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Permalink Reply by Alison Kutrzyk April 19, 2018 at 9:42pm

Hi Sue,

I was just wondering the same thing!

I was thinking about adding a 'Care instructions' leaflet in the box and adding info about removing make up, looking after feathers, etc

Nowhere near starting a business yet but getting ideas for the future!

Congrats on starting up/

Ali

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Permalink Reply by Cathrine Williamson April 20, 2018 at 4:36am

Hi   Ive had a millinery business both in a retail shop setting and an online business for 14 years and ive always used the same method which is - 

Swing tag (which is actually a professional business card with all our contact info on) for the hat.

Within the hat box or parcel i send, we have a professionally printed flyer where we promote our social media and offers etc.

We then also have an A4 folded leaflet which gives lots of tips for caring for a hat/fascinator or veil.  I also include fixing tips ive learnt over the years and i also tell the client how to fluff the feathers back up and use simple tricks to prolong the life of their piece.

I started doing this after a client came to me very upset saying that a piece i had sold her had gotten wet at Ascot and the black dye in the feathers had run down her white Versace cloak!  I was mortified and looked the clients info up..... it turned out she hadnt bought the black hat from me which had run all down her back and expensive suit but a competitor who also sold on ebay.   She had purchased from me a year previously and had got mixed up.  It was quite a relief but i ended up thinking about this and doing a few tests and it seems that especially with black feathers they will run quite heavily if caught in a light shower.   As most of my designs involve at least 50 feathers on the large ones i thought i had better start warning clients.    I also sold small fascinators set on a thin metal headband and i would sometimes have clients return saying they didnt fit.  So quite bemused i added a simple tip of how to bend the headband LOL.    

I also include a hat kit with my large fascinators which includes kirby grips, velcro, a small pony elastic and comb, and a millinery elastic headband... then i explain in my pamphlet how each can be used to help secure a heavy fascinator or less secure piece.

Hope this helps and my advice is .. learn from client and their queries as even something which may seem a silly query to you might actually be something alot of clients would welcome knowledge of.

If you have a few different leaflets too like we do, make sure you brand them all them same, use the same colour scheme, logo the same font etc etc  and ensure that each includes your social media and business contact info

Cathx

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