Tailor Archive
Thread: Setting Up a Shop?
In my opinion, layout of the shop is somewhat irrelevent. As long as you put the vendors near the entrance so that they are easily visible that is sufficient. Otherwise just have fun decorating it according to your sense of style.
As far as advertising, it used to be pretty much a necessity to be on the map, but now I'm not even sure that's an advantage anymore. You can try the "usual" tactics, including putting items on the bazar with your waypoint, sending emails to folks that buy your things on the bazar including your waypoint in the message, hollering at the starport, putting your waypoint in the name of all your harvesters and factories, and so forth.
To me though, the best way to get people to come is to focus on location. Location, location, location as they say. If you put your shop near a big city, as close to the "no build line" as you can (both because it's close to the city as well as it means people won't be putting shops right in front of yours), and preferably near some other heavily frequented places, you'll get plenty of visitors. Also, another tactic to consider, is putting together a shop with other artisans. Having a shop, or adjacent shops run by people who take the time to stock their vendors regularly can offer big advantages. Make sure any prospective partners of yours do, in fact, take the trouble to regularly stock and restock however. Being a partner with people that have empty vendors is probably hurts a lot more than it helps.
you can also try to get in a player city that is lacking tailors if there are any out there. if you are the only tailor in a large player city you will do pretty good business.
I like the factional pa city I am in as people have to stick around town to defend the base and most are combat types. Sure I had to join the faction and get some rifleman skilll to defend myself in mass pvp but it is a good distraction when i get tired of crafting. I sell uniforms and enhanced clothes and sell out of most of my stock every week just working for my guild.
Just make sure you are the only one in town though.
I think you need to use *all* the available advertising and quasi-advertising options, or as many as you can manage. I think they all help. Basically, your best friend is word of mouth. It's like that old TV commercial "She tells two friends, then they tell two friends, and so on, and so on, and so on...."
SueDenim wrote:
I'd mildly dissent from the "put the vendors near the entrance" theory, at least for some house types. In the Corellian/Generic Small, I often find that a vendor put in the front hall hasn't even generated by the time I get into the first big room, so I miss it if that's where they put it. You want to think about the "graphic loading" a bit.
I think you need to use *all* the available advertising and quasi-advertising options, or as many as you can manage. I think they all help. Basically, your best friend is word of mouth. It's like that old TV commercial "She tells two friends, then they tell two friends, and so on, and so on, and so on...."
Word of mouth is the winner i believe. This will apply more if you are a custom order or face-to-face tailor rather than a vendor tailor. Buying a duster off a vendor is hardly memorable, but spending 45 minutes getting kitted out, having a laugh and getting discounted for example will certainly get you tells...
The suggestion about joining a city is very good; I would post on your galaxy forum asking for cities without a dedicated tailor. Some cities may have a holo or nominated one, but may be looking for someone to take over that role.