Feature Review and Giveaway: Prairie Sweet Boutique

We are so excited to be featuring Prairie Sweet Boutique on the blog this week!  We absolutely love these ladies, their work is just amazing!  We thought everyone should know about this wonderful company and all they do, so without further adieu let's get this party started (and there will be an awesome giveaway at the end so read on!)

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Please tell us a little about yourself and your business:

Hello!  Thank you for having us on the Beautiful Photo Props blog today!  Prairie Sweet Boutique is a high-end template boutique featuring templates, tools and designer digital papers for the professional photographer!  Prairie Sweet Boutique was created by two sisters from the Midwest, one a photographer, Lori, and one a designer, Heidi.  We are both artists at heart and enjoy the process of creating beautiful & useful templates, digital papers and art prints.  If you want to read more about how we got our name, read HERE in the “About Us” section of our blog.  We launched our store back in August of 2012 and have been thrilled with the wonderful photographers and vendors we have met along the way.  

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What is your favorite product?

That is a tough one!  We both have our own style.  Heidi does the majority of the designing while I (Lori) do a lot of the marketing & customer service.  I have started to do some designing lately and have enjoyed creating the Soft Linen Newborn Collection, although I also really love the Christmas Whimsy Card Collection (our #1 best seller) which Heidi created. I really like the Sweet Essential Digital Paper Line and concept too…plus a bunch of other stuff!  Heidi’s favorite products are probably our digital papers.  She especially likes our new Hand drawn Triangles Digital Paper Collection as well as our Happy Digital Papers.

What do you do for fun?

Lori:  Although I am very busy with 3 young children at home, I do enjoy being creative in other ways – like sewing, painting and decorating my home.  My kids and I love to drive a few miles outside of town to explore.  They are always so thrilled to see cows or horses or farm dogs on our drives.  We are lucky to live in a part of the country where we are so close to the countryside when we need a little breathing room.

Heidi:  I enjoy singing in a Community Choir that I helped found and I love to teach myself how to do web-savvy stuff like Java Script and HTML.  Most of my time is spent with my family: going to the park or having dance parties with my two daughters or going on dates with my hubby.  We love to play with our giant dog named Lady.  I also love to organize whenever I have the opportunity (especially if it means buying new office supplies from Target!).

What's the best thing you've ever done for your business?
This is easy – forming a partnership with my sister. I would also add that one of the best things anyone can do for a business is start with the end in mind.  This means that you plan for grown (and expect it – positive thinking).  For example, create your UVP:  unique value proposition.  What sets you apart from the rest of your competitors and keep this at the forefront.  Our UVP is two-part – to help photographers boost sales (through the products and information that we offer) and well as to help photographer pamper their clients (through our client gifts templates and ideas).  We are still fine tuning our UVP and have exciting plans for the future but it definitely helps us stay focused.

Please share with us your TOP TIPS for how to BOOST YOUR SALES/BUSINESS:

1. Sell high quality products!  There are many photographers who sell all digital files and love it.  I’m not in that camp.  I really enjoy customizing products (like albums, storyboard collages, wall displays, cards, etc.) that will create a wonderful keepsake or display for my client.  One of the most exciting parts of being a photographer/designer is to walk into a client’s home and see your work hanging on their wall.  Prairie Sweet Boutique sells many wonderful templates to help photographers boost their sales.
2. SAMPLES.  Clients buy what they see.  No matter how great you are at describing a product, nothing compares to touching and feeling one in hand.  Invest in samples.
3. COLLECTIONS:  It’s great to have a la carte pricing – but really it should be a tool to show clients what a great deal your Product Collections are!  Using albums, Framed Storyboard Collages and other keepsake items is a great way to keep the collections exciting.
   
   
   

   

   
   

Please share with us your TOP TIPS for how to PAMPER YOUR CLIENTS:

1. Treat them to a wonderful photography experience.  Photographers do much more than “take pictures”.  Give them your time and attention, listen to what they want and give them an EXPERIENCE they will remember for a lifetime – or until their next session with you.  Give them the guidance that they need without being pushy.  You are their advisor.
2. Say thank you.  Let them know how important they are to you. Thank them for their business with an unexpected gift.  We love to give mini accordion albums, or mini storyboards, or calendars as special little client gifts.  Often if you pay attention during a client’s ordering session you will be able to tell what that one item is that they didn’t order but that you knew they wanted.  Making this item a gift (within reason of course) is a great way to show your client how much you care.

What is your next photography/business/personal related goal?

We have many business goals that were are currently working towards.  Our 2013 Christmas Card Collection is in the works.  We are also making improvements to our shop and have some really great interviews and reviews from top photographers and vendors in our industry in the pipeline for our Make it Sweet Blog.  We recently interviewed and featured WHCC on our blog.  You can see the feature here :)

Thank you again for featuring us on Beautiful Photo Props!

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You can find out more about these wonderful ladies and Prairie Sweet Boutique by clicking on any of the links below :)

View their Newborn items here:  http://www.prairiesweetboutique.com/baby

website: 

http://www.prairiesweet.com/

facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/prairiesweet

pinterest:

http://www.pinterest.com/prairiesweet

instagram:

http://www.instagram.com/prairiesweet

twitter:

prairie_sweet

newsletter:

http://mad.ly/signups/56743/join

blog:

http://www.prairiesweet.com/blog/

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  The sweet ladies over at Prairie Sweet Boutique are graciously giving away a $150 gift certificate to their shop!  How awesome is that?  All you have to do to enter is use the Rafflecopter widget below, entering is easy!  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway