Let’s talk about workshop ideas.

When you’re thinking of putting on a workshop in your store, it can get overwhelming just trying to come up with the project that you want to teach.

You want to find the most popular workshop ideas, while providing value for your customers so that they leave with a good impression of your store.

But at the same time you’re looking for projects that fit into your budget, only take a few hours or less to complete, and don’t take up a lot of space in your store.

5 Popular Workshop Project Ideas

The solution? Below, we’ve listed 5 popular workshop project ideas that are fun, fit within budget, only take a couple hours to complete, and that your customers will LOVE!

If you prefer listening to the Paint Therapy Podcast audio experience, Jessica walks you through the 5 workshop ideas here.

Before we get into the 5 Workshop Ideas, you should know that each of these ideas use the DIY Kits from Paint Therapy Workshops.

What are DIY Kits?

The DIY Kits are unique workshop ideas that set your store apart.

They come pre-packaged and ready to assemble during a workshop (instruction cards, screws, and pre-drilled screw holes included for easy assembly!) Not only that, but they’re unpainted so your customers can build, paint, and enjoy!

The wood is nicely sanded and smooth (makes it enjoyable to paint), and the kits are individually wrapped up like a gift. Your customers will have a great first impression when they walk into the workshop, and the best part is all of this makes planning your workshop so simple!

The DIY Kits check all the boxes when it comes to the criteria you’re looking for in your store:

1. The perfect size to fit your workshop station
2. Fit within a budget and easily cover the cost with a workshop ticket
3. You’ll be done in a couple hours flat!
4. Your customer will find value in the kits because they are all useful items they can decorate their home with.

We’ve literally sold thousands of these DIY Kits. The retailers that really catch onto them are reordering them over and over again for all sorts of different workshops.

It takes so much of the preparation work out of planning. All of the hard work is done for you! When you’re trying to run a business and offer workshops at the same time, you need a ‘quick and easy’ system to implement for each workshop.

So many retailers have told us they LOVE the DIY Kits because it helps them offer a wonderful workshop experience, without spending too much time ‘planning’ for their workshops.

Workshop Idea #1

DIY Kit: Chevron

The Chevron design has been a popular Home Decor item for several years now. It’s a great way to get creative using multiple colors on your project.

There are many ways you can use the Chevron in a workshop. But one of my favorite ways is to use a hammer to give it the ‘old aged’ look. Plus, is a workshop really a workshop without a hammer?

STEP 1: Have the class open their DIY Kit and assemble the Chevron.

STEP 2: Before painting the Chevron, use a hammer to ding it up. I like to use both the front of the hammer, as well as the reverse side of the hammer to really give the piece some unique character.

STEP 3: Paint it! On this piece, I painted it white with American Paint Company’s color, Uncle Sam. Then I sealed it with APC’s Vintage Black Antiquing Wax. The cool thing that happened next, is that the Black Wax naturally filled the holes from the dings created from the hammer.

It gave it a great aged look and fit nicely as a decor piece next to some aged novels.

Workshop Idea #2

DIY Kit: Sign

Sign Workshops have exploded in popularity over the past 24 months. Why? Because when it comes to being creative, the sky is the limit!

There are so many ways to add your own unique personal touch using vinyl stencils, names, paint, and other finishes.

In this project, I used the Sign DIY Kit, Stencil, Glaze and Gold Metallix Paint. The reason why I think this DIY Kit is different from so many other sign workshops is because it includes the ‘building’ process of the workshop, which attendees love. It’s a simple addition to a workshop that adds so much value.

STEP 1: Have the class open their DIY Kit and assemble the Sign.

STEP 2: Once the sign is built, teach the class to apply APC’s Glaze. This is used as a furniture stain except it’s 100% eco-friendly. Imagine using a stain product that has ZERO smell! It’s easy to apply and with multiple color options available, it can really change your sign into any unique type of finish you want.

STEP 3: The next step is to apply the stencil using white paint (or any color you’d like). We recommend FunkedUP Stencils for your workshops because they’re good quality and a very competitive price. They also come packaged specifically for a retail store and can hang on any display stand or shelving. In this project I used the ‘You are my sunshine’ stencil, but there are dozens of styles available at wholesale prices.

STEP 4: Finally, have your class ‘personalize’ their stencil to make it unique to them. On this project, I glued a little clothespin to the sign in order to clip on a picture of my choice. Then, I dipped the end of a pencil into Gold Metallix Paint from American Paint Company and applied it around the outside of the sign.

It’s amazing how little things to personalize your project can add so much value and make the project uniquely yours. The possibilities with the DIY Kits are absolutely endless!

Workshop Idea #3

DIY Kit: Decor Stool

My favorite way to use the Decor Stool is as a plant stand. This makes for a perfect spring workshop idea.

Another great workshop idea using the Stool is to use it in the kitchen to hold decor, or even Salt & Pepper shakers.

People have also used the Decor Stool next to their bath tub to hold shampoo or other bath accessories.

When doing a workshop using the Decor Stool, you can share these ideas with your class, and they can decide what they’ll be using the Stool for at home.

In the picture above, you’ll notice I reused the ‘You are my sunshine’ stencil. I didn’t use the entire stencil, just the sunshine portion of the stencil on the Decor Stool. That’s the nice thing about the stencils is you can reuse them for multiple workshops and get creative with using just parts of the stencil.

Workshop Idea #4

DIY Kit: Tablescape Box

This is one of the more original workshop ideas that has just started to take off.

It’s also the perfect workshop for spring because you can put Mason Jars or Planters inside the Tablescape Box, and put it by your front door, or use for a center piece on your kitchen table.

STEP 1: Build the Tablescape box following the included instructions. All of the screws are included, and the holes are already pre-drilled and match up to show you exactly how to assemble.

STEP 2: Now you can instruct the class to either paint, or just Glaze directly onto the smooth wood.

STEP 3: Add a Stencil, Metallix paint, Mica Powder, or any other finishing product to help personalize the project and make it unique. American Paint Company offers an established line of sealers and finishes that are 100% all natural.

STEP 4: Finally, don’t forget to add something fun on the inside to finish the project. Show your attendees how to utilize their decor piece by adding mason jars or planters inside the kit!

Workshop Idea #5

DIY Kit: Serving Tray

The Serving Tray workshop has been a great hit. There are several uses for the tray, in addition to using it as a decor piece.

The best part about the tray is you can use it to create a specific workshop theme.

One idea is to use it for the Summer Theme! This is surprisingly popular even during the winter months because people wish it was summer.

Imagine helping your workshop attendees turn a simple wooden tray into a summer party with the Pineapple Tray Workshop!

STEP 1: Build it! Have attendees put together their own serving tray so they can tell everyone they built it from scratch.

STEP 2: Paint it! Add just one paint color, or multiple colors and then distress.

STEP 3: Stencil it! Add a unique stencil to match the theme of your workshop.

STEP 4: Personalize it! Add knobs or handles to your tray to make it uniquely yours.

There are so many ideas that you can do on one DIY Kit that the options really are endless.

I truly believe that doing the kits in your workshops, and coming up with out of the box ideas, really sets you apart. This can make your store different from others in your area.

I would love to see projects that you have done with the DIY Kits, and I love to see the creativity continue to flow.

The post 5 Workshop Ideas using DIY Kits appeared first on Paint Therapy Workshops.

Workshops have taken off over the past few years, and they’ve never been as popular as they are right now within the retail industry.

In fact, a lot of retailers are using workshops as their primary marketing strategy this year.

Think about it:

• • When you share a picture of an event at your store, it gets shared on social media like crazy!

• • What better way is there to build a customer relationship, then to ‘hang out’ with them for 2-3 hours during an event at your store?

  • Imagine the fun ‘culture’ and ‘atmosphere’ you’ll create for your store when everyone knows it’s the new ‘hot spot’ for events.

  • Your workshop attendees get massive exposure to your seasonal products and other product categories every time you host an event.

  • Customers spend more money shopping when they feel comfortable in your store – what better way to make them feel comfortable in your store then by having them spend 2-3 hours at your event?

The list of benefits to hosting workshops goes on and on. It’s no wonder why so many retailers are beginning to host workshops and events.

THE PROBLEM WITH MARKETING TODAY

‘Discount Coupon’ vs the ‘Event’

A lot of retail stores are spending a ton of money on marketing, and it’s really hard to find something that actually works consistently.

Retailers are always trying to scramble and figure out what the next thing is going to be that they’re going to market.

A lot of times retailers default to the easiest form of advertising: A discount coupon or special deal on a certain product. So they come into your store to purchase the Coffee Press and redeem the 20% off coupon .

And it’s true, you may even attract 50-100 new paying customers with this strategy. But there’s one problem with it:

There’s no connection.

Attracting a one time sale is different than attracting or building a customer base with workshops.

But there’s another way…a better way to attract new customers…

Make a lasting connection with your customers

When you host a few workshops, you can get 50 customers in your store.

And here’s the thing…

They’re coming in ‘after hours’. Women love the after hour experience. The doors are closed, and they’re the only ones in the store.

You instantly make them feel like a VIP. You can have snacks and drinks ready for them. You can tour them around your store during the break time (while the paint is drying). They get exposure to your other products and see what’s going on behind the scenes.

Now you’ve become the go-to spot. Because you’ve created a relationship over a three hour period.

How to Create a Local BUZZ on Social Media

If you want to get more engagement on your social media pages:

More likes, more comments, more shares…

Then try posting pictures of your events on your business Facebook page.

Nothing gets shared on social media more than pictures of workshops and events. Why? Because it’s a ‘social’ thing.

These types of posts are what social media was built for. These are the types of posts that Facebook and Instagram will push to the top of their algorithm and share with everyone in your area.

These types of posts will go way further than a post about a special discount you have on a certain product category.

You can post about upcoming events, workshop ideas, or pictures of your last ‘ladies night’ to show everyone how much fun you’re having at your store.

This is how you position your store as the fun, event based store. It will change your culture when people shop with you.

Imagine the conversations you’ll have with your customers when they come in and you’ve already gotten to know them at the event. Other customers will notice these interactions and it will change the way they feel and shop in your store.

Building a Customer Base for your Upcoming Busy Seasons

Every retail store has busy seasons.  Whether it’s winter Christmas shopping, or spring Garden shopping; you build your buying trips around these seasons.

Workshops do two things for you:

1. 1. They help you fill in the slower times with paying customers and foot traffic (and keep your staff busy)
   2. They build the customer base so you have even more customers during your busy season

The idea behind this is that, if a shopper takes a fall workshop at your store where they built a sleigh, they’re more likely to do their Christmas shopping at your store. Or, if they just took a spring workshop where they did a Tablescape Box and painted the flower pots inside the box, they’re more likely to do their spring garden shopping with you.

A System to Consistently Attract New Customers

HOSTING WORKSHOPS TO GET CUSTOMERS

We generally hosting workshops with 8 – 12 attendees. However, one of our first retailers insisted on 20 or more attendees per workshop. Her main focus was to attract as many new customers per month as she could with workshops. Her store was a beautiful, 35,000 SF store. Her only problem was foot traffic since she was off the beaten path.

During her second month of carrying the paint (this was several years ago now), she hosted 4 workshops (once per week) with 20 attendees each. She was able to successfully bring in 80 new customers in a single month with workshops. And she continues to host regular workshops today.

Her primary strategy with workshops was to attract new customers to her store, resulting in exposure and sales to her other product categories.

BUILDING A CUSTOMER BASE FOR YOUR BUSY SEASON

We have another retailer who focuses on hosting workshops prior to the busy seasonal sales. She does this to not only get customers during slower months, but also to build a customer base to maximize her seasonal sales.

For example she hosts dozens of workshops in the fall in preparation for Christmas, and dozens more in the late winter in preparation for spring sales.

Last November she hosted 14 workshops with 12 attendees each. Thats 168 new paying customers in one month!

This is a massive customer-getting strategy.

Don’t forget that the workshop is just the beginning of a customer relationship. It’s not just a one time event.

A lot of retailers focus on the workshop and forget to remember the big picture. They want to host a workshop, get some short time sales and action happening at their store. And that’s great! But your workshop is just the beginning.

A workshop is the beginning of your relationship with your customers.

With this in mind, it changes the way that you do your workshop. You want to put more time into each person attending.

You prepare differently, you set it up differently, you pay more attention to the experience.

If you think about the first time that the customer comes into your store and think about what kind of experience you want them to have, really that’s what this is all about. Let’s set this up and “wow” them on the first time so that they realize that this is a hot spot.

If you haven’t yet already, download the guide:  ‘The Paint Therapy Workshop Guide‘ walks you through everything step by step.

Check out our new Paint Therapy Podcast…Why Now is the best time to create an exciting in-store experience with workshops! 

The post How To Attract 50-100 New Paying Customers Per Month With Workshops appeared first on Paint Therapy Workshops.

As an independently owned brick and mortar store, how can you compete?

The good news is that you have something to offer your customers that online retailers do not…

          An In-Store Experience with Workshops!

Your customers are looking to you to provide personalized service, local expertise, and create in-store experiences for them to be a part of.

So what’s the most popular trend?  WORKSHOPS!

Workshops bring in a new and younger demographic to your store and help you to strengthen customer relationships and brand loyalty.  They set you apart from the big box retailers, fill your store with paying customers and give you something exciting to promote on social media!

Today, you’re going to learn how to create an exciting in-store experience for your customers. You’re also going to learn why now is the time to capitalize on the experience economy.

Part 1: In-Store Experiences in the Experience Economy

Right now is a very, very exciting time in the retail space. Everybody knows that the retail industry, when it comes to brick-and-mortar stores, is changing.

There are massive stores like Toys ‘R’ Us and Sears that have been around for decades, that are going out of business. Consumers are finding cheaper prices and more convienance shopping with online retailers like Amazon. And this is happening at a massive scale, with companies that sold billions of dollars worth of products.

You probably already know how the story ends for the small, independently owned retail stores. But what if there was a way to find a unique advantage through all of this? What if there was something you could offer to your customers, something that they’re really looking for…that online retailers can’t?

Welcome to the Experience Economy!

We really believe that smaller, independently-owned stores have a huge advantage, and that is the experience economy. It’s creating in-store events and workshops and, in our case, a Paint Therapy workshop. If your customers are looking for cheap products, you just can’t compete on prices. They’re going to buy online.

But if your customers are looking for an experience, they’re looking for the one-on-one interaction, then guess what? You have the advantage. So your customers are looking for you to provide this local expertise and provide a personalized experience and service and something they can be a part of locally.

Retailers that have transformed their business model and marketing strategy to focus on workshops, events and ladies nights have been enjoying these benefits:

• • Setting themselves apart from the big-box stores.

• Filling their store with paying customers (most customers will pre-pay for a workshop days in advance)
• Attract women shoppers and a younger, new demographic into their store
• Create a bond and a trust with their customers while spending 2-3 hours in a workshop setting
• Strengthen the loyalty and repeat business with workshop attendees
• Create a buzz on social media and position themselves as a ‘fun’ and ‘exciting’ store

Are you convinced yet? Excited to launch workshops and events at your retail store? Great! Let’s get started…

Part 2: Getting Started With Workshops

We kind of stumbled on workshops back in 2012.

One of our friends asked if we would put together a workshop for some of her friends, and then it kind of went from there. There was about six ladies the first night.  Everybody got together and we had snacks, there was music playing, and these women just loved to hang out and create. When they left, the word traveled through the town and on social media, and more people had contacted me to do more workshops.

That’s how it all started.The whole idea of women wanting to get together and creating and having an experience together isn’t slowing down!

The other important part to this is that while they were at the workshop, we were inspiring them with so many different things that you can use the products for. At the end of the class, they wanted to purchase the product and they ended up getting hooked! They kept coming back to buy the paint, try new colors, pick out a new brush, and top up on sealers.  All the while, they were getting exposure to other products and increasing foot traffic at our store.

Then the word kind of got out with different retailers in different towns, and they started contacting us and asking how they could sell this product and teach workshops.

Over the next year and a half we travelled to 75 different stores, helping them teach their first workshop with the owner and their attendees.

Through that process, we started learning what works best, and we kind of bundled it all down to a system and figured out what is the purpose of workshops and why do they work so well. That’s how the whole Paint Therapy Workshop system came about.

Part 3: Success with Workshops

Over the years, dozens of our retailers have made workshops their primary marketing strategy.

50 to 100 New Customers per Month

One of our retailers uses workshops to bring in 50 – 100 new customers per month. You can only imagine the repeat business from this. Not only do the events get shared on social media, but the attendees pre-pay, and then spend 2-3 hours in the store. They get comfortable in the environment which is a big reason why so many of them come back to shop later.

Exposure for Other Product Categories

Another retail store owner has his staff teach the workshops in the Home Decor area of his Home Improvement store. This raises awareness of the products and sets up success for the seasonal sales. He focuses on doing a lot of Winter workshops in order to build a customer base for his spring season, plants and gardening.  And he does a lot of fall workshops to set up his customer base for Christmas shopping. Getting in new customers for workshops keeps his store top of mind for the upcoming busy shopping season. It also helps keep his staff busy and foot traffic up during slower times.

Creating a Buzz on Social Media

A lot of our retailers post pictures of upcoming events, as well as groups of ladies at their previous events. Nothing gets liked, commented on and shared on social media more than parties and events. One of our retailers did a simple Facebook post with a workshop idea, and when she woke up in the morning she had over 250 comments on the post! By the way, she lived in a small town of less than 2,000 population. Posting about events is easy enough for staff to take care of, and it positions your company as a ‘fun’ and ‘exciting’ store that people want to shop at.

Part 4: The Paint Therapy Workshop System

What is the Paint Therapy Workshop system?

Retailers are busy. Very busy. They are trying to keep organized, keep inventory stocked, manage their staff, keep customers happy, and create new marketing campaigns so customers keep coming in to shop.

With Paint Therapy, not only can this system replace your advertising efforts to becoming your primary marketing strategy, but the system is designed to make it easy for you so you don’t get burned out. It allows you to set it up so it’s consistent, easy enough for your staff to implement for you, and simplifies your life so you don’t need to worry about re-creating the wheel when it comes to marketing.

When it comes to workshops and events, there are 3 things you need to do:

1. Promote – you’ll need to follow the steps to promote your workshops so your classes fill up and sell out.
2. Teach – you can follow our simple outline for teaching any workshop to make sure it’s valuable for attendees.
3. Sell – we offer proven products and profitable accessories so you can maximize your sales and get them coming back again.

Follow these 3 basic steps and you’ve got yourself a successful, repeatable marketing strategy for the year!

HOW TO PROMOTE

Promoting your workshop is key to filling up seats and selling out.  Once you sell out your workshops, it creates more demand for your future events. There’s nothing like having a waiting list of paying customers who perceive your store as the in demand ‘hot spot’.

The first steps to promoting your workshop is simple:

• Poster – create a poster that says ‘take a class’ and put it next to your register, or in your front window
• Sign Up Sheet – hands down, the EASIEST way to start building a list of attendees is by creating a simple spreadsheet that allows people who are interested in workshops to put their name, number and email address. Even if you’re not ready to host workshops yet, you’ll be able to see who’s interested, and build a follow up list for when you’re ready to go.
• Facebook Post – if you have a business Facebook page, simply post that you’re going to host workshops and events and ask those interested to leave a comment with their email address. We’ve had retailers who consistently get 20+ comments.

HOW TO TEACH

The next step is all about how to teach a workshop. Retailers can scratch their head trying to come up with what to teach, how to teach it, and even battle with the fear of speaking in front of a group.

But with a simple 3 part planning process, all of the pieces fall into place. This gives you an easy to follow plan, and something that is repeatable. You can provide this 3 part plan to your staff, and feel confident that they can take it from there.

• PART 1 – PROJECT – Choose a project that fits your criteria. Things to consider would include your budget, how long the project takes to complete, how much space the project takes up, and is the project valuable for attendees?  
• PART 2 – PRODUCT – When you teach a workshop, focus on a few key products rather than including too many options. This will help focus the educational part to specific products and give your attendees confidence in learning how to use them. This will also increase after sales of those products.
• PART 3 – PERSONALIZE – Let your attendees personalize their projects with a stencil, knobs, glaze or metallix. This helps customers create a project that is unique to them…plus, it’s super fun!

The 3 parts may sound TOO simple, but if you plan out each of the parts, you’ll be confident in teaching your first workshop.

HOW TO SELL

It’s important to use products that you sell at your store. Workshops have always been about promoting and educating people about the products you sell, in a unique and exciting experience. Keep in mind that a workshop isn’t a one time event for your customers. It’s the beginning of a long lasting customer relationship. That’s why you want to make sure to maximize your sales and efforts at a workshop. When customers make a purchase from your store, there’s a much higher chance that they’ll be back into your store for more purchases.

When it comes to paint and the accessories…these are consumable products. They use them up at home, and run out before their project is complete. This means they come back into your store again and again looking for more.

With that said, it makes a lot of sense to put more pressure on the initial sale so that you can set up the repeat business. Here’s a few tips that have worked for our retailers:

• TIP #1 – Offer a discount during the night of the event.
• TIP #2 – Plant the idea seed early in the class to get them thinking about projects at home
• TIP #3 – Pass around project ideas and pictures so they decide on a project and reason to buy
• TIP #4 – Educate them on the simple techniques so they have the confidence to do bigger projects at home

WHAT’S NEXT?

Hosting an exciting in-store experience is all about positioning yourself as unique store. It can make your customers feel like they are part of the experience, and a part of your store. That’s the kind of environment successful retailers are creating to set themselves apart from online retailers.

So if you’re ready to create an exciting in-store experience with Paint Therapy Workshops, check out our free guide. It’s our free gift to you, and whether you’re already a retailer, or maybe you haven’t done workshops before…either way, go ahead and download the guide. This is a great guide to check out all the details and go through all the steps.

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