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We hope that you've all had a lovely Mother's Day! We were hosting Portsmouth Spring Fair on Mother's Day and appreciate everyone who had decided to spend the afternoon with us.


We have another busy week ahead from lots of site viewings in the South East to both in-person and video meetings to attend before hosting the first Whiteley Spring Fair at Meadowside Leisure Centre this Saturday. This venue is located within the Whiteley Shopping Centre area.


Although this is what our usual week looks like - attending meetings, distributing advertisement, working full time behind the scenes and hosting events we are also always available to answer any queries you may have. At busy times when we receive up to 500 enquiries a week there may be a delay but we always strive to reply as soon as we are able to.


We don't usually discuss what we are up to as we are always extremely busy. The website receives up to 18k page views a month and also needs maintaining and updating on a regular basis. We are very grateful for the immense community of small businesses who are members of our website and who attend our events on a regular basis. We always strive to improve what we already do and support small local UK businesses.


 

Watch out for new and exciting events which will be added to our website shortly! Here is a small preview of what to expect this Saturday at Whiteley Spring Fair. We look forward to seeing you there. Entry is FREE.















We've been approached by the Fareham Borough Council to run craft and food events in the centre of town on the pedestrian part of West Street. We were delighted to be able to fit this event into our already busy schedule.




Craft and food stalls full of local and seasonal goods will line up the West Street for a day of shopping from small local handcrafted brands, artists and best street food around.


FREE entry 10am-4pm


We hope that you can visit this event on the three days this year - 13 May, 12 August and 14 October


Here is a very small preview of what you find at this market


Handmade home fragrances
Green Laurels

Sweet bakery, cakes, brownies
Mums Confections

Jigsaw, postcards, photography
CJB Photography

What a great day to spend your Saturday afternoon at this centrally positioned craft and food event!


TRADERS - Food trucks pitches, 3mx3m and 6mx3m pitches available. Apply HERE


You can also find this event on Facebook - click HERE


OTHER EVENTS - click HERE





I started my small business in my university room.

Running a small business at a young age can be a challenging but a rewarding experience. It

can be daunting, and some people may think you have less experience and resources

compared to older business owners, but I believe young small business owners may provide

new and uninfluenced approaches. The encouragement I have received from others has been

incredible. Age doesn’t necessarily have an impact on experience, I have learnt that true

experience is learning to be efficient and adaptive to change.


Running a small business at any age requires hard work, dedication, and the ability to adapt to

changes and challenges. I have learnt not to be discouraged by naysayers, but to trust in your

own abilities and keep pushing forward!


You are provided with opportunities to learn and grow. You learn that finances, marketing and

time management will cause headaches! But having the support of family and friends is

valuable when overcoming challenges and reaching your set goals. Balancing schoolwork and

running a business can sometimes be difficult, especially when university deadlines coincide,

but with careful planning, time management (and a very fine line!), I have managed this

successfully. I make closed terrariums.



A "Mini Earth" or a "closed terrarium" is a self-sustaining ecosystem that is contained within a

sealed (typically glass) environment. They are designed to simulate a natural environment,

featuring living plants and sometimes other living organisms such as insects. The goal is to

create a self-sufficient environment where the plants can live and thrive without human

intervention, similarly to our planet. Just like the earth, closed terrariums have plants, water, air,

and light, all of which are necessary for life to exist. In a closed terrarium, plants absorb carbon

dioxide and release oxygen, just as they do on the earth, and water helps to regulate the

temperature and humidity levels, which is also important for the survival of the plants and other

living elements within the terrarium. There are a lot of details with how closed terrariums work,

but through Mini Earths, people can learn and be introduced to the basic principles of ecology

and the relationships between different living elements. This can help to raise awareness about

the importance of preserving the delicate balance of our planet's ecosystems. The oldest closed

terrarium without being watered is currently over 60 years old.


Now I’m sure you can imagine how messy my university room got when I first started...

I started selling online, and I still do. But I also attend craft shows, and I have thoroughly

enjoyed the craft shows with Funyard Events. Funyard Events provide an opportunity to reach a

wider audience, interact with other small business owners and customers, and showcase your

products. Craft fairs have been a great way to promote my small business and gain visibility for

my terrariums. You build customer relationships, build brand awareness, and generate sales. It

also provides an opportunity to network with other small business owners, learn about their

experiences, and potentially collaborate with them in the future.



When participating with Funyard Events or any craft fair, I have learnt that it is important to have

a well-designed and appealing display to attract attention and make a positive impression on

customers - this is where my design degree comes in handy, I have thoroughly enjoyed

experimenting with my display the past couple of years; seeing what works and what doesn’t. I

also have an interest in helping others do the same in the future.


Here are just 5 useful tips that I have learnt in my time selling at craft shows:

1. Research the fair: make sure it's a good fit for your business and target market.

2. Really plan your display

3. Be prepared: Pack all the necessary supplies, such as business cards, packaging materials,

and a cash box, to ensure a smooth and professional experience.

4. Also be prepared to be unprepared! Who knows what obstacles you may face on the day.

5. Engage with customers: it’s much more impactful than you may think.


I thoroughly care for the people I interact with and I love meeting new faces. The best thing is

being surrounded by a community of small business owners who care for each other and each

other’s success, and the encouragement from the organisers at Funyard Events is unmatched. I

have learnt a lot about running a small business already, there are a lot of challenges. But,

every person that has helped me and supported my small business along the way, is the reason

why I am able to do what I love to do.


Through all of these experiences, I have been able to shape the ethos for Mini earths:

- To educate

- To be sustainable

- To design

- To stay human


If you are reading this and have a small business: stay positive, mix things up, be flexible, and

remember - age really is just a number!


Emma - Mini Earths

My Instagram



 

Photos credits - Funyard Events | Guildford Makers Market & Blog Photo for Mini Earths

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