Business Opportunity With Bellavance Ink
I have been developing Bellavance Ink since 2018 after working as a cartographer in my prior life. Since that time, I have been steadily drawing designs covering a wide array of subjects from funny animals, skeletons, local buildings and vintage cars/aviation.
I sell these designs at our popular Charlottesville Farmer's Market and the Local Ix Art Farmer's market. I do fairly well at the market and I attribute it to the interesting and unique designs that people seem to love.
By far the most popular items I sell at these markets are the stickers. I do also have my graphics put onto greeting cards and they sell well also but its more like a 60/40 split with the stickers being the most popular.
I am now making my stickers/cards available to people who would like to sell them at their local market in a sort of franchise setup.
Requirements And Additional Information:
There are some minimum requirements and key details you should know about if you would like to begin selling my artwork.
- You will need to purchase at least $500.00 worth of inventory for your first order. I will go over pricing strategies later and how to maximize profits.
- You will have to sell in your local area only. I will make sure that I do not partner with anyone else within 50 miles of your geographic location under a similar franchise setup.
- You will need to make sure the market you sell at will permit you to sell them. Some markets may only want the actual artist to sell but other markets are different. So make sure you can sell at the market you want to participate in. If you do not plan to sell at a market but in your own brick and mortar shop that is fine as well. Or even a pop-up market is ok.
- You cannot sell these stickers online except via your own personal website. You cannot sell on Etsy, Amazon, Faire any of my designs. You can only sell them at the market you are participating.
- Each region of the country is different so you get to choose what graphics of mine will sell well in your area.
- I am always adding new inventory. Usually 4 illustrations per month so you will always have access to new illustrations.
- I will provide a market startup-kit recommendation with how I setup at my markets with links to all of the hardware I have purchased. Examples: Tent, tables, table coverings, etc.
- I will make myself available to you via phone/email to answer questions for how get your business rolling along.
- You are not permitted to copy these graphics and sell on your own. You need to go through me to acquire all products related to my graphics. This is my lively hood and I want us to both succeed. We should have a mutually beneficial relationship. Theft of artwork will not be tolerated and will be addressed with legal action if necessary.
If you will abide by these guidelines then please reach out and lets work together to build a business that will be beneficial to both of us.
Pricing For Stickers:
As stated before you will need to purchase at least 500.00 in inventory. This translates to about 250 stickers with 25 designs of 10 stickers each. The minimum order size per design is 10. Of note, I use StickerMule which usually always includes 11 stickers per design, so your profits will be a little bit more than what is stated below. Shipping to you is free.
Following restock orders will not require a purchase of $500.00. It will be reduced to as needed but I suggest waiting until you need to purchase at least $200.00 worth of inventory.
Each sticker's actual cost to you is 2.00 each. I then suggest charging $5.00 per sticker. Other shops I have sold to sell them for 6.00 but for ease of sale I charge 5.00 as its an easy denomination to work with. So at this price point you will make at least 3.00 per sticker.
If you are able, I recommend purchasing 100 designs as this gives the customers a wide selection to look through. Sometimes you will notice people just standing in front of your table scanning all the designs with smiles on their face admiring the humor of them all. They really are unique stickers that have a wide appeal. The more on the table the more time to speak about what you are offering which I will go into next.
Upon request, I can also provide a list of the top 100 stickers by sales.
The Sticker Spiel:
I have a spiel/elevator speech for every customer that stops by, it goes like this. "Hi, How are you doing? I just wanted to let you know all of the stickers are dishwasher safe, carwash safe, and can be put onto most smooth surfaces such as a car window, a water bottle that goes through the dishwasher, cooler, kayak, canoe, etc. They are pretty much indestructible. I have had mine on my car now for 4 years and they survive the elements very well."
I then add this next part, but this is optional, however I have noticed it has increased my sales greatly.
"I have a special on the stickers. If you find four designs you like you get the 5th one for free. And if you like greeting cards you can mix and match with them as they are the same price. 5.00 each. Or said another way. 5 Designs for $20.00."
The Cards And Pricing:
Greeting cards are another product you can have at your table. Believe or not people still love sending and receiving cards. My cards are all 5 x 7 in size which can be framed easily in a standard frame. The envelope is made of a heavy craft paper and they arrive in a protective cellophane sleeve ready for sale.
I have hundreds of card designs that can be categorized. Holiday cards, Christmas cards, Birthday cards, Skeleton cards, Valentines cards, Get Well cards, Funny animal cards and more. I have them in long boxes that the customer can easily peruse trough and search.
Pricing is the same for the cards as the stickers. 2.00 each with a retail value of $5.00-6.00 each.
The Setup:
To sell effectively you will need a few items so you have an actual shop. This is assuming you are doing something like a farmer's market or a pop up tent and you will be outside. This is the core of what you will need.
- A 10 x 10 foot tent if you are outside. Customers don't like standing in the sun so make their stay as comfortable as possible. 10 x 10 Tent
- Tent weights: To keep your tent secure in case it gets a little windy. Tent Corner Weights
- 2-3 large tables: To display all of your stickers/cards. 6 Foot Long Folding Table
- 2-3 black table coverings: Best for stickers as there is a high contrast between the black covering and stickers. Table Covering For 6 Foot Table
- A vinyl sign to hang on your tent: I can actually help have this made for you via VistaPrint. Go to VistaPrint.
- 2-3 boxes to hold your greeting cards. They need to be able to hold cards that are 5x7 in size. I found someone on Etsy to make me some boxes but if you are fairly decent at carpentry you could make your own. They need to be at least 7.50 inches wide on the interior so the cards can fit well.
- Laminated cards to categorize your greeting cards. I made these on my own by printing onto card stock and then had laminated at Staples.
- Containers for storing your stickers. Any container store will work. I keep them organized in ziplock bags in categories.
- Rubber bands for holding stickers secure on the table. These will degrade in the sunlight so you will always need them. Go to an office supply shop.
- Square credit card reader. This is essential for accepting credit cards. Square Card Reader
- Bungee Cords. For holding any signs up attached to your tent. Lowes or Home Depot will have these.
- I recommend card racks for displaying samples of your cards. This captures the attention as people walk by. Greeting Card Rack
- A water bottle with water for drinking and also an example of your stickers on the bottle.
- Cash box or fanny-pack.
- Plexiglass sheets. If you plan on standing out in the wind, I recommend these for windy days to keep your stickers in place. The customer or you can easily lift up to grab the sticker they want. You can get these at Lowes or Home Depot.
This is what my setup looks like at the market.
Your setup may vary but this is one configuration I have developed over the last few years. All the cards are organized in the back and the stickers up front. When people see a wide array of stickers their curiosity is piqued. Especially children and they will hover around the table.
If you have any questions, please just send me an email and we can schedule a phone call to go over in detail how the process works.