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Moral/Business Quandry ~ Any Suggestions? Posted by Lindasue Spirit Eyes Stage on June 5, 2011 at 7:43am in Business Topics View Discussions I have a major problem that I need to settle in my head and I could really use extra in-put.
So here goes.....
I am currently set up at a local flea market that is an outdoor setting. The people are great that run it. If I don't get the sales for a particular day, they are kind enough to let my fee float til I can cover it. But the hard part is anyone can come in and sell anything, including imported Native style items. Plus I have recently been diagnosed with some health issues that make extreme heat and sunshine unbearable for me. I pay $13 a day for set-up, so for the whole week-end it tallys up at $39. If the weather is bad I can't set-up (ie: rain can ruin feathers on my dreamcatchers). And if I set-up on these unbearable East Tennessee heat-wave days (it has been in the high 90's for roughly 2 weeks now), I come home so crappy feeling, that I can't seem to function. Plus I have to un-load and re-load each day, which can be a pain in the butt. But again, the folks that run it are super great......
There is a new in-door flea market in the area. Has security system in place so I can leave my items there full-time if I choose. The only downfall is their insurance only covers the physical property, not the vendor items. They also require pre-payment for the next week, so that kind of scares me and that set-up is $60 per week-end, $21 more than what I pay now. The high points is the in-door climate control so I can be set-up year round without heat stroke/freezing my butt off, or have to worry about inclimate weather or sudden storms ruining my products.
Another great feature to the new venue is I would have it in writing that as long as I set up there, no other vendors of Native style crafts, exactly like mine, will be set-up there. In other words, they may have a Native leather or silver smith but no other beaders. Plus they won't allow imported dreamcatchers there. If I have a powwow or other event, I can choose to have someone watch a few items that I may leave there and pay in advance for the space just to keep it visable or just shut it down for that particular time, come back after the event and then pay in advance for the next time I am there.
We toured the new place and loved the set-up. While they do have many second hand items, they aren't scattered all over the place. It is kind of set up like a little mini mall. Very tasteful and organized.
I am really leaning to trying this venue out, but I am scared about:
1)Hurting my friends who have been so good to me.
2) The extra $21 plus the pre-payment. In this economy, I can't guarrentee $60 in sales each week-end.
But is my health worth saving a bit of money...or am I just not showing enough confidance in myself or my product to make this leap?
What would you do???
~Spirit~
www.zibbet.com/WigWamCrafts
Tags: fees, flea, indoor, markets, outdoor, secruity, vendor, weatherShare Twitter Facebook
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Permalink Reply by jill is jewelalchemy on June 5, 2011 at 8:10am Interesting situation! The second venue sounds much better in some respects, but you didn't mention if there's more shoppers there than at the outdoor market. (I can tell you that given the choice I would shop at the indoor place, but I'm speaking as a desert dweller!) If the indoor venue has more shoppers, that will hopefully mean more sales for you, therefore the $21 would be easy to cover, and you will be able to not be so stressed about loading/unloading every day.
As for hurting your friend's feelings, they are business people too, and would respect your decision to move to a venue that has more to offer, you might even inspire them to make some changes in how they run their own biz! And since they are your friends too, I am certain they would understand your current health needs.
Good luck with whichever place you choose!
Jill
http://www.zibbet.com/jewelalchemy
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Permalink Reply by Lindasue Spirit Eyes Stage on June 5, 2011 at 8:27am I haven't really had a chance to see the traffic flow as of yet for customers. I have talked to some of the other vendors and, as with any venue, what one vendor calls great - someone else would say it sucks...LOL! I do know that there are some advertising thngs going on.
While we do have alot at the outdoor venue, most are lookie-loos or familes just killing time, etc. In fact some are so lazy(?) that they don't even get out of their cars but just drive around to see what is out there. My therory is how can you see what people have to offer, if you can't see the entire booth set-up?
~Spirit~
www.zibbet.com/WigWamCrafts
? Reply Permalink Reply by jill is jewelalchemy on June 5, 2011 at 10:07am I would want to know as much as I could about traffic and sales at the venue. If it has little traffic and few sales, then even if it were cheaper than where you are now, it would be worthless in the long and short run because you would have less chance of making sales.
I'm kind of obsessed with this issue lately!
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Permalink Reply by Nancy, Millions of Stitches on June 5, 2011 at 9:24am I feel that you're leaning toward the indoors space. It certainly sounds better for you health-wise. I think you should try it for a couple of months. You can always go back to the outdoor space if it doesn't work. I also agree with Jill about your friends being business people who will understand your choice. You have to do what's right for you.
Best of luck to you.
Nancy
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Permalink Reply by Amy Jo Rabold on June 5, 2011 at 10:06am In order not to hurt your friends from the 1st venue, you may want to still set up there a few times a year ... Like times you know have been good selling times.
In the new venue sometimes you have to think about all the good HEALTH is the most important money is too but if you are feeling as bad as you do after a show in the 1st venue, one day you could end up having to pay more on a Dr. visit (something to think about)
Some questions I would ask the New venue is ...
What kind of advertising they will be doing to get people to know about the New place?
When a new place opens and there isn't enough or good advertising sales could be slow until the word gets out about it. A suggestion I would give you if you do go with the new venue would be to advertise (for free) on FB, Craigs List and any other free site you can advertise on. I don't know how big the city you live in is but I know here in San Antonio several new places open and sometimes we don't even know they are here until months or years after they have been open :/
What ever you decide to do I wish you all the luck :)
Amy
www.zibbet.com/Amyjoscreations
Handcrafted for Style
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Permalink Reply by D & P Creations on June 5, 2011 at 10:18am There are few items to get out of the way first.
It is not a moral issue; it is a business decision, that is, unless you are running your business to satisfy friends. Would real friends encourage you to be successful and be happy if you improved your business? You need to decide your personal goals first. The rest will be easy. There is no reason to be stressed; stress is often from indecision, so make analytical decisions and accept the consequences.
The new venue is strictly business, as it should be. There is a cost to running a business, so, just accept that and do what is necessary. Pay the fees, just like other business people; buy insurance, just like other business people. Of course, you need to evaluate the chances of success and making a profit.
One business concern I would have about th new venue, is the projected traffic. Has it been open long enough to make a good guess about future traffic and the potential for your own sales.
We do a regular Monday outdoor market (Webster, FL). We always find a way to pay for the entire month; it's just something we decided when we started. In the winter it gets cold; in the summer it gets hot; it's just the nature of outdoor markets and we live with it. It's tough arriving at 7 AM, but it's just the life we choose.
We could do an indoor weekly market at another town, but there is much less traffic and we would have to start all over to get name recognition. We do look at other options, but try to maintain a real business outlook.
As for the economy, it's how you react to it as you can't change the news reports. Each locality has it's unique economic situation, so you need to learn how to adapt to your local situation. Blaming failure on "the economy" is way to pass the blame. Rather than focus on "the economy" focus on how you can be successful in the current market; you'll be much more likely to be successful that way.
? Reply Permalink Reply by Nancy, Millions of Stitches on June 5, 2011 at 12:12pm One more thought - In the outdoor venue you have set up and take down each time. That can be hard on your products.... ? Reply Permalink Reply by Lindasue Spirit Eyes Stage on June 5, 2011 at 6:21pm Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking. Bead work is kinda tricky. You can make it durable for daily wear and tear, but the loading and unloading has cost me a few re-works.
I am leaning to the new venue. We went today and asked a few more questions. They did not open until 1pm but in less than 15 minutes, there was quite a few people coming through the doors. And we did see quite a few buying.
As far as the advertising, she did tell us that she has billboards up. I just wished I had asked at the time where they were posted. Plus there were signs going into the area. It is also on the way to our local mall. She has also told us that advertising in on a local cable channel. Since we don't have cable, I can't really check the ads out.
I think I will be happier and healthier there, so now is just the coming up with the first week's rent.
@D&P Creations,
Yes I agree to an extent, you can't blame the economy, but as this is my only income because I am disabled and don't draw a check, I do have to be aware of it. It is rather hard to buy insurance if you have to pay for housing and food.
Plus if you had read the entire posting, the main issue concerning friends....is you don't get ahead by neglecting them either. That is also bad business. When you take the human factor out of it....do you really have a business to take pride in? To me, IMHO, that is a moral issue. Too many people are only out for the $$$ and not the pride in their work or how they treat people. I cannot in all honesty look at other people as a numbers crunch.
I may have misread your reply, and if so, I apologize for misunderstanding. But I did find it rather cold and harsh.
~Spirit~
www.zibbet.com/WigWamCrafts
? Reply Permalink Reply by D & P Creations on June 5, 2011 at 7:28pm My replies will normally read as cold and harsh, but that doesn't mean they are uncaring. If your were attending a business course, it would be about the business aspects and the business decisions. As a business person, the goal is to have a successful business, meaning make a profit. Being in business is about business and overcoming personal obstacles and turning them into successes.
I also know that it is important to come across to customers as happy and likable and to smile when providing great service to a customer.
This isn't to mean friendships aren't important, as they are. Mentors are also important. Friends who are business mentors are really important. It's just important to not let friends hold you back.
We run into problems all the time. Fortunately, I have a supporting wife and we work the business together, and it IS work, a personal job. We also have friends at our local market; it's an enjoyable social time that we would miss. Our friends might miss us if we moved on, but they would also be supportive and happy to see us move on to be more successful.
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