If you’re an artist or artisan looking to market your products, an upcoming workshop organized for the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design could help you do just that. At the Centre de la Mi-Careme, NSCAD instructor and designer/maker Jeffrey Cowling will bring 30 years of experience to giving participants advice on how to succeed in selling artisan products.
The two day session is structured to be lively and interactive, and cover four major subject areas of promotion, pricing, display and packaging, and product development. Cowling will cover a wide range of marketing considerations, including how to create a memorable brand identity for yourself, how to create a media kit, ideas on creating effective web and print materials, and how to describe yourself in an engaging way. There will be a lesson on how to set a price structure, including web pricing, hidden costs of doing business, and other considerations.
The third major theme of display and packaging will give participants insight into how properly showcasing one’s work can increase the value of your work and boost sales. This lesson will provide resources for attractive packaging, how to inexpensively create display materials, and how to arrange merchandise in aesthetically appealing ways. The fourth topic area of “product development” will show how to work trends to one’s advantage, explaining the difference between designing products for retail versus wholesale, assessing one’s capabilities for realistic production and materials access, and advice on developing new products.
Though the session is geared toward artisans, many small business owners and shopkeepers will also find the lessons relevant to their operations. Early registration is recommended due to limited space. The workshop will run from Wednesday, November 17 to Thursday the 18th and the cost for is $100 plus tax per person. To register, contact michelle@capebretoncraft or call (902)539-7491, extension 114. The Centre de le Mi-Careme is located at 51 Old Cabot Trail, Grand Etang. Artists are should their products and promotional materials to take advantage of the available hands-on advice.
Cowling is best known for his award-winning interior design and accessories including coffee tables, folding side tables, computer desks, and other items made with hardwoods, steel, and glass. His signature pieces include custom funeral urns make of exotic wood, rich textiles and semi-precious material inlays.
