Common Mistakes
Do not assume that all products sell just because you see them and/or like them !
KEEPING IT FRESH 
If you went to your local department store and saw the same items on the shelf week after week, you would probably search for another department store. It's the same thing for this business. If you keep the same art backgrounds on display week after week, month after month, year after year . . . the local customers in your area are going to pass right by you with an attitude of " Oh, I have seen that before". We receive many calls from our dealers who are wondering why business is not what they have experienced in the past. Nine times out of ten, they cure their own problems by SIMPLY offering new products.
This is a fact . . . Keeping the same items on display for long periods of time will result in lack of interest from the general public. For those of you who have been displaying the same prints for 5 to 10 years, put our advice to the test and stop losing sales !
Remember when we said, we want you to try all of our art backgrounds, but over time ? Well, this is the time we are talking about. It's a good idea to add a few new products every month or every few months to keep your product line fresh. Doing this will insure that you experience less of the passers by.
The product cycle is a little different but shares the same principal . . .
LOST SALES !
Many vendors will try to purchase as many products as they can instead of focusing on producing the most desirable products from a smaller selection.
When you "dress up" a smaller selection of products,you do yourself far greater justice than carrying a huge selection of products that don't have too much thought put in them.
In other words, make what you offer as special as you can !
Anyone can get in this type of business and pump out novelty items, but the dealers that produce quality, custom made personalized gifts end up attracting more business (and repeat business) and their longevity in the business is far greater. We have customers that have been around as long as we have but have seen many fall because of their lack of education about the business.
Realize that there IS a preferred spot to print text on every art background
While everyone may have a different opinion on where that spot is, the main thing to keep in mind at all times is to;
USE THE OPEN SPACE WHEREVER POSSIBLE !
Avoid printing in areas where the graphic is too heavy and would "steal the
show" from the text.
The more emphasis you put on creative and proper presentation, the more money you can expect from this business
An example of "dress up" in its simplest form ;
 Art Sold Separately $5 to $8.00
 Art /Mat Combination - $14.99 - $19.99
Art/Mat/Wooden Picture Frame Combination - $25 -$30.00
Take a Stein for example -
Suggested Retail $8.00 - $12.00
You could sell it like this or you could stuff it with shredded glitter, some ribbon and add some chocolate candy and charge$14.95 - $17.95
Get the picture ?
Another common mistake was discussed earlier but it is so important that I will re-address it. You are in the business of selling not only personalized products but personalized products in general.
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You SHOULD offer laminating services.
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You SHOULD sell art with no personalization at all
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You SHOULD sell Photo Clocks with no personalization.
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You SHOULD sell Mats by themselves (No Art)
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You SHOULD sell frames by themselves
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You SHOULD offer Jewelry Boxes as Photo jewelry boxes
Too many times we hear from our customers " I just wont sell my art to somebody with nothing on it" or " I just won't sell a mat without a picture in it.
The majority of your sales will be with personalized names or poems included .
BUT I Repeat . . .
Why would you not sell these items separately and for different purposes ? You are in the business of "MAKING MONEY" and that should be your only rule of thumb. | 
