Pop up - pop down
It was only my second pop-up market, and though the crowds were substantially larger, it’s still a challenging grind. Perhaps a better baking reference is to call it a tricky mix…get it mix, not grind? Never mind…
I won the Valentine’s Day booth decorating contest and the $100 gift card. Voting was done by the other booth owners who made impressive attempts, but nevertheless could not compete with my red and pink nightmare! The prize all but doubled my sales that day. Recently, I solidified my mission: to bring all five senses into the experience of consuming my treats. The ears are still the hardest to draw in, but I have plans.
One of my favorite parts of doing the pop-up market gig is meeting other small business owners, all of whom are women, and many who are women of color. There’s something viscerally rewarding about hustling alongside other hard-working, entrepreneurial women. It was a ten-hour day, and the money I made maybe covered the expenses of being there and producing goods. I stepped away from a well-paying job to do this, and I couldn’t be happier!
My ultimate goal is to make enough profit to buy a cute VW bus, fill it with cookies, cupcakes, & other treats, and drive aimlessly around the Puget Sound selling my wares out of the side window. Yes, there will be music; the playlist is still under construction, however. The only song I have on the list presently is Sugar Sugar by The Archies.
The pop-up market racket might not be the money-making scheme I’d hoped. My next step in selling to the public is to get a full booth in some of the area’s farmers’ markets. Before that, however, I’m closing out the Valentine season with an online pre-order for my local sweeties. I’m offering a variety of delicious options at reasonable gift prices. I’m particularly proud of my Rosebud cake pops, and my handmade peanut butter cups have become a customer favorite. The option of shipping my items is not yet available, but I’m considering it for those more stable items (read: pb cups!).
Take a look: https://www.bake-n-cake.net/store