A Creative 'In Store' Workshop - Sunday 19th October

On Sunday 19th October, we held our second Creative 'In Store' Workshop. Enthusiastic and eager to learn ladies attended a day full of learning.  Teachers, stationery makers, graphic designers, wood crafters, candle and soap makers and creative bods all exploring new business ideas spent the day discussing, working through tasks and listening to top tips. 

The workshop explored:

 - How to select shops, approach them and pitch to owners
 - Producing great catalogues and order forms
 - Pricing your products for wholesale
 - Consignment pros and cons & offering exclusivity
 - Making the shop work for you to grow your brand

Just a few of the many top tips shared on the day...

// Check out the stores Facebook page, Pinterest boards, blog and webpage to get more of an insight and understand the ethos of that shop.

// Check your pricing constantly, Research new ways to improve production time and costs to reduce your costs. You will make more money by being smart.

// Say no to consignment, but have wholesale terms and conditions which are very retailer-friendly and reduce their risk.

// The worst thing to think - ‘If they want more, they’ll get in touch’.

Tables were laid with goodies for every delegate from our amazing sponsors:  Millamae, Washi bug, Indieberries, Tous les Jours and us of course - A big thank you to you all.

Two lucky ladies received special give-away prizes from Nadia vd Mescht and Nicola Tweed 

Ché from Indieberries spoke about all things social media, she shared top tips, useful apps and how and when to engage with your audience.  Funny, knowledgeable and full of ideas. Thankyou Ché for spending the last day of your holiday with us.

Fern Hill Hotel provided the most delicious tea time treats and lunch. A huge thank you to them. 

Exploring, networking, discussing, debating, questioning, reviewing...

 Nicola Tweed spoke about the ease of getting online and that websites don't need to cost the earth!

Here's what the ladies had to say...

It was the first workshop I had attended and couldn't say a bad word about it! Thought it was brilliant and eye opening.  Kierrin  - Just Dandy.

Thanks for the lovely workshop yesterday. We really enjoyed it and feel so motivated! Gitta - Glee Projects. 

Please get in touch with Hannah at The Ruby Orchard for more details about our workshops or 1-1 consultations - therubyorchard@hotmail.com

Creative 'In Store' Workshop - 5 days to go...

On Sunday 19th October we are hosting our second Creative 'In store' Workshop, run by me... The Ruby Orchard owner Hannah Keppler and IT Wizz Nicola Tweed.  Our workshops are interactive, informative and intimate.

15 creative business owners, entrepreneurs and teachers are looking for to...

Being inspired
Being guided
New angles and ideas
Examples of professional catalogues and order forms
Discussing the pros and cons of consignment
Networking with like minded business owners
 Social media tips and advice
Meeting Ché from Indieberries
Post workshop resources
A sponsored goodie bag filled with pretty stuff!
Yummy lunch and snacks by Fern Hill Hotel
Special give-aways from Nadia vd Mescht and Nicola Tweed 

Our main spoinsor Ché Dyer from Indieberries will be sharing her top tips on using social media to grow a brand and business. Ché Dyer is the designer behind our quirky love vouchers, cards and doodle books.  South African born Ché currently lives in London but will be our special guest for the day and will dive into using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc to promote businesses. The fun side of running your business!

Fern Hill Hotel will be providing us with the most divine lunch, I've just received the menu from the chef.  How delicious does this lot sound?!

Savoury choux buns filled with chives, smoked salmon, horseradish and fennel ** Mini roti with chicken, coriander and spiced satay ** Mini lamb and mint pies ** Pulled pork, beetroot chutney, wholegrain mustard mayonnaise in phyllo baskets ** Toasted coconut and macaroons ** Layered strawberry cheesecake ** Hazelnut biscuit with chocolate mousse quenelle and poppy seed tuille

We are busy putting together the goodie bags for the delegates from our amazing sponsors:  Millamae, Washi bug, Indieberries, Tous les Jours and us of course - A big thank you to you all.

Keep your eyes out for our post and pictures from Sundays workshop next week.

With special thanks to our sponsors... 

A Creative 'In Store' Workshop - 19th October

On the 1st of June we held our very first 'In Store' Workshop aimed at small Creative business owners looking to get their products into Independent retail stores around South Africa. The course was attended by jewellery designers, dress makers, swim wear stockists and various crafty individuals. We were also privileged to have Nadia van der Mescht as our guest speaker who wrapped up the course and gave her tips on how to improve your business. The workshop was the ideal day for our creatives to share their experiences and tips within a like minded environment. 

"Was perfect, it went very quickly, but I guess that is what happens when you enjoying yourself. "
- Cindy Kirk (Dye4Designs)

"Thank you so much for the lovely workshop you hosted, I found it very enjoyable and learnt some valuable tips."
-Roxann Message (Roxstar Bikinis)

"Thank you I loved my morning found it very helpful and interesting."
-Erika Whitby

We are now delighted to be holding our second round of the course on the 19th of October so if you are a business owner looking to grow and develop your business then this is the perfect day for you. The day includes learning about pricing your products for wholesale, selecting the right shops for your products, the differences between consignment & exclusivity and which is right for you and your business, producing professional catalogues and order forms and lastly Ché Dyer from Indieberries will be sharing her top tips on using social media to grow your brand and business.

Ché Dyer is the designer behind our quirky love vouchers, cards and doodle books. South African born Ché loves good music, red wine, pretty paper and bending herself into challenging yoga poses. She currently lives in London but will be our special guest for the day and will dive into using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc to promote your business. The fun side of running your business!

The Creative 'In Store' Workshop will be held at The Ruby Orchard on the 19th of October from 9:00am until 14:00pm and will be held by the The Ruby Orchard owner Hannah Keppler and IT Wizz Nicola Tweed. The investment for the workshop is R695 per person and includes post workshop resources, delicious tea time snacks, a light lunch and a host of goodies from our lovely sponsors. 

Our workshops are interactive, informative and intimate and therefore we only have a limited number of spaces available so if you would like to be a part of this exciting and educational day then please drop us an email (therubyorchard@hotmail.com) today to book your space.  

If you would like your business to be a part of this successful day then please drop us an email to discuss becoming a sponsor and what we can do for you.

Creative 'In Store' workshop a recap

An inspiring day of learning & networking

On Sunday we hosted our very first Creative 'In Store' Workshop which was attended by 17 lovely ladies and one very lucky gentleman! We are delighted to say the day was a great success - new friendships were made, insights and discoveries into others business were explored and lots of divine and tasty food was eaten. 

The workshop explored: 

 - How to select shops, apporach them and pitch right

 - Produce great catalogues and order forms

 - Pricing your products for wholesale

 - Consignment & Exclusivity 

 - Making the shop work for you to grow your brand

Just a few of the many top tips shared on the day...

// Check your pricing constantly, Research new ways to improve production time and costs to reduce your costs. You will make more money by being smart.

// Check out the stores Facebook page, Pinterest boards, blog and webpage to get more of an insight and understand the ethos of that shop.

// Say no to consignment, but have wholesale terms and conditions which are very retailer-friendly and reduce their risk.

// The worst thing to think - ‘If they want more, they’ll get in touch’.
 

We would like to thank our the wonderful sponsors who contributed to making the day even more amazing! We were totally blown away with the generosity of each and every one of you. Your help and contribution was truly appreciated! 

Fern Hill Hotel - At 7:30am on the day of the course I arrived at the hotel expecting to pick up, you know , a plate or two of treats for our creatives boy how I wrong as it took four extremely helpful staff to load up my car! There were tasty cocktail prego rolls, Quail egg baskets with aioli, Rose macaroons, miniature brandy snaps and more! 

Nadia van der Mescht - We were honored to have Nadia sponsor her little notebooks and also give her insight and input into making a creative business work. 

Rondavel Soaps - Delicious smelling soaps wrapped in exclusive Ruby Orchard packaging. Thank You! 

Wedgewood Nougat - Tea time wouldn't have been the same without Angel biscuits and nougat. Delicious!

Consol - Cute little water bottles kept all our students hydrated throughout the day.

Clever Bird banter - All our students were treated to a 25% discount voucher off Andrea's very beautiful graphic design work.

We are still in the process of finalising more Workshop dates for later in 2014 - if you are interested in a spot please email us on therubyorchard@hotmail.com

A Little Course Sneak Peak

There are only 4 more days until our very first Creative 'In Store' Workshop so we thought we'd give you a little sneak peak into what we've been working on for our 18 lucky business creatives...

Fernhill Hotel // Nadia van der Mescht // Rondavel Soaps // Consol // The Ruby Orchard

A Creative 'In store' Workshop

 

We are so excited to launch our Creative 'In store' Workshop!

Sunday 1st June 2014

Since opening The Ruby Orchard we have creative entrepreneurs approaching us weekly asking us to stock their products.   As soon as we engage in dialogue regarding wholesale prices, mark ups, margins and exclusivity the creative is often unprepared with answers, confused and negotiations are often met with fear!

At The Ruby Orchard we are in a unique position and want to help creatives grow using a retailers point of view.

We have set a date and are inviting creatives to join us for an interactive workshop that will assist them in getting their products onto the shelves of independent retail stores.

For an investment of R450 (1st course offer price) the workshop will cover:

• How to select the best shops for your products
• The best way to approach shop with your products
• How to pitch your products
• Formats, layouts and IT advice for your catalogues and order forms
• How to price your products for wholesale and negotiation tactics
• The advantages and disadvantages of consignments and exclusivity
• How to use personal touches to create great relationships with shop owners
• How to make the shop work for you to grow your product and brand

The wonderfully knowledgeable creative consultant Nadia Van Der Mescht has come on board and will be sponsoring and attending the workshop.

Places are limited so booking early is going to be essential - for more details and a registration form contact Hannah and Nicola - therubyorchard@hotmail.com