1. Charge for Everything
I found that by charging, people stuck around longer to get to know me and what I was doing and they made a point of telling other people about me as they walked around the festival and later. I believe it’s because they were invested in Keep the Tail Wagging.
2. Stand Your Ground
People love to haggle, because everyone likes to get a deal. I had someone haggle with me over something that cost $1. If you have a new business, don’t give our deals easily. You have bills to pay too.
3. People Love Small Dogs
I was astounded by the number of booths with clothing for small dogs; people flocked to them. Even I was tempted to go take a peak. I would love to dress up our dogs. They wouldn’t love it; my boyfriend would definitely revolt. But I’d have fun. For my next festival, I’ll bring things that appeal to the small dog owners too.
4. Put Things On Display
People want to see and touch things. Put things out there to make it easier for people to check out your products. When I started the day, I had my Keep the Tail Wagging leashes in a basket.
Later in the day, I hung my leashes up like I’d seen at other booths and they got a lot more attention.
5. Bring Your Social Media Kit
I also offer social media consulting. I brought my business cards, but not my social media kit. Word got around that an experienced blogger was at the festival and several of the businesses stopped by to talk to me. I’m going to design rack cards that list my services for the next festival.
6. Scout the Restrooms
If the restrooms are the port-a-potty style (which I hate) then monitor your beverage consumption.
7. Bring Water and Protein Bars
To keep from filling up on junk food and soda while remaining hydrated, I brought several bottles of water (monitored by beverage intake) and Special K protein bars. They got me through 8+ hours in a field talking to dog lovers and vendors.
8. Bring a Friend
I did this event along and it was a pain in the butt not being able to leave my booth for long. Bringing a friend (chose someone who will have fun and won’t be bored) will make the event more fun and help the day pass by. If you can’t bring a friend, get there early, help others set up, make friends, and agree to watch each other’s booths. Note to self: fix your hair before the picture is taken.
9. Staple / Label all Your Products
I let a few things go without my label and I could kick myself. Fortunately, these people were kind enough to send others my way. Get labels and business cards to help you mark your products as they’re being walked around the event. When people see a Snazzy Jazzy Pet totes, they’ll know where to go to get a few.
10. Keep it Simple
Keeping it simple will make set up and take down much easier. Have a game plan ready, practice setting up your tent, be able to get in there and get set up so that you can start networking right away. One of the constant compliments I got was that my booth was simple and easy to understand. That’s what I was going for when I designed the banner and chose the decorations.
And here’s a bonus tip – get sponsors! My booth was sponsored by Shake-A-Paw Greetings, DawgPoundBags.com, SignsOnTheCheap.com, Zerimax Dog Seatbelts, Snazzy Jazzy Pets, and Throw Them to the Dogs. They were very generous with their products and I had fun promoting their companies.
Kimberly Gauthier
With Mommy Bloggers being all the rage, Kimberly Gauthier writes about dogs and being a Fur Mom. She don't have kids, so she's been on the receiving end of the "it'll happen" statements and looks of pity when people realize that she's made it to the big FOUR OH without conceiving. Fur Mommy Bloggers have a voice too and Gauthier intends to profile her journey with "The Fur Mom" feature on the Girl Power Hour blog. She says, we spoil our kids, we worry about nutrition and we schedule play dates...just as fur mom's do. And let's face it, puppy classes are a lot less spendy than private school. Follow Kimberly on Twitter at @TheFurMom
* This post is from a Girl Power Hour featured blogger. It is not written, edited or endorsed by Girl Power Hour. The authors are solely responsible for content.
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Maryann Piccini
07.17.2012
#2 “Stand Your Ground,” has happened to me at my booth. A woman was asking for a lower price for a small pet bed. I gave her the lower price and forgot to charge her NJ State Tax. So, I didn’t make much on the sale since I had to pay the sales tax. That was a big lesson for a new business owner.
Kimberly Gauthier
07.17.2012
Good lesson, MaryAnn
Thanks for sharing.
Kimberly
The Fur Mom: 10 Things I Learned at Poochapalooza : Home Business Blogs
07.25.2012
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