I will say that it was very much a learning experience for me. I got to visit quite a bit with the other vendors, get feedback on my display (it sucked) and on my product(they liked). I got to have some good business discussions on things like "is this a business or is it a hobby?", "how to price in a bad economy", and my favorite "variety of product is nice, but the money is in a niche market".
That last one really made an impression. It made me realize that the one thing I really love making is my beadwoven rings. I am good at it, and I feel I bring a lot of design to beadwoven rings that wasn't there before. That said, going forward I will be making more rings and do less playing with other techniques. I will also be rebranding my rings, so look for that announcement in the near future!
I will leave you today with a picture of my sad little table. Feel free to offer any comments or advise.
Quote: In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative original thinker unless you can also sell what you create. Management cannot be expected to recognize a good idea unless it is presented to them by a good salesman.
David M. Ogilvy
