My Busy Month

This month has been my busiest yet as a small business owner!

Since participating in my first market back in November 2024, I have been challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone and apply to as many as I see fit for my business model. This year, I set a goal to participate in at least one market each month. So far, I have been able to stay on track!

This August, I booked myself and my business for almost the entire month. Here’s how it went.

July 19th - August 2nd

On July 19th, I found out I had made my way off the exhibitor waitlist for GalaxyCon’s Animate! Orlando Convention at the Orange County Convention Center. I was so excited - yet immediately overwhelmed. I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me.

At this point, I have already committed to three other markets. I had the ACOTAR Mini Market scheduled for July 15th, but it was postponed to August 2nd due to bad weather. I also had my monthly market at Horizon West scheduled for August 3rd (yes, back-to-back markets). Finally, I planned a new market for August 17th, which was an EPIC Universe-themed market hosted by Once Upon a Magic Market.

With all the themed markets this month, it required a lot of prep. I needed to create many new stickers and art print designs that would appeal to the audience of the events. So, for these 13 days, I stayed busy making more bookish, anime, and Universal Orlando-inspired artwork.

August 2nd - the ACOTAR Mini Market at Home State Brewing Co.

I’m going to be honest, when I entered this market, I wasn’t very confident it would be successful. Complete transparency: I didn’t pay a vendor fee for this market, so I knew that anything I made would be profit. Initially, this market was supposed to be held on the same day as the brewery’s ACOTAR Trivia night, but it was postponed because of the weather. I ended up going to the trivia night to support my local business, and let me tell you, it was SO PACKED. It was a fantastic night spent with friends and other book lovers, but it made me think the postponed market wouldn’t have the same turnout.

Boy, I was so wrong.

The bookish nerds and girlies showed up. This was the first time in the history of The Bandwagon Society that I had a checkout line. I was lucky to have my sister and best friend (ACOTAR super fans) with me to lend a hand. I honestly couldn’t have done it without them. We were a great team as we helped package orders, passed out prizes, and answered questions. It was especially great that they knew all about the books!

This 3-hour market turned out to be my most successful one yet.

I ended up having to go home that afternoon and restock some stickers and art prints for the next day!

August 3rd - Homegrown in Horizon West (Monthly Market)

This market is one I participate in every month. I love doing this because I enjoy the people and the vibes. It’s also wonderful to see repeat customers! Plus, it’s always a lot of fun to share what I have that's new each month with them.

I performed about average in this market, and I made some profit after my $50 entry fee.

In September, this market resumes its regular schedule of two events, held on the first and third Sundays of each month. It will be challenging to introduce something new to the locals a bit sooner, but I know I can do it!

August 8th-10th - Animate! Orlando Convention

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about this event. I participated in my first Comic Convention earlier this year, but it wasn’t anywhere near the level of this one. Going into it, I had my boyfriend help me research the voice actors who would be there (he’s the anime expert in the relationship), and we decided which fandoms I should focus on when drawing and designing stickers.

It was fun to explore new anime and introduce myself to new fandoms along the way. That’s what my brand is all about, right?! The preparation required a lot of effort and late nights, but it still felt rewarding.

Convention Day 1

Going into Day 1, I was very intimidated by my table neighbors. It was hard for me to accept that these artists have been attending conventions for years, refining their setups and inventory over time. My small “local market” style setup was lost among the tall displays, hanging signs, and artwork. But I persevered and gave myself the chance to learn.

The first convention day saw a slower pace of guest traffic, likely due to the exhibit hours being limited to 2 pm to 8 pm. My Artist Alley table did about as well as I hoped, but the fandom-inspired stickers I thought would be popular weren’t. There wasn’t one design that stood out as more popular than the others. It was a great mix, which is always a lot of fun!

Convention Day 2

On the second day, I wanted to refresh the stickers at my table to make it look fresh for those who attended yesterday!

The exhibit hours for today’s event were a bit longer, running from 10 am to 8 pm. It was a busier day than yesterday. My most popular item was my bumper magnets by far! So much so that I had to go home and restock them for the next day, which is a significant advantage of making your products at home. I was able to recover the cost of my table. So, the next day, I could relax a little, knowing that any sales I made would be pure profit for my business.

Convention Day 3

For the last day, I restocked my bumper stickers and set up my table for a relaxed day at the convention. I've finished a lot of drawings for next week's market.

Throughout the day, I was able to draw and prepare artwork for my upcoming market next week. Although it was my busiest day of the weekend, today was the biggest shopping day for guests with the 3-Day event pass. It was great to connect with different people and see which fandoms they were there for. Again, after the entire weekend, I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was that guests were looking for—fandom-wise. However, it was clear that my bumper magnets were my best seller.

August 17 - Once Upon a Magic Marker (“Through the Portals”)

This was my first market with Once Upon a Market! From what I heard, it was a busy market with a lot of reliable foot traffic - and the rumors were true. There was a “Celestial Hour,” a pre-paid VIP hour that allowed guests to be the first to shop at the market's small businesses. I offered a free, exclusive sticker to those guests. During that first hour, I almost made back my $150 table fee and even sold my first pair of painted shorts!

I knew from the beginning that this would surpass my ACOTAR Market as my most profitable market for the month.

By the end of the market, I had exceeded my profit expectations. I met a ton of fellow small business owners who were so friendly and helpful. I met a ton of fellow Universal and Horror Nights fans, and made connections that hopefully turn into repeat buyers! I'm super excited to return to Once Upon a Magic Market in October for their Stranger Things-inspired Halloween market!

After everything...

I learned a lot about my small business.

This month was crazy, challenging, and so rewarding. It took many nights after my full-time job to not only finish my homework but also cut my stickers and prepare for my events. Although it was tiring, I was always doing or creating things I loved.

It was inspiring - I have so many ideas I can’t wait to try. I hope you stay on the bandwagon long enough to see what they are!