Five years ago, I was accepted as a participant in Salt Lake City’s Artist / Farmers Market. Being a photographer I bought my 10’x 10’ tent, grid to hang my pictures and paid my $25 entrance fee. At the end of the day, after talking to hundreds of people, I walked away with $1,200.00.
Having owned several small businesses over 30 years, hundreds of employees, shops in 5 states, I found size does matter. For the hours spent, money invested and everything else, these small, 100 sq. ft. businesses, are the greatest thing going for anyone who wants to start a part or full time business.
At the market I found a community of enthusiastic, creative entrepreneurs, that made a very good living, two days a week, selling their arts and crafts out of a 10’x10’ tent. One of my favorite couples at the market was Toni and Marci http://www.lcmadeintheshade.com/, they made beautiful custom belts. Because of their unique product, they also seemed to make a very good living. After a year or so in the market, a couple of national catalogue companies put their belts in their catalogues, thus creating a year round market for them. Everyone in the market seemed to do well enough to come back week after week. Many of the experienced participants earned on average $8000 a month, or more, depending on how many shows they worked each week. And this was just a stepping stone for many. Some ended up with their products in national catalogues, art galleries, retail chains, internet sites or starting their own retail stores.
Yes, sometimes size matters when it comes to starting a business… SMALLER, CAN BE BETTER.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN STARTING THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS OR ANY OTHER SMALL BUSINESS, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT 801-518-2918 or martin@bccbuciness.com
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