Over the years, since Inspirit Arts started promoting headwrap vending as a viable profession,  I've watched a number of headwrap brands open and close. They didn't take my classes for how to start a professional headwrapping business, and bit the dust within a year.

Generally speaking, most businesses don't survive the first year for a number of typical reasons.  However almost everybody who failed at a headwrapping business made one or more of the following three mistakes.

MISTAKE #1

THEY FOCUS ON SELLING. I realize that it's a bit counter-intuitive, but demonstrating headwrap styles with the intention of selling scarves doesn't really work. The selling mentality stops vendors from engaging people in a way that encourages them to buy. People don't like being sold to. They like getting value for free. 

WE FOCUS ON TEACHING. Our Headwrapping for Entrepreneurs classes are really teacher training courses. I give step by step instructions on how to give hands-on tutorials and create a memorable experience for shoppers. When we give away value (a free tutorial), the headwraps sell themselves. 

While sellers tend to be desperate and pushy, Inspirit Arts headwrap tutors are fun and nurturing.

MISTAKE #2

THEY SEEK TO IMPRESS.  Headwrap professionals are usually tempted to wear and demonstrate elaborate headwrap styles. We feel an urge to show off our scarf tying skills in order to razzle and dazzle the crowd. This is a trap that inhibits vendors from making a living. The more complicated a style,  the more people are impressed, but the sales are made. The bottom line is that people buy what is easy and practical.

WE KEEP IT SIMPLE. The Inspirit Arts Headwrap Vendor Method is limited to simple everyday wrap styles that our customers casually wear to the gym, work, school etc. We call them 'beginner's wraps'. Some of our customers ask for full cover styles, however most ask for partial cover 'crown' or 'criss cross' styles.  The multi-cultural look appeals to a vastly diverse range of people, and are accepted everywhere, even in corporate America, because they are basically glorified headbands.  ​The most important thing, is to teach very simple styles that give people confidence that they can do it themselves. Also, vending is a numbers game. The faster a vendor teaches easy to learn styles, the more  customers that vendor can tend to in a day.

​Complicated styles make learners loose confidence, and the vendor looses a great deal of time & income.

Easy to learn scarf tying lessons feel good, and create memorable experiences for shoppers.

MISTAKE #3

THEY OFFER COMMON FABRIC.  Let' face it. Most women are happy to get a  free headwrap styling lesson and not buy anything because they already have plenty of scarves at home to wear.   Also, it's typical for festival shoppers to save their money for the most unique product that isn't readily found in stores. 

WE OFFER HAND WOVEN HEADWRAPS  that most shoppers have never seen before. People typically say "WOW!" when we show them the intricate detail and craftsmanship. Our script for giving one-on-one tutorials puts a lot of emphasis on the comforts of light weight, breathable, non-slip fabric that never needs to be tied tightly.  It only takes 2 or 3 minutes before our customers learn to appreciate the difference between ordinary scarves and Inspirit Arts headwraps that were woven, one thread at a time specifically to be worn on the head. Inspirit Arts sellers get a lot of return business because our products are not easily found in stores.

 
Extraordinary hand woven head wraps are not available in stores, so shoppers keep coming back to Inspirit Arts Vendors for more and more colors. 

 

I freely share this information hoping to slow down the rate of headwrap business failure.

Headwrapping is a wonderful money making profession and fundraiser only if the vendor is properly trained.

~ Sylvia NebSa Harmon, aka Miss NebSa