Ideas For Marketing: Any and All welcome

[schuschu55]

So here is my situation. I'm about to get off college and would like to start a summer business selling furniture that I make, more specifically, outdoor and deck chairs. The business would go no longer then 10 weeks and Id keep it small. Anyhow, I am having trouble thinking of ideas for marketing the product. If I must, I'll try door to door and hope to start a customer base and expand through word of mouth, but I'd like to hear some other ideas. Nothing is too extreme or odd. So if ya have an idea, and I mean anyone...I'd love to hear it...

[KINGmosayebi]

approach local furniture businesses and ask them to stock your furniture. anything of yours that is sold, give them a percentage.

[Jerimi]

who is your target market?

are these made out of high end materials, or regular materials?

(ie are you after a high end market , the avg consumer, or low end ?)

Door to door has a low return on your time!

[rtg313s]

Guerilla marketing: Make inexpensive but professional looking flyers, go door to door to condo's or beach houses, et al. Get w/ a couple buddies and rubberband them to the door. Go to restaraunts/bars and see if you can stick flyers in the window. Go to Craigslist.com and post a couple of photos of what you're selling and at what price...create urgency by highlighting the fact that you are ONLY selling this stuff for 10 weeks. Have a garage sale, or call it a "garage sale" and just sell your furniture there.

[jay26783]

Have a garage sale, or call it a "garage sale" and just sell your furniture there.

That would cheapen the product in the eyes of consumers, but as someone said above, you should consider your target market before you undertake a marketing strategy- so this may be a good idea if you are selling cheap furniture to lower income consumers.

KING up above hit it on the nose for your situation- I wouldn't worry about marketing it to consumers if its only a 10 week thing, you would waste a lot of time that you don't have. I would approach local furniture businesses with samples of your work and ask them to place it in their showroom for a cut of whatever sells.

[dean29]

Good suggestions above. You can also try a swap meat

[Eric Smith12]

I had a services business in college that would only be in production 3 months out of the year. What I found successful was to play into peoples emotions...for example mention the fact that you are a college student paying your way through college making and selling furniture...use this on flyers, web post (craigslist), and word of mouth.

[profitsharing]

Local Newspaper add.
ebay.
topix.net
Make a bunch and sell them when you get back to school
barter - search local classified adds and see what people would trade
Church Bulletin
Craft Fair
Hire a saleman - split profits with him
Contact local pools