Can I Make Money as a Vendor at This Event?

[kam]

I got this email from a past guest:

I am contacting you today to see if you would be interested in being a vendor at an upcoming XXXXXX event being held on Saturday, March 21st at XXXXXXX?

We are looking for vendors to sell and display their items to the attendees of the event. We are asking that the vendor be willing to donate 20% of the sales from the event back to the school.

If this sounds like something you would be willing to do, please contact me and I'll provide additional information on the event.

Does anyone do Booths like this?

I read in the policies that I can place an inventory order - but I don't get paid commission on these items and they are non-refundable. So, any items I don't sell, I am stuck with. And I would be actually losing money since I would be "donating" 20% of the sales.

Or, if I were to just take orders (which I don't even know if this is what they would want for this event), I wouldn't make any money since my commission would go back into the donation.

And this is an hour + away from home, so I am not reallyinterested in getting my name out in this area.

Does anyone else read this differently than I am reading this???? Or am I missing an opportunity I don't see?

 

[pamperedlinda]

I would set it up as a fundraiser and take orders.

 

[wadesgirl]

I would set it up as a fundraiser and take orders.

My thought exactly!

 

[kam]

I would set it up as a fundraiser and take orders.

See...this is why CS is so great! I didn't even THINK of doing it as a FR!!!

I will check with my contact about taking orders vs. having actual product.

If they want cash & carry I think I will decline this event. I still might as it is quite far away and I could only give them 10 or 15% as a FR. But, I will see what she says!

Thanks!

 

[chefann]

If they won't take the FR percentage, ask if you can donate something toward a drawing. Many times, those vendor events have some kind of raffle. And you can donate from your stash of new in package items (I'm assuming you have extras of things floating around, like most of us do).

 

[DessertDivaFL]

I am attending a similar event on March 21st. The price of the booth space is what goes toward the fundraiser, not a percentage of my sales. I don't know if I would like the event you are talking about, even as a fundraiser.

 

[kam]

I am attending a similar event on March 21st. The price of the booth space is what goes toward the fundraiser, not a percentage of my sales. I don't know if I would like the event you are talking about, even as a fundraiser.

I guess it would be different if it would be a source for bookings or a way to get my name out. But that is not the case. It is too far from home to use it as promotion - so really the only thing I would get out of it would be commission. So I am really thinking this isn't going to work.

I do a booth close to home - costs me around $40 for my hours and I don't usually get any orders. BUT I get bookings and those are worth whatever I spent to be there.

 

[Jules711]

I would double check and make sure that it is 20% of SALES vs 20% of your profit. I do a fundraiser where we ask for a % of the profit since it can even vary if you have cash n carry I suppose. Plus, different companies make different commission, etc. I did one that wanted 10% of my sales though and I thought THAT was crazy since it was NOT a fundraiser (not officially...government wording). But the kicker there was that I couldn't ask for orders or bookings....HUH???