Picking the Right Vendor Market as a Small Business | with Special Guest Rae (The Design Demon)

[00:00:00] I've done it and never done well at it. It's not my clientele or it's not what people want to see over there.

[00:00:09] But I'd have accepted it that.

[00:00:13] And I think other people are like, well, why can't I make it work over here?

[00:00:16] It's just like it's not your thing, bobobo, it's okay. You're a winchering, you're trying to wear fall colors.

[00:00:23] Like I don't know. It's okay.

[00:00:26] Everyone welcome to the S.O.B. Marketing podcast where we celebrate the S.O.B. that you are and if you haven't figured it out yet, we mean small owners.

[00:00:36] We don't mean S.O.B.

[00:00:38] Listen, we know that as a small business owner, you are working hard on the daily to keep your business fully operational while trying to promote it.

[00:00:47] And while some days it may feel like the business is owning you,

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[00:01:02] What works when it comes to advertising, marketing, promoting your business and then what doesn't really work.

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[00:01:12] Welcome back to another episode of the S.O.B. Small Own Business Marketing Podcast.

[00:01:19] I'm here with my beautiful sister Chelsea and we have a special guest which I will let her introduce here in a second.

[00:01:25] But before we hop right into this week's content, let's go ahead and do a little bit of housekeeping.

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[00:02:26] So Chelsea, what do we got going on today?

[00:02:29] Well, we have a really exciting episode for you guys today.

[00:02:33] I know that it is only September but y'all it is holiday season.

[00:02:39] Okay, if you're anything like me, you started at the beginning of this month.

[00:02:44] Okay, most people probably not that early but they're definitely already starting to think about it.

[00:02:50] So it is the beginning of holiday season which means we are about to get into a holiday market season,

[00:02:57] which is my favorite. I'm so excited. I'm going to be so poor by the end of this year.

[00:03:04] But we want to talk today about how to go about as a small business,

[00:03:10] how to go about finding a market that's actually worth your time because not all markets are created equally.

[00:03:16] Okay, so we have a very special guest for you guys today who knows her stuff when it comes to markets and events.

[00:03:25] And all that kind of stuff and you guys have heard her before if you've been listening to all the episodes of this podcast,

[00:03:32] it is Miss Ray from the Design Demon.

[00:03:36] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:03:39] And something really exciting that we want to say, Ray is now the sole owner of feminist magic market.

[00:03:50] So if you are in the low country Charleston area and you're a part of the market scene, then you probably know about feminist magic market.

[00:03:58] It is a wonderful market that how many times of year do you guys have full quarterly, we just need quarterly.

[00:04:06] We go in some things every once in a while but for well I'm going to go ahead.

[00:04:12] Ray, could you actually describe and explain a feminist magic market since it is now all you.

[00:04:22] Little intent to know.

[00:04:25] So, this magic market what started as a really small like 20 person 20 vendor market has grown to be about on average 90 vendors that we host.

[00:04:36] It's in the park circle neighborhood.

[00:04:38] In the space where we used to have the 20 person small market is now a gift back garden that we call it and that's where we host nonprofit organizations within the community.

[00:04:48] So our goal is to always host equality diversity.

[00:04:53] It just a bunch of different vendors throughout the low country and surrounding neighborhoods.

[00:04:59] So like Savannah Columbia people from North Carolina all that stuff, but yeah it's a quarterly community driven market.

[00:05:07] And for those of you that are listening that perhaps you have either gone to well know if you have participated if you've been a vendor at the feminist magic market.

[00:05:18] And you're thinking well I know Ray Ray's been around here for a while she actually you got involved back in 2022 right or was it beginning of 2023.

[00:05:26] Yeah, yeah the very end of 2022 was like my training session if you will and then 2023 was when I started working with the previous runner and then month ago a few weeks ago I became the sole organizer.

[00:05:43] That's an even full year and a half to years.

[00:05:46] Well, what I love about this though is because now Chelsea and I have gone a couple times I know Chelsea does not skip a feminist magic market to save her life but as someone who's attending.

[00:05:59] Okay, as an attendee it is so well run as far as because we go to markets all the time and I can tell you some of them seem like.

[00:06:09] Okay, I'm just kind of seems like it you know like it's it's something that people know what they're there to do the community knows and expect it to be in that down or in that part circle location because it is such a nice walking area.

[00:06:26] There are parks nearby there are restaurants nearby lots of enough parking for everyone right and so I feel like it's one of those things where.

[00:06:37] You you are kind of like one of the top tier markets in the area that people look forward to going to.

[00:06:43] Thank you, I appreciate it.

[00:06:46] Yeah, it's a lot of time on the back end of like working out logistics as far as like just I literally I used Adobe Illustrator to plot out.

[00:06:56] The map and so if you're looking at it from like a bird's eye view right each square is a different color.

[00:07:04] And each color is representative of like a product category and so I do my best to be like okay no candle vendors can be right here because we already have a candle vendor they have to be certain so I do my best kind of with the mind or keeping in mind kind of kind of the vendor experience but also the shopper experience now you're not going to want to see.

[00:07:24] All of the candle vendors in the same space you know.

[00:07:28] And so I keep in mind put traffic as far as like the experience of going booth to booth and kind of divide from person to person as well as vendor because you know you're not going to want to be a jewelry vendor right next to a jewelry vendor who's right across from a jewelry vendor and no what literally no one wants that.

[00:07:48] Let me tell you who knows that kind of stuff though.

[00:07:51] Fellow vendors because I think as Chelsea when Chelsea introduced your earlier Chelsea mentioned the design demon which is your business your jewelry business and I know you said eventually you'll branch out and do a little more with that but.

[00:08:05] I think because you go to markets all the time there's nobody better to be managing a market in setting stuff up because you do take in consideration these little nuances where like you said you don't want three jewelry vendors you know all lined up in a row.

[00:08:22] And as a attendee I appreciate that. I love that you know these these things just to give us a better experience but so we'll Chelsea where what specifically do you want to ask right because I know you were saying our conversation today is going to be focused on how to go about finding markets right.

[00:08:43] Yeah, yeah I think let's start with what makes a market run poorly and I know that's very loaded question.

[00:08:54] But what right if you could give us an example of something that maybe vendors might not consider a big deal but really ends up having such a strong impact on your sales because let's face it a well planned market has a huge impact on your sales.

[00:09:12] And a market that's not planned well is going to also have a huge impact on your sales.

[00:09:19] Yeah, I actually recently complained about animal sandwich one but on my talk I recently complained about a poorly ran market and so uncommented with a solid response saying like.

[00:09:31] Good, good market vendor is worth like every ounce of gold that you could ever think of like if they're not a good.

[00:09:40] Sorry market runner that's why I'm in.

[00:09:42] But they're not good at running a market then you're going to have a crappy day or it's not going to be as good as it could.

[00:09:49] But it's a very good question.

[00:09:51] I understand that have my own biases and I know that I do things a certain way so I need to like keep that in mind.

[00:09:58] But I I thrive on knowing everything I need the information I am that girl who will look up the menu before we go to a new restaurant I'll see what the parking situation is so I know where I'm parking like.

[00:10:08] I need to know all of the information right and so as a market runner I will be sending out emails.

[00:10:17] Weeks and advanced multiple emails just being like hey, just a reminder this is what's going on.

[00:10:22] Here's another thing that you can be thinking about all this stuff right if it's a windy market day if I can see that it's going to be like not the best weather unlike your ways that you can prep your booth.

[00:10:33] And so I give too much information probably but that is my way to approach it.

[00:10:39] So when you're going into a weekend and you're looking at the weather and it's questionable you know and some events are rain or shine.

[00:10:47] I've had events that the weather did not stop people from coming which is great have had other events that completely flopped because of the weather which has nothing to do with the quality of the market runner not at all.

[00:10:59] But you know the runner needs to either make the decision of no we're going to keep it but here are things that you can do to make sure that you are prepared.

[00:11:08] And as a market runner I would then be like hey just because it's raining doesn't mean that we're not stopping nosh come out or you're on brellas yada yada yada yada.

[00:11:15] All right have a good time in the rain whatever sell it right.

[00:11:20] Or cancel it if you plan to had and you had a rain date be like okay you know this is in safe offenders this is safe of shoppers we're going to go ahead and move it right and then communicate that.

[00:11:30] I feel like people don't realize how important communication is until they don't have it.

[00:11:36] So they're dealing with the situation where they are not getting any communication and that's when they realize oh you know what I actually would prefer the person to bombard me with information because I know for you the market that we're not naming names.

[00:11:52] You can get it from me.

[00:11:54] What is your take talks everyone could go follow you on take talk to get all of your grievances.

[00:12:00] I am to get the name of the market.

[00:12:03] Yeah, you like I need to see I'm at the design demon on all platforms so the design demon yeah that design.

[00:12:11] Because designed even was taken I'm not bitter about it but you know that was multiple years ago we've moved on it.

[00:12:18] It was a $200 vendor fee which is pretty exorbitant right.

[00:12:24] And usually when you're paying that much money it's a for the venue and be for the quality of service right but the market runner is providing for you right.

[00:12:36] The venue was Riverfront Park super expensive to rent out I have looked into it before it is pricey so I was like okay yeah I'm makes sense it's a festival 200 dollars like.

[00:12:46] That's a lot but you know I got to risk it sometimes right so let's do this was the first time they this was a second year they did it the first time at Riverfront Park last time it was much smaller in scale.

[00:12:59] And so there was a lot back before my head I was just like, we're going to do it and then I proceeded to not really hear from them at all.

[00:13:06] I heard more from their marketing person than the runners themselves which again is very strange from someone who does markets is frequently as I do because I got a text message from their marketing person asking for.

[00:13:22] From a photo and like a bio and stuff which is like that part is normal asking for promote photos and stuff getting a text message from someone who is not the runner not normal.

[00:13:32] Interesting and well when we get offline I'm going to ask you I think I know who the the marketing person is I haven't inkling the so what you're saying is it you just didn't they kind of ghosted people.

[00:13:44] Yeah and you don't hear from them until.

[00:13:47] Yeah so I you know I paid my fee and like July I think the first week of July in this market was the first week of September so that's a big space in between right.

[00:13:59] And you know moving into it I was like okay I probably won't hear from them for a little while I got I got notification from the marketing person I got tags on posts like they were relatively active and then as I got closer to the event they were not very active on social media so like.

[00:14:14] Did something happen with the marketing person I don't know there are other things marketing related that we can get into if you want that was just like what's going on which I don't think was the marketing person's fault I think it was the event runners fault.

[00:14:27] But I've addressed.

[00:14:29] Going into the Thursday before it's going to be a rainy weekend all the stuff and like hey is it rener shine what's going on.

[00:14:40] What's the load in time what's the map like I didn't know literally anything I just knew that it was at Riverfront Park and he was just like oh you know we might delay it an hour.

[00:14:53] Okay.

[00:14:53] I have other questions if they are.

[00:14:58] And so you know long story short it gets to seven o'clock the night before.

[00:15:06] I reached out to the marketing person asking for this guy's number because he wasn't emailing me back he wasn't messaging me back on Instagram.

[00:15:14] I didn't have any other form of communication with him so I had to text this random lady.

[00:15:20] Hey do you have this guy's number and then I texted him he proceeds to call me I am quite the millennial like don't like it.

[00:15:30] So she's like hey like can you please just text me or email me I really appreciate that and then you all these are those that load in at eight thirty tomorrow morning.

[00:15:40] Okay.

[00:15:41] Let me give you a different perspective on this too because I know for you and this is the.

[00:15:49] If you guys have never worked in event of any type so in my big girl job during my day job we do events there are different types of events we're not selling a product but we still have to be out there in community events into your point actually we have the Scottish games we set up a tent.

[00:16:07] A medical tent over at the Scottish games every year and so for me I've been doing it so long it's like clockwork right especially for this particular event however.

[00:16:17] Maybe a couple years ago they switch teams as far as the person that was coordinating and I remember thinking myself because the other person wasn't quite as communicative and so I kind of had a piece things together over the years this person was spot on when I tell you she called me.

[00:16:35] And so I'm going to give you a month in advance to be sure that we were on the schedule and that we are good to go and.

[00:16:41] What it does is having all of the information as far as where the parking situated if they're going to give you a parking pass what.

[00:16:50] What is it what time you need to be there can you set up the tents before like the night before or is it the day of how long are you committed to stay because for a lot of these events you can't start packing up early you got to be near the whole day.

[00:17:05] And so you know these are small questions that you need to be asking upfront before you commit to something she had everything so lined up for me that.

[00:17:14] It helps me recruit volunteers for what I'm doing when I can lay out that information out and what kind of ticks me off about the story you just told us this.

[00:17:23] First of all everybody knows in an event flyer if you're having an event you always put whether train or shine that's just clock or keep rain or shine light underneath or here's a second day in case it rains right it'll be rescheduled.

[00:17:38] The other thing is why are you advertising for an event without putting your contact information on it.

[00:17:45] Like most people are like event organizer name cell phone number email address.

[00:17:51] Or at least in the email when you're like hey you've been accepted give me your money but here's how you get contact.

[00:17:59] Well and I also want to say Ray you had mentioned.

[00:18:03] And this is a really big deal you had mentioned that people event goers were commenting on Facebook like hey are you still going to have this event and no one was responding to them so.

[00:18:16] This is a great example communication not just with vendors but actual event goers like they need to know what's going on too so right I think you had said that you were responding to people.

[00:18:30] That was the other kind of idea.

[00:18:33] Please, is that even no I was all my personal Instagram is literally I had I had so much anxiety I was not sleeping so I was like got a scroll through Facebook I guess.

[00:18:43] And so I was looking through the comments because I was worried that people weren't going to show up because of the lack of communication.

[00:18:51] And so I was scrolling through the comments and there were like Chelsea said a crap time people saying hey this is still happening they had posted to their Instagram stories saying it was right or shine like here's like a general info thing.

[00:19:03] But you know, especially all being in the marketing field right you have an event on Facebook that you for whatever reason they had two separate Facebook events.

[00:19:13] I don't get what happened there whatever but one event had about 65,000 people.

[00:19:18] I mean a coalition miscommunication obviously.

[00:19:21] Oh yeah absolutely.

[00:19:24] So what did the event had 65,000 people the other event had 7,000 people lots of people right and they weren't using that as a way to talk to people right their Instagram I think just broke a thousand followers around the time of the event.

[00:19:40] Which like you should still post on Instagram and on Instagram stories but you should still be posting on the event page where you have the most.

[00:19:50] And so when they hadn't done that and they hadn't even I don't think they have shared their Instagram stories to their Facebook stories either.

[00:19:59] I was just like no one's going to know so I can't I went through as many as I could without us having annoying and I just took a screenshot from their Instagram story and I was like yeah so it's still on.

[00:20:11] And I mean that was as much I could do without being weird about it again.

[00:20:17] It also it always strikes me the marketing person in me is very aggravated by this whole situation simply because of one reason.

[00:20:28] In event that size any time you're doing a community event and.

[00:20:33] And there's a change of schedule or something send it into the new stations you know this right like live five news ABC news for WCBD channel to those people would have gladly like posted on their Facebook right because it's a community event that lots of people are planning on going to they would gladly posted on behalf of the organization just to.

[00:20:57] And so it's a very, very important thing to do is to have a lot of people in the community that they're not going to be posting out there and let people know hey if you're considering going to X Y and Z festival it's reiner shine right.

[00:21:04] So it irks me that they didn't capitalize on trying to get the word out there and then also there's their such thing as training your audience as far as communication is concerned.

[00:21:16] And so for those of you out there if you have not participated in an event but you're considering it.

[00:21:24] I urge you go on to Facebook go on to Instagram go to google dot com type in the name of the event and see what populates for it from past either events look for photos look for any post they have made or just communication because I think that's going to be a good indication of the type of experience you might be up for as a vendor.

[00:21:46] And I think that's a really real quick. I think that's a really big one when it comes to how they promote the event.

[00:21:54] Yeah, because like I said okay this event had two separate Facebook account Facebook events event pages they had an Instagram they were kind of post them on Instagram they weren't do anything they weren't doing anything on their Facebook pages like.

[00:22:09] That is a post hill sign that as a vendor you might not do great at this event.

[00:22:18] Because I'm telling anyone it's there.

[00:22:21] Yeah or at least as I will say this because kind of like what we talked about with your situation now with the feminist magic market now that you are you know it's quite an under new management okay so now that ray is responsible for everything for coordinating all of it.

[00:22:39] I think you you also have opportunities throughout the year where if it does change hands or maybe they get a new marketing team or they get a new person to help there can be improvements made right over the years so.

[00:22:54] But at least I think as a person that would be participating you'd say it doesn't seem like they communicate well so one of the questions that I'm going to ask them up front is what do you plan to do to promote this event.

[00:23:07] What do you plan to do for it and then that's going to dictate their response is good dictate whether or not I feel comfortable dropping $200 on a vendor fee to participate.

[00:23:16] And at least then at that point it's you know it was a decision I made fully on my own with all of the right information that I had think asking these questions up front.

[00:23:28] How they respond is also a really big deal because let's say they don't know if they just tell you I don't know.

[00:23:35] I said a lot but if they say oh well we're still figuring out working on it but as soon as I get more information I'll let you know.

[00:23:45] That says a lot more about who they are than just saying I don't know.

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[00:24:24] I will say on a similar somewhat tangential note.

[00:24:32] Good branding can be an easy way to fool people right?

[00:24:40] Especially now in the days nowadays where you have you know really solid can of a templates to work off of that look 100% professional beautiful marketing all that stuff just because it looks good does not mean that the quality is there.

[00:24:54] From the back end.

[00:24:56] I've been and especially with this they had solid branding I was like what are did your designing like good on them right?

[00:25:05] And so they had solid branding they had the following they did on the Facebook events and so for me I was just like oh.

[00:25:13] They know what they're doing you know and so maybe it's goes into how good branding can be of how it can easily trick.

[00:25:21] But but no I can't be a bunch of people yes.

[00:25:28] But you've been gone to even smaller you know 30 dollar vendor fee markets where I just like there they're poster looks really good they're sharing a lot.

[00:25:39] I mean that's not their fault right they're doing what they can at that rate they have solid marketing solid communication sharing their vendors the idea to get it just people don't always come out to those kind of things right so.

[00:25:54] But sometimes it is just a hey we made a really cool poster you should come out and then it's a crappy market for the vendors you know so.

[00:26:00] All right so to switch conversation up I'm kind of curious because I know Chelsea you say this often Chelsea will remind us very quickly that just because an event is popular.

[00:26:13] Does not mean that's going to be the right event for you yes.

[00:26:17] All right so I know the.

[00:26:22] Talk to me about it from two angles the first one being the angle that the event you just participated in that didn't you know they weren't as communicative all that stuff.

[00:26:34] Was the audience the right target audience for you for the design demon or no.

[00:26:41] Yes and I have a lot of people who are like wow you know this is really great stuff.

[00:26:45] Gaming a lot of compliments which I always real those then please compliment me.

[00:26:52] Do you have a little compliment box like on your dislike.

[00:26:57] Let me just comment some air.

[00:26:58] You don't have to put any tips.

[00:27:02] No so like there was definitely people there who are sorry there were definitely people there who enjoyed my stuff whether it meant.

[00:27:11] I think we're just seeing it or just looking at it which is definitely something there but I did have a lot of negative experiences to at one point I had a woman who literally.

[00:27:20] And if you're listening you need to go on to YouTube and watch because about to make a facial expression.

[00:27:26] She was like maybe like five feet outside of my vendor do and she sees like my nicer stuff mind you.

[00:27:34] But she sees it and she goes and walks up and it's like.

[00:27:44] What is it like are you responding to my my name are you responding to my product are you what are you what is that a response to it's obviously something you're looking at that's in my booth but like.

[00:27:59] Okay I'm sorry like go on please continue down your path I do not need that I give her a thing face right back so she's like.

[00:28:08] No, was your was your husband with you.

[00:28:10] No, that's because I'm a little bit scared.

[00:28:16] That's nice now.

[00:28:19] Well, I'm that's it.

[00:28:21] Well, it's it's interesting because I think that's the well so then talk to me from the angle of the owner and the event organizer now of the feminist magic market.

[00:28:32] How do you as an event organizer do you provide that information upfront to potential vendors about who the target audience is or do they ask you is there any type of question that they can ask you to make sure that it's the right fit for them or what do you recommend.

[00:28:51] I never had that question before I'd be happy to answer it you know usually we see a lot of.

[00:28:57] The letting all to elders the letting all I guess women who have who are more of dog moms than they are child moms but you know we do see a lot of actual mother is walking around you see men we do see people from the LGBTQ community you know that that is generally our target audience such the people who just come naturally.

[00:29:21] But I don't have anything online that says that maybe I should.

[00:29:26] But if anyone asked me that's what I would say here's a good example we've had a couple of people who are like leather goods people and specifically like men's leather goods and I don't think they do well because the majority of our shoppers are about 30 year old women.

[00:29:41] So unless they're shopping unless they have more women's wear aesthetic or they're shopping for someone else in their life probably not going to shop at your booth that would be how I answer it but to get a better idea is to how people do.

[00:29:55] And then I started sending out a feedback form and it can be completely anonymous if they choose for it to be I kind of wanted to be as anonymous as possible so that they'll get me their honesty back.

[00:30:07] Sometimes people will be like this is who it was thank you love you vibe.

[00:30:11] Okay thank you.

[00:30:14] But you know I'll be like what vendor category are you under what part of the event where you set up that because I also want to figure out how foot traffic is working.

[00:30:23] You know how was the load and process for you how was your sales day for you was it what you were expecting was it not a true expecting are you happy about that.

[00:30:32] So I give them kind of the opportunity to voice like hey you should make these changes and I have here in there been able to actually turn that into a change so the changes are definitely things that need to happen I just need for your out how to logistically make it.

[00:30:50] But I never want to make especially when it has so many people involved I never want to make an event feel like no that's a school system get you know.

[00:31:02] And welcome to be setting up at them especially that's not how I want it I wanted to like thank you for choosing us to market yourself why did you choose us how did it go for you and are you going to be back.

[00:31:17] I see a lot of and I'm not just saying this because you're our friend I this is this is a real life compliment on a couple different things the the first one is what I absolutely love about the feminist magic market is that.

[00:31:32] You have figured out a way to kind of get people to promote the markets right alongside with you so I know you do promoting you were talking about earlier I think you're doing some promoting right now on Facebook to be sure you get enough people there for the next one.

[00:31:50] But which all the vendors I mean that as a vendor that's what people want right like hey be sure that I'm aligned with an event that's going to make sure to drive the people there for us and then the other thing though is you have that nice big arch.

[00:32:06] That is a beautiful like photo for people Chelsea and I have taken a picture of it.

[00:32:13] Before and I think it just helps because then year to year you have this accumulation of people that are taking a picture next to this thing that says very big letters feminist magic market right.

[00:32:27] Yeah and it's kind of like when you go out there I think Chelsea had gone to one or two before I went to one I literally I was like I need to get a photo up like when we go out there we need a picture by the little arch so it's it's a thing where it's just a thing now for people.

[00:32:42] So I love that you do that and then the other one is just that I feel like experience wise it's definitely one of the nicer markets to go to because you have such an array of different vendors.

[00:32:54] I love seeing your that plant truck out there the school bus that's like a you know a plant is seller love it I love that we could get all the jewelry.

[00:33:05] I love that I know we met a new vendor last year Chelsea she was a I think a consignment shop so she had some clothes shoes Chelsea had bought some shoes pottery lady yeah the lovely.

[00:33:20] Yeah that was one fire scholarship to also she.

[00:33:25] Okay so tell us about the scholarship booth yeah so really quick on the before we get further the portal the magical archway.

[00:33:34] Well that is made by so that's in sweet grass if anyone who's this name wants a rental for an event or just like something fun.

[00:33:44] If them up I also can't take credit for it because that was the previous organizer she worked with Holly from saw us in sweet grass to make that happen.

[00:33:54] So I can't take credit for it but I do agree it's very nice to have them.

[00:33:58] And we will continue acting at there.

[00:34:02] Yeah so the scholarship booth.

[00:34:05] We like I said earlier we used to have folks set up in the backyard and then as we grew we still had backyard spaces but they were table spaces so they were smaller and footprint.

[00:34:16] So therefore they were cheaper.

[00:34:18] It was more affordable for people who are you know still getting into the market scene because I think at the time we were doing.

[00:34:25] I think our tent spaces were like $60 and then our table spaces for 35 or 40 something like that.

[00:34:34] Which the 35 40 is already kind of in the higher range as far as like just normal public circuits are concerned.

[00:34:42] And so that was just more of a way for smaller businesses who don't really know how they're going to do all that stuff.

[00:34:50] How they can get their foot in the door right.

[00:34:53] But with the feedback forms we were seeing that people weren't getting a lot of fit traffic back there and so we were like.

[00:35:02] I like having the space for them and like the option to have a cheaper booth space for them.

[00:35:10] They're still not making money and I don't want to be like yeah apply to our table spaces even though you might not make as much money as you're hoping you know like that's kind of crappy too if you know they're not going to be making a lot of money.

[00:35:24] So I was like we're going to have next having vendors back there we're going to turn it into the gift back garden so we can.

[00:35:32] And still have people back there so we can still entice people go through the magic portal and that's where our Russians are back there as well.

[00:35:39] So it already has kind of a natural flow but now we can have no profits out there so they're not paying anything to be there and more people are inclined to go back there just to kind of hang and see what's going on.

[00:35:50] And then I was like but we still don't have the option for the actual small businesses you want a way to invent but that can't necessarily pay the $70 vendor fee that we're at now right.

[00:36:02] So that's where scholarship came into play.

[00:36:05] Unfortunately with all the transitioning going on behind the scenes we weren't able to do it for the September market but we were going to do it for March and June and then I'm going to be bringing it back in November.

[00:36:14] That is like a holy free space they just have to set it up themselves I can't like bring I have a tight car so I can't bring like a tent and second.

[00:36:25] But that is what we scholarship is.

[00:36:28] And so they would have to apply for it.

[00:36:32] Is that correct like you take a maximum number of people for that?

[00:36:35] Yeah, so we.

[00:36:37] I was trying to figure out the best way to do it because I didn't want you know I just use myself as an example right I've been doing markets for three years now I don't need a scholarship.

[00:36:47] I'd like to save money on a vendor fee and so if I really wanted to you know test the waters I could apply for it right.

[00:36:56] Right and so within kind of the parameters of do qualify for scholarship.

[00:37:02] And I have to be one of your first three markets in the low country.

[00:37:07] Well, ever not just a low country because again I could be applying for them to be right.

[00:37:13] But the same.

[00:37:14] That's right.

[00:37:15] So yes that was what it was it was new comments to the market scene as well as they have to be new colors as well as like still have a solid bit of this plan right like we don't want.

[00:37:29] Basically a big sale situation right we don't want.

[00:37:33] Right you know I make cookies from the told house cookie journal and here you go you know like it still has to be relatively viable so we still treat it like I say we still treat it like a normal application in that regard but it is less of a.

[00:37:47] Okay, how does this compare to you know Nancy who has the plan for design even like I don't have that much of a.

[00:38:04] So I want to ask you what advice do you have for vendors who are unsure about a specific market you know they've never done it before they're trying to pick what works best for their small business what advice do you have.

[00:38:20] I mean we talked about a lot right marketing really does matter.

[00:38:25] You know if you're looking at a big event or maybe not even that big of a just like a local.

[00:38:32] Pop up right if they're not constantly sharing like what vendors are going to be there I feel like that's a red flag.

[00:38:41] I would also kind of again if it's a local market especially go visit it first before you play me like what's the traffic light.

[00:38:50] What's the general audience like what are the other vendors doing and even if it's kind of slower take a second and be friendly network I hate networking but network for the vendor really like I also have a business.

[00:39:04] What do you think of this market like if they're running up some somebody you don't want to talk about that which is fine.

[00:39:09] I'm not that type of person I will yeah my butt off.

[00:39:13] But yes it just experience it I think it's really important if you're unable to experience it say it's something that's only an annual event right especially now that we're going to holiday season you only have like Christmas events that happen once a year right.

[00:39:30] Look at the past years events see what vendors were attending whether it means people who are tagging the market the market that have shared all that kind of stuff and if you know them personally reach out if you don't know them personally.

[00:39:44] Follow them for a little while see kind of what their vibe is and if they seem open if you think they'll be open to sharing more on a.

[00:39:53] Unless you know based right like if you're if you're a business and you're doing a character right like a persona there we go that's.

[00:40:03] You're doing a person I don't do that because I don't know how to do that but some people are a little we're fake or lack of a better term than others so they feel like you know you can either crack through that that facade or they are more of a realistic tech person reach out to them.

[00:40:19] Yeah I think it really is just a matter of googling it looking at what people have tagged it with talking and networking with the other vendors that are there going and experiencing it is very big for me.

[00:40:34] But you know and you could do all of those things it could still be a crappy event for you which is fine you know that that is kind of the name the game is that not every single thing works for every single person's business.

[00:40:49] There's a locally market that happens in John's island that a lot of my friends love it and I've done it and never done well at it which is telling you know it's just it's either it's not my clientele or just not it's not what people want to see over there I don't know but.

[00:41:05] I have accepted that and I think other people are like well why can't I make it work over here it's just like it's not your thing boobo it's okay you know.

[00:41:16] You're a winchering you're trying to wear fall colors like I don't know it's okay.

[00:41:21] I want to say social media is really powerful to me all so if if something went wrong at a market you will find information on it.

[00:41:36] I'm thinking of.

[00:41:39] Was it riverfront revival it was a market it was a musical.

[00:41:45] Yeah, and I barely heard anything about this because it's not my jam it's not my kind of music so I didn't I wasn't following it and I still managed to get so much information about how bad the parking was.

[00:42:03] I don't know how bad the entire like experience of trying to get in and out was.

[00:42:09] You was high water wasn't it was not like.

[00:42:12] Yeah, yeah, it was high water again not my kind of music not my vibe so I wasn't even looking for this information.

[00:42:21] And I still managed to learn that oh not well planned out in that sense so I think if you are specifically looking for information.

[00:42:33] You will find it absolutely.

[00:42:36] And again, it depends on the size of it right like yeah I have a as I have mentioned I have an ego and so I do goal.

[00:42:45] Then this magic as much as I can like it's a daily task for me and so like what are people saying about me like that is the vibe.

[00:42:53] Yeah, I go and read it I go on YouTube I look at the hashtag on Instagram and TikTok you know like okay, maybe not every day that does.

[00:43:01] I'm not crazy.

[00:43:04] I'm not really sure if you can go to Google learn for it.

[00:43:07] Is that what you're about to say?

[00:43:09] What I was about to say is about to say you set up a Google alert great minds think like yes you could you could do a couple different ones for it and then that way goes it pings your phone I do this for.

[00:43:19] I've been doing it for years on my big girl job because sometimes the right articles about is without like really coming through the approval process so I I set it up a long time ago and sure enough like you'll get pinged everyone's while whenever some.

[00:43:32] I think pops up I still think Googling on your own helps so you still want to do that in or mid and leave in the meantime it's a good way to kind of keep a pulse on it.

[00:43:43] Yeah, I think the other part of it too is Ray at some point as a small business owner I imagine that.

[00:43:51] You would recommend that people know their numbers really well before they decide to participate in any of them because at that point in regardless of whether it goes.

[00:44:03] Well or it doesn't go as well as you want it to for me and this is the sound a little weird y'all but best advice ever got in college was from a personal selling professor that told us that a lot of people the roadblock people have.

[00:44:17] with like selling in general is that they don't play out the worst case scenario he's like because they're they're not prepared so I got in the habit ever since then.

[00:44:28] Of playing out the worst case scenario for anything that I get nervous or anxious about sorry there's a fly in here and so.

[00:44:36] The what it does is it allows me to say well even if I make zero sales at that market I'm only out let's say $200 or I'm out 150 or whatever that is am I willing to take that.

[00:44:52] You know, plunge and eat that cost worst case I probably will make at least a couple sales so it might not be that bad but.

[00:45:02] I think knowing your numbers just helps with being able to decide if you're willing to take on that risk of.

[00:45:09] Whatever event you're going to participate in and knowing your numbers is going to let you know if it was a good or bad of it.

[00:45:17] Yeah, because like just because you sold some stuff doesn't mean that it wasn't it was a good event like you need parameters to be able to say yes this event went well.

[00:45:30] Yeah, I mean they've been that I've been planning about this whole time but that you that I profited at it.

[00:45:37] I didn't I have a certain sales school through like hourly in my head.

[00:45:41] I didn't reach that I still profited right.

[00:45:44] I've never do it again, you know, it still wasn't worth it for me.

[00:45:51] And other people have different perspectives on that, which is totally valid you know I think someone had there's a vendor Facebook page that or Facebook group at a lot of us are in and someone had asked you know basically that question.

[00:46:07] What monetarily what makes any bad worth it for you and someone said that you know if the event fee.

[00:46:14] I mean, you know, it's for times my lowest price products. I'm not going to do it and like, I don't know where that is from but like you know you're still fighting for yourself.

[00:46:26] Yeah, so it's not worth it and it's not worth it.

[00:46:29] My lowest price thing is $3 so.

[00:46:33] I can't imagine.

[00:46:34] Well, do any venture.

[00:46:37] I can't speak for you again.

[00:46:38] Well, it also the the amount of risk that people can take on differ from person to person right so like here's the thing is I'm.

[00:46:50] Well, I was going to say I probably take on less risk than Chelsea but I think it's the opposite I would be more prone to take on more risk than Chelsea even though she's the one that everyone would assume like you know.

[00:47:02] I think a good example of this and this is not business related but a good example is Vivian and I had a conversation about casinos because Tim loves casinos.

[00:47:14] I mean, I think that's why he loves to go gambling. That's why he loves going on cruises because that's when he does all day is just spends his time in the casino.

[00:47:22] I'm out doing cool stuff. He can do whatever but Vivian.

[00:47:27] Vivian was saying well you have to go in and you have to have a set amount of money that you're willing to lose yes that is correct. I understand that the problem is the set amount of money that I'm willing to lose is zero dollars.

[00:47:42] I wanted to say I'm really thank you, right, for bringing up the point that monetary value does not necessarily mean you had a successful event.

[00:47:53] As you said, you profited, you were still not going back to that market. We had had a similar conversation with Jesse from Southern Curiosity is when she was on the podcast. She had said, you know, sometimes I don't know.

[00:48:12] I don't know if she goes by Jessica or Jesse but you just made her like when you're BFS by calling her Jesse.

[00:48:21] So Jesse, you're now bestie. Jessica, we're Jesse. I think I saw it in a real. I think I saw she really does go by Jesse.

[00:48:32] Yeah, okay. Well, I'm going to say everyone's full of things and realize it and they need to grab me. So I'm like, yeah, it's just a copy of it.

[00:48:41] Okay, Southern Curiosity is we had a conversation with her and she had said, you know, I might not at a market.

[00:48:53] I might not meet my monetary angle, but I still have really great conversations with potential customers and I still had really great conversations with vendors. So I still consider that market a success even if I didn't meet you know the monetary value that I wanted to meet that doesn't mean the entire day was a bust.

[00:49:13] I mean, I had a separate event over this past week and I have to indexing opinion on it. Like I profited, I didn't profit as much as I would have wanted to but I still enjoyed myself and still enjoyed people I met after hanging out with all that stuff so I would still do it again in the future.

[00:49:31] It really is kind of a balance of quality of life with markets as well.

[00:49:37] To that to that conversation though about quality of life one of the things in you probably Ray have seen this quite a bit this year.

[00:49:47] There have been a lot of vendors because we live in the south and it's super hot that basically just opted out of not doing summer, you know, summer events because they were like there I cannot make enough money to get me out in this heat to a point where I'm practically like passing out from the market.

[00:50:07] The heat right.

[00:50:08] I was one of those men those who just like the June and the climate is magic the pride of this magic.

[00:50:16] I'm like one done. I'll be back when it's sub 90 degrees please.

[00:50:21] Well, I think this conversation has been super valuable and we definitely want to encourage all of you out there if you are in the South Carolina region even if you're in the southeast and you want to go and look up the

[00:50:37] feminist magic market that takes place in parks or coal nor Charleston South Carolina then please do so.

[00:50:45] Ray is the event organizer for that and I'm sure she would be willing to answer any questions you guys have, but also if you are just someone that lives around here in South Carolina please come out to the next one it is just such a good time and you could get a lot of shopping done I promise you.

[00:51:04] You have a lot of eating we have a lot of good food.

[00:51:07] Yes, you guys having the Korean corn dog.

[00:51:13] Oh my gosh those looks so good. Chelsea do you have one last time?

[00:51:16] I did. I had one and it was amazing.

[00:51:20] I'm just thinking about it this entire time because once the next market sometime in 28.

[00:51:26] So we can.

[00:51:28] Yep, we can have from this recording so.

[00:51:33] But I am going to get one on the 28 and thinking about it this entire time.

[00:51:39] You know what I found was interesting. I think I saw that she is doing classes where you can make your own or something like that.

[00:51:50] I guess where it's also some nail Facebook where they were you could get a group of people together and like you know she would teach you how to make them or something.

[00:51:58] Yeah, I did see this.

[00:52:00] Which is brilliant.

[00:52:02] Okay yes.

[00:52:04] I know when you talk about like a business model I just love when people get creative and you're like

[00:52:08] I never would have thought about that that is so cool.

[00:52:12] So right tell us where can we find out more about the feminist magic market?

[00:52:17] So feminist magic market we have a new website is

[00:52:19] feminist magic market phs.com.

[00:52:24] There's an email subscriber link at the bottom and I am going to be utilizing

[00:52:29] In your name.

[00:52:31] In your name, I'm a writing man.

[00:52:32] You won't get you know to remember it.

[00:52:34] So I will be sharing all of the updates as far as when application windows are open,

[00:52:39] market news, sometimes they'll do some further spotlights all that fun stuff.

[00:52:44] And then on there we will have our Instagram links are listed because it's a little bit of tea.

[00:52:51] I'm going to have to be changing the name, the handles.

[00:52:54] Well thank you again, Ray for coming on here and having this discussion with us.

[00:52:59] And you guys if you haven't listened to her other episode that she guest stars on,

[00:53:05] I will link to it in the show notes and on the YouTube video so go check it out and go be the best SOB you can be.