WHOLESALE for HANDMADE - Setting Up Your Wholesale Linesheet

So you've now established your wholesale price for your pearl button cufflinks.  And you're proud of your product, and anxiously chomping at the bit to get some established wholesale accounts.  What's next?

In the retail/wholesale sales game, you need to now prepare what is known as a wholesale linesheet.  There are several ways to go about doing this, and there are even some ONLINE RESOURCES that you could consult to get some more ideas other than what we're doing here.   Etsy Seller LittlePut  also has some fantastic tips for selling your work wholesale HERE AT HER BLOG, and you can find some information about creating a wholesale linesheet there, too. 

I'm going to give you my version of what you  need to do to create a stellar linesheet here in a few simple steps, so you can have a place to start.

CREATING YOUR LINESHEET

1.  THE ALL-IMPORTANT PHOTO. 
You've heard this before, but it must be repeated: TAKE GOOD PHOTOS.  There are tons of places where you can purchase a light box to take some really nice photos.  If you don't have the dough to buy one right now, don't worry: you aren't doomed.  (If you have some really good photos from your Etsy or Artfire shops, then you can use them here.)  If you don't, and need a way to take some good photos on a budget, Digital Photography School has some great ideas HERE.


2. CREATE YOUR FORMAT.
When I started several years ago taking my soaps around to different small hotels and bed-and-breakfast locations, I made an uber-simple version of what eventually become a real wholesale linesheet using Microsoft Word.  It wasn't what I would consider the grandest publication by any means, but I got quite a few orders off of it.  You can use MS Word, Publisher, Works, or just about any software you want here.  Make sure you make your images  fit nicely into the publication and arrange it so it looks nice. 

3.  INCLUDE GOOD PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS.
What is the best feature about your  pearl button cufflinks that would make them marketable?   Make these characteristics a part of your item description.  Be concise, though - don't get wordy or start writing any poetry.  Make it simple, descriptive, but to-the-point. Oh, and: MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR WHOLESALE PRICE PER UNIT IN YOUR DESCRIPTION!

4. FOR YOUR PRINTED LINESHEET, SELECT A QUALITY PAPER.
You did know that you're going to need a hard copy of your linesheet, right?  I'd suggest some type of cardstock, but make it smooth.  You're not trying to Publication of the Year here, you're just trying to come up with a way to demonstrate your product to potential buyers.  They won't be interested in seeing how expensive your paper is.  They want to be able to SEE your product.

5.  BIND YOUR LINESHEET IN A SIMPLE BUT CLASSY NOTEBOOK OR BINDER.
Again, don't worry about getting a moleskin notebook with monogrammed engraving.  You want something clean, but servicable.  Anything more will distract from your purpose.  Go down to your local office supply retailers and purchase one for a dollar. 

Trunkt, a website that allows indie artisans to create their own wholesale website, has a really nice feature:  it will allow you to list and describe your products and create a downloadable PDF that can serve as your linesheet.  Trunkt does have a membership fee, but you only need to pay that if you plan to "publish" your linesheet into a website to be included in their directory.  It's free to sign up and upload your photos and make product descriptions.  Great if you're pinching pennies!

In  my next post, we'll talk about locating and evaluating potential retail clients for your handmade designs.