Business expo

Business partner KC and i decided a couple of months age to put together a showcase for home-based businesses in our area.  How hard could it be?  Well let's just day it was another steep learning curve for both of us.
1  Acess the need for what you want ot do.  Set a date and time.
2 Find a venue, hope it's free or cheap.
3 Put out as many feelers as you can for vendors.
4 Start marketing.  Press releaases, email, facebook, fliers.  Anything you can think of.
5 Invite anyone you know.  Send out emails to customers, family and friends.
6 Pray for good weather.
7 Prepare for the event.  Set up the building.  Make sure the basics are in place.  Food, drinks, heat, air conditioning and bathrooms are essential.
8 Work harder than this old body cares to do.
9 Enjoy.
10 Clean up and follow up.  Sleep for 11 hours straight.

Our vendors were great, the crowd not so much.  Everything you do helps you learn something new.  I know my bones resent standing for most of 7 hours.  I did really enjoy meeting new people and showing  our products.  How do we increase our crowd?  If you've got great ideas let me know.  KC and I both believe that small businesses are the backbone of our economy and that by joining together we all can be helped.  The local university has a great program for helping small businesses and most of it is free.  The local chamber, newspaper and economic development group seem to focus much more on bringing big business to the area than helping the little guys.  Is there a group out there that small and home-based businesses can join together in?
Will we do it again?  Ask again in a month.  Our vendors must have been happy, many of them asked to be notified if we do decide to do it again.
A huge thank you for all you vendors that participated.