First of all, we are not asking for donations... but we will accept them anyway if you feel so inclined to help build our website. We just needed a quick easy site to help describe what we're doing since so many people have asked for a link instead of paragraph after paragraph of information. Find a seat, because there is a lot to tell...

We are The Vendor Exchange. Our combined expertise is, to sum it up, mainly in sales, marketing, & consulting. Our background and specialty is introducing and developing international luxury brands into the US market. Basically, we take a brand and immerse it into a local community and make it grow through a projected strategy, marketing, collaboration, training and so on. But! We left all that corporate stuff and went local, because we LOVE LOCAL!

About five years ago, some of us, planted ourselves in this amazing emerging little city that had such an organically developing vibe that we couldn't resist. In that city we've been a part of developing the quickly emerging underground music and art scene, as well as supporting pop-up markets that have since flourished. Now, we want to stay local, but take it national. 'Act locally and think globally,' is the popular phrase to describe a development technique founded in growing the individual cities economy and expanding, considering the effect and integration each city has with one another. There are many more implications in that statement, such as keeping a small ecological footprint and keeping in mind the contribution of each and every step/person/economy involved in creating a product or a plan. But, let's keep it simple and get to the point.

We are trying to start a membership based networking site for Local and Independent Markets. The forum would connect people nationwide with various events, small shops, sales people, space owners, etc. so that local businesses could expand their reach by having someone represent their brand in another cities Indie Market. Event coordinators would network and find new vendors to be part of their event. People could sign up to be part-time sales reps at a local event so a business could expand nationwide, and many more things including articles, tips, and emerging locations. We would charge people $5 to be part of the community and have access to networking, marketing, information, nationwide events and expanding their small shop. Interested in joining yet? Here's more...

It's basically like a MeetUp group, Angie's List, or attending a national networking conference... but all online. It encourages collaboration and synergistic input by all it's members. But it will also be a forum where independent local businesses can seek a sales rep in another area, people can see what's happening event wise nationally, sales reps can check out various vendors and get involved in representing their business in their own local Indie Market and market coordinators can diversify, ask for specific types of vendors and / or start up their own market. (Am I repeating myself?) It'll also be a place for people to post pictures of their events and tables, where vendors can chat with other vendors in other cities they are considering entering. We want to add as much valuable information on there from people's experiences to help serve as a jumping off point of reference or expand and put a personal twist on an idea that really inspires them, and so on. 

Investing in local businesses can help put a third of that that cities money back into building their own city, that's the goal! It adds to the character, tourism factor and local pride by fostering start ups and keeping a competitive edge on corporate brands seeking to enter the marketplace. Having a "guest" vendor can help you get an Indie Market started, diversify your market by inputting new concept vendors (which we touched on previously), encourage other people in the area to put their talents in the market and have an outlet to build their own creative business, as well as help Independent Local businesses expand but still stay small. It can also be a platform for small shops that really want to put themselves out there and get big! 

Face to face selling is the most powerful way to expose and sell the goods you have to offer the world, making it a great place for online shops, such as Etsy shops, to get involved too. 

So, the membership fee is five dollars. If you make a single transaction (even just from another vendor liking and buying something off your site) then you have already seen a return on your investment in becoming a member. There are a myriad of opportunities in this nurturing environment and your participation would be a great added value to the community. 

And one last part... the Do's & Don't's

Do!

Network!

Post a link to your Independent company website or Etsy shop

Check out Independent vendors' websites

Video conference sales people to interview and represent you (stay safe people)

Invite vendors to have a table at your upcoming market

Provide a link on how vendors can apply to be in your event

Start an Independent or Local Market in your city

Post pictures from events

Post pictures of your table set up at markets

Chat with other vendors about a market you're interested in entering

Encourage talented friends to share their gifts and join a market event

Offer your space as a possible market location

Find local musicians to play your event

Exchange ideas and offer tips on how you made your site, table set-up, Independent Market a success!

Don't!

Be a jerk. Because this community is made possible through your inspiration, passions and love. 

Please do not feel you have to keep your secrets to keep an edge on the market. Through vast exposure it has become evident and very common for people to take an idea and put their personal twist on it. This is a collaboration, and collaboration is the best way to grow and develop every market. We come together in this community to be synergistic, create something bigger than the sum of our individual parts.

We hope to see you inside!

We are a membership based networking site for Local and Independent Markets. The forum connects people nationwide with various events, small shops, traveling services, sales people, space owners, etc. People could video chat and interview for part-time sales rep positions in their own cities markets on behalf of a small shop so that business could expand their reach nationwide. Event coordinators would diversify their market by networking and finding new concept and "guest" vendors to apply. The site will host valuable content such as articles, interviews, tips, and emerging locations. We would charge $25 annually to be part of the community and have access to this networking, marketing, information, nationwide events and ways to expand your small shop. It's a place for people to find each other and check out the goods others are offering. It's a place to post your pictures, where vendors can chat with other vendors in cities they are considering entering and serve as a jumping off point of reference for starting new markets, encouraging creatives to put themselves out there with their own new business, as well as find inspiration and exchange ideas within the community to put your person twist on and see it bloom. 

Investing in local businesses can help put a third of that that cities money back into building their own city, that's the goal! It adds to the character, tourism factor and local pride by fostering start ups and keeping a competitive edge on corporate brands seeking to enter the marketplace.

Face to face selling is the most powerful way to expose and sell the goods you have to offer the world, making it a great place for online shops, such as Etsy shops, to get involved too. 

This is a collaboration, the best way to grow and develop every market. We come together in this community to be synergistic, create something bigger than the sum of our individual parts.

We hope to see you inside!