1. Great things lie on the other side of fear - Don’t let fear hold you back. I’m so glad I took the leap despite my fears. Failure isn’t the worst outcome—not trying is. A strong support system is crucial. I reached out to a few people in my life who helped me gain the right perspective and evaluate my options. Through these conversations, I was able to develop a solid plan. My chat with my sister, Sister Nnena was especially helpful; it brought me clarity and shifted me from fear to action.
2. Prayer works - Make it a priority! If you struggle to pray alone, lean on the strength of your community. As a Christian entrepreneur, I’ve learned to check within my spirit before making decisions. Before making any payments, I prayed and waited for a sense of peace or conflict within my spirit. Even though my flesh was afraid, my spirit was calm, so I proceeded. During the event, I stayed in a prayerful mode, continuously speaking in tongues. Prayer is a powerful weapon we have as Christians, and the sooner we realize that life is a battle, the sooner we can embrace prayer as our sword. Keep praying.
3. Don’t go at it alone—God never intended us to do life on our own. There’s no strength in trying to figure everything out by yourself. It’s okay to be vulnerable. The help you need is often closer than you think. I shared my fears with my community and platforms, and at one point, I felt it might have been a mistake. But the way people showed up for me proved otherwise. Don’t be afraid to share your journey. By sharing, people supported me in unexpected ways; those who were far away shared my flyers on their platforms and encouraged their networks to support me.
4. Be accountable - I had less than a week to prepare for this fair, and with other commitments, it would’ve been easy to get discouraged. So, I took Tosin's advice to publicly post my to-do list and document my progress. This helped me stay on track and meet my goals.
5. Trust God and do your best! - God is a rewarder, and if you put in the work, He will reward you. Trust Him and give it your all. He also knows how to encourage us. The feedback I received during the fair was something God knew I needed.
6. Be grateful and avoid comparisons - It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others, especially when it seems like others are doing better. Remember, factors like pricing and product types differ, and success isn’t always about numbers. Someone might sell out but not be as profitable as you. Appreciate what God has enabled you to achieve, and stay grateful.
7. Arrive early at your venue - Getting there early allowed us to choose our spot and gave us extra time when we faced delays in setting up our racks. We even started selling before we finished setting up and connected with early customers.
8. Keep your setup light and simple to conserve energy - For racks, I recommend collapsible options that are quick to set up. Not all our racks were collapsible and we experienced some delays with them
9. Have your customers in mind - Think holistically about your process and be prepared for potential issues. I anticipated that many people wouldn’t know their sizes, so I brought multiple tape measures and my sewing machine to the fair. This added value and made many customers comfortable, saving time and offering a better experience than a typical store.
10. Be proud to showcase your value - Not all customers understand quality and many are price-sensitive. If you’re confident in your work, don’t hesitate to show it off. Not everyone is your customer, and it’s okay to turn down offers that don’t align with your brand’s values. I had to decline several offers and even told one customer that lowering my quality for competitive pricing goes against my brand’s principles.
11. Pay attention to events around you - A pop-up shop is a great place to gather feedback, unlike a website where reviews are rare. Use this opportunity to understand what people want, their pain points, and how your brand can improve. I noted down several observations during the event to ensure I wouldn’t forget. Some customers requested larger sizes, and some men preferred specific outfit types.
12. Collaborate with those around you - Don’t see other vendors as competitors, even if you sell similar products. My neighbors and I, though in the same industry, brought our unique strengths to the event. We supported each other—I assisted one neighbor with internet connectivity, another shared customers and information about other fairs. One vendor even taught me how to accept credit card payments via my phone.
13. Women are amazing - Priceless is a true mentor! Her strength and zeal for her business inspire me. She brought together so many amazing women under one roof, and the atmosphere was harmonious. All the vendors were happy, and I was encouraged by the incredible women around me, managing their brands with passion and dedication—many of whom juggle 9-to-5 jobs and motherhood, with no excuses!
14. At pop-up stores, don’t just sell products—sell yourself - Bring business cards, flyers, and branded packaging. While I didn’t have time to perfect our packaging, we made the best of what we had.
15. Be prepared - As a business owner, always be ready for opportunities. We had only one week to prepare, and in that time, I had to create new products, print business cards, make a banner, and handle publicity.
16. Maximize social media - I almost missed this opportunity, as I only discovered it a week prior, though publicity started in July. It’s not enough to just have a social media presence; you need to actively use it to discover opportunities that can propel your business forward. Treat social media like another search engine.
17. Don’t let your pursuit take you away from God’s presence. Staying connected to God goes beyond attending church; it’s about maintaining that connection in daily life. I nearly missed my daily Bible study because of this busy season. God is more important to me than any success, so I won’t allow my pursuits to interfere with my spiritual practice. Next time, I’ll make sure to prioritize my study time before my day’s activities begin for any pop up event.
18. Relax - As you prepare for the pop-up, endeavor to rest. It’s physically daunting. At one point, I was moving around bare footed. By the end of the day, I was totally knackered! I experienced some body pains days after. I am glad that God strengthened me through the event.
19. Document - In today’s world, the importance of documenting events and experiences cannot be overemphasized. We didn’t have so much time to dedicate to this, however I am grateful to our friends that came around. They helped with shooting our setup and taking some pictures. Those pictures are so much valuable for marketing and credibility. They are also great reminders of our journey
20. Show appreciation - I am deeply grateful to everyone who showed up for me—those who encouraged me through texts, calls, posts, and more. This season has taught me to further value my people and I hope to show my gratitude sufficiently. I value every bit of help and encouragement, knowing that people give up their time to support me. I pray that when you need help, you’ll feel comfortable reaching out, and that God will empower me to support you in return.
Thank you so much!