Page 79 - The Magic of Tiny Business

Part II  Let Your “Why” Speak

“E very transition which I’ve sought in life has
taken me eighteen months with clear focus to get
going.”

— Drew Lehman, Environmental and
Workplace Entrepreneur

Instead of going wide into the unknown, I chose to go
deep into the somewhat known. I went in the direction of
where our brand was already getting love. I picked the
natural products trade shows since I already had entrée
through our distributor.

How do you measure the return on investment when
you don’t know the potential range of return? I had to go
back to a few rules I’d set up. I took time to break down
the trade show opportunity into small bits and pieces. I
made an honest review of all my resources, funds, and
inventory. And as I was about to release the check, I had
an idea for how to keep the cash, expand my brand, and
pay for our booth space in one fell swoop.

I contacted the show office, offering to barter custom-
printed bags at full price as show promo marketing in
exchange for booth space. It was a new idea then; now, it’s
an established income stream. They said yes, so I set out
for my first trade show.

“

As a Tiny Business in start-up mode or in
full swing, never underestimate the value

of seeking out or asking for visibility.

”

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