How do you overcome that feeling of 'hitting a brick wall' - when your small business feels like it's falling apart at the seams?
I have been running an independent creators/makers market, Good Market (@goodmarket_nw), that promotes purpose led, sustainable and ethical small businesses, for two years and have seen great successes and recently provided the city with a two day market or Eurovision supporting 60 small businesses on a global scale. However I feel the landscape is now overdiluted with 'pop ups' and 'makers markets' and feeling the pinch of securing venues and traders. I feel its time to branch out of Liverpool and look beyond into new cties and into new ways to support the growth of these businesses through networking and 'meet the buyer' session - take a step up from markets and lead traders in a new direction to aid their growth but where to start?? If you are a buyer and would be interested in a 'speed dating' type event I would love to hear from you also if you are retail leader and would be interested in speaking at an event in Liverpool please get in touch. Also any advse on how to overcome the 'underwhelm' would be muchly appreciated x
Replies5
- Rebekah, totally hear you!! I’m a Creative Coach and would be willing to offer you a free session to help you overcome these feelings.Get in touch if you’re interested! Yasmine
- Hi Rebekah,Sounds like a fab business. Eurovision must have been a blast.I just have two questions.Do you have close friends or a mentor to support you?Have you looked back on your journey to see how far you have travelled? Often when I talk with people about underwhelm they are focused on the here and now and the future feels daunting. Remembering what you have done well can give lift your energy for the next stage.Good luck!
- Hey Rebekah, I don't know too much about the specific industry, but a few thoughts re navigating the shifting landscape and the feeling of 'underwhelm' (know exactly the feeling)... firstly, given what you've already built I think you have everything you need in terms of relationships, resourceful-ness and 'work it out as you go along' knowledge to pivot or evolve the business as needed. I find it helpful to remember that the inside of building something always feels different to how it looks from the outside (I found Ben Horowitz' 'Hard Thing About Hard Things' really great for this). Then, are you a part of the Change Means Business community here? Could be a useful space for you! I'm also finding the Virgin Start-Up resources helpful at the moment (https://www.virginstartup.org/). Sending energy and love the branding and platform you've built :) hope that helps, Lex x
- Firstly, congratulations, what an awesome idea and brilliant on what you have done so far, which feels like a lot.Definitely agree, there are SO many pop ups, markets and makers nowadays, it can sometimes feel like the market is saturated and there is little space for new. In fact, some markets I have been too don't ever feel that busy and often wonder how both parties keep them going. This is dependent on the area and time of year too I imagine. However, there is always room for more, depending on how it's marketed and the slant you take :)The 'meet the buyer sessions' sound great and also moving out of one area could also be great! With this new idea would you want traders to pay for your advice or propose 'speed dating' sessions for a standard entry fee?Regarding the underwhelm, sometimes it can be healthy to lossen the reigns, take a step back.. I don't know you or anything really but often with business ideas it can be tricky as they can consume a lot of head space if left to ruminate and it's important to step back, have fun, brain storm, find other creatives to chat with especaillyy ideas, see how others could contribute etc.... (perhaps you already do this? again I am not 100% from the post!).Hope it all helps and I'm going to follow you on all SM platforms too! :)Have a good weekend!
- Great question @Rebekah Frech, I've just sent you a DM!
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