I know it has been much to long since I have written in here and I can give you a thousand excuses but the simple truth is that in the beginning I was very busy. Then I was very tired, or I thought I was tired. It seems though that I was working my way into a bout of fairly severe depression. I think, or at least I hope, I have managed to put that mostly behind me. Life is difficult enough without that ton of bricks weighing you down and coloring everything you do and think about.
I originally wrote about 1 1/2 pages of explanation but then I erased them. Basically, 3 Farmer's Markets were too physically demanding and causing me too much pain, not to mention that the economy sucks and I was just barely staying ahead. I can tell you that my 1st year at the Downtown Farmer's Market (and in the following 3 years) I made more money than I did working all 3 Farmer's Markets this past summer.
I will only go to one Farmer's Market this next summer. I haven't made up my mind yet which one it will be since it is going to be a very difficult decision. Evansville is building us a new park for our market and Newburgh sits overlooking the beautiful Ohio River in a great shady lot. The most difficult part of deciding is knowing that I will not be seeing and working with some of the most wonderful people in the world whichever places I do not go. St. Mary's Hospital was a wonderful venue with fantastic people but just never very profitable.
View from back of my tent at the Newburgh
Farmer's Market the 1st year I attended.
The next year I made sure I was on the other side
so I could face toward the river! The back of
my tent is right behind my buddy's bakery!
My intentions are to continue with my specialty soaps since those are what I sell the most of. Not only that, I truly feel that I have a number of people who depend on me to supply them. They may not be large in number but they are steady and never fail to tell me how grateful they are.
I will be doing a major downsizing on the fragranced soaps with only a few big time sellers and the same goes for my line of "non-working" essential oil scented soaps. I will continue making the shampoo bars and packaged herbs for the Herbal Rinses. I will, of course keep making and selling the Bug Off and Bite Be Gone since they are the base of my income from market opening until Mid-Aug.
Many of the toiletry lines will be dropped. If you have any questions about a particular product feel free to email me and I will be more than glad to let you know what is happening with any product I make.
Now I am going to refer back to the 1st paragraph in this blog. Much of the joy has gone from the business. I am not sure why but I suspect that in becoming wrapped up in the business end and some of the weird offers (and threats) and things that have gone on in the past year the creative end of the business just got lost in the shuffle.
1. I have decided that since I am not making any money doing all three markets I am only going to attend 1 market this year. As yet to be decided which one.
2. I am severely downsizing the product list from Pigeon Creek Soaps.
3. The time I am not spending on the markets or preparing products for the markets can be spent several different ways. A. Concentrating on a better marketing plan for the Artfire shop B. This is my happy part. Spending time working on something I have discovered that I love to do! Pictures in the next blog entry to follow.
I originally wrote about 1 1/2 pages of explanation but then I erased them. Basically, 3 Farmer's Markets were too physically demanding and causing me too much pain, not to mention that the economy sucks and I was just barely staying ahead. I can tell you that my 1st year at the Downtown Farmer's Market (and in the following 3 years) I made more money than I did working all 3 Farmer's Markets this past summer.
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| Downtown Evansville Farmer's Market Last time my husband was able to attend. |
View from back of my tent at the Newburgh
Farmer's Market the 1st year I attended.
The next year I made sure I was on the other side
so I could face toward the river! The back of
my tent is right behind my buddy's bakery!
My intentions are to continue with my specialty soaps since those are what I sell the most of. Not only that, I truly feel that I have a number of people who depend on me to supply them. They may not be large in number but they are steady and never fail to tell me how grateful they are.
I will be doing a major downsizing on the fragranced soaps with only a few big time sellers and the same goes for my line of "non-working" essential oil scented soaps. I will continue making the shampoo bars and packaged herbs for the Herbal Rinses. I will, of course keep making and selling the Bug Off and Bite Be Gone since they are the base of my income from market opening until Mid-Aug.
Many of the toiletry lines will be dropped. If you have any questions about a particular product feel free to email me and I will be more than glad to let you know what is happening with any product I make.
Now I am going to refer back to the 1st paragraph in this blog. Much of the joy has gone from the business. I am not sure why but I suspect that in becoming wrapped up in the business end and some of the weird offers (and threats) and things that have gone on in the past year the creative end of the business just got lost in the shuffle.
1. I have decided that since I am not making any money doing all three markets I am only going to attend 1 market this year. As yet to be decided which one.
2. I am severely downsizing the product list from Pigeon Creek Soaps.
3. The time I am not spending on the markets or preparing products for the markets can be spent several different ways. A. Concentrating on a better marketing plan for the Artfire shop B. This is my happy part. Spending time working on something I have discovered that I love to do! Pictures in the next blog entry to follow.
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