GOT A GOOD IDEA?

      PEOPLE OFTEN SAY TO ME  " YOU'RE SO LUCKY,  TRAVELING ALL OVER FRANCE, STAYING IN LOVELY PLACES, BUYING GORGEOUS TEXTILES AND THEN COMING HOME AND HAVING ALL THE FUN SELLING IT ALL TO INTERESTING PEOPLE LIKE DECORATORS AND HISTORIANS WHO COME TO VISIT YOU IN YOUR HOME - YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO SIT IN A SHOP!"  Well yes, that sounds alright to me too but I always say that before starting any sort of business there are three vital questions to ask yourself
 1. What do you really like doing and are you prepared to work at it?
 2   Do you know who your customers would be and where they are?
 3. Would they be prepared to spend enough to cover all your expenses and give you a profit?
 My reply was always that there was nothing to stop anyone  setting off to France in their car and doing what I did,  provided you had some spare Francs and a copy of the trade magazine Aladin which lists all the fairs for the whole of France (still available at Maison de la Presse in almost every French town).

     You also need to survey your local market or your Website competitors to see what other people are offering - if you can find yourself a 'corner' in any particular goods, the simpler the better, you are half way to becoming a useful contact for buyers.  It could be a service like supplying expertly-worked initials on fine linen for wedding gifts which you could offer to other linen suppliers;  you would have to invest in a good clean work space and an (expensive) good electronic sewing machine.    I, myself, would give you work!      It is quite a good idea to have a small section of your stock with a collection of useful stuff  titled 'for a wedding' 'for your baby's layette' or 'for your garden' which helps people to choose presents - You can take it to fairs, show it at an antique centre or photograph it for your website.   You really do need a website to make progress  - I did my own with some help from friend Linda Clift and it's another way of putting your name ahead for a speciality, and you can deal from it and make very good contacts.  It's really not difficult and not at all expensive.  You can get professional help to do all this, but it is very expensive and if you think about it and can scan or copy good pictures, that makes a lot of difference, you can probably add some good text.  Keep to the point (I'm afraid I never do) see what response you get, and adjust continually as you discover what the market is and what your readers want.  The comments can be quite helpful.  Remember there are thousands of other Bloggers and Websites all trying to capture a market so you do have to offer something special, or original, or very good value and then there is a long hard wait while you build your business up. 
      As things  are at present, I would not recommend taking on a shop, however small, much better to rent a small space and let someone else sit there waiting for the door to open.   But if you do not have a market  place, then you must make big efforts to get your service or goods known - advertising in club newsletters, like the W.I.  or church magazines, is usually very cheap and reaches a lot of active potential buyers - and it is absolutely essential to get yourself  decent trade cards  printed on your computer with full details really well set out and to carry them with you at all times to pass on.  If you have something interesting to tell people,  like objects that have a local or historical connection, write it up and send copies off to your local newspapers; they are always hungry for news items.  Use postcards for notice-boards in local shops and stores with good illustrations of your goods.   All this sounds elementary and it is, but it is surprising how often I meet young entrepreneurs who have no business cards and I tell them that with my bad memory I will have forgotten them  two hours later and they will not get into my contact list, where I might do them some good by a mention!   You must be very economical but also very efficient with your advertising budget!   In the following posts I will tell how I started my own business with no training and just a computer and printer. See BLOG  CLIMBING UP THE HILL.

Mixed hand-woven sheets in linen and hemp - Don't they look interesting and tactile???This picture on a simple blog brought me dozens of enquiries and several good sales.  You could do the same with Welsh or Scottish tweeds, lengths of tartan for scarves or skirts, French cotton piques from babies layettes,  and large spotted or checked neck kerchiefs for gentlemen. I find good quality vintage accessories for gentlemen always sell well - but they must be in very good order and no synthetics!