Sponsoring Brown Bag is a great way to advertise your small business!
Here's how it works:
- You donate one or more items from your shop/business to be used as prizes at the upcoming Brown Bag night.
- You provide enough business cards/sample cards and a goody* for each person (usually 20-30) to take home in their Brown Bag.
*Goodies might be a coupon, sample, edible treat, or something else fun. The goodies you send along with your business cards don't have to be something you sell in your shop, but they should be fun for the guests to receive. This is how they're going to remember your business--make it creative and fun!
Here's what you'll get back in advertising:
- The prize(s) you donate will be on display throughout the evening for guests to handle and admire.
- Your business cards/sample cards/any other goodies you want to send home with the guests will be included in the Brown Bags that go home with each of the guests at the end of the night.
- I also take a few minutes before the sewing demo at the beginning of the evening (when I have everyone's attention) to go through the Brown Bags, talk about what's inside, and mention each of the sponsors by name. If sponsors are in attendance that night, I invite them to talk a little about their business while everyone's there.
- Each month I write a post about Brown Bag where I include the links to all sponsors. (See here and here for examples.)
- Prior to the Brown Bag night each month I send out an e-mail to potential Brown Bag attendees with all the information they'll need about the upcoming Brown Bag (what the sewing project will be, the time and place, RSVP info, etc.). In that e-mail I include links to all sponsors' sites so that the guests can look at their shop/business and get excited about the prizes that will be awaiting them. (This e-mail is sent out early in the month. Sponsors wishing to have links to their sites included in this e-mail need to let me know they'd like to be a sponsor before the e-mail is sent out.)
- Space and availability is limited, but some local sponsors may be allowed to bring their products to Brown Bag to sell to guests at the event.
Note: Prizes do not always have to come in the form of physical goods. I've had sponsors give away non-tangible items such as free spots in craft and music classes and free photography sessions. Gift certificates to your shop or business would also be appropriate prizes. Be creative!
Interested in being a Brown Bag sponsor?
Send me an e-mail letting me know you'd like to be a sponsor and I'll get you all set up.
Tips for sponsors
Get your prize items in to me as soon as possible
The sooner I receive the items you're going to share as prizes, the sooner I can start talking about them.
Make your business or sample cards fun and memorable
Guests go home with an entire bag of business cards. Make yours fun and memorable by including samples from your shop! Glue your business card to a fun size candy bar, make friendship bracelets and tie them on to each business card, include a coupon for free attendance to one of your classes (if applicable). Just be fun!
Sponsor several months in a row
If you're sending goodies from far away (i.e. mailing them instead of dropping them off at my house in person) save on shipping costs by sending prizes and business cards for two or three months in the same package.
Just make sure to let me know ahead of time that this is your plan so I don't accidentally give away all of the prizes in one night. :)
Come if you can!
If you're local to the Columbus, Ohio area, come to the event you're sponsoring! This will give you a chance to talk about your business in person and guests are always excited to talk to shop owners about the things they sell. You may even be able to sell things there in person!
