
For one thing, this economy can only go up from here! Over the last two years, cottage industry businesses have exploded as folks have been getting laid off across the nation and looking for new ways to make an income. Viva the American Spirit! Americans everywhere are taking matters in to their own hands where politicians repeatedly fail, but we won't get into that here.
What's more is that folks are not traveling as far, but instead opting for shorter, closer excursions. They are still looking for unique experiences, and are interested in places with enough to keep them and the kids busy for a few days. Folks nearby the farmers' market have money to spend, but are traveling to nearby cities where they can find the products they need. How great it will be to provide a closer alternative!
The Mount Jackson Farmers' Market will serve as a place for such small businesses to come together in one place, and be that closer alternative. This means that while you may have trouble attracting business to your location as a single retailer, whether you are in a storefront or out of your home, the Market will provide a place for you to benefit from the traffic of fellow retailers.
(By the way, if you are following us on Facebook, you know that we have begun the application process for Directional Signage at the I-81 Exits, which will direct Highway traffic directly to you if you're at the Farmers' Market! And if you're not following us on FB, we can be found here: www.facebook.com/mjfarmersmarket.com)
By now, you may have gathered that we:
- Love old buildings
- Are sort of foodies
- Have a passion for our community
- are intensely interested in business.
Indoor tenants at the market will have ample utilities (we have a 3-phase electric!), get collective advertising, trash pick-up, an on-site market manager, and foot-traffic spill over from fellow vendors. In addition, if there is an interest from the retailers, we expect to hold a "small business building series" as well, to help YOU build YOUR business! These sessions, of course will be optional, but also will be FREE of charge. For an example, I'd love to share how I created this site. I am NOT a website designer, nor a website coder, but I did this site ALL for FREE (well, okay, for a small fee - I upgraded the free site to remove the little free website logo from the bottom of the page because I didn't want to appear cheap!) ;-) We'd love to teach you a little that we've learned about promoting through Facebook as well.
This is just a bit of what you can expect as a business tenant at the Mount Jackson Farmers' Market. But we need to hear from you! If you are interested in an indoor space, fill out the contact form on the website and let us know what you have to offer, how much space you think you'll need, and so on. There is no commitment at this stage.
"Lettuce turnip the beet" (let us turn up the beat) on this project, and work together to achieve a quality community experience!