Posts by Katie Hunt
2024 State of the Product Industry Report
2024 State of the Product Industry Report

Everyday I hear from product-based business owners who are curious about other people’s business models, their teams, their tech-stack, how much revenue they are earning and what other product business owners pay themselves.

And although we know that every business is different, it is natural to want to see behind the curtain of other brands in your industry.

But it is more than curiosity. 

We know the industry has experienced major shifts over the last several years. Everyone has been pivoting and recalibrating.

We're experiencing new normals.

You need to know what’s happening in our industry.

So, the Proof to Product team decided to take an industry-wide temperature check.

And, 925 product based businesses owners answered the call, anonymously sharing their business details with us for the 2024 State of the Product Industry Report

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product development, Alumni Success Stories, OPERATIONS & SALESKatie Hunt Comments
How to Find The Right Manufacturing Partners For Your Wholesale Business
How to Find The Right Manufacturing Partners For Your Wholesale Business

Expanding your wholesale product line can be both exciting and daunting. There are a lot of factors that go into creating a new product and finding the right manufacturing partners to turn your vision into a reality is crucial, particularly if you’re planning to sell the product to the wholesale market. In this article, we’ll guide you step-by-step through the process of finding a product manufacturer that aligns with your product specs, budget, timeline and quality. We also want to make sure our manufacturing partners communicate well, work efficiently and have values that align with our brand.

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product developmentKatie HuntComment
7 Strategies for Effective Trade Show Visual Merchandising
7 Strategies for Effective Trade Show Visual Merchandising

Visual Merchandising, by definition, is the creation and projection of an attractive, exciting, practical sales
environment, whereby the proper presentation of merchandise within that environment acts as your most important selling tool … the silent salesperson. It is a marketing practice that uses floor plans / booth layouts, themed color, lighting, graphics, display props, technology, and other elements to attract customer attention. Its goal is to use the available trade show floor space to generate more sales. Keep reading for 7 tips to effective visual merchandising for your trade show!

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booth inspiration, tradeshowsKatie HunttradeshowsComment
Loudhouse Creative Picked Up by Paper Source
Loudhouse Creative Picked Up by Paper Source

Francesca Fuges was in the process of launching her business Loudhouse Creative when she came to Paper Camp.

 She knew she wanted to sell wholesale and exhibit at the National Stationery Show the following year but she needed help developing her product line, building her sales tools and preparing for the show.

 In her scholarship application for Paper Camp, Francesca set her sights high sharing that Paper Source was one of her dream stores that she hoped to work with one day.

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Alumni Success StoriesKatie HuntalumniComment
Strategic Follow-Up Lands Woodsy Foxman in Her Dream Store
Strategic Follow-Up Lands Woodsy Foxman in Her Dream Store

Meet Ariel of Woodsy Foxman. She's one of our Paper Camp alums!


Ariel's dream store was located too far away for her to connect in person, so she wrote a handwritten, personalized note and sent a few extra samples since she didn't a physical catalog.

She followed up a week later via email and the buyer wrote back gushing about the samples and placed an order right away.

It took Ariel three touch points (snail mail, email and connecting on social media) to get the sale and now the store re-orders month.

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Alumni Success StoriesKatie HuntalumniComment
How Do I Know if a Store is a Good Fit for my Products?
How Do I Know if a Store is a Good Fit for my Products?

You’ve probably heard me say this on Proof to Product and in previous emails, but I’m a firm believer that relationships are they key to running and building a successful business.

Everyone from our team, to our customers, to our colleagues, to our vendors plays a significant role in our personal growth as well as the development of our company. Your relationships with wholesale buyers, are no exception.

But how do you find the right stores?

How do you connect on a personal level with the buyer?

How do you know if a store is a good fit for what you sell?

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wholesaleKatie HuntResource #2Comment
Chez Gagné Expands to Over 300 SKUS and Diversifies Product Categories
Chez Gagné Expands to Over 300 SKUS and Diversifies Product Categories

When Alex Gagné from Chez Gagné came to Paper Camp, she had been in business for just under 2 years and had created a collection of 80 greeting cards.

She knew that wholesale was her end game, so she soaked up a ton of info at Paper Camp; then went home and put what she learned into action sourcing new products, reaching out to buyers and streamlining her processes.

Within one year of coming to Paper Camp, Alex’s hard work and hustle landed her products in more than 500 stores, including Paper Source.

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Alumni Success StoriesKatie Huntalumni Comment
Katie Hunt, 40 Under 40 Honoree
Katie Hunt, 40 Under 40 Honoree

We have exciting news!

Our very own Katie Hunt, Founder of Tradeshow Bootcamp, has been selected as one the first-ever Gift + Stationery 40 Under 40 honorees.

Katie, along with the other 39 honorees, were selected based on leadership qualities, creativity, innovative thinking and commitment to the industry by representatives of Gift Shop, Stationery Trends, Museums & More, the Gift & Home Trade Association (GHTA) and GHTA’s Young Gift Executives Program (YGE).

Katie is honored to be chosen as one of the stationery industry’s top 40 professionals under the age of 40, and would like to extend Congratulations to all the TSBC alums, speakers and friends that also made the list!

Below is the full list of honorees that were chosen as well as a snippet of Katie’s amazing accomplishments. Congrats Katie!

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Katie HuntComment
Booth Brainstorm: Good Lighting
Booth Brainstorm: Good Lighting

Excellent lighting is critical to your trade show booth. You want your booth to be inviting and display your products in the best possible way. And, lighting is a big component of this. As you’re weighing your lighting options, keep in mind the reasons behind why you want to have great lighting in your trade show booth.

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Katie Hunttradeshows Comment
E. Frances Paper Proves Tradeshows Aren’t the Only Way to Launch a Wholesale Line
E. Frances Paper Proves Tradeshows Aren’t the Only Way to Launch a Wholesale Line

In the paper industry, many brands look to the National Stationery Show to serve as their wholesale debut. It’s a great place to meet buyers, get feedback on your products and build relationships with press, reps and other designers. It's where I launched my wholesale line in 2009.

However, this isn't the only way to launch your wholesale brand.

Many thriving businesses are introducing their product line to buyers outside of shows and doing it successfully. A great example of this is Paper Camp Alum, E. Frances Paper.

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Alumni Success StoriesKatie HuntalumniComment
Booth Brainstorm: Walls
Booth Brainstorm: Walls

When you’re planning your tradeshow booth, start with your walls. The type of walls you choose to use will have a domino effect on other decisions you make for your booth. For example, your walls will determine how you display your products, whether you use shelves, how you hang your signs and what lights you use. Plus, your walls set the stage for the overall aesthetic of your booth.

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tradeshowsKatie Hunttradeshows, Resource #3Comment
Packaging Your Products without Breaking the Bank
Packaging Your Products without Breaking the Bank

Can we talk about product packaging for a minute? You want your products to look unique and stand out from the crowd, but you don’t have to break the bank to do it.

There are so many packaging options available, and it’s important to know when to follow the crowd and use standard packaging and when to get creative and do your own thing.

Ultimately, your product packaging must make it easy for the end customer to understand what your product is and how they can use it. And, from a business standpoint, you want to ensure that your packaging looks great, is scaleable and doesn’t cut into your profit margins. Here’s where to focus.

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product developmentKatie HuntResource #1Comment
Wholesaling: Top Tips for Building Your Catalog
Wholesaling: Top Tips for Building Your Catalog

Catalogs are an important and necessary sales tool for your wholesale business. But they are also expensive and time-consuming to produce so you want to make them as effective as possible.

Whether you’re attending trade shows or sending samples to stores, a catalog is a must-have. Let’s take a closer look at three things you MUST have in your catalog, read on for more!

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Katie HuntComment
CRM Tools for Creatives
CRM Tools for Creatives

Emailing prospects.

Following up with retailers after a show.

Tracking who you’ve sent catalogs and samples to in an organized fashion.

These are all good business practices that shouldn’t find you scrounging through old business cards or digging into your inbox. With the right customer relationship management tool, you can do all of these things (and so much more). And many of our favorites have added benefits too.

Here, we have a short review of some of the CRMs used by Paper Camp alumni, and resources we’ve found to really help you have positive client communications and relationships.

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OPERATIONS & SALESKatie HuntResource #4Comment
Booth Brainstorm: Signage
Booth Brainstorm: Signage

The sign you hang in your tradeshow booth is your “address” for the show. It’s how people find you and it’s up to you to make sure that you’re easy to find!

How much does it cost?

  • Is it easy to transport?

  • Is it easy to install?

  • Can I reuse it?

  • Does it match my brand aesthetic?

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular signage options and their pro’s and con’s to help you as you make the best decisions for your business.

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Katie HuntComment
How to Time Product Releases?
How to Time Product Releases?

Creating new products and tinkering with new design ideas is why many of you went into business. It’s the draw of the creative process. You love to brainstorm, create and then create some more. And it keeps your business exciting and alive—for you and for your bank account.

Releasing these new products is your ticket to business growth. It sets you apart from the competition and shows retailers that you’re serious about your business and your product line. But it’s important to realize that timing is a major factor with new releases, particularly when you’re selling wholesale.

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wholesaleKatie HuntResource #2Comment