Your opinions please

collegeme

I have been running an online giftshop for the past 6 months or so. It's a part time venture to fit in with family commitments.

It's tough going out on your own and I suppose you don't realise how hard the marketkng side of it can be, well on a very tight budget.

I have my first large event in May and am working toward that but have the option of attending an outdoor market event on St. Patricks Day. All day event till late. This would hugely help in terms of sales/cashflow and getting the name of the business and the website out there.

I am half on the fence as am wondering if I will make the cost of the gazebo back and if I will sell all of the items that will be made / bought especially for the day and if St. Patricks Day in a very busy central location is a good or bad idea?

I'd love to hear your opinions.

jimmii

I'm in the gift business too online and high street. We did a show earlyish on that was a massive success. We went down Friday with what we thought was enough for the weekend ended up having to bring more Saturday morning and Sunday morning! The next year we did the same show and did about 20% of what we did the year before. So much depends on how much marketing the organisers do.

collegeme

Thanks. So as I thought, you really don't know how it will go!
The cost for the day is not huge but is a lot to me so will think some more.

That sounded like a great event the first year and a let down the next for you.

I have a christmas gift business seperately and some events we just broke even but one in particular we were surrounded for the full day.

Would you think outdoor in city centre is a good thing given it's St Patricks day. The location should attract passers by at the very least.

MRTULES

Even if you sold nothing would the exposure on the day not be worth the cost?? Good branding might be worth its weight in gold.

jimmii

Could get a bit messy! Worth doing even if people don't buy at least try get business cards or something in their hands that they might find the next day! After the events we did we had a lot of people come in because they had seen us there.

collegeme

Thanks for your input jimmii & MRTULES.

I was thinking of a free goody bag if you sign up to our e-newsletter.

jimmii

collegeme wrote: »

Thanks for your input jimmii & MRTULES.

I was thinking of a free goody bag if you sign up to our e-newsletter.

You'll end up with a good few bounce backs doing that I would think.

collegeme

jimmii wrote: »

You'll end up with a good few bounce backs doing that I would think.

Yes I imagine the rate of success would be small but I don't plan on giving anything mega away. Just brainstorming here and will come up with something that might work for me.

I would love to have a retail store ... my dream

jimmii

collegeme wrote: »

Yes I imagine the rate of success would be small but I don't plan on giving anything mega away. Just brainstorming here and will come up with something that might work for me.

I would love to have a retail store ... my dream

Its only the fear that will stop you doing it.

collegeme

jimmii wrote: »

Its only the fear that will stop you doing it.

and the bank manager :P

jimmii

collegeme wrote: »

and the bank manager :P

If you have the stock already it wouldn't cost much that is the expensive part! If you're still looking come November maybe we could do a pop up or something so you can give it a try.

collegeme

jimmii wrote: »

If you have the stock already it wouldn't cost much that is the expensive part! If you're still looking come November maybe we could do a pop up or something so you can give it a try.

Definitely 110% would be interested in that, my christmas gifts were popular too.
I wouldn't have enough stock to kit a small store, you've hit the nail on the head there. That's the expensive part that I underestimated. So, I just had to build it slow.

Thank you.

Mrs OBumble

MRTULES wrote: »

Even if you sold nothing would the exposure on the day not be worth the cost?? Good branding might be worth its weight in gold.

Probably depends on who your target market is: going to an event the day when there are zillion other things happening and when the majority of the public are getting drunk (and so not remembering much of what they saw) might not be overly worthwhile.

OP, have you been to this event before as a punter, do you know if it's the type of thing where the goods you sell would be well-received by the people likely to attend? Could you use the event to leverage some other publicity for yourself? Would there be any issues for you re the general messiness of the day?

dbran

Make sure that you are in a location that has decent footfall. Just being at an event in the centre of town does not guarantee that you will get noticed

dbran

collegeme

Thanks everyone. Weather and "drunkeness" were concerns of mine. I don't think I will do it this time round but keep an eye on the next one.

I am very lucky to have taken a call yesterday and secured a pop up in a well known shopping centre in Dublin this weekend. Am very busy getting things ready.

jimmii

collegeme wrote: »

Thanks everyone. Weather and "drunkeness" were concerns of mine. I don't think I will do it this time round but keep an eye on the next one.

I am very lucky to have taken a call yesterday and secured a pop up in a well known shopping centre in Dublin this weekend. Am very busy getting things ready.

Good luck! Southside or Northside?

collegeme

jimmii wrote: »

Good luck! Southside or Northside?

Thanks so much . Northside.