Running a Creative Retail Business?
You don’t have to do it alone!
You’ve spent years honing your craft.
You work tirelessly to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind things for other people to enjoy.
Your big goal is to make a living doing what you love.
Somewhere along the way, you likely realized that making things and getting those things into the hands of customers are two completely different jobs.
What if you could refine how you’re presenting your products, jump-start your sales and marketing, get help researching and developing new products, and field test all of these efforts in a single place?
What if you could collaborate with other artists, enjoy the benefits of collective membership in many local associations, and benefit from store-wide advertising and marketing in a variety of publications and platforms that would otherwise be out of reach?
Get all of this and more as a member of the Making SLO community!
You work tirelessly to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind things for other people to enjoy.
Your big goal is to make a living doing what you love.
Somewhere along the way, you likely realized that making things and getting those things into the hands of customers are two completely different jobs.
What if you could refine how you’re presenting your products, jump-start your sales and marketing, get help researching and developing new products, and field test all of these efforts in a single place?
What if you could collaborate with other artists, enjoy the benefits of collective membership in many local associations, and benefit from store-wide advertising and marketing in a variety of publications and platforms that would otherwise be out of reach?
Get all of this and more as a member of the Making SLO community!
Our philosophy is simple. When we help makers reach their full potential, everyone benefits.
We’ve worked one-on-one with hundreds of makers from across the Central Coast, helping them perfect their product offerings and maximize the hard work they’ve invested in their businesses.
- We work together to refine pricing, packaging, and messaging to capture more sales
- We capture trends to help innovate and create new products
- We analyze sales data to determine which products are performing the best
This, in turn, increases sales both in our store and outside of it. Being part of the Making SLO Community will help you take huge strides towards retail business success. So what are you waiting for? Join the Community!
What is included with Membership?
Retail Benefits:
- Making SLO includes a generous 70% sales payout to every maker
- Quarterly strategy session with the owner of Making SLO, April Reeves
- Quarterly sales reports sorted by best sellers
- Set up of retail display in store, along with regular refreshes
- Regular restock requests based on detailed tracking of sales data
- Access to online Vendor Portal for sales tracking and inventory
Multichannel Marketing
- Various Print Magazines & Publications
- Non-profit organizations
- Sponsorships
- Instagram Features and Stories
- Discounted listings on Closely Made
- Custom bio card in the store with your products telling your story
- Full webpage featuring your photos and bio on makingslo.com
Local Association Advocacy:
- Multiple Chambers of Commerce throughout SLO County
- Downtown SLO
- SLO Women’s Network
- Women Making Waves
Participation in Local Events:
- Expo at the Expo
- Wiggle Waggle
- Sip and Saunter
- Monthly Art after Dark
- Bridal Expo