Former presidential candidate and businessman H.Ross Perot said that business is a cobweb of human relationships. And by the very nature of humanity, those relationships will likely be imperfect.
For the past year, I have, via Internet and in person, been trying to forge relationships with other entrepreneurs who may have interest in my product or whose wares may benefit my offerings.
So I’ve been social networking via online sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, and through groups such as LadiesWhoLaunch.com and WorkItMom.com. I’ve particpated in teleconferences and Webinars, hearing what other women (and men) have to say about how they run their businesses. I’ve met some great people and gotten some amazing feedback and advice.
I joined a soapmaking forum where I routinely chat and bounce questions about my product line, web site and such, from off others who are in the same line of work – either as a business or as a hobby.
I honestly don’t think I could have pushed my business as far in the last year without these online resources. That said, I have to add that my galpal Gail, who runs her own marketing firm, has been a daily source of inspiration and my sounding board when my brain works overtime and I have the need to make a change that could reconfigure my business. Gail has kept me from making some pretty stupid decisions. We run our own little business “incubator” of sorts, percolating ideas until they emerge full-bodied and flavorful. Our e-mails often begin, “Hey, what do you think about......” And we’re off to the races.
But every now and then, we make really bad decisions. This year – I made two. First, I signed up online to participate in a so-called Mother’s Day Extravaganza sponsored by a woman named Shawn who supposedly ran her own mobile spa. (I guess the word, "extravaganza" should have been a clue; I mean really..who uses that word for events that aren't monstor truck shows?) It was to be held in a swanky hotel in Tysons Corner, Va., with a laundry list of vendors and sponsors. A week before the event was to happen, it evaporated – as did my nearly $200 vendor fee.
In an e-mail a week before the event, she wrote that because of a lack of interest, she was going to have her Mother’s Day even in June. I jotted off a response, saying I could not participate then because of prior commitments – and requested a refund of my vendor fee. When she failed to respond, I complained to Paypal. She failed to respond to them, so PayPal raided her account where they recovered only $56. (To their credit, Paypal shut down her business account, though I suspect she only re-opened it under another e-mail address or name.)
After threatening to sue her, I wrote a letter to the state Attorney General, saying I believed her business practices were suspect. (I have decided NOT to name this woman or her business in my blog – I rather not give her the ink, but I will if you contact me directly via e-mail.)
So far I have recovered nothing more from this woman, who could have had a great following of both clients and vendors. But there are good folks out there, I know, who have terrific events.
Two weeks ago, I was approached by the Montgomery County Fair, in Gaithersburg, Md., to participate as a vendor. A venue that sees more than 200,000 visitors over 10 days, I decided it would be a good opportunity for me to get my company’s name out among people from all around the state. The official who contacted me said that they did not have any vendors in my category, that we would have an indoor booth in a well-traversed air conditioned building.
Well, we had an indoor booth in an air conditioned building. But we were in the basement of a remote building, away from the main traffic of the fair. No one could find us and our sales reflected that. Other vendors in the same area as us, - also first-timers – were having similar difficulties. Having hired staff to help for the week, after three days, I cut our losses and withdrew.
Initially dejected, I remembered that my father – the owner of a fairly large drycleaning chain – had business setbacks, but he stayed the course for more than 55 years. I chalked both incidents up to “lessons learned.” It helped me set my business policies in terms of what types of events and under what terms I will do business with others.
Obviously the spa woman’s event was either an elaborate scam or she was simply bad businesswoman who did not care that her relationships with others would be impacted by her actions. I had only spoke with her briefly by phone and e-mail, and had never met her in person.
At the fair, I never toured the venue ahead of time and had to trust that the “only vendor” promise was an accurate one.
A co-worker often tells me to “trust, but verify” when trying to get another person or entity to perform. Truer words have never been spoken.
So, what are my lessons learned?
1) Get References. When deciding to appear at an event, or link with another business for an event, talk to others who have had experience with the event or individuals involved. Find your own; don’t trust that that THEIR list of references would be trustworthy or nonbiased.
2) Get Up And Go. Tour the area you will be renting if you are participating as a
vendor. Will you have lights, electricity, a table, chairs? Get a list in writing of
what you will be getting for your money.
3) Insist On A Contract. While the fair had a contract, I never considered I’d need one
for spa woman because it was basically a “handshake” deal, but obviously I did.
4) If They Are Local, Go See Their Smiling Faces. Don’t rely on e-mail or the
Internet to seal a deal where money is involved. Have a meeting. Get a contract. If
they aren’t local, then get some really good references, and a written contract that
details the terms of the deal.
Kathy A. Gambrell
Founder
ChesapeakeBayBathandBody.com
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