What to do about Home Businesses

I have heard from quite a few Coordinators who are concerned over MOPS moms being overwhelmed by home businesses asking to promote their service/project to the group. Here are some suggestions on how other groups have handled the situation....


Our Coordinator was getting so many requests from small businesses and home based businesses that wanted to talk to our group. This is what we started two years ago. In Oct. our MOPS group hosts a "Family Expo vender fair". Our MOPS moms who have home based businesses get spots first and then it's open to anyone else to be in. Only one from each business is allowed (so we don't end up with 5 Pampered Chef people). The Expo is free to the venders...they just need to donate a gift worth $25 for door prizes. The Expo is also free to all who attend. Our MOPS group does a bake sale--donations only. This year we had 35-40 venders and it was so fun! We also just started providing a table at our MOPS meetings for moms to put their home based business info on. They are responsible for putting it there and picking it up at the end of the meeting. This is a "silent advertising"...we do not allow anyone to go table to table advertising or announce it to the group.

Set up: -No tables will be provided--please bring whatever you need to set up your area

Space is limited and subject to approval by Harvest MOPS & Harvest Church -

Definite details will be sent the week prior/booth location & other particulars

Booth sizes should be approx. 7'X7' (with exceptions as necessary)

Advertising: -Each vendor will be given some advertising brochures -Word of mouth is vital! Please spread the word

Miscellaneous: -No fee for booth space ($25 value door prize requested) -We will do door prize giveaways--they will not be done at individual tables -You are permitted to have voluntary sign ups at your table(for more giveaways/info) -

We will not duplicate specific vendors and will try to avoid similar vendors

Beginning with our first MOPS meeting in Sept. we start mentioning the Expo fair and have sign up sheets for our registered MOPS moms. Our moms get first dibs at a spot. Even if some moms don't have a home based business, they know someone who does. Moms can take vender registrations to those moms. We also have a person that contacts the hospital to come for a car seat check, the police station for child ID kits, YMCA, etc. We allow some services like these to come, but really want to focus on home based businesses.

We have our Expo in place of our MOPS meeting. Childcare that week is for Registered MOPS moms (another motivation to get their registration in ) who are helping with the Expo.

We have a bake sale, that is donations only, and set up a table with info about our MOPS group and the two other groups in town.

Advertising is expensive so we really focus on word of mouth. We also put up flyers at different businesses around town.

The first year the Expo was attended mainly by MOPS moms, this year it was bigger. Word does get around. Our Coordinator already has people requesting to be in the Expo next year.

Another group handles home businesses by allowing them to advertise in the MOPS group's newsletter. Here are their guide lines

Policy for Advertising in the Newsletter

Messiah MOPS exists to serve mothers in all their endeavors. All MOPS moms are invited to advertise for personal business in the newsletter provided they meet certain specifications:

1. The advertisement is only to be for the mom herself -- not a spouse, sister, friend, etc.

2. It must be a personal business and not an ad for her employer (e.g. Pampered Chef, Creative Memories, etc. are acceptable; not Wells Fargo, Target, etc.)

3. The same ad cannot appear in the newsletter more than two times a year. This will prevent “overkill” by any one person.

4. Advertising is open to everyone in MOPS, so competing businesses have equal chances to advertise.

5. Space provided for the ads is limited to the size of a given newsletter and will be determined by the newsletter editors. First come, first served.

6. Newsletter editors have discretion as to whether or not ad content is appropriate for the MOPS newsletter (questionable business ads will not be allowed J ).

7. For sale, free items, want ads, and job queries are allowed.All advertising should be kept in the newsletter and not interfere in any way with the monthly meetings.

more suggestions....

In the past we've done a business directory. Any mom who wishes can have her name and contact information listed, along with the business name. We would publish one in the fall and an update in the spring. Our publicity person would do it. It lets them advertise for free, and encourages the other moms to "shop" with and support other MOPS moms.

We also just started providing a table at our MOPS meetings for moms to put their home based business info on. They are responsible for putting it there and picking it up at the end of the meeting. This is a "silent advertising"...we do not allow anyone to go table to table advertising or announce it to the group.


Leave a comment and let us know how your group handles this situation.
Thanks,
Barb
Zone 22 Area Coordinator