Yesterday was a special day for several reasons: First of all it was MarketPlace Day at the downtown historic square of Garland Texas. Second of all it was the first time that members of the Garland Area MakerSpace participated in this great event. We will do so again as it is a great opportunity to let the local community know that we are here—not always an easy task to accomplish for new nonprofit start ups and small business entrepreneurs.
Charlie Bevilacqua, Garland Area Makerspace member listens to President Carol Currie tell a visitor about the Garland Area Makerspace
Garland Area Makerspace was there!
We support makers of shapes, sizes and ages. We hope to soon have a location here in Garland where makers can come to share ideas and make things together. Our next meeting is Tuesday May 22 at 7PM at the North Garland Branch Library where we will have a demonstration of a 3D printer that also can perform CNC machining and laser cutting.
The Garland MarketPlace is a lot like an ever-changing river that one never steps into twice. While keeping elements of sameness, it continues to flow and wind into new tributaries. Thus the Marketplace is always interesting and never fails to entertain me with new revelations as I walk and talk with the vendors—some of who are now old friends that I’ve known for several years and others are brand new friends that I just met.. Following are a few of my revelations about the Garland MarketPlace and our small business/cottage industrialists of today.
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More Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Now At the Garland MarketPlace
Esperanza Farms has long been a mainstay on the corner of Fourth and State, but now Dwayne Beasley is holding down the fort on the other end on Main Street near the Green. Dwayne’s large booth was beside the Garland Area Makerspace booth yesterday. He had the best looking and largest strawberries and blueberries I’ve ever seen. Dwayne grows some of his vegetables such as the onions and squash and get the rest from all over the USA.
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Small business operations are often family affairs that cross as many as three generations
In addition to spanning generations, small family businesses these days aren’t always what we might think of as “typical.” For example, the owners of Drippin' Rhinestones, who make lovely custom and handmade home décor, include Jimmy Clark his two stepdaughters and his wife. Granny’s Gourmet, is a creative and yummy baked goods company owned by Suzanne Matthews and her granddaughter whom she is raising.
Drippin’ Rhinestones and Granny’s Gourmet: Two Generations of Owners
Jimmy Clark and his stepdaughter from Dripping Rhinestones – www.facebook.com/drippinrhinestones1111. Susanne Matthews and her granddaughter from Granny’s Gourmet (214) 809-9984
Pinson & Cole's Gourmet Pickles Spans Three Generations
Stephanie Cole founded this company about four years ago and has been joined by her daughter and grandsons. They all continue to help to grow the company into the success it s becoming. Already they have their great pickles in several delicatessens in the Garland area.
At Pinson and Cole’s a pickle is not just a pickle any more. Visit their website at http://www.pic-licious.com [Stephanie is featured on the right. Her daughter on the left is busy chatting with a customer. Visit their website to see the enormous variety of pickles they offer. In fact, unlike many people, they share their recipes. Thus if you are interested in learning more about pickles, visit their site.
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"Mom and Pop Shop": Charis Honey Farms
Small businesses are sometimes referred to as “mom and pop shops” because they are often owned and run by a husband and wife. Such is the case of Charis Honey Farms—a locally owned honey farm. Visit them at the Garland MarketPlace and also online at http://charishoneyfarms.com. Charis Honey Farms is located in Rowlett, TX, which is a suburb east of Dallas, between Garland and Rockwall, and is operated by Bob and Sally Michel. They don’t have a farm. In fact all they have is a tiny back yard. However, they have friends who have farms, or acreage who graciously allow them to put hives on those properties. Bob was unemployed in 2011 and looked into beekeeping. The rest is history.
I still have some honey named “Rowlett” that I bought from them last year. Yesterday I mentioned to Bob how much I liked the honey and Bob explained to me that honey taste and availability varies from year to year—depending primarily on the weather. He said one year it barely rained and he thought the honey would be scarce and not good. However quite the opposite was true. The honey was plentiful and great. Another year it rained a lot and things grew well. Bob thought honey would be great and plentiful that year. It was not. One of the factors here is that European honeybees don’t like to forage in rainy or windy weather.
Sally and Bob Michel, owners of Charis Honey Farms-- Their's too is a family business involving their children.
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Come to MarketPlace and see unusual businesses.
Jeff Richter from BEARD COMMANDER.COM sells balms, oils, shampoos, conditioners and provides grooming tips for keeping your beard beautiful. 214-440-6953 Their store is located in Waxahachie.
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Some Small Business people are Consultants
Paparazzi is a MLM company out of Utah. They sell startup kits of Jewelry for $99 to people they call their “Consultants.” These kits have 35 pieces of jewelry and a retail value of $175. They are sold at $5 a piece. All the jewelry is sold at $5 each. The consultants can brand their own business as has Jenni Lee of Jenni Lee Jewelry shown in the photo below. Good deals for inexpensive costume jewelry. Camp Gladiator is another example of how individuals can tie in with a nationwide company and earn money. Erin Lewis, a representative from Camp Gladiator was at MarketPlace yesterday. Camp Gladiator has over 2,000 fitness camps all over the USA. Find out how you can get in shape by contacting Erin Lewis.
Jenni Lee (on left) of Jenni Lee Jewelry at the Garland MarketPlace – Visit online at
https://paparazziaccessories.com/177362. Erin Lewis would love to talk with you about getting fit at a gladiator camp. Don’t worry ladies, their camps feature two women to one guy. Call Erin at (469)544-7991 or send him an email at erinlewis@campgladiator.com.
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Artists often start their own company to survive
The challenge for most small businesses is that they do not mass-produce their goods, yet they must compete with a huge market of mass-produced goods. It’s a catch-22 situation: it takes more hours to produce an item by hand and thus it becomes more costly. If they sell by consignment at a gallery or store, then there are those fees added to it. Thus many artists and makers sell their wares at online shops like Etsy, Farmer’s Markets and online at their own websites. The Garland MarketPlace had several artists yesterday displaying and selling their work: Sandy Anderson, a Garland watercolor artist (wcwhisperer@gmail.com); Damien T. McDaniel, freelance artist who did a caricature of me yesterday (501-837-1143); Shanna Steele, award-winning Jewelry Designer (https://www.facebook.com/meadowbrookmenagerie); Jeff Beatty of Jebediah’s Pottery right here in Garland, Texas (http://www.jebediahspottery.etsy.com).
Sandy Anderson, watercolor artist, poses with her work and Shanna Steele, award-winning beadwork designer stands behind her exquisite creations.
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Many owners of small businesses have more than one job
You may not be old enough to remember, but once upon a time people only had one job, forty hours a week and that was enough. This is no longer true for most Americans. It is now more common for people to have two or even three jobs just to make ends meet. Sometimes, their second job is one they create themselves. You can find these people at places like the Garland MarketPlace. Sometimes I’m shocked to learn that s particular persons more than one job. For example, Kirk Lovett schedules Marketplace events throughout the DFW area through the Marketplace DFW (https://www.themarketplacedfw.com/talk-to-us) but It didn’t know until yesterday that Kirk also sells insurance at Kuykendall Insurance (Auto, Home, Business, RV). Call him at 972-978-7759 to see what he can do for you.
Michel Funke, founder of family run business, Bubba Funke Jelly (Bubbafunkejelly.com) is also a full time teacher. Kirk Lovett,
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WANT TO BE ONE OF THE VALUED MARKETPLACE VENDORS AND START TAKING ACTION TO MAKE YOUR DREAM COME TRUE?
E-MAIL: Kirk.Eventive@Live.Com
PHONE: Tel: 469-275-9616
Get inspired! Visit the Garland MarketPlace the first and third Saturday of the month and see entrepreneurs of all ages, shapes, colors, religions, and ethnic backgrounds taking action to make their dreams come true. Learn first-hand from the people who are doing it.