Flea Market Blues
Saturday’s flea market sales were much less than anticipated. We started the week with high hopes of big plant sales due to the Easter holiday but as the week progressed, Mother Nature brought her wrath down on us in the form of bad weather. It was 45 degrees with a 25 mph wind. We sat in the truck most of the day freezing.
For those that don’t know, my son and I sell plants at the flea market on weekends. This all started a few years ago when he had a lemonade stand in front of our house. He was doing ok selling lemonade but asked if he could try to sell a few flowers along with the lemonade. Since we had some extra day lilies, we said ok. Well to make a long story short, he sold them all and then sold more the next day. Soon he was asking us to set up a table at a nearby grocery store parking lot but that didn’t pan out so we ended up going to the local flea market. Our plants sold like hotcakes and people started searching for us to get plants.
At first I just wanted to let him make a few extra dollars but now this thing has grown and it looks like we may turn this into a business. I am making him keep the books and do most of the selling in hopes that he will learn something about business, finance and of course plants. When I was growing up, my father told me: “never take chances and always put your money in a savings account. That is the best place to keep it” Well now I am older and look back at all the opportunities I missed out on and the even bigger ones he did and wish I had known more about money. I want my son to be better educated about business so he can make intelligent choices.
We will be back at it this weekend if the weather is nice. Now I just have to do some research on getting a business license and also getting a patient for a t-shirt design we came up with. Besides teaching him about business, it also gives us an opportunity to talk and be together, which is something most of his friends are not getting from their fathers. I will try and take some photo’s this week too if we do make it. They should be interesting to say the least. Have a great day.
Greg
For those that don’t know, my son and I sell plants at the flea market on weekends. This all started a few years ago when he had a lemonade stand in front of our house. He was doing ok selling lemonade but asked if he could try to sell a few flowers along with the lemonade. Since we had some extra day lilies, we said ok. Well to make a long story short, he sold them all and then sold more the next day. Soon he was asking us to set up a table at a nearby grocery store parking lot but that didn’t pan out so we ended up going to the local flea market. Our plants sold like hotcakes and people started searching for us to get plants.
At first I just wanted to let him make a few extra dollars but now this thing has grown and it looks like we may turn this into a business. I am making him keep the books and do most of the selling in hopes that he will learn something about business, finance and of course plants. When I was growing up, my father told me: “never take chances and always put your money in a savings account. That is the best place to keep it” Well now I am older and look back at all the opportunities I missed out on and the even bigger ones he did and wish I had known more about money. I want my son to be better educated about business so he can make intelligent choices.
We will be back at it this weekend if the weather is nice. Now I just have to do some research on getting a business license and also getting a patient for a t-shirt design we came up with. Besides teaching him about business, it also gives us an opportunity to talk and be together, which is something most of his friends are not getting from their fathers. I will try and take some photo’s this week too if we do make it. They should be interesting to say the least. Have a great day.
Greg
Comments
I'm so glad that my mother taught me better. When I got older and wanted things that weren't "neccessary", she told me to get a job and get it myself. At the time I thought she was being mean, but when I got older I understood the lesson in it.
He'll be even more greatfull for the things you are teaching him, when he's older.
We started the same way with our son. He became such an entrepreneur, even selling some of stuff we didn't know about!!!!
I am very impressed with this father-son endeavor. Great way to be close with him and him with you. Bravo!
I found you via Kelly then Annie's blog...I take photos too and love my garden.
Good luck with the tad t-shirts!
Years ago I sewed jeanware and sold it on Telegraph Street in Berkeley, CA.