PTA/School Fairs

[Samuel Gaston]

I have asked to have a table at a local primary school fundraising fair but am having cold feet! I have read a couple of old threads about this being successful, but my concern is that there will be kids running around madly everywhere and the parents will not want to sit down - partly because the kids will run offbut also cos people will be staring at them. I was wondering if instead I should have something to attract the kids (e.g sell lollipops so I can make my donation to the fundraising), have some leaflets and info on the table then just do demonstrations on a couple of friends.
Am I being daft? I just keep thinking that maybe this is not a good setting for me, but I really need to get my face and name known locally (for my business). I have also applied to be at the pre-school group pamper evening but I have no problems with this.
Thankyou all as ever,
Florence

 

[Old Gregg]

You could always ask the school if they have anything you can use to section yourself off abit, and give your clients some privacy. It really does depend on what you are going to be doing. I have done back massages, where I have used partioning, and another time, hand and foot massages, where I placed the chairs behind a table. On the table all I had was leaflets and pricelists.

Personnally, I wouldnt sell lollipops. This may detract from what you are doing! Also, talk to the staff, or people organising the event, and tell them of you worry about children rushing around. I'm sure it wont be too bad!! Just be organised, and prepared, and it'll be fine. Mine have always been quite successfull.

I assume you will only be giving 'taster' sessions. You could tell your clients how much more relaxing it is when done in the correct environment!

Good luck!

Tj

 

[peanut 2]

Thankyou TJ and Tracey. I feel much better now!
I was planning on 10 or 15 mins, charging £2 and £3 respectively and donating all of it to the school. I live in a village where I don't know many people and this is the local school. I thought by donating everything to the school they would be more willing to let me have a pitch and people will think I am so generous they will be queuing to make an appointment (ha, ha!).

 

[callsignfuzzy]

I have always donated the money too. I have always charged £5, for 15 mins. I have always been busy at these events, so thought I had pitched myself about right. I guess you know how much people in your area will pay, but you have to think what you would charge for a treatment, and then work from that.

Again, good luck!!

Tj

 

[Phil G]

I just thought I'd let you know how I got on at the school fair! I was on a table at the end and ended up doing 10min sessions for £1 minimum donation, of which all proceeds went to the school. I had 11 people in about 2 hrs and 20 mins, cos 2 people came up at the end of the fair and asked if I could squeeze them in. It went really well - even when one of the local kids was making a racket by constantly leaning on the horn of the display tractor. I asked the woman I was treating at the time to imagine herself in a nice quiet room!A couple of them went away andrecommended me to their friends who then came and had a session.
Apart from a bit of sunburn, it was well worth doing. And I didn't need anything to distract the kids either.
Thanks for the support!
Flo x

 

[jmmeurmt]

Hi Florence

Well done at the school fair. That was a good amount of people you treated. Did you get any business out of it afterwards? Was that the first one you did and how did you feel before it? I bet you felt chuffed afterwards, especially being recommended and others asking for a treatment. Hopefully people were quite generous with their donations and you'll be asked again in the future. It's something I've thought about asking to do for my daughters school. Well done!
Tracey

 

[jayfinley2001]

Hi there,

My son's nursery were having a fair to raise funds for the nursery, so getting all my courage together I decided to volunteer to do tarot readings.
Tarot and mediumship has been my hobby on and off forover 20 years but I have only ever done it freefor friends etc. never as a business. I thought a 20 minute reading for £3.00 would attract customers (though I could probably have charged £5.00 or more)so I when I offered to do it that's what I suggested and the reply was "And how much do you want?" I was so shocked I felt like I'd been slapped in the face.
I assumed we were all offering our services for free to raise funds so couldn't understand why I was insulted like that.
I didn't realise that some of the other people having stands were taking a percentage of sales of what they were selling etc. as it was their livelihood. They were selling things they had made so I suppose they couldn't give all the stock away for nothing.
I realised she hadn't meant any offence and I assured her I had no intention of taking any of the money and that anything I raised was going to the school. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting there all day doing readings, it was great practice for me and everyoneseemed happy enoughwith their reading and to cap it all at the end of the day the school gave me a bottle of wine to thank me, which was very much appreciated as I was ready to drop by then.
I think though if you are trying to raise your profile for whatever profession you are in and also raise some cash for schools etc. be brave and give it a go. You can get yourself known by word of mouth and having your leaflets/business cards etc. on the table.