Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Chicago Mart

The Chicago Gift and Home Mart is the Midwestern mecca for anyone with a product to sell.

Only buyers are invited to attend, and thousands show up to see what's new and exciting that they just have to order for their store or business.

For about two years I've been on the fence about being an exhibitor. It's not cheap. To rent a booth is expensive enough, but then you have decorations and travel costs, not to mention lodging and food for two days.

I was uncomfortable about spending that much, but more than that, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to handle all the orders. (such a horrible problem to have, I know)

To take some of the enigma out of this event, my husband/business partner and I traveled to Chicago on the coldest day of the year in January to see what all the fuss was about.

We spent a few hours just rambling around isles. We took some photos of booth decor ideas, and talked with a few business owners. After it was all said and done, we felt ready to tackle this.

So, for my next "hold your nose and jump" moment we are gathering ideas and moxie and headin' for the Chicago Mart in July. The very worst that could happen is I come back empty handed with a big chunk of change missing from my bank account, but the best thing is that I leave with tons of orders, a bunch of new clients, hopefully some friends or mentors, and most importantly the feeling of knowing I did it.

I'll keep you posted on the details involved with getting prepared for this event. Should be a fun ride...

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