Each year here in San Diego County, we have four major home and garden shows, as well as one of the nation's largest Fairs, the San Diego County Fair.
Each year I consider getting a booth at the home and garden shows, as well as at the San Diego County Fair.
Each year, after careful consideration, I vote no.
Instead, I find that I can get a lot of business, and have a lot more fun, simply by walking around the fairs and home and garden shows with my company shirts on and leaving a business card at every booth I walk by, every booth where I buy something, and even on seminar tables and chairs throughout the exhibits.
Business cards are very inexpensive, and it sure is a lot of fun not having to go out there every day and staff a booth instead of actually having fun.
Try it this summer at your home and garden show or city/county/state fair. You just might be surprised.
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12 Comments on Getting business from home and garden shows, fairs, and carnivals
JUN
24
2009
WOW sounds really smart thank you for sharing. I have thought about that but I just cant find time to do that. I will have so make time for that Thanks.
Russel, I did a few of these shows; it was expensive and there were sometimes a disappointing crowd. Now I do just what you said, I go and speak to people and hand out cards. It works !
I started doing this at the annual Houston Rodeo several decades ago and got a ton of business from people.
When I moved to San Diego in 1993 I didn't have a need to do anything similar until 2001 with my home inspection company. My employees wanted me to get a booth at the then-named Del Mar Fair but the cost was something like $1,000 for 22 days and one had to commit to staffing the booth every day from opening to closing. My employees thought it would be fun to have a booth, but none of them wanted to commit to their share of the 22 days. They just wanted to come and go as they pleased while I sat out there for 12 hours every day for 22 days. In other words, they just figured they'd get into the Fair for free as a vendor but wouldn't have to do any work, and since I'd be out there for 22 days, they'd basically get a 22-day vacation. They thought I was stupid, but there was a reason why I owned the company and they worked for me - LOL.
Anyway, I told them I would pay for a day at the Fair for them and their family if they would each take 500 business cards and leave one at each vendor booth. They could have thrown the cards in the trash, but considering how much business we got after that first Fair, I knew they didn't, especially when our new Clients told me that they had picked up our card in their booth at the Fair
The proof is in the pudding. I've been doing it ever since and have a noticeable spike in business after the Fair.
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Hey, Sharon - See my long comment to Kim immediately above.
Hey, Kathleen - Cheap and fun are the best, especially when it results in lots of business and a bundle of money.
Hey, Tony - See my first comment above, to Kim. Another fun, inexpensive to handle these expensive and long-running shows is to get a booth with a Power Partner, sharing expenses, staffing time, etc.
Hey, Carole - And the more specialized one's business is - home inspections, Feng Shui, etc. - the lonelier those booths can get. And spending the money to give away a BMW 760i in a drawing to get people to come to your booth doesn't necessarily pay for itself.
Hey, Rebecca - I'm actually quite surprised that I have not heard of more people doing this. I learned it from a friend back in 1978 at the Houston Rodeo and Fair.
Is Zo seeing a chiropractor ? It took me a full minute to find all her parts ! People don't realize what a great investment cards are...and what they can mean...we have had people be "stingy" with them in the past....We always say"One to use and one to lose"....hopefully to someone else who CAN use it ...blog on and on and on and on...
Great idea Russel, we have done trade shows in the past and you are right, they are expensive, long hours, manning the booth was tough and mostly we got people trying to sell us their stuff! Will try your idea!
Great idea, Russel! And, this has GOT to be the best picture of Zo yet! I just love it when they're all curled up and you wonder how they got into that position!
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Each year here in San Diego County, we have four major home and garden shows, as well as one of the nation's largest Fairs, the San Diego County Fair.
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WOW sounds really smart thank you for sharing. I have thought about that but I just cant find time to do that. I will have so make time for that Thanks.
Have a wonderful week,
Kim White