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Welcome to Sip & Shop Boutique Events hosted by Serbennia Photography, LLC. This is a Sunday Funday event open to everyone, Veterans, their families, and the public.

Vending spaces will be held indoors. Masks are optional. Social Distancing is recommended. We encourage everyone to get Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines.

Each Crafter and Direct Sales Vendor purchase will include:
• 6' table and 1 or 2 chairs. If space allows, you may purchase a second space @ $30 to make an L-shape shop.
• Listing on our social media platforms, with your business name (or your name), logo or setup picture, description, and link to our Sip & Shop Boutique Facebook page.
• Overall event, and your individual brand promotion.
* Paint party kit, winetasting, and hors d'oeuvres
* You are encouraged and expected to also promote the event on your social media channels and invite five guests to our paint party on Eventbrite.com. Cost is $30/guest.
The more marketing and sharing, the more sales and business. This is a group effort.

Vendor admission will be a two-step process:
1. First, complete and submit the application. Also, include 3-photos of your product and 1-image of your business card or QR code. We want to make sure there aren't too many competing vendors with similar products or services.
2. Second, you will receive a response, if approved, along with an electronic invoice from Square for the date you have selected and been approved. Welcome letters arrive the week prior to show. Once the invoice is paid, your spot will be secured!

Cost is currently $40/day for Handmade Crafters, Direct Sales, and Independent Contractor Vendors plus sales tax.
Weekday rate (if opened) is $40/day for ALL
Your emailed invoice from Square, will reflect the above price at the time of your application.

Event Info, Rules & Guidelines:
• If you are sick, stay home.
• Masks are optional.
• Maintain 6 ft. distancing. Strongly encourage Flu and COVID-19 vaccines and/or testing.
• Vendor fees are non-refundable and non-transferable for any reason. Including weather related issues and any/all other issues outside of our control.
• Setup access begins at 1:30 p.m. Must be setup and ready by 3:00 p.m. Cannot begin to break down until after the official 7 p.m. closing time - unless otherwise agreed.
• Electricity is limited. Requests must be made to access power, if available. If needed, you are required to bring your own extension cord. There is a $5 fee.
• Tables must always remain staffed. When you participate in the paint party, monitor your table for customers.
• All vendors will be located indoors (unless otherwise noted).
• Spaces will be assigned by organizer according to category layout logistics. Space assignments are final.
• Organizer reserves the right to reject or expel anybody at any time for violation of event rules and guidelines and/or causing or creating problems for other vendors or customers.
• Recommend crafter/vendor insurance for one-time events. (Google search if interested).
• If accepted, you will receive an invoice and welcome letter via email from "Serbennia Photography, LLC" Please be sure to regularly check your Spam folder.

Please send any questions or referrals to:
Serbennia Davis, CEO
Email: serbenniaphoto@att.net
Text/Call: 614.570.4741

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In June 2022, every organization and their brother were having outdoor events, craft shows, and festivals! I knew it was coming and had to scramble to come up with an idea to make my business more attractive to clients. We reconstructed our playbook and added painting sessions for 30 people and reduced our vendors from 30 to ten spaces. Our hall size could only accommodate a capacity of approximately 70 people. This led us to recruit professional and amateur artists to teach paint sessions for our events.

As a result, our monthly shows attendance increased with clients participating in paint parties and vendors got guaranteed customers from 30 reliable people - not including walk-ins.

Still working on cutting expenses and increasing income. Word-of-mouth is helping and so is joining the local Chamber of Commerce. Nonprofit organization Vettix.org has brought in Veterans that are willing to help with vendor sales and have fun painting the Art-of-the-day!

My photography business is slowly creeping back up too! We take photos, videos and livestream of our paint, sip and shop sessions. Still have to react to events decisively, and without prior thought or planning! Sharing on social media and websites gives us lots of exposure too.

So yes, it is successful! However, we're still in the planning stages of making it profitable.

Happy Sales,

Serbennia

Photography is a very competitive and cut-throat business. Since COVID-19 hit us in 2020, it's been an even much slower business. To save it, I've had to become more creative switching from one side-hustle to another. In March 2020, I set my Nikon camera aside - it's not like I was getting any business. I pulled out my old Singer sewing machine and began making masks and face covers.

I have handsewn over 2,500 masks, sold most and donated many. Beginning a sewing business during the pandemic to subsidize my income from photography has paid off. Taking my uniquely designed fashionable face wear to craft shows has become a hit at times.

Embracing the Craft Show industry was surprisingly profitable. I'm now hosting shows of my own and looking forward to recruiting more crafters and vendors. Although it is a small show, I enjoy the work and meeting new people.

Send a "Fine Art" Christmas card photo this year to someone special? The U.S. Postal Service still delivers approximately 6.5 billion greeting cards each year. Birthdays rank number one! Christmas is the most popular seasonal card. View my latest images for this year's set of Christmas cards. http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/serbennia-davis.html?tab=artwork

"BADD ASS" is the Real McCoy! She's the Lady Soldier whose sharpness, etiquette and grace combined with her military role in a male-dominated arena helped her to survive the streets as a destitute single mother. How did she do it?

Family, friends and business -a combination sometimes frowned upon by many small business owners and entrepreneurs because they often end up getting the short end of the stick. It's good to be nice but it's nice to get paid too! Giving a discount to family and friends can hurt your business and might cost a friendship. "You get what you pay for!" doesn't seems to set well with people who want a professional photographer at a discounted rate. The old "Business is business" cliche falls on deaf ears when your best friend or a family member wants their wedding, event or personal photos taken by their friend, THE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

Join us to learn more about best practices and approaches BEFORE HIRING A PHOTOGRAPHER on Sunday, September 29, 2019 4-7 p.m. at American Legion, 3363 McDowell Road, Grove City, Ohio 43123