Business: Handmade

Hello, hello, and welcome to our podcast! As a re-introduction, we are Kim and Kevin of Marketspace Vendor Events. We curate handmade artisan markets across New Jersey. We are passionate about small business and local, handmade art. We have been busy bees with our four kids - the newest addition was just recently born in August 2021! We both have full-time jobs in HR Learning & Development.

We hope to share insight into the inner-workings of small businesses and what it takes to be an event promoter and coordinator. We have a network of many talented makers and artists and call on them to share their thoughts and experiences on the podcast. We hope that their stories help you in your small business journey. If you have questions we can answer on the podcast or would like to join us as a guest, please write to us at the email address below.

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If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, please subscribe and review us on your favorite podcast app.

Email your stories, ideas, thoughts, or anything you want to podcast@marketspacevendorevents.com and we will find a way to include it on the podcast. If you would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email us!

Meet Brian, a true craftsman of functional wood artwork (such as skateboards) and pyrography decor artwork. We chat about his journey as the NJ-shore based small business Boney Board Woodshop and how each project he takes on gives him a new and improved skillset. Brian teaches the values of continuous learning and to never limit oneself when it comes to trying new things. He proves in our discussion that he practices what he preaches!

We can all imagine how hard it is to market products to others and make that perfect sales pitch. But what happens when our main customer is an animal? We chat with Melissa of Melmo's Dog Treats about designing products specifically for animals, the challenges and opportunities of having a dog as your main customer, and how to receive and process feedback the products pet owners are purchasing. She also gives us insight into her retail and wholesale side of the business. Through this episode you will really learn why Melmo's Dog Treats are "people tested, dog approved".

How much of being a small business relies on your individual personality and nature? We chat with Linda of Mud 'n Biscuits Ceramics about her start in pottery and how being an introvert has it's strengths. Listening, thinking, preparation, prioritizing, and creativity are all ways an introversion can run a successful business. We also talk about the importance of having supportive friends and connections within the maker community.

In this episode of Business: Handmade, we talk to Maddie of The Scent Garden Shop about how important it is as a small business owner to take care of your own mental health and prioritizing self care. It is one of the easiest things to overlook, but also one of the most important things to consider. Maddie also gives back to her community in the form of charities, which is a big part of her mission and vision for her business. Her core values for The Scent Garden Shop include sustainability, the environment, and compassion for the community around her. Currently, she gives back to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 133 and Karma Cat and Zen Dog Rescue Society.

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes of our handmade artisan event company? Kim wrote down questions to ask Kevin... and we share the answers on the podcast. We go into the most invaluable connections we've made, the hardest things about running a business with a spouse, what things have been surprisingly easy for us, and where we disagree the most. We do agree that our differing perspectives help make our small business a success! Hopefully you learn something new about the ins and outs of Marketspace from this one.

Come check out one of our upcoming events! We will be at Czig Meister Brewing for their 5th Anniversary on June 12th from 12-8pm.

We are big fans of this next guest. Aidan Conboy of Global Sawdust is super impressive. Woodworking started out as his hobby in high school and now Aidan is selling his high quality handcrafted home furnishings and furniture online and at artisan markets. He walks us step by step through the decisions he's made when starting his business and how he started and improved upon his first few products. Everyone in his family shows their support by pitching in and filling a pivotal role in Aidan's small business.

Meet the man behind the amazing events at Tranquillity Farms! Kevin Asciutto, the General Manager of James on Main, saw an opportunity to expand his business and clientele... and never looked back. Back in early 2020, Kevin's restaurant was suffering due to Covid-19. Instead of closing the doors to weather the storm, he decided to build a "curbside to go" side of the business. After seeing success and feeling more involved in the community, Kevin turned his attention to on-site catered events at Donaldson Farms and Tranquillity Farms, in Hackettstown and Green Township respectively. He discovered that with the help of other businesses, we all could create craft experiences for customers where they could safely enjoy and consume our products. Kevin invited Marketspace Vendor Events, Czig Meister Brewing, Unionville Vineyards, Man Skirt Brewing, and other small businesses to join him in these ticketed, sessioned, outdoor events.

Mia is a DELIGHT to talk to. New in the craft game, but already racing towards success, Mia and her small business are a breath of fresh air. We talk about her inspiration to start working with resin, how she's gotten comfortable using platforms like YouTube, and most importantly - how she has mapped out her business plan to market and grow her business. She tells us how she balances creating her products with promoting her shop online. Mia shares how important it is to stay on top of current trends and try new things for the sake of the experience!

Hello hello and welcome to our big episode 5-0 of the Business: Handmade podcast! Out guest today is Pat Green of Kitchen Wooden Products. Pat crafts cutting boards, breadboards, and other kitchen products exclusively out of exotic tropical woods. We talk to him about the exotic wood species he recommends to other American woodworkers, which include Purple heart, Green Heart, and Guyana Rose Wood. Pat also talks to us about his role in teaching others to learn his trade and how he travels abroad to Guyana, South America to cut and supply these woods back to the United States.

> Mention Business Handmade and receive a 25% discount. All wood comes ready to use (s4s).

Spring has sprung and we are happily embracing the warmer weather that start the outdoor craft market season! In this episode of Business: Handmade, we speak to Robin Blue of BlueSmokeATL. She is a small business maker focused on designing luxury cigar pokers. She is based in Atlanta, GA and talks to us about gathering feedback from both her men and women demographics. Although there may have been slight challenges along the way being a woman selling products to men, Robin has engrained herself in the cigar community and is able to connect one-on-one with many of her ideal customers.

Adrienne McGill of Amazing Essence joins us on episode 48 to talk to us about what it's like to be a one-woman small business, especially now during the pandemic. She creates, stores, and ships her candles all from her studio space. She enjoys having a centralized workshop/retail space and shares tips around finding a space with the perfect balance for a small business. We also talk about a new payment service called Afterpay and the benefit her customers get from this service. We were super impressed by Adrienne's practice of writing down all of the data points that makes her business successful and her willingness to share this information with other makers and crafters!

It was such a pleasure speaking with Amber of Science Craft on this episode of the podcast. We got to learn more about her experience in the crafting and business world and how unique her science inspired art and jewelry is.

We discuss where her inspiration and ideas come from. As we all look at the world around us, there are infinite images, textures, and concepts for crafters to incorporate and use. Amber also has the unique experience of spending seven years as a seller and production artist for other vendors. She shares what she's learned and how it has helped her transition into selling on her own!

The fountain of knowledge has arrived to the Business: Handmade podcast! Mariana shares so much wisdom with us when it comes to small business. She has experience to share about working in-person vendor booths, networking, and understanding your customers. She has also started expanding her business into teaching her craft and providing workshops to customers. One of the most exciting pieces of her business recently has been display her art (both functional and decorative) at retail shops and galleries.

We connected with Paulette of S&P Gifts on social media and immediately knew she had a story to share. She has a background in retail, direct sales, and leadership experience with Girl Scouts of America. She sees her toughest clients however as a lunch lady in a school cafeteria. In this episode, we talk a lot about Paulette's best advice - rolling out new business ideas slowly and starting with small shows. 

Also, you can look professional at a craft show or online by keeping things simple and clean. There's no reason to stress and spend lots of money in the beginning where you can think creatively and use what you have to your advantage!

Say hey to Jackie Stier of Jackie's Copper Creations. We love picking Jackie's brain when it comes to large event productions. She's a fine artist who frequents ComicCon, Sugarloaf, and other large-scale, convention-type craft shows. Jackie joined us at Winter Village at the Red Mill Museum for one of her only outdoor events in over 10 years. Listen to her expert opinion on what worked well and how improvising during a very uncertain time can lead to successful turnouts and sales days for all!

It's getting to be the most wonderful time of the year. And we aren't letting COVID-19 bring us down. Kim and Kevin talk about their small business, the baby that they nurtured and grew from a little seed. As we've experienced, for every one negative voice that may bring you down, there are 500 voices cheering you on. It has been a rough year for all businesses, but we are excited for our biggest events of the year, Winter Village in Clinton, NJ and The Marketspace at Westfield in Westfield, NJ

We learned more than we expected to learn during this episode of Business: Handmade! Mary Kate recalls her first push in the direction of her business, which unfortunately started with severe panic attacks. Her experience turned a corner when a close friend set her on a path of self-reflection and healing. She also talks about how she transitioned from only providing custom blends to her customers to finding a standard product line she could offer which saved her tons of time and energy that she could then reinvest into her business. Quickly we started finding the theme of removing yourself and your ego from your business in order to best represent your business and your products.

Carly of RAD Stickers + Doodads emailed us with an amazing topic for this episode, encouraging people who want to make and sell their art to just get out there and do it! Carly talks about her own experience starting her small business and in which ways she has been encouraged along the way. Each time she's put herself out there, she has made another step in the direction that her business is in today.

Email us and let us know: what does the quote "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good" mean to you?

Kim and Kevin chat about their two successful September handmade markets, 1) Crafts and Drafts at Jersey Girl Brewing and 2) Oktoberfest at Tranquillity Farms in partnership with Czig Meister Brewing and James on Main. Feedback surveys are a huge part of our business and help us understand the positive feedback and constructive criticism of each event we plan.

We are looking forward to our October and November handmade markets at Lone Eagle Brewing, Jersey Girl Brewing, and Winter Village at the Red Mill Museum. 

If you yearn for a fun, yet educational conversation... just meet up with Rob of Angry Nimbus Woodcraft. He is a blast to talk with and knows so much about a wide variety of topics. He shares his most surprising experience while being a hand-maker on this podcast, as well as how best to engage a craft show audience and capture their attention at your booth. 

One of the big takeaways is to curate video content for your social media channels, even if you aren't on-screen or speaking over the video. Grab a free domain song and pair that with a cool video of your product and/or process and you will almost definitely increase your engagement.

This delightful episode has us salivating for chocolate. We connect with Emma of Emma's Delights, who we learn is a chocolatier who grew up in Belgium and now operates out of her home kitchen. She offers her treats at a company-wide level, to clients such as Google and Facebook, and has made accepting feedback a regular cycle in her small business. Emma recounts how she started her business, first as a hobby for friends and family, then to offering traditional and gourmet chocolate online. She started doing craft events after she understood the online demand from her customers. Although now some are operating as virtual, Emma offers chocolate-making classes and events in California. 

This week we speak with Ana Martins of pureAlma, a handmaker of baby & toddler stuff! She started her small business after moving to California, so hearing about her craft market and networking experience on the west coast was something we were very interested in from the start. Ana also moved recently back to New Jersey, so not only was that an experience in itself (moving across country during the pandemic of coronavirus) but she will also be vending at craft markets and networking for the first time on the east coast!

Ross Traphagen brings a lot to the table when speaking about growing small businesses, effective marketing, and community building. He has done so much to improve and support Clinton, NJ over the past few years. It is our pleasure to talk with him about the ways in which this town not only has weathered the impact of COVID-19, but demonstrates the ability to maintain their thriving and bustling downtown shops, restaurants, and town events. We are lucky to work with The Red Mill Museum on one of our biggest events of the year, Winter Village at The Red Mill Museum, which takes place over the three days of Thanksgiving Weekend. It is an amazing feeling working with shop owners, museum directors, city council, and our makers on such a special event.

After hyping up our town so much over the years, we've finally gotten someone to prove it! Gabe Bailer joins us to chat about his role as Downtown Director of Cranford and what that means for the restaurants and brick and mortar shops he oversees. Over the past two years, Gabe has offered many ideas and innovations to consistently improve our downtown and foster community among the small business owners. Cranford was voted the best downtown in New Jersey in both 2018 and 2019.

Especially now during the global pandemic, Gabe is faced with new challenges and even more innovative ways to provide safe and engaging ways to serve downtown shoppers. The new social media campaign, "Now More Than Ever", spotlights local businesses and their owners by giving a personal look into each.

We had the pleasure to chat with Carol of Blueberry Fields Artisan Soap this week. By day she works as a biochemist in a laboratory and by nights and weekends she is a cold process all-natural soap maker. Up until recently, Carol only sold her wares at in-person handmade markets. Due to COVID-19, she was pushed to start thinking digital and created a new website where she could engage her customers online and sell virtually. This is a common theme among makers right now, with an added emphasis on selling online (whether it is starting a new online shop or increasing the amount of sales done over the web).

Episode 30 is an unofficial Part 2 to last week's episode. Matt Czigler, owner of Czig Meister Brewing Company, gives us insight into the craft beer industry and how innovation, flexibility, and collaboration has been key in growing during the impact of coronavirus. We learn how Matt opted to invest a little more financially into his small business up front so that he would avoid having to experience some growing pains as he expanded. Over the past 4 years, he's also learned how to spend less time working IN the business and dedicate more time working ON the business.

Get your pens and notebooks out, because this episode is packed full of great small business advice. No matter what industry you are in, Covid-19 has affected us all and changed the normal way in which we operate. This is especially true for the maker and artist community AND the craft beer industry. In order to keep running, business owners need to use creative tactics, support and learn from each other, and give back to their communities.

Lydia of Craft Candles has been doing all of these things. When customers could not get in front of her products at handmade markets and brewery taprooms, she needed to think creatively. Lydia connected with brewery owners and learned how they were successfully dealing with these big state-wide and national changes. Through it all she continued to be a part of large donations and support efforts for local front line workers and those in need. Most importantly, Lydia "changed [her] losses into lessons", which is something she uses as a teacher with her students and (obviously) herself.

Feel the energy of Willow Moon Candles in this week's episode of Business: Handmade. We talk to April about being reiki certified and how she adds energy and healing into her soy candles. The art of candle making gives April peace and calm, just as it does for her customers who enjoy them. She also clues us in to her support system and how working with co-ops and small retail stores helps boost her brand and expand her clientele.

Have you submitted your 2019 small business taxes yet? The deadline has been extended to July 15th. You could apply for an additional three-month extension for your taxes to be due by October 15th. It may be beneficial to look into federal relief, such as The Cares Act. This was signed to address coronavirus-induced economic fallout, which many small businesses have been impacted with in 2020. We think it is wise to consult with the tax professional, especially this year, to ensure your taxes are completed correctly and you have taken advantage of financial assistance that is available to you.

It was a dark and stormy night... and on this particular night we talked to Lisa Brown of It's Pouring. She started her business in 2018 and is based around Philadelphia, PA. Handmade markets are a big part of Lisa's growth strategy, as she makes connections with local fluid art-lovers. She tells us about the ways she gets her small business name out there online and at shows. She also dedicates time each day to business planning, because she knows her full-time job and other commitments take time and energy.

We are super excited to share this new podcast with you that features Kristen of Lovey Dovey Designs! Kristen is a professional makeup artist turned textile artist. She creates painted jackets, shoes, and other accessories. We chat about turning her passion into her business, how she planned for her business, and the things she's learned along the way. We also talk about many of the exciting things that are coming soon!

It's the long awaited episode with Scott Hartrick of AlumaFlowers! Scott is the mastermind behind your new favorite aluminum flowers, all crafted and powder coated by hand. Shoppers can choose from an endless number of styles and colors - but how did AlumaFlowers scale to be the large operation that it is today? Targeted digital ads and online marketing has set this small business apart and has allowed amazing growth and business opportunities to follow.

Thank you for listening to Episode 23! Whether you are writing a newsletter, blog, or social media post, you should try and identify the persona of your ideal customer, understand the goal of your message, and create a clear call to action. We also chat about tips for targeting your marketing message, re-targeting customers, and getting to know your voice.

Everyone's favorite all-natural marrow bone dog treat maker is on the podcast this week! Howard talks to us about how he makes every market day reach it's maximum potential. From being prepared, to displaying products, to engaging customers and everything in between, you're bound to learn a thing or two. If you're making the commitment to sell at an in-person event, you better put your best foot forward and the face of your business on at all times.

Sonya Maizell of Nine Birds Studio emailed us a fantastic story and we had to get her on the podcast to retell it live! This is for every maker or small business owner who doubts their accomplishments or feels like they are a "fraud" or not a "true artist". Give yourself a pat on the back for the long way you've come and the amazing work you've achieved. We also chat about connecting as vendors at markets and Sonya's new collection, Heavenly Bodies, inspired by the celestial interconnectedness of all things. 

In this episode, we take the podcast outside under the string lights and next to the bonfire. Kim and Kevin talk about dealing with disappointment in many different aspects of their maker-promoter lives. How do you deal with the current pandemic when it comes to cancelled events, revenue loss, and supply shortages? Is there a way to spin some of this negative news and energy into a learning experience? We have all needed to pivot in the past few months - but what does that mean for our small businesses' success?

We mention looking into the Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). There are resources out there that we highly encourage you to look into.

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If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, please subscribe and review us on your favorite podcast app.

Email your stories, ideas, thoughts, or anything you want to podcast@marketspacevendorevents.com and we will find a way to include it on the podcast. If you would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email us!

What a fun conversation we had with Jenn from Pedal Pusher Press! Not only is she a Jersey Girl, she's incorporated much of that fondness into her art. We can't not associate Pedal Pusher Press with riding bikes on the boardwalk to get a soft serve cone. Jenn hand draws amazing map art prints of New Jersey shore towns and suburban areas (and don't worry if your town isn't on her website, she also accepts custom orders). She's learned over the years how best to balance her 9 to 5 job with her passion project.  Jenn also shares how important it is to collect data from her customers and how she connects with people at in-person handmade markets.

Let's hear a big round of applause for Diana of Brighter Days Company! Not only does she make and sell natural soy wax and wood wick candles, she is opening a new brick and mortar store in Marlboro, NJ. We talk to Diana about all things business, from pouring candles in her kitchen to hosting events in her new retail space. Also, she just recently re-branded her business and candle labels.

Ryan Ozolins has created a business surrounded by fostering community and having meaningful conversations. And it all starts and ends with a donut. After two years of hard work and planning, Ryan's second place award in a business school pitch contest won him money for business start-up costs and coaching. His coach was the one who urged him to start with a mobile donut shop instead of a brick and mortar. Join Kim and Kevin as they go through the story of how The Good Donut Shop was born and the amazing things Ryan is doing now for small downtown businesses in New Jersey. We truly believe the motto, "Great Communities Need Good Donuts".

In the middle of this coronavirus pandemic, Cara Staviski of Finely Crafted by Cara is finding ways to give back and support communities with her craft. She is making masks and surgical caps for the healthcare heroes who are on the front lines day in and day out. She is also using this as a educational outlet for her family. 

The legend himself has graced our podcast - Mike Bender from State Plate Signs sits down with Marketspace to chat about his evolving product line, how he chooses products for the markets he attends, and the connections he's made along the way. Mike was one of the first makers in our network that gave us advice and helped us up our handmade market game. Plus, you're probably dying to find out how he gets all those license plates! All this and more on episode 14 of the Business: Handmade podcast.

Tune in to episode 10 to discover the roots of Art Across Borders, Sam's commissioned work, and the difference between our dog Cooper and a more-than-normal bearded Kevin. It was super exciting having out first guest live in our podcast studio.

And hey, there might even be a special surprise hidden in the middle. We are opening applications to Czigtoberfest on September 26, 2020 in Hackettstown, NJ. Please join us as a vendor or enjoy the festivities as a patron!

To support Sam with all of her projects, please visit the following: