Greetings from the Las Vegas lockdown. Whether you are free to move about, or are staying home to stay healthy, there’s no doubt that life as we know it, at least for now, has changed. For some, it’s definitely inconvenient. For others, it’s stressful. For still others, it’s devastating. We are sailing in uncharted waters for now, with no land in sight. We don’t quite know where we are, and we have no idea what’s going to happen. It’s probably going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
With the passage of the two trillion dollar government rescue package comes a bit of a welcome port in the storm for some workers, but certainly not for all. Additionally, there may be a group of people who fall through the cracks, and who may not receive any rescue at all. Some of these people are contract workers, service providers, and home-based business owners.
I have not read the entirety of the rescue package, so I cannot claim to know all the particulars. There are provisions for small business owners who keep their employees on the payroll in the form of payroll relief, SBA loans, and checks for many working families. What I do not know is whether or not people who have a business that employs people only part-time, or on a contract basis, or those who are sole proprietors, micro businesses, niche or boutique businesses will see any relief. Further, not everyone is going to be willing to take out a business loan. The last time the government provided rescue or bailout money, they did not include people with disabilities, or those on any sort of government assistance, including recipients of SSI, assistance for needy families, Social Security or SSDI recipients. I have no idea as of this writing whether or not any of these groups will see financial relief. Consequently, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands and give entrepreneurs with disabilities a boost. So, let’s go shopping!
What is it?
Let’s Go Shopping is an all-day, online shopping event that is intended to benefit two groups: Small business owners and the customers who need them. Each business owner can choose a timeslot, and a presentation length of 15, 30, or 60 minutes. During that time, you can:
Do a little show and tell – Give demos of your products.
Do a little Q and A – Answer your customers questions.
Have some chat time – Just hang out and talk shop.
Make a show of it – Give a multi-media presentation.
The bottom line: It’s your time to shine. Put a face and voice to your business, and introduce yourself and your fabulous products. Do whatever you want with the time allotted, but give customers a reason to buy.
When is it?
Saturday, April 4th. As I do not have a complete schedule yet, I do not have a start and end time to share, but I can assure you, it will likely last almost all day. If the event is a success, I’ll do it again. Also, the entire day will be recorded, so that vendors and customers alike can edit, share, or revisit any vendor presentations they missed.
Who can participate?
If you have a micro business, sole proprietorship, niche or boutique business, or if you are a crafter, candy maker, home fragrance or beauty products representative, or if you are an entrepreneur with a disability, consider being a part of this exciting event.
Need a little retail therapy?
On the flip side, millions of potential customers are stuck at home, with little or no ability to buy gifts for Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day, birthdays, graduations, or just to gift a friend a lift. Not only is the “Let’s Go Shopping” event a way for home-based business owners to showcase their products, it’s a great way to make life a little easier for seniors and people with disabilities to get some shopping done. Without access to a home care worker, personal assistant, or assistive technology, online shopping can be out of reach for some. Besides, we could all use a little retail therapy, right? Maybe a senior is isolated without their children, caregiver, or personal assistant to go shopping for them. Maybe your spouse is now teleworking, and has commandeered the PC and bandwidth. Maybe someone at home is feeling alone and overwhelmed, and the idea of shopping online is cognitively burdensome right now. If they can’t go to the mall to shop, let’s bring the mall to them!
Want to participate? Here are the rules of the road:
The idea here is to make shopping as accessible and as frictionless as possible for all, so vendors will be asked to make a few accommodations. First, you must be willing to accept orders by phone, email, or means other than just your web site. You must agree to provide your business phone number or email address during your presentation. When customers call, be sensitive to their situation, be reassuring and comforting, friendly and attentive. Hopefully, the entire experience will be almost effortless for all concerned. Please provide excellent customer service!
Vendors will also be asked to assist in publicizing the event. At the very least, please tweet/post/update/blog about your timeslot. We want to help you meet the needs of potential customers, but they have to know about your availability, so please do your part to spread the word. Use the hashtag #LetsGoShopping when tweeting about the event.
Let’s Go Shopping, how? Exactly?
We will all use the Zoom conferencing platform. If you are unfamiliar with Zoom, it is an accessible video conferencing platform that can be accessed by phone, smartphone, app, or desktop. It’s free to download the app, and there is a free version you can use for your own purposes. However, I will send you all the specifics, as well as publish them here, so you will know how to call or log in. If you already know how to use Zoom, you’re golden. Just wait for an email from me.
Who is “me”?
My name is Laura, I am the owner of Elegant Insights Braille Creations. I will feature my braille jewelry and accessories products as a fill-in or backup for anyone who accepts a spot but is unable to make it. If you would like to participate, please go to Elegant Insights and use the contact form to get in touch. Or, you can call the number on the homepage, which I will also add, below.
So far, there are over a dozen small businesses from three countries eager to present their products, including technology companies, artisans, home and beauty product representatives, apparel and accessories, and of course, braille jewelry!
A complete list of vendors and their timeslots will be published next week, so check back for more details. The response has been incredible so far, and we even have door prizes donated by some of the vendors! This promises to be a fun and exciting event, so…let’s go shopping!
LL
Elegant Insights Braille Creations
PH:702.605.1265