Holiday Markets - Successes and Lessons

Holiday markets were the order of business for the month of December.  Winter markets are quite popular, and people here love a themed festival! 

We had three weekends of back-to-back holiday markets. Only one of which was on the calendar in advance. The other two opportunities came out of nowhere at the last minute, which is how things seem to go here, and counter to my nature of having a schedule and planning in advance.

I was out of the country for all of them! Not as I would have preferred, not because I want to micro-manage (I hate micro-managing!), but because I really enjoy the events and like to be alongside the team in the efforts! This was an opportunity for me to take a back seat and play a supporting role, helping the team think through process, procedures and order of operations. I gave final approval of products and quantities to bake and bring, but they were on their own for execution and implementation. 

They did great. It was a real team effort, especially for the last event, which was a three-day affair, much harder to plan for and manage logistically. 

There were many lessons learned from each event. I saw gaps where information was stored only in my head and had the opportunity to grow in communication in ways team members could understand. This helped me think though process and systems we can implement going forward, not just for market events but day-to-day operations. We improved on display presentation and customer interactions. We tested “Breakfast in a bag” - offering a gift hamper of  granola, honey, and coffee beans. They learned ways of tracking sales that worked for them in the bustle of the busy sales times. I learned to let go and trust. 

One of the successes in this season was making it a priority to be listed on a food delivery app so we could tell customers this new avenue for ordering our granola was only a click away. This was started and completed in the few days ahead of the final market. This was a huge accomplishment! These processes often involve a lot of back-and-forth with various hoops and documentation. I was delighted when it was all set up just in time for the final event. This is another important step in getting our granola and products in front of the customers, where they are already going for their food shopping. 

In other exciting news, we have two wedding cake orders for January. I am excited to work with Ruma, who has been honing her cake decorating skills all year, as we build and decorate these two-tier celebration cakes. It is an honor to be asked to be a part of someone’s special day in this way!