Exhibition
I decided that we couldn’t fail to give away our phone systems at a business to business exhibition. What luck then when we discovered that just such an exhibition was happening in Birmingham on September the 21st 2017 – “The Business Growth Show”. So we booked our place – a gold stand for us – nothing less would do. So, by the time we had booked it and chosen to have a table (luxury) and “leccy” for the lights we had blown a grand.
Then we needed a pop up stand – so we had to design one and then get it made. Cue lots of work to get the design right. It came and the graphic was wrong so it had to be done again.
Then we needed flyers to hand out that meant more work designing and proof reading and of course more money.
We debated how to take deposits and decided paypal was the way to go. So we bought a machine to take payments and downloaded the app and learnt how to use it.
Then we need the phones to give away – so we ordered 16, opened 16 accounts, got 16 phone numbers, printed 16 instruction sheet, programmed the 16 phones and put stickers on the phones. So we had 16 phones ready to use and plug in.
Then when all was ready we went to Edgbaston Cricket ground where the exhibition was to be held the night before the grand opening. We set up the stand and the light had broken. So at 9.00pm we sourced a new tungsten halogen bulb from Asda and went home
The day of the 21st was miserable overcast and wet. We drove through Birmingham and pitched up all excited. We had a pep talk from the organisers and then the doors opened and ….nothing happened. Sometimes the odd punter would wander past and I would pounce,
“Can I give you a phone system?”, I would almost scream.
I may have managed to do this 10 times during the day – but the answer was no each time.
So the day dragged on – the café had no coffee and I went outside and got soaked. The highlight of the day was the chicken caesar wrap from Aldi – I even delayed eating that in case the excitement over came me.
Mercifully the organisers decided to call it a day at 2.30pm and we came home. We had spent the best part of two and half grand and achieved diddly squat.