News
A one-day event at Centrestage last Wednesday, Sell It fired the imaginations of a group of small business creatives and artisans, helping them to work on marketing and selling their products.
Created to help small business founders in the lead up to Christmas, Sell It was a collaboration between COIN South, Shop Southland Studios and Southland Chamber of Commerce, and the first event of its kind.
Small businesses ranging from dog toy makers, to artists, to wedding photographers came together to work on developing their businesses, their messages and marketing their products. The connection with Shop Southland Studios meant that COIN South was able to reach out to a new group of small business creatives that may not have previously had contact with COIN South.
“It was awesome to connect with creatives in the Southland community that are so enthusiastic about their businesses but are wearing many hats, from finances to production, to sales and marketing. By teaming up with Shop Southland Studios and Southland Chamber of Commerce we were able to provide an event that helps the founders to grow and give the confidence to sell and market their products”. Nikki Dermody, COIN South Marketing and Events Manager said.
Mel McKenzie from The Penny Drops and Stef Le Gros from Stef Le Gros Art started Shop Southland Studios an online directory to highlight creative people and businesses in Southland.
“We encourage our online followers to support the local creatives by buying from their studios and showing support to their social media accounts. Along the way we have built a community of amazing people who are becoming friends, collaborating with each other, and building connections that further their business” Le Gros said.
Michelle McSoriley Marketing and Events Manager from Southland Chamber of Commerce also commented “Always great to team up with COIN South, giving both startup businesses and small businesses an opportunity to learn some engaging digital marketing techniques along with basic business strategies to push forward and succeed”.
Presentations and breakout sessions included topics on customers and messaging from COIN South, Pricing from Findex and practical photography breakout sessions with photographers We The Collective, Kiwi Captures and The Penny Drops.
A panel discussion with Found My Way, Kiwi Captures, Love from Seventeen and Stef Le Gros provided some interesting insight into their experience marketing online to getting products into a retail gift store.
Le Gros and McKenzie were delighted with the outcome of the day, “since the event we have already seen positive changes in the use of social media, styling and lighting of images and showing the person behind the brand.”