The thought of doing a vendor event is freaking me out

[earlene]

I don't know if you have anything like a high school work experience program or not where you live in Florida, Kim, but if so, look into it for future shows. It might be beneficial both for you and for a kid. But only if you're planning on maintaining a steady schedule of shows and follow the required protocols.

After my retirement we opened a restaurant where we hired a few HS kids through the work-experience program. They were paid basic minimum wage (per state law), of course, but they were reliable because they were earning high school credits. I had to do evals periodically for the school on their ongoing performance. Had to fill out all the usual employee forms, etc. and also had to adhere to HS work hours policies. Maybe that's too much hassle for a temporary helper once in a while, though. But for a long-term, dependable worker, it's really beneficial.

I mention this because sometimes hiring a teenager to help out can lead to frustrations when said teen doesn't really have the work ethic we might hope for and then we're stuck with a no-show or they spend the entire time texting friends instead of actually doing the job when they do show up. I'm not trying to belittle teenagers, just speaking from experience with a few I've known.

 

[amd]

I think I want to get craft bags instead of the plastic ones I bought. Any insight on which ones to get? What size is ideal?

I get mine at the dollar store because I don't have room to buy in bulk and store it, so it's worth it to me to pay a bit more and get them when I need them. I get the small and medium bags at Dollar Tree. I do also pack a few larger bags, but only use them for the holiday markets when people buy more for gifting. I did learn my lesson last year to always have at least one foldable box for a really big purchase. [back story, there's a guy who became my biggest fan two years ago - he found me at a two day festival, used my soap the first night and came back the second day to buy soap for his family. Last year he found out I was doing one show two hours away from him, so he drove there just to see me and proceeded to buy 3 bars of each of my soaps - a whomping 72 bars! The only thing I had to bag them in was the handful of used Walmart bags. Since then I bought a couple fold up boxes from Dollar Tree and keep one with my bags for every show. I used the box this weekend when a lady bought $150 worth of items from me. You just never know when it's going to happen!] That said, I would probably use the plastic bags you bought before buying different bags - just because I don't like wasting things or you can have both there and ask people if they'd like paper or plastic! That will also give you a feel for what your people prefer.

I am positive that i can get my friend to help me for at least my first event. Do you pay ppl to help you normally?

When my teenagers come help me, I pay them a percentage of the profits - for example the spring market I did in March I sold around $750 for two days (the second day was DEAD), so I paid my daughter 10%. $75 was pretty good for the 10 hours she was there helping me (at least for a 13 year old). I have also had friends come sit with me at shows, and usually they do it for the pleasure of my company and I pay for their meal (or we go somewhere after the show), and usually by the end of the show they've picked out things that they want so I'll give them a good discount on it. My husband is my best helper though as he works for free, lol. Even if he can't be with me at the whole show, he will come help setup and tear down if it's local. This weekend I paid him by buying him bread pudding from his favorite place. Also, if you're going to be alone, don't be afraid to mention that to your organizer. A good organizer will set you up in convenient locations (close to bathrooms, food etc) if they know you're alone, and they may have people on hand who can help you get your tent setup, so don't be afraid to ask if the organizer doesn't volunteer.

 

[mishmish]

Always bring the same amount of change, it makes doing the books easier. A money box or apron for making change. Receipt books or some other way to keep track of what you've sold. People do ask me for business cards, I print my own on heavy biz card stock from Staples, because I can update them & only print as many as I need.

I have a plastic box in which I keep extra pens, tape, a screwdriver, scissors, bandaids, aspirin, price signs, a notepad, large binder clips, etc. When it rains, it's handy to have a roll of painters' plastic to throw over your table (where the binder clips come in handy). In the middle of a storm is not where you want to discover that your tent leaks...

Water, discreet snacks, sunscreen. Folding chair - there are tall ones that keep you up near most people's eye level. I have a restaurant supply store rubber mat - nice to stand on when you're on a hard pavement all day.

What kind of tent do you have? Some are easier than others to put up by yourself. At our market, someone will always lend a hand if they see you are having difficulty.

Weights for your tent! Most markets specify how much weight per each leg - usually 30 lbs. I have awnings for my tent that I got from CANOPIES BY FRED that shade my products from the sun no matter what market space I have.


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