Tuesday 29 January 2008

Help me out!

It seems to me that I am missing a very important business opportunity in providing parents and guardians of small children what they need.

I check http://www.statcounter.com/ on a regular basis to see who's checking me out. I have spotted this for a long time and did touch on it before, but now, with your help, I am contemplating taking action.

Apart from visitors from other people blogs, visitors find me through Google searches, the most common Google searches keep popping up, there are 3 in particular;

how to cook a whole chicken
sexual disappointment
plain clothing/baby clothes

Let me assure you the missed opportunity that parents/guardians require is not how to cook a whole chicken nor sexual disappointment, those may feature in your life, but they are not my missed business opportunity, might I suggest following the instructions on the packaging to cook your chicken, unless of course you have killed it yourself and perhaps a good book to enhance your sex life. So by deduction 'plain clothing' is the one.

Now for anyone who has just joined me, I have an embroidery company, I run it from an industrial unit and to summarise I sell school clothing, corporate clothing and have an eBay shop. Being that embroidery usually gets done on plain clothing, I have suppliers who sell such garments. It seems clear to me that I have the tools to bring plain clothing to the world via eBay and do I? well no. But I am putting this into plan.

So what I need from you, my fellow bloggers and parents of children who may require, or at one stage may have required plain clothing, is to let me know what you found difficult to get;

perhaps a specific garment
or a specific colour

The range of plain clothing I can bring to the world are, for example;

Baby t-shirts, including organic
Baby polo shirts
Baby long sleeved tops
Baby layered long sleeved tops
Baby micro fleece
Baby hooded sweatshirt
Baby hat, including organic
Baby skip cap

These garments range from 0/3 months and right through into toddler and young children. Plain clothing goes right through the ages even into adult but I thought I would start with the younger range.

This, for me, is a bit of market research and I appreciate your assistance, rant to me, tell me about the time you couldn't get...........regardless of what age. If you want/wanted plain clothing and couldn't get it then I want to know.

Another question. Do you buy on EBay? What do you buy? Even if it's not clothing, let me know.

I often read other posts and can't think of anything to say so don't comment, but I want to know you're reading so let me know you're there, leave me a comment, even a Hi.

I look forward to reading you. xx

12 comments:

Expat mum said...

Well, I'm reading, but since hardly any schools in the States wear uniforms (I know, I know, life would be so much easier) I can't really comment on this. Hope you get some good answers though.

Frog in the Field said...

Hi SEM, I'm glad I know you now because I have found it difficult to get any clothes embroidered or printed on in the past.
I don't like Ebay, but if it works for you, then brilliant, keep going. The best referral is a personal one, ask your past customers for referrals, offer them discounts on repeat business, see if they need anything else from you since they last purchased. Sorry if I'm preaching what you already know.

She's like the wind said...

Hi expatmum, no uniforms, that's a crime, I would never get my daughter to school if there was no uniform here, it would be a fashion show everyday. x

She's like the wind said...

Hi Frog, I think ebay is a hit or a miss, people expect to get a lot of things at bargain price, but I have found girls school tights in particular are a winner because you can't always get the school colours. I sold 10 pairs today! All my work wear is word of mouth. Because I am a smaller company I don't have minimum orders like the big boys so that helps a lot customers who want to look professional like a big company but only have 2 or 3 workers.

xx

Mid-lifer said...

Hi. My kids used to prefer plain clothes (but sadly it's all changed now and they want cool names and logos. sigh.

I came by your blog via your comment on my own. As a matter of interest - how did you find mine??

Maybe I should get the visitor counter ...or perhaps it might make depressing reading. Don't think I get much traffic because I never have time to trawl the blogs myself.

She's like the wind said...

Hi Mid-lifer, I think perhaps the people searching are people with babies, looking for plain baby tops, I know when my son was younger he got a lot of checked trousers which needed plain tops, but that was 10 years ago and it was easier to get plain tops then. I think it depends on the fashion.

I can't remember how I found you, I think it was from someones blog roll, sorry if that doesn't help, I know myself i get more visitors if I've been leaving comments.

Although I have the counter I don't bother with it much, but I like www.statcounter.com it's good for seeing where your traffic comes from.

Maddy said...

On the whole I find it better to avoid examining that stat counter searches as what I see is far too scary!
Cheers
"Whittterer On Autism."

She's like the wind said...

Hi Maddy, I've seen a few which were a bit off putting, Dhor, not sure if you're familiar with her but she did a post on stats/google searches and I was astounded at the way people came across her, being that most of her post involve sex!

Nice to see you. x

Casdok said...

I find difficulty in finding smart trousers for my son with elasticated waists. He cant do zips or buttons etc
I would be realy greatful if you could point me in the right direction!

Maddy said...

Aha! I see you have not updated. Never mind I have you on my google reader now which should help considerably.
Cheers

"Whittterer On Autism."

Anonymous said...

I have a long list of blogs which I read regularly, yours included. I also read several blogs from another site known as Purple Coo, as I am a member and I also read blogs which belong to commentors whom I don't know.

Ebay is a regular for me, I'm currently contemplating on selling some stuff on there.

Have a look at www.schoolfunds.co.uk.

Crystal xx

She's like the wind said...

Hi Casdok - now there's a thing, there must be many people in the same situation, I will have scout around and see what I can find. x

Hi Maddy - Just read your email, thanks I have now replied and will be over to visit soon, thanks x

Hi CJ - Hope your feeling better, I like to discover new blogs and float in an out of some without leaving comment, sometimes the comments are funnier than the post!!
I have had a couple of flops on ebay, I sold used baby clothes, loads of which went to America, but made a bit of a boob on the postage costs and so it cost me more to advertise, sell and post than the person paid. But now I post a lot more I'm better at charging. Going to check the website right now. x