shop a month. You could, however, leave previous winners and prizes up so people can browse through and see what we all have to offer I guess. So it does kind of still keep promoting.

I don't know, it was just an idea.

I also am not saying the baskets are a bad idea but, say 4-5 of us donate something, wouldn't that, at the least, be close to a $40 basket already? Maybe not.. I don't know lol!
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

Yeah, JiggyPiggy, that's what I was thinking as well. I love the contest idea for individual items, though; that'd be really cool.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

Yeah I think that would be much easier to organize. I actually posted something on the FB page last week about possible doing a funny pet story contest. In addition to the weekly spotlights we could host one contest a month with one shop donating a prize to the winner. I think that would be super simple JP!( Hope you don;t mind if a call ya JP LOL)
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...

Re: An idea?

Yeah i think this would be a good idea to promote us a lot more!
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

I don't mind JP and I'm glad you guys like the idea! :)
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Former_Member
Not applicable

Re: An idea?

Funny pet stories can work well. I used to do it on my reg site and it did well. I have been redoing my site but kept a couple of my favs... of course the 1st one is of my dog Payton...he was my baby so had to keep him up.
http://www.gottaspoilem.com/CUTEPETSTORIES.html
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...

Re: An idea?

Yeah i think we should do that. or have funny pet youtube videos in the pet stories as well.
I have a couple funny videos i took of my guinea pigs the other day.
Translate to English There was a problem fetching the translation.
0 Likes
Reply
Loading...
Reply
You must log in to join this conversation.
Remember that posts are subject to Etsy's Community Policy.