So let me tell you a little bit about this Holiday Bazaar that I went to this Saturday.
As usual, I was procrastinating until last minute because I can't seem to separate myself from playtime with my son... it's just too much fun, and there I was freaking out the night before the bazaar because I wasn't ready and I had no idea what to expect the next day. One of my friends who owns a business doing little girls hair accessories happened to be doing the same bazaar and is seasoned in these sorts of things, so I was even more nervous to not look like a fool, hahaha.
Instead of just picking up the phone and giving my friend a call to get a little insight on what to expect, I decided I would "look" like I knew what I was doing and just go with the flow... WRONG CHOICE! So like I said, there I was freaking out the night before and I was up until 3 in the morning trying to finish all the little loose ends I had saved for last minute ( labels on the chapstick, labels in general, displays, cash for change, etc...), and I had to be up at 6 a.m..
NOT THE SMARTEST MOVE!!!
So I actually woke up on time the next morning ( must have been a miracle, especially with me being pregnant because I sleep like a log anyways ) and i'm packing the car, getting ready to head out and I start freaking out... I realized that I had reserved an 8 foot table space, which is quite large, and I hadn't made enough to fill the table... why?, because I had procrastinated! Who wants to go buy from an empty table? Nobody right, it's all about presentation! So as usual, I'm picking myself and my products apart on the way to the bazaar, thinking about all of the things I could have done to make them better and all of the things I still have to do when I get there. A quick suggestion, DON'T DO THAT... it's not healthy, but I'm pretty sure it's normal for most of us in this field.
When I get inside the bazaar, I go to the check in desk to check in and do all the usual stuff before you set up and they tell me they can't find me... ( this is why I always use a credit card to reserve tables ). Once we clear the first obstacle and they find me a table, I realize, it's only a six foot table and not the eight foot table I payed for, not only is it the wrong size, it's wedged between to eight foot tables running parallel at the end of a row facing the back of the room... could it get any worse? This was a HUGE problem because I had background displays that needed to be set up and NO WHERE for them to go with two vendors on either side of my back.
So I make the call to tell the person delivering my displays (my sister) not to bother because there is not only no room for them, but I only had the six foot table instead of the eight foot table. As usual, because she's my sister, I felt just fine venting to here for a second about all of my frustrations with the morning so far... all while the vendors next to me were setting up. Although I had being using a low voice on the phone, there's not much room for privacy at these events. So I get off the phone, and get on with setting up my booth. After running out to the car to grab some more items, I came back to find the vendor next to me telling me that if I needed extra space I could use the corner of her table that was still empty... how sweet is that? This is when I realized I was being "THAT" person. You know, the one who's always complaining and pointing the finger at someone else... yep, that was me.
Once I had this realization, I also realized that EVERYTHING happens for a reason... I was just complaining I didn't have enough stuff to fill an eight foot table, and somehow, I ended up with the only six foot table at the bazaar...seriously, I just needed a little eye opener as to what I had, and not what I didn't have.
About half way through the bazaar (still not making one sale) I met the most wonderful lady named Barbara who did some amazing Jewelry at the booth next to mine. Not only were the ladies sitting on either side of me amazing to talk to, but they had some wonderful hints and tips for the next bazaar, my website, etc...
The bottom line is this, at the end of the day I had only made 3 sales, which wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but I walked away with more then sales that day for my business. I walked away from that bazaar knowing exactly what to expect for the next time, some amazing contacts for my business, and maybe even a few friends for the future!
So no matter how bad you think you've messed things up, or how you might be getting cheated, etc... try and find the silver lining however difficult because it truly can save your day... and maybe even your business.
Nichelle
