Saturday, September 24, 2011

The day that was...

As promised, here's an update on today's craft sale.

I got up at 5am, arrived at the venue for set up at 6:10am (it was still dark outside) and got a great parking spot in the dark empty parking lot! It made for a very quick retreat at the end of the day!

I somehow (using my Herculean muscles) managed to get all my stuff into the venue in 1 trip. I don't count moving in the card table seeing as I carried that in when I registered.

It took me about 45 minutes to set up. The pottery guy next to me arrived before me and was still tearing down when I left at 2:20pm this afternoon. He had a lot of pieces that all required wrapping and shelving he had to put up and then tear down. It made my setup look small.

As I have said, this was my "throw it all at the wall" sale and see what sticks. I started to really doubt my stock and pricing most of the day. My neighbours had done this sale before and had had really good results. Today nobody had an exceptional day unless you had a really great product that people really wanted to buy.

What was the difference today from the previous few shows? The difference today was there were a lot of other activities (Breast Cancer run etc), kids recreation activities have started up and oh yeah, the weather outside was freaking gorgeous. When the heat is over a 100F, those at the Farmers Market are all over A/C and the indoors. When its nice out, not so much.

My day started out with the lady who organized the event. The State tax folks had paid her a visit and wanted their share. Since I have filled out but not submitted my tax paperwork so having signed up as a hobbyist, I have to submit taxes somehow to the state. I was planning on using this sale as my sales test as to the frequency I suspect I will need to remit taxes so this just kinda complicates things but nothing that a call to the state capitol won't fix. And of course a cheque remitting taxes due.

Next came the clock watching. I started off thinking I might do okay. But as the clock ticked onto 10am, I started to envision a very bad day. I almost sold a matted 5x7 at one point but I am not really ready to take cheques so I lost a sale because the potential customer didn't have enough cash. Note to self, be willing to lower the price a smidge under special circumstances. And figure out a way to accept cheques without the fear of bad cheque writing....

Thankfully I had a couple of friends keep me from crying and helped put things in perspective. And loads of ohhs and ahhhs about how wonder my photos were as people stopped to look but keep their wallets firmly shut.

By about 10:30am, I got my first sale. I could barely handle it. I was speaking with a man about mats and matboard when a lady selected two cards and proceeded to the matted prints. She ended up buying two cards. Yay a sale! I stifled the urge to jump up and down screaming.

So all in all, I made my entry fees back plus a little. I learned many lessons, the first one being plug in your phone the night before so the battery doesn't run out. If I had, I would have a picture to show you of my display!

I think I'm going to limit it to one show a month or maybe two as we get closer to Christmas. Many folks took my business cards so maybe I will get some business traffic. But that's for tomorrow.

Right now, I just need a good night's sleep (I have no feeling from my mid calf down to my toes) and I have to order some more supplies. I am completely out of supplies and if I do get any orders, I have no pictures or mats/cards to make the items with. Besides, maybe I can sell some mats/mat boards sets at my next sale! I'm thinking maybe bringing a file folder with prints too just in case someone wants to buy some....oh the entrepreneurial spirit is strong but the bank account isn't too willing!

I will try to update everyone with some stories about the kids when my fatigued brain recovers!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

A pictoral update


T trying to take a picture of the sunset, like Momma.



Powered by T, drive by R....look out world!



Shortly before the first hair cut....


The day after the hair cut.


Thursday, September 1, 2011

In other news...

A couple of emails, an application and $35 later, I'm licensed and officially allowed to operate a home-based business! Hooray!

When I get my Etsy site up and running I will forward the link along. For now, please feel free to enjoy some of my newer posts at www.islaycornersphotography.com

As I've mentioned previously, I am setting up a business to see if anyone wants to buy my photo greeting cards and matted prints. I've sunk a decent chunk of personal savings (a step above what I shoot lens amount) so we will see what sticks.

Originally, I have planned to take things slowly and maybe wait until the new year. After a phone call and putting my name on a vendor waiting list, I got the chance to be a vendor at an upcoming craft show! Yippee! I'm scared out of my mind!

I'm taking the "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" approach to photo selection. I've got about 100 photo cards and about 50 prints. Thank goodness for Internet ordering and back to school sales, that's all I can say!

I would love to sell out but in reality if I can make my entry fees back, I will be thrilled. Heavens, if I can sell a print or even a card, I will be over the moon!

In other news, the kids are doing okay.

T is not liking Mommy being busy with her own stuff but she is handling it okay. That hasn't been the normal flurry of activities for her lately since most kids are back in school. She has met her new teacher, the new Miss Cindy (her preschool teacher last year was also a Miss Cindy) and she is excited to get started. I think she's going to love it. And whose kidding who, so is Mommy who misses her spare time!

R is busy practicing creeping around the living room but finds his hands and knees are still a faster mode of transportation. He hoists himself into a yoga position called the downward facing dog (legs together, butt in the air and hands down in the front). He has also taken to grabbing anything and everything that T has her hands on...I believe the phrase "Little brothers!" has been used quite often around here!

Must run and get back to sweating my behind off...we broke the record as of yesterday for the most number of days of 100F (@36C) in a given summer...the last record was set in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. Gotta love Kansas and air conditioning!