My background in retail coupled with my love of crafting leads me to seek out opportunities to learn new things and shop in new stores. Afterall, the one with the most craft supplies in the end - wins. I have so many craft supplies they are a separate line item on my Will!

Anyway, I am so excited because I found an editor using a creative method to promote her book in other people's stores.

One Skein Wonder books are crafting books with easy to follow instructions for creative ways to use up the mountain of left over yarn you might have in your craft box, closet, or room.

Judith Durant has a new book out called 101 Designer patterns and I checked it out of the library and noticed that they have a website. On the site they have a tab for Events.

As the writer of It's a Party, Planning a Successful Retail Sales Event, I was curious as to what kind of event Judith might be having. A convention? I thought.l

NO!

One-Skein events are essentially a party-in-a-box. Each box comes with all you need to invite 10 people to your store to try out a simple pattern in the first book.

Think about it. The authors are making it easy for craft store owners to drive traffic to their store. The customers benefit by gathering with like minded spirits for a two-hour knitting session. They leave with a completed project (a knitted cell phone carrier) and perhaps new friend connections. If they enjoyed the project experience, they may purchase the book. At the very least they will be in a store and most likely purchase the supplies and/or patterns for future projects.

Talk about making it easy to do business.

The authors win because they sold an Authorless Event kit and hopefully at least some of the 10 attending the event buy their book.

The craft store owner (or whoever hosts the party) wins because they've driving additional traffic to their door - perhaps some who have never been. Those attending will hopefully make a purchase and as anyone knows who crafts - if you like the store and the merchandise - you are back on a fairly regular basis.

The crafter wins because we LOVE to get together and craft together and we've left with a finished project, a new place to feed our obsessions and some new friends.

It's insanely brilliant.

So - how can you replicate this in your business?

From the editor's perspective it is a successful way to make money while she sleeps.

What can you package and sell that would enable your customers the opportunity to also drive traffic to their business?

I think we have to put our creative hats on - I have a pattern for a one skein crocheted hat!

Share your thoughts - what can we do that is as brilliant?

Deborah Chaddock Brown
Writer, Crafter Extraordinare