A Success Story

The Yuletide Market was a success

and I couldn't be more pleased.

Here are a few photos of our table.

I always look so serious.

It was such a nice event.

There was entertainment 

in the form of singers and speakers.

There was a gingerbread house competition.

The winner.

There were new people to meet and things to try.

And there was this special lady.

The first day of the Market, she came to me and asked

if I had Patchouli scented lotion.  I told her I didn't have it,

but I could make it and bring it the next day.

Then her friend came over and asked if I could make

Patchouli Rose for her.

I came home that night and made the lotions and was

delightfully surprised at how much I like the Patchouli Rose scent.

I combined Patchouli with a few drops of Rose Jasmine fragrance oils

and the Rose took the edge off the Patchouli perfectly.

The last day of the sale, when we were packing up,

she came by again and asked where we were from.

I mentioned we had an acreage in Wausa, and also a house in town

that we were trying to sell.

She took my hand and said a prayer for us right then and there.

It was so sweet.

A while later that evening, Rikki asked me if I thought the house

would sell now that she prayed for us.

I said "maybe it will".  

I asked her if she prayed that the house would sell.

She said "yes" and then 

"well, I never prayed that it wouldn't".

I had to laugh to myself on that one.

Yuletide Market Re-Cap

·        I was so wrong about the following:

§  I need to own goats to sell goat’s milk products.

§  I can’t be called “Sisters Five Soap and Lotion Works” and sell by myself.

§  The product will never sell itself.

§  Nebraska just isn’t open to “goat’s” milk.

§  I am not good at “selling”.

·        I was right about the following:

§  I have a viable product at a reasonable price.

§  Professionalism is everything.

§  Offering free samples is the first step in answering the most important consumer question “What is in it for me?”

§  “Trading” products with other vendors rather than paying cash is win-win.

§  Be a good “vendor-neighbor” and help each other sell.  It works.

·        I learned:

§  I need a nice purse.  All the ladies carry nice purses. 

§  I need to learn to wear fashion scarves. 

§  I need a haircut.  It’s time.

p.s. You might notice in the photos that Rikki's hair is two different lenghts in the photos.
      At least one of us got a hair cut  : )