Winning at Trade Shows: How Face-to-Face Interactions Can Transform Your Creative Business

In this episode of Let's Talk Shop, we have a special guest, David Nichols-Rice, who shares his journey and experiences in the creative industry. With a background in working with artists and trade shows, David discusses his love for wholesale and the rewarding yet challenging aspects of being a sole decision-maker. He shares insights on launching his own line of greeting cards, pivoting to online sales during the pandemic, and creating authentic relationships with retailers. Join us as we dive into David's story of resilience and success in the greeting card industry.

Time Stamps:

00:00 - Introduction to the episode

01:15 - Guest speaker, David, introduces himself and his background in the creative industry

02:30 - David's passion for wholesale and trade shows

03:45 - Launching his own line of greeting cards and the challenges and rewards of working alone

05:15 - Transitioning to online sales during the pandemic and partnering with a local company

07:30 - Sourcing and curating other products for his business

08:45 - The importance of trade shows and face-to-face interactions for David's business

10:30 - Highlights of David's journey, including being a finalist in the Christmas card category

12:15 - Lessons learned and advice for success in building relationships with retailers

14:00 - The role of Instagram in engaging with stockists and researching potential partnerships

15:30 - The significance of trade shows in the marketing budget and successful collaborations

17:00 - Personalizing interactions with stockists through printed catalogs and handwritten notes

19:00 - The importance of nurturing relationships and being patient with customers

20:30 - Strategies for marketing and investing in trade shows as the business grows

22:15 - Overcoming challenges with asking for contact details and incorporating it into conversations

23:45 - David's passion for greeting cards and stationery, and the story behind the name "Ricacle"

26:00 - Learning to leverage strengths and outsource tasks in managing a startup budget

28:15 - Developing relationships with retailers and seeking their input for new collections

30:00 - Future plans and stepping out of the comfort zone with phone-related projects

About David

David is the designer and founder of greeting card publisher Ricicle Cards. Based in a seaside town just outside of Bristol, he creates colourful, charming and whimsical greeting cards. There's plenty of illustration, hand-lettering and luxe hot foil going on in the collection and in addition to his own designs, he loves collaborating with talented artists from across the world to bring his ideas to life.

www.riciclecards.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/riciclecards

Facebook: www.facebook.com/riciclecards

My links

https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/small_business_collaborative/