Farmers Market Is Out And I'm So Upset

[DoubleC]

Up until May 8th I could have gotten a season pass for $90.00 which ran from May 12th to some time in Oct. It was a $10.00 savings. However my VOW ( just consider it work counselor) counselor suggested I wait. He knows $10.00 is a big deal to me but realizes I soon will have grant money and my business plan isn't finished yet for the grant, and also I needed to see if I was going to be able to get out of the house to go every Saturday. All good points. Well I needed to do some local market analysis so been trying to get there for 2 weeks. Missed the first Saturday and Tuesday, but went this last Tuesday in the rain, and no one was at the rain or shine farmers market :-) So went today, an absolutely beautiful day so I could finish my market analysis before Monday to send to an agency that's helping with the business plan. I had the online Market analysis, just not local. Well found out some great things, and three people readily talked to me about what they're prices ran and knew what I was doing so 4th person was guy who runs the farmers market.

They don't have any openings left. I can send in an application (for TWENTY-FIVE BUCKS) to go on the list of people who get called if a regular doesn't show up. Which is absolutely one way it would never work for me. Because of my panic disorder the only way for me to add some place to my 'safe' places is through repetition. If I went one Saturday, and didn't have a spot for two Saturdays, then got called the next Saturday it would be like me starting all over as far as the panic. However from Oct. to May they have it indoors and less people set up so I'm looking to getting a winter season pass now and I know this happened for a reason. I wasn't even thinking about starting until some time in June because of products I'm working on, and paperwork I'm still doing for the grant. My VOW counselor is willing to take me on local sales calls to places I've been scouting out like boutiques and gift shops for my jewelry, and local barns for the rhythm beads. I'm going to take the money I'd spend (15 bucks a Saturday) and make my website fully functional for 19.99 a month. It was free for the first year which isn't up yet, but you only get three pages and no way to sell from it. If you want even 1 more page it jumps to $19.99 a month but that's cheaper than the farmers market, and will allow me to have a 'store' on there plus a lot more pages. and make up tons of product. I like doing website stuff, may switch to go daddy now so I can use my Office Front Page which I know so well, and even if it doesn't have FP extensions for uploading anymore, I have, can't think of the name, but a program that is made to upload website pages, changes, etc. OH FTP, LOL, I have that program in 'lite'. So look out world, I'm still coming after you.

Also wanted to say if anyone needs website help I'll be happy to help anyway I can because everyone has used their skills to help me so much. Cheryl

[Sylvia]

Cheryl.

I used to host a few people on Hostmonster... MUCH cheaper than $20 a month. They have a sale on now too. Read through things, because I didn't... but It was great a few years ago.

http://www.hostmonster.com/?gclid=CMK9hs-OjbACFaEJRQodVzcbpg

[DoubleC]

Oh I don't think godaddy would cost that, it's just if I kept my current site for now so I didn't have to go through transferring everything at this point that's what it would cost. But I'll check out hostmonster anyway. Thanks Sylvia. c

[Sylvia]

Cheryl.

I used to host a few people on Hostmonster... MUCH cheaper than $20 a month.  They have a sale on now too. Read through things, because I didn't... but It was great a few years ago

http://www.hostmonster.com/?gclid=CMK9hs-OjbACFaEJRQodVzcbpg

[DoubleC]

I went to the free demo of the CP, always do when I'm looking to build a website. They have a good one. I bookmarked the main page. Thanks again Sylvia. Cheryl

[Chavez]

The hosting prices you are quoting seem ridiculously high to me.

I'm looking into websites now and hosting for a year comes up to about $40.

Limit on pages seems ridiculous and I think you might be looking at a wrong kinda hosting.

For site contents I've had a look at Joomla and WordPress so far and WP seems like it has everything you'd ever need for a website. Joomla is way too complicated but WP is very simple if you have some HTTP & php knowledge. Even if you don't its still quite easy to navigate. If you have some free time, I'd suggest migrating your site onto WP and forgetting all the trouble. If you want someone to design a site for you as you don't have time, it would probably cost about $200-300. That's your annual fee for your current weird hosting anyway, so it will pay off in 18 months time.

Though I'm not a hosting or website expert =)

Re the farmers market - don't just look at the costs, look at revenue too . If its 15 bucks a week, how much are you going to raise in revenue at the market? Keep in mind that people will be more likely to buy what they can see and feel (not just a pic on the internet) and that your website will still be running and selling while you're busy at the market.

[DoubleC]

Thanks Chevez, good advice. My website is free right now so I am going to move it before the year is up. Already have a place to do so but it does take time. But I know how to ftp, etc. so I'll make the time :-) Cheryl