Wasilla to be exact. Its humbling seeing our items go far and beyond in this great country of ours. Kenneth C., Enjoy your bracelet.
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This is practically and specifically what we have been doing for the last month. Planning how to do a show. What to bring. How to set up our table/booth. Lots of planning. Even when we do all of that, I’ve found it very important to be fluid with the specifics of the plan and have a willingness to change to some other idea if the feeling comes. Each time we’ve done a show, we found something in our system that can be improved, consolidated or downright eliminated. One of the things that we didn’t have at the very first show was a portable way to carry paracord with me to the show. I wanted to be able to make bracelets and key chains for people while they were browsing around and initially I carried all of my paracord colors in a couple of plastic grocery bags. I found out the third day that this wasn’t going to work, when someone wanted a bracelet that we had just made for someone else and we committed to making it for them. Half way through the process, we came into one problem. The dark gray paracord was no where to be found. We salvaged the situation and used a lighter gray, but the writing was on the wall. I needed a way to see the cord colors. Later on after we got home and the event was a distant memory, I found the dark gray paracord in one of the bags. UGH!! One day when I was sitting in my shop, just thinking about some different things, I glanced at this clear backpack that we bought for one of our kids years ago. It was passed down through at least two of them and at this point was about to end up in the trash heap since no one wanted it anymore. Until the light went off. I could see that it would be perfect to put all of my paracord colors and other items in. It was clear and would be perfect to be able to see everything. Problem solved. Well sort of. Now that we are carrying about 32 colors and lots of other stuff, this backpack is getting heeaaavy. Now I wonder if I should get a short or shallow bin. We’ll see on that one. I do like that I can throw everything over my shoulder and keep rolling.
I’ll talk with you next time, Constant Reader. It’s time to go check the backpack. I’ve missed writing here for the past couple weeks. My intention all along was to write a post in this blog everyday, five days a week. I was doing just fine with that right up until about a month ago when we started doing show, meets and events. We started doing them the week before Thanksgiving and have done some type of show every weekend since. They’ve been fun, and quite interesting but, boy oh boy, do they take a lot of time. Granted they are on the weekend, but since our primary product is handmade, we have to spend time in producing enough product to take with us. Some of they items that are easier to produce, I “prep” them and we finish them at the show. As I’ve said in other post, I’ve found that people like to see that we hand make the items. There hasn’t been a show that has gone by without at least one person coming to our booth and asking who makes these items. In our first show or two, the answer was always me. Now I might still make the overwhelming majority of them, but my family is quickly stepping up to the plate and contributing their hands to the craft as well. Since Thanksgiving, we have done, two Motorcycle Swap Meets and two Arts and Crafts shows. That’s pretty diverse right? I’m sure it sounds like we are probably selling different stuff at one type of show over the other, but we are basically selling the same things. Maybe our signage is a bit different but, I’ve found that people are people. Even though one genre might like a different color combination in general there is a broad appeal. Well Back to work. We’ll talk more next time, Constant Reader.
With all that down time, some interesting things happened. We had more time to talk to the other vendors and boy were they a wealth of information. From suggestions on product line and expansion, to other events and just general encouragement, they were great. Now don’t get me wrong, there may not have been a lot of customer traffic, but the ones that did stop by and a few that made a purchase were great. A few of them commented on if we were conducting a family business and praised us for doing so and bringing our children along. We had several people that needed bracelets that were custom in terms of colors or size. When they came back for their items, we asked a few to take pictures so that we could document the event. All of them said they didn’t have any problem doing that. Here are just a few of our great customers
Last weekend the family and I attended the Motorcycle Swap Meet at Gibraltar Trade Center in Mt. Clemons. It was an interesting event and was made quite a bit easier since Amy and I had just done a biker swap meet a week before. I was really curious how this one would turn out on Black Friday weekend. For this event the entire family went along, all five (5) of us.
When we went to the swap meet on the 18th of November, one think became glaringly clear. We needed another way of taking our items, which aren’t all that heavy or big, back and forth to our vehicle. Although it was probably only a football field from our vendor spot to our vehicle, I found it quite inconvenient carrying the six foot fold in half table that far. It was difficult, holding that, a couple folding chairs, a backpack and dragging a chest that although it did have a small set of wheels, was quite inadequate. If I didn’t hold that bin at just the correct angle, it wouldn’t utilize the wheels, it would just drag on the side of the case. I was on a mission. When we got home from the Novi, MI event, I went searching on the net for a good folding cart that we could utilize. I found a pretty decent looking one on Amazon.com and placed the order. I also ordered a few swing arm lights and a power strip for this Gibraltar event since we would have access to electricity for the first time during an event. Now back to the Gibraltar Swap Meet. In a nutshell, it was slow. Oh yeah, did I say slooooowww. I understand that not all events are going to be jam packed with people but even without a lot of things to compare this to, to me it felt sparse to say the least. We did make some sales and even a profit, but it was hard to stay busy and not get bored at times. Next time, I’ll continue with what happened, Constant Reader.
I say that because it happened again. Just a few days before the show I told my wife I really wanted to figure out how to get some of our paracord items into a few stores and begin building upon that. I had never done it and didn’t personally know of anyone that had that I could pull their chain and ask a question. As I said in the previous post, after a couple hiccups in getting to our last event, we finally make it there. I check in with the guy and get our tag for our spot. Amy and I go there and wouldn’t you know there is a vendor with a pretty large motorcycle setup with his things at our area. I check with the guy and show him that we are supposed to be at F-35. A real nice guy, he suggest that I take spots 37 and 38 two spots down since no one was there. I told him that wouldn’t be a problem as long as someone official gives the OK. So we walk back to find someone “official”. They had no problem with it and we took spots 37 and 38. Now back to putting something out in the universe. As we are setting up there is a lady in spot 36 with her stuff all set up like we should have been. Well I digress…Initially she doesn’t say much more than hello. After we get setup and the initial crowd dies down she comes over to look at our table. While she is looking, she asks real nonchalant if we had ever considered selling some of our items wholesale. BING!! Like I said that is what we were just talking about. I told her I had never done that before. She was really understanding and suggested that we consider a price that she could buy several wholesale that she could put in her store. Well we did just that and told her a price for her to consider. She said that she would think about it and get with us at the end of the show so if she decided to buy any, she wouldn’t be taking away from our stock for the show. True to her word, she came by in the last hour with cash in hand and we did the deal for 10 bracelets with a commitment for more in the future if it works well on her end. She even said that people had been coming in her shop and suggesting paracord bracelets. She said she was in the process of looking for a distributor of the bracelets when she met us. As I said in the title, Watch Out. I seems to me like our paths were meant to cross. Like energy attracting like energy.
Speaking of energy, its time to go rejuvenate mine. See you next time, Constant Reader.
Not really sure why, specifically. Maybe it was because we haven’t done a show or event for over a month. Maybe it was because, it was a biker centered event which I’m still charting my way through this genre. It could have been all sorts of reasons, but I was a bit anxious about doing the Giant Motorcycle Swap meet in Novi, MI this past weekend. It started out simple enough, my wife, Amy was going with me. I figured the traffic would be light on Sunday. WRONG!! Lots of construction making 3 lanes, 1 lane. This put us behind by several minutes. We did make it but found ourselves finishing the set-up when the show first started. Note to Self: Get there early and expect traffic problems enroute. I would rather get there early and walk around checking out the other vendors than get there like we did. I can’t complain too much. In the end it all worked out. I’m just anal about being on time and I’m allergic to late. Next time I will be on time and will also continue with this discussion, Constant Reader. I read this book maybe 12 years ago and I remember thinking it was pretty good although I wondered how the author remembered so many conversations when he was 9 years old, so many years later. Last week the thought popped in my head to re-read this book now that I’m doing this particular business and find out if it has a different meaning in this context. So far it definitely does. I’m looking through a different lens. If I remember when I first read the book, I was renting a couple houses and had even considered growing a large real estate empire. Actually I was pretty good at the business and had some success with it. There were a few things that inherently go with that type of business that I just didn’t care for and that was the real tipping point that pushed me away. I don’t really miss it or regret that decision. I’m glad to be in this business and have enjoyed the lessons I’ve learned. I never hesitate to revisit past lessons from a new perspective to see what information can be gleaned with the new perspective. We’ll see what this experience and revisiting this book can hold for me. See you soon Constant Reader. Today I took a class at work that was titled “Emotional Survival”. It’s a class geared towards law enforcement officers and speaks on how the job can be caustic and do physiological damage to us after many years. I won’t bore you with the intricate details, but the reason I am revisiting this subject is that one of the things discussed was sleep deprivation. More specifically how prolonged exposure to lack of sleep can basically render us via our cognitive processes and motor skills to a similar point as if we are intoxicated by liquor. I’ve heard this before but this instructor had much more details. It was amazing and showed me that I need to work harder to get my rest. Speaking further on the post that I wrote yesterday, it really doesn’t do me any good to miss sleep if the hours that I am awake, I’m less productive and therefore less efficient. More hours in the day to do the same tasks better if I had the correct amount of sleep doesn’t make much sense. I know in the past when I’ve really been in need of sleep to the point where it concerns me, I don’t try and work in that condition. It doesn’t happen often, but I would prefer to go home a couple hours early than put myself in some type of precarious position. It’s important in my line of work to stay alert and I don’t minimize that. As I said last night, sleep is important and I’m heading that way, Constant Reader. I’ve heard so many things when it comes to sleep and business. Donald Trump on his show the The Apprentice always gives the contestants a challenge that will force them to lose some sleep. Even on the American Idol show, in the beginning right after the try-outs, there is always a group competition that forces them to stay up most of the night and work on routine including choreography and music that they will need to perform the next morning in front of the judges. This exercise usually always stresses out a few of the contestants beyond their limits. I write this thinking about myself. Yesterday, I was sleepy the entire day and had no opportunity to take a nap or anything. Now I’m not some old geezer that must put on his sweater jacket like Mr. Rogers and take a nice couple hour nap everyday. Just every once in a while sleep deprivation catches up with me. For those that know me personally, I’m pretty much known as a laid back guy. Really LAID back. It’s just always been my way. Now don’t confuse laid back with lazy. I like to stay busy most all the time. It might not always be physical labor, but I’m always, reading, learning, doing something. Because I’m always a little deprived in the area of sleep, I rarely lay down until it is bed time. I’m like a guy I heard talking about sharks. I’m always moving about because if I stop for too long, it’s over. Sleep city. I’ve always also been an early bird. I’ve worked the day shift for a lot of years and actually enjoy getting up at 5am. The quiet of the morning and watching the world wake up has always been appealing to me. All is good unless I want or need to stay up a little late. Heck for me late is 12 midnight. The hard part is if I go to sleep late, I still wake up early between 5 or 6am. I function pretty well on 6 to 7 hours of sleep, but I’m like a mummy with only 3 or 4. Hey now that I think of it, I’m depriving myself of sleep writing this. Goodnight, Constant Reader. |
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