BellaGrafica
Box It In Style!
November/23/2007
I hear from the folks at Marathon that the gorgeous 8x10 boxes from their new BellaGrafica Packaging Collection are flying off the shelves, and no wonder: they are just what style-conscious photographers have been looking for! The design of each box has been coordinated to harmonize with other collection items designed by six of the biggest names in Boutique Studios. The packaging collection also includes the wonderfully versatile Portrait Delivery Bags shown below. These fantastic bags feature a 4x6 pocket that lets you personalize the bag for the person receiving it, which assures that she will be showing her treasured bag to friends all over town! To learn more about this extra-special packaging line, click here.
Be among the first to see the more than 150 new boutique studio marketing products that Marathon will be releasing in the coming weeks by signing up for product-notification emails at BellaGrafica.com. These spectacular products, which have special appeal to women, were inspired and developed by some of the best marketers in the photographic industry: Lori Nordstrom, Sandy Puc', Sarah Petty, Vicki and Jed Taufer, Beverly and Tim Walden, and Jeff and Julia Woods.
One important point to consider when purchasing elegant packaging . . . all packaging items are charged to Cost of Sales, which has a definite impact on pricing. Yes, you do have to charge more for your products when they are delivered in beautiful packaging, but that's the good news: You'll be making a strong statement to the market that your work is worthy of beautiful presentation, and the additional profit you make when you mark up these increased costs will allow you to spend the time necessary to pamper your boutique clients, who in turn are bound to create buzz with their friends about their great experience with you!
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Cost of Sales Question
September/06/2007
Yesterday I
got a Cost of Sales accounting question about
packaging materials. Some background on this subject:
The guideline for determining whether an item is a
Cost of Sales expense or a General Expense item is
this: If you have no business, you have no Cost of
Sales. Since packaging materials are required only if
you have a sale, then ALL packaging material is
accounted as a Cost of Sales expense. But wait . . .
there's more to this question.
The photographer was referring to a packaging item designed especially to create "buzz" by the recipient because of its unique design . . . referring specifically to the BellaGrafica bag shown below:
The photographer wondered that since the primary purpose of the bag is to have an excited mom show it around to all of her friends because it is personalized with her child's portrait, perhaps the cost of the bags should be accounted to Advertising, which is a General Expense. Yes, that's a valid argument; but it's far more practical to account it to Cost of Sales, which will insure that this cost is included when you are pricing. In effect, Mom is paying for the bag, and as a COS item, it is marked up; thus there's more profit for you. If you account it to advertising, the cost becomes a drain on your business, and there is no pricing mark-up. See the difference? It is huge. In my opinion, there is nothing sweeter—or smarter—than having clients pay for your marketing!
For pricing on this wonderful shopping bag, click here.
The photographer was referring to a packaging item designed especially to create "buzz" by the recipient because of its unique design . . . referring specifically to the BellaGrafica bag shown below:
The photographer wondered that since the primary purpose of the bag is to have an excited mom show it around to all of her friends because it is personalized with her child's portrait, perhaps the cost of the bags should be accounted to Advertising, which is a General Expense. Yes, that's a valid argument; but it's far more practical to account it to Cost of Sales, which will insure that this cost is included when you are pricing. In effect, Mom is paying for the bag, and as a COS item, it is marked up; thus there's more profit for you. If you account it to advertising, the cost becomes a drain on your business, and there is no pricing mark-up. See the difference? It is huge. In my opinion, there is nothing sweeter—or smarter—than having clients pay for your marketing!
For pricing on this wonderful shopping bag, click here.
It's A Woman Thing!
August/13/2007
When
BellaGrafica was in it's early planning stages, I
told my husband, Jim, that we had finally decided on
the name "BellaGrafica" for the new company. "It
means 'beautiful graphics in Italian," I explained.
Jim's reply was: "Then why don't you just call it
'Beautiful Graphics?' " Just like a man!
The male vs. female view of marketing and sales obviously still ripples across our many years of being in business together. I've always called Jim the "King of Plastic Bags," as he believes they are the most practical device ever invented for packaging EVERYTHING. He has strenuously resisted my attempts to look for attractive packaging alternatives.
In an effort to impress on Jim the reason that BellaGrafica is emphasizing packaging as an important product line, I went so far as to purchase the tin of Tea Forte' infusers that you see below. This delightful company sells tea products that are magnificently packaged. This tin contains two of what Jim would call "tea bags." Tea Forte', however, calls them "silken infusers." I pointed out that the product would be nothing without the packaging: a beautifully designed tin, holding two delightful tent-shaped coverings for the infusers. The tin itself is wrapped in a lovely belly-band. "You are paying a few cents for the tea product and the rest for the beautiful container, which sends a message that you appreciate fine things," I explained. Jim inspected the product for a few minutes, then he looked at me like I was crazy.
So I've learned my lesson: The attraction of beautiful packaging is generally a woman thing, but a very important issue if you are marketing to women. Beautiful packaging sends a message to clients that reinforces their choice of having purchased a fine product. It's an inexpensive way to combat "buyer's remorse" and the perfect way to conclude each client's experience with your business.
Take a minute to browse through the Tea Forte' website. It will teach you a lot about the value of exquisite design and artful packaging.
The male vs. female view of marketing and sales obviously still ripples across our many years of being in business together. I've always called Jim the "King of Plastic Bags," as he believes they are the most practical device ever invented for packaging EVERYTHING. He has strenuously resisted my attempts to look for attractive packaging alternatives.
In an effort to impress on Jim the reason that BellaGrafica is emphasizing packaging as an important product line, I went so far as to purchase the tin of Tea Forte' infusers that you see below. This delightful company sells tea products that are magnificently packaged. This tin contains two of what Jim would call "tea bags." Tea Forte', however, calls them "silken infusers." I pointed out that the product would be nothing without the packaging: a beautifully designed tin, holding two delightful tent-shaped coverings for the infusers. The tin itself is wrapped in a lovely belly-band. "You are paying a few cents for the tea product and the rest for the beautiful container, which sends a message that you appreciate fine things," I explained. Jim inspected the product for a few minutes, then he looked at me like I was crazy.
So I've learned my lesson: The attraction of beautiful packaging is generally a woman thing, but a very important issue if you are marketing to women. Beautiful packaging sends a message to clients that reinforces their choice of having purchased a fine product. It's an inexpensive way to combat "buyer's remorse" and the perfect way to conclude each client's experience with your business.
Take a minute to browse through the Tea Forte' website. It will teach you a lot about the value of exquisite design and artful packaging.
It's Official . . . BellaGrafia is Here!
July/05/2007
You've probably been hearing the buzz about BellaGrafica, a new company created by a small group associated with Marathon Press. BellaGrafica's mission is to support the needs of Boutique Studio owners. The website (above) is now live, and products are beginning to release. The company will be in a "soft launch" mode for the rest of the year, and the full launch will come at PPA's ImagingUSA national convention in Tampa on January 6-8, 2008.
The very first product to be released is this wonderful shopping bag . . . the brainchild of BellaGrafica team member Sarah Petty. The Portrait Bag features a 3x5 pocket that allows you to personalize the bag for the person receiving it. You can insert an image, a thank-you note, or your business card—whatever is appropriate for the client. Your logo is imprinted on the front of the bag in one color. The illustrations below show how versatile the bag can be when it is personalized for different types of clients.
Click here for Portrait Bag dimensions and pricing.
Sarah tells me that this bag has worked wonders in her business, as they "go nuts" over the bags. Kids and parents get so excited when they see the personalized bag. It revives the excitement they felt when they viewed and ordered their portraits, which helps to negate any possible buyer's remorse. Best of all, they are inclined to carry the bag with them to show to friends, so it's a great referral device.
I am so excited about BellaGrafica! It combines Marathon's powerful printing and technology resources with six of the industry's most talented and successful boutique studio owners, who are designing pieces for BellaGrafica. You can meet these outstanding photographers and learn a lot about their businesses and how they approach the market by going to the Bellagrafica.com menu bar and pulling down to THE COLLECTIONS (see below). You'll learn so much as these talented photographers and expert marketers explain how they target specific markets and how they managed to set their businesses apart from others.
In the coming months you'll see the steady release of new product designs, but if you already have an idea for a really special marketing piece, BellaGrafica staff designers are ready to serve you now. Their goal in creating beautiful, unique marketing products is to make upscale clients recoginize they have received something of importance . . . something they'll want to hold on to and show to others because it is so special. As its tag line suggests: BellaGrafica is The Art of Marketing.
Make More Money! Learn How in Memphis.
July/03/2007
There's no better learning opportunity for studio owners and managers than the Make More Money Conference scheduled for July 29-August 1 at the fabulous Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN, my favorite city for mouthwatering spareribs.
I'm doing a program on financial management, including pricing. I plan to be on the front row for most of the programs, as last year I learned more at the MMM Conference than at any event I attended. This year workflow has been added, so that makes the content even better!
You'll also be able to visit with BellaGrafica at the trade show, as well as meet with three of the company's team members: Beverly and Tim Walden and Sarah Petty, who are doing a joint program entitled "The Boutique Studio Experience." Don't miss it! To learn more about the conference content, click here.
BellaGrafica To Debut at Women's Retreat
June/04/2007
You've probably heard some buzz about BellaGrafica, a new marketing company created specifically to serve the needs of boutique studios, and you'll get an opportunity to learn what this buzz is all about at the Chicks Who Click women's retreat in the Bahamas, June 25-27 (There's no prohibition against male attendees). At that retreat I'll be presenting my new program entitled "The Boutique Studio Revolution," which will focus on the key factors that make up this emerging business model as well as feature six of the top boutique studios in the country. They are:
- Expressions Photography, Littleton, CO (Sandy Puc')
- Nordstrom Photography, Winterset, IA (Lori Nordstrom)
- Portrait Life, Washington, IL (Jeff and Julia Woods)
- Sarah Petty Photography, Springfield, IL (Sarah Petty)
- V Gallery, Morton, IL (Vicki and Jed Taufer)
- Walden's Photography, Lexington, KY (Beverly and Tim Walden)
Let's say you have $5,000 to spend on marketing a particular product line. The traditional studio is likely to send 5,000 direct mail cards to a purchased list at a cost of $1 a piece. The boutique studio, however, is more likely to spend $5 each getting 1,000 "wow-factor" marketing pieces into the hands of clients that the studio really wants to do business with—families who appreciate fine things, including artful photography, which they are willing to purchase at a premium price. The key, then, is how to get these great marketing pieces to the right prospects. Boutique studios often do this through networking with retailers, professionals or organizations that deal with these highly qualified clients, asking them to hand out the materials to their top clients or mailing the materials to leads they supply.
I promise that you'll learn a lot about this exciting new business model and the wonderful products that BellaGrafica has just started producing if you attend the Bahamas event. If that's not possible, then don't miss another opportunity to visit with BellaGrafica at PPA's Make More Money conference, July 29-August 1, in Memphis, TN.