Post-Showcase Report and Group News

Heyla, all!

As usual, I'd like to extend a warm thank you to those who were able to participate in the Broke Developers Halloween Showcase, yesterday, October 19, 2007. Thank you for taking the time to participate and helping our showcase become the mild success that it was!

Yes, you all heard me correctly: The Broke Developers Halloween Showcase was a success! Quite a few people attended the event. So many people came, in fact, that almost everyone who participated in the event managed to make at least one sale, yesterday.

Broke Develoeprs Halloween Showcase Sales Report:

DavyRocket - 1 sale
DJ_Phoenix - 1 sale
eleanorrigby - 4 sales
Hurt - 1 sale
TheKeeper - 5 sales

I wasn't able to get a sales report from MRS4MR, nickle_head, stephenWiz, or vmcl1998; however, I do know that nickle-head had mentioned making quite a few sales at the event.

The only real glitch in our showcase was that only 4 people had actually remembered to sign up for the raffles. Everyone else came in, took a look around, perhaps bought a few things, then left before we could remind them of the raffle. Because 4 people weren't enough to hold a raffle for the sheer number of prizes we have to give away, this month, those who participated in yesterday's showcase decided that we should hold another one, today, October 20, 2007. Hopefully, this will give everyone another shot at signing up for the raffle.

And so, in light of the success of yesterday's showcase, I invite everyone in the group to come on in and drop your ThereDocs and other items for display. As today is Saturday, chances are that we'll have at least just as many people come by to take a look at our wares. This, of course, means that chances are good that we'll make sales, today, as well.

Keep an eye on this post throughout the day, for I'll be posting a link to both the showcase set up event and the actual showcase event once we've scheduled them. Also, keep an eye out for the invites to both the set up event and the actual showcase event. Remember, the set up event is your chance to actually set everything up before the main event starts. Take advantage of it to get your displays just right.

--Update--

Here is the link to the set up event for part deux of the Broke Developers Halloween Showcase:

http://webapps.prod.there.com/eventmgmt/eventmgmt?op=view&id=574231305

Here is the link to the Broke Develoeprs Halloween Showcase: Part Deux:

http://webapps.prod.there.com/eventmgmt/eventmgmt?op=view&id=574231366

In other news, I have a few items to bring up:

1) I'd like everyone to know that the group funds are now at 8,800 Tbux. As many of you know, we had started out at 21,500, thanks to a donation from both Geea and Kasss. Here's the spending report:

2,000 - NikieWally: for a quest kit to write quests that advertise and promote the group's wares
200 - nickle_head: to list his 2 items in auctions so that he may participate in yesterday's showcase
9,500 - TheKeeper: for a group sign plate that DavyRocket created just for the group; the idea was to display this at group events and other events I catch wind of, such as _emma's monthly showcases, but we had actually been offered a place to display our sign at a popular vehicle loan shop; as this seems like a great opportunity to advertise the group and its auctions, I'll be following up on that offer once we get the sign
1,000 - TheKeeper: for a fashion banner to place by the clothing sellers' display tables; we needed a nice, generic sign that told everyone that the ThereDocs displayed on the two display tables were advertisements from the clothing sellers

And that is how the group money has been spent. The fashion banner worked wonderfully; the sign plate is already looking like a good advertising investment for the group; once the quest is up and running, we'll have many questing Thereians exposed to our wares, as many of them will be motivated to complete an easy quest for a chance to win 1,000 tbux in a raffle, the 1,000 tbux actually being provided by There, itself, as the quest is hosted by Right-Foot questing; finally, I'm very glad that we were able to help nickle_head out, for he was able to make quite a few sales! All in all, the money has been well-spent, so far.

2) Speaking of cash, I've had reports of some moderate success at our group auctions being held at the Broke Dev. Group House. El, in fact, has reported making at least 4 sales this week, alone. So, if you'd like to share in the profits, come on in and drop your ThereDocs! I'll be sending everyone an invite to the Broke Developers Group Auctions. Use the invite to get to the house to drop your ThereDocs. Good luck and fair profits to everyone!

3) DavyRocket has noticed that only a few core members of the group have done everything they can to actively participate by attending events, meetings, and simply doing whatever they can to help improve sales for everyone in the group. As a result, he will be rewarding these core members with a model of their choice, to texture and sell as they wish.

Remember, active participation is important if you really want to make sales. I'm doing my best to advertise the group's auctions, but there will be events where the actual developer would be more successful if he or she were present. Take last night's showcase, for example. While I had placed the group scroll linking to our auction links on this site in a prominent place, those who were present to actually mingle and model or discuss the wares they were selling were the ones who actually managed to make profit. In other words, I can't do it alone. If you'd like to share in the profits, you'll need to at least be present during the showcases. But the decision is up to you: I can open the doors for you, but it's up to you to actually walk through them.

4) DavyRocket had also come up with an excellent idea: Instead of making full custom signs for people, why not make a blank sign that people can buy, then make custom plate covers that fit onto the sign for people who request them. While the plate cover is the same to submit as the actual sign, the wholesale cost of the cover is actually much less than the sign, meaning that we can actually offer the sign plates at a lesser cost than the actual signs. As I had mentioned in the group funds spending report, I had actually bought a custom plate from Davy for the group, so you'll actually get to see how this idea works, first hand.

So, what does this idea have to do with everyone in the group? Davy has offered to send everyone templates of the sign plate so that everyone in the in group is able to take orders for custom plates. I do believe that this idea will take off and give everyone a chance to make more profits. Our group can be known as the first to make less expensive custom sign plates for people, so we can preserve our little niche in the market. You'll have to e-mail Davy to receive the templates, though, for he can't send attachments through the group e-mail form that There provides.

5) DavyRocket, yet again, has proposed a fun idea for the group: a group t-shirt contest. The t-shirt with the best logo and look will be adopted as the group t-shirt, and the group will chip in to help pay for the male and female versions of the shirt. So, if you're interested in participating, e-mail the group the jpegs of your creations!

6) Miss_doctor apparently changed her mind about working for us, so we're back to square one, it seems. We need one male and one female employee to help push our items. I'll be putting out a notice on the classifieds and in the forums, but if any of you find someone needing tbux, why not send them over to me for an interview?

Keep in mind that the avies have to have premium membership, as we can't give money to basic members.

7) We're looking for ideas on how to keep our showcase guests entertained while they wait for the end-of-showcase raffle. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to e-mail the group so that we can discuss it!

Finally, we've come to the end of my novel-length report. I hope to see you all at the showcase, tonight!

TheKeeper