Why I think its Fab at Fab!

 One of our new year’s resolutions was to get organised and start selling our stuff in more places, which to be honest was a bit daunting as both Sally and I are naturally very protective of our work and like to hand it to the customer directly so we know it’s always loved and looked after, but we also knew that if we didn’t start putting ourselves out there we wouldn’t grow as a business which is the whole point.

(We are very precious about our stuff, because we do genuinely love what we do, which for hardnosed business people, which we are clearly not, it's a bit of a bugbear, but what can you do?)

It was with this in mind that we decided to approach Fabrication in Leeds, we’d heard good things about it on the grapevine and knew that its sellers covered a wide range of disciplines from silversmiths, potters and printers to upholsterers, photographers, artists and dressmakers so after exchanging a few emails with founder Dawn Wood we excitedly signed up!

 

This is not to say I didn’t have my reservations, to make it viable financially for us we signed up to the 8hr contract. (other options are available)
This meant that the rent & commission was low but I had to work one day a week in the shop and I wasn’t sure that

 A. I’d like it
 B. I’d have time
 C. It would be worthwhile.

But each of these troublesome worries have been laid to rest one by one.

And I’ll tell you for why...

 

Admittedly I wasn’t sure about the working hours thing at first, but actually I thoroughly enjoy it. I use it as an opportunity to network with other sellers and to meet customers in a much more stress-free setting than some of the events I’ve done.
The Light shopping centre is bright airy and has a relaxed modern feel about it which is reflected in the type of customer we see. I’ve worked in retail and know what arses the public can be but honestly  at Fabrication we have the nicest customers ever. 

 

So yes I like it, but how can I justify the most precious commodity of time?
 Well I soon stopped stressing about it when I realised if i just relaxed a bit the benefits far outweigh the cons.
 For instance, how many countless hours have I stood at a craft stall all day and paid a lot of money for the pleasure?
The answer is hundreds and yet I’ve never felt the need to justify it. I worked out that after all my travel expenses and the rent; it effectively costs us £3.49p a day to have a permanent stall in the centre of Leeds open 7 days a week.
 The average stall fee at a craft fair is about £40 a day sometimes a lot more and in this current financial climate there are no guaranteed sales anymore. We’ve found often that an event that was fantastic last year may not yield the same rewards this. They are all a gamble and we’ve started to view them as more of a marketing tool than a big sales opportunity and now  thanks to Fabrication we now have the added bonus of giving potential customers the security of knowing we are part of a bricks and mortar shop in Leeds city centre.

Also I get to brainstorm and network with some very talented people, which is priceless for someone who spends the majority of her time working alone with a sewing machine called Janice. The other sellers have become friends and advisors, on everything from marketing, pricing, and selling to skill sharing and creative collaborations which is more than a bit exciting.

As for worthwhile, I think the contacts and other opportunities that have grown from being there make it worthwhile alone. Thanks to Fab we've now got a stockist in Holmfirth and thanks to consistently good sales (and that’s through the summer which we were warned can be notoriously quiet in Leeds) we can now consider saving some capital to invest in larger events such as the Country Living and British Craft Trade Fairs which before were just pipe dreams! 
So yes, where else can you get retail space in the centre of Leeds, teaching space, business and admin support and a wonderful camaraderie for as little as £1.42 a day?

 

Don’t get me wrong its not been without its dramas...
The first month sales were slow, and being a country girl at heart I found the big city a bit daunting, (they charge 30p to have a wee at Leeds station!) My train journeys to and fro have become somewhat legendry and there was a time when it looked like the whole shop would have to relocate, but it all turned out fine in the end and I think after seven months I can confidently say its one of the best decisions we’ve made and I would recommend anyone umming and arring to give it a go.

 

If you want to find out more for yourselves pop in the shop and chat to anyone of the sellers there or drop an email to info@fabric-ation.co.uk for full terms and conditions.
Lisa x
P.S I've not been paid to write this, its just my views and I thought it would be nice to share x