Our lives as mothers look a lot different than they did years ago… More than often than not, I meet moms who have some sort of side gig.
My friend Jen left her job as an HR professional to focus on her Stella & Dot business. Molly, a former teacher, is loving the opportunity to be at home with her kids that her new career as a Pampered Chef consultant affords her. I know a ton of women (myself included) who have online handmade shops that supplement their income and allow them to be creative while giving them a flexible schedule.
If you’re a woman with a business like this, you might be wondering how to expand your network past your friends and family.
A vendor event, or Pop Up Shop, might just be the perfect opportunity to do so. Having planned and hosted six of them myself (the next one is just around the corner, on Thurs, May 8th in Prior Lake(click link for this year’s date), I’ve learned a few tricks to make an event like this work for you.
1) Decide what success looks like to you. Everyone walks away from events like this hoping for huge sales. But that isn’t the only measure of success. Is your goal to network and make new connections? Is it brand exposure? Is it to hear back from potential customers on what excites them about your business? Set your expectations before you arrive, and re-evaluate at the finish.
2) Do some research before signing up. Does the event have a specific focus, like mine, which is mainly a handmade boutique? What kind of advertising do they do? How many people have they had through the doors in years past? Is there an application process, or can anyone just sign up? Do the planners limit the number of vendors within a category? These are all questions I’d want answered before I signed on to sell.
3) Bring business cards. This might sound like a no-brainer. But you’d be amazed at the number of merchants I’ve discovered that forget to provide a way to connect after the event is over.
4) Practice setting up your table/booth before you go. I learned this one the hard way, as I scrambled to have my table set at my very first event. Seeing it in your head is not the same as actually laying it out.
5) Expand your horizons. Live in Woodbury? Look for an opportunity to sell in Wayzata. Are you from south of the river? Roseville may be a great spot to go. You’ve likely built up a great network of people who live close to you. Driving an extra half hour suddenly opens your world of sales into an entirely different group.
6) Talk to others who have gone before you. Get an idea of what the event is like by chatting with someone who has been, or who has participated. Was there an open line of communication between the planner and the vendors? Was the event professional and fun? Know before you go.
Check out some of the inspiration pictures below of vendors who have participated at my events in the past. And if you have a handmade business (or know someone who does), I’d love to hear from you! You can email me at cate@wildruffle.com.
