, and you for letting him drive. Generally speaking, legally setting up the business the right way can protect your personal assets. You'll also need a good professional accountant because hell hath no fury like Uncle Sam if he thinks you're making a buck and he's not getting his share. And he will go after your personal assets, incorporated or not.
Then it's time to find a location. Many places want a flat fee-and since your event is subject to the weather, it can be a shocking money loser. Look for a place that will work with you for a percentage of the gate. The percentage will be stiff, but it'll allow you to keep doing the show long-term. Most venues require a hefty insurance policy, typically starting at $1 million.
So now you're ready to have a swap meet, right? Well, no-now you need support gear. Someone has to take the money at the gate, and he'll need somewhere to stand, sit, and work: a tent, a chair, and a table. You'll also need radios to communicate, tickets to keep track of customer numbers, pens, notepaper, sunscreen, a first-aid kit, free passes to grease the wheels of the grumpy, and so on. In other words, everything in your wife's purse, writ large. You'll also need a start-up bank to make change, because a couple of guys will hand you a $100 bill for a $3 entry fee, usually right when the gates open.
That brings us to another point: It's a cash business. You need someone you can trust (good friends and family). Also, everyone assumes you're raking it in whether you are or not, so there's always the chance some lug nut will think you're an easy target. Frequent cash drops are good (lockbox, in your car, and so on).
You have several thousand dollars invested so far and haven't held a show yet.
Once you start letting people in, you'll discover a lot of them are challenged. Though you'll explain and point where to go, you'll still need signs telling spectators where to park, vendors where to set up, and where to find cars for sale. And you'll need someone on the field to point out the signs because they'll forget what you told them less than 50 feet ago. Your guides need to wear something bright like an orange vest so you can easily point them out to customers.
We started with 10x20 vendor spaces for $20, and each additional space was $10 so they could leave their truck and trailer connected. Car corral spaces are separate from the parts-selling spots. Some people complained they had to buy two spaces when the field wasn't full, so we went with $20 10x50-foot spaces so they could pull straight through. (All these spaces have to be marked prior to the show, by the way.) Now we just charge $20 for unlimited space, which has done away with signs, traffic direction, set-up time, and almost all complaints.
Don't plan on being the next Hershey or Pomona-it took us almost three years for the show to just break even. It makes a little money now, but we'd probably make more flipping burgers. However, it's become a get-together in Atlanta for enthusiasts to hang out, while I can rummage through their parts, so it's worth it.
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- Fliers are one of the best and most time-consuming methods of getting the word out, but print ads in regional automotive publications, club newsletters, and newspapers are essential, too. Free advertising on your favorite websites also gets results. Word of mouth helps, of course, but if you don't actively advertise, your counts will be down.Trash cans--we've found if you put them out, people fill them and more. Besides garbage, you'll end up with big boxes, car parts, and old tires. Some venues charge the promoter trash can rental and dump fees. Trash collection at the end of the event is a dirty, time-consuming job, and you'll need a vehicle or a trailer to haul leaking bags and cans in. We stopped putting cans out, and because people are loathe to litter, they end up taking their trash home with them.You'll end up with a lot of gear to efficiently put on the show, which means you'll need a place to store it when not in use and a vehicle or trailer to haul it. Simply loading and unloading your equipment puts wear and tear on it, and an enclosed trailer solves that and storage problems. Remember, it's an outdoor event and you'll have stuff that can't get wet when it rains, so a pickup truck might not be the answer.Communication is key. Your crew needs to communicate with you, so you'll need radios. You also need a PA system to make announcements to the crowd (a bullhorn is useless). We also found music is an essential part of the event. You can hire a professional DJ, but they're very expensive. Buying your own professional equipment pays for itself in months. And be creative with the music. Everyone's sick of Little Deuce Coupe and Mustang Sally. Oh, there are licensing fees to broadcast music at events, so add that to your costs.Animals--some people can't bear to leave their dogs at home. Promoters see them as pooping lawsuit generators. We can't count the times we've heard someone tell a child "Oh, don't pet Fifi. Fifi doesn't like children." Then leave the dog at home. Most vendors' dogs know the drill, are well-behaved, and stay at the vendor's spot, while spectators' dogs aren't used to a show environment and crowds. Our insurance doesn't allow pit bull breeds, period, and we limit vendor dogs to less than 45 pounds.Start your own swap meet and you'll meet a lot of these: "How come I have to pay just to come in and look around?" "Why do spectators have to pay? The vendors are here because of us." "Why do vendors have to pay? The spectators are here because of us." "What? Three bucks to get in?! Forget it!" "What? Twenty bucks just to sell stuff? Forget it!" People will bitch about everything, so grow a thick skin. But for every one of those clowns, someone else shows up every month and gives you his money to come in and visit with friends-they do it to support you and keep the swap meet going. Those guys are gold, and the ones you're doing it for.YOSEMITE – With the enactment of the continuing resolution by lawmakers in Washington, D.C., Yosemite is in the process of returning to normal operations.
The Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, Yosemite Museum, and Hetch Hetchy area will all reopen with normal hours today.
Hodgdon Meadow and Wawona Campgrounds and the Mist Trail/John Muir Trail winter route also reopened today.
The Mariposa Grove and Crane Flat Snow Play Area will reopen later in the week after restroom maintenance can be completed.
Ranger-guided hikes and programs will resume today, and rangers will be staffing entrance stations to provide information and collect fees as usual.
“Throughout Yosemite’s history, the stewardship of those who love it has carried it forward to the next chapter,” said park officials in a statement released this morning. “Thanks to all our visitors and staff for their commitment to the park over the past month.We Make Shopping On The Internet The Simplest Way To He - 29 Apr 2019 21:41
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