Ask Me Anything: How to Start a Henna Program at a Library
Ask Me Anything!
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In today’s Ask Me Anything!, we’re tackling the following questions submitted from hennapreneurs like you:
[00:00] How do I start offering henna programs at the libraries in my area?
[04:32] Should I have structured materials when doing a henna program at a library?
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+ Read the transcript here
Chelsea: What would you do if there were no library programs for henna in your area? What steps would you take? Personal time to drop in, brochures vs. email, PDF, follow up, structured material, designs for teens, etc., to increase these programs in the height of summer? Suggestions on pricing for an event?
So, this was a really, really good question and I love it!
So, let's take a step back. If there's not already a library program in your area that relates to henna, the first step that I would take is to go to the library in person, and chat with a librarian. Um, there are industries like ours, right? There are industries where, um, professionals really do keep in contact with one another and having a network in place is everything! And let me tell you, librarians are one of those industries.
So you want to get in with one of those librarians at least and get some sort of something set up. So, once you've successfully launched a program in the library system, then it's much more easy for you to expand that into other libraries, into other branches, right? Um, but the first thing is to go to the one that, um, that you'd like to start in.
So what I'd recommend, um, is going in person and chatting with the librarian at your local library. Hopefully this is a place that you've already been showing up. I hope that it's a place that you've already been showing up because you know, you're visiting the library to access, you know, like resources to help you build your business, or like learning the history of henna or like, you know, you're using the library anyway, right guys, right?! So, so hopefully you already have a presence there, which will make it a lot easier for you to start the conversation with your local librarians.
Um, but if you haven't, if you're new, then I would definitely go with some sort of materials, some tangible material that you can put- place into her or his hand. Um, so that you can start the conversation with like, a solid foundation of like, legitimacy and so forth. So it's not like just, you know, "Oh hey, I do henna!" and whatever, and then don't have anything to show for it.
Like, I would show up with, with your business card or show up with a rack card or show up with a brochure. I think I've mentioned to you guys- look, here we go again. I swear every time, every time I have something I want to show you, then I can't find it. And I find it as soon as I get off of this, as soon as I get off of live. So I'm not even going to go through that one. So, I've shown you guys in past lives that I have a brochure. It's a trifold that is specific to library and educational programs. And, um, so it's the same brochure that I take to local library. It's the same brochure that I take to universities. It's the same bro-[phone rings] brochure that I take to school events. That would be my mom calling! Mom, sorry, but I had to say no to your phone call! So that's one of the things that I bring in and the reason why I bring that is because you want to bring something immediately that's tangible, that says, 'this is someone who is serious. This is someone who is set up.They're ready to go. They have information.' You're dealing with a demographic who deals in information, right? It's a librarian that you're wanting to chat with.
So make sure that you have something that is written and tangible that that librarian can then share with the rest of the team and can share with the powers that be, who make the approvals for those sorts of events.
Um, as far as this, the question goes on to ask, like, what sort of things you could bring in. Certainly, I would recommend -- obviously I mentioned -- I would recommend popping in in person first. Um, I definitely would recommend sending, or giving when you show up- having some sort of tangible item that you can drop off as well. Um, if you wanted to email something in, you certainly could.
Um, but I just feel like that that personal exchange is, is a whole lot better because you do have to remember when you're dealing with a library, that is a community resource, community resource! And so you are leaning in and saying, "Hey, I'm here as a resource in the community as well, and I want to help enrich the community by way of education about this thing that I'm an expert in. How can I do that? How can we collaborate and how can I help you to service the community at large?" Um, so that really is the positioning that you're looking at.
As far as- because the question goes on to ask like, should you bring- should you have structured materials, should you do designs for teens and so forth? Absolutely! This is not something where you just like show up and like, wing it.
So there are -- different artists do a lot of different things -- like, some artists will do library programs where they do, like, a talk about the history of henna and they might have a chat about like henna safety, um, and then at the end they might do small designs. And then there are other people who have library programs where there is not, um, there's not that like, perhaps educational component where it's like a lecture, uh, where it really is instead that artist showing up and just doing henna on attendees during the time that they're there because it's meant to be an attraction. It's meant to bring bodies into the library system. So, um, you have opportunities, you have options. You can create something that works for you.
So if you're the type of person who is like, "I don't really like teaching. Like I enjoy doing henna, but I don't really want to teach." You might consider, you know, formulating a worksheet or something that has, uh, details about henna safety and so forth. And then you're just there doing the artwork so that you're bringing people into the library. And then handing out, those resources, those educational resources. Perhaps you recommend some books or some movies or some whatever, so that you can then go ahead and like share that within your list of- on your worksheet that you're giving to attendees.
Um, and then of course if you're someone who feels really confident speaking in public and feels really confident, like delivering, um, educational information, um, then teach a class. Teach a class with a librarian, and then you can do a demo at the end and people can get a little tiny, you know, a small henna design so that they can see. Um, there are also- if you want to take it the route of like, letting teens play with the henna. You could certainly do that as well. It's really up to you.
But whatever you do, know what you're doing before you go in. So like, before you approach the librarian, have an idea of, 'this is what I would want the program to look like, this is what it would cost me to run the program, and this is what I'm going to charge.'
So for myself, um, my- any of my library and educational programs, they all have an hourly fee. Um, it's not a reduced fee. It's standard, like, my regular hourly rate. Um, and you have to understand that because you are dealing with the library system, they have- they're funded by the local government, by the state government, right? So they have budgets that are meant to enrich the community by way of programs. So, don't feel shy about placing your price up, whatever that price might be, because they will have budgets available that will need to be spent by a certain time frame, um, over the course of the season or over the course of the year, and the earlier you get in there to start having those conversations with them, the better the chances are of them having the budget available to be able to pay you. Um, so that's what I've got for you regarding library situations.