The Scammers, The Vineyard & My Temporary Career in Sales

One thing nobody tells you when you start a small business is that you're apparently also signing up to become a part time detective. Seriously.

When we launched Backyard Bash Co., we expected to spend our time building games, creating social media posts, answering customer inquiries and figuring out marketing.

Unfortunately, we learned this lesson the hard way. Early on, we got scammed out of $90 for what appeared to be a vendor market opportunity. It seemed legitimate. There were forms. There was documentation. There were details. There were emails that looked professional.

Looking back, there were probably signs we missed, but as brand new business owners, we didn't really know what to look for. We were excited, we were eager. We were still operating under the assumption that everyone who contacted us was a normal person.

That assumption lasted approximately five minutes. Since then, we've had several more scam attempts come our way. What's amazing and slightly terrifying is how convincing these people are. They have logos, contracts, applications, official looking paperwork, entire social media pages. Honestly, some scammers appear more organized than we are.

At this point, every email gets the same treatment. Maria and I immediately become amateur investigators. "Does this seem weird to you?" "Why is the grammar perfect except for one sentence?" "Why are they asking for payment before answering basic questions?" "Should we Google?" "Get a phone number, I'm calling." Starting a business apparently unlocked a hidden skill set we never knew we had.

Teacher by day. Business owner by night. FBI agent in our spare time. Thankfully, we've become much more cautious and a lot harder to fool. But enough about scammers, let's talk about something much more fun.

This past weekend, Backyard Bash Co. attended a vendor market at Nasketucket Bay Vineyard in Fairhaven. First of all, they were incredibly kind to us.

The vendor area was already completely full, but they graciously allowed us to set up near their patio. We were just happy to be there. Now here's where things go interesting. Normally, Maria is the outgoing one. She's the one who can strike up a conversation with literally anyone. A stranger in line. A cashier. A person walking a dog. By the end of the conversation, they're practically family. Unfortunately she wasn't able to attend this event.

As a side note, this is why we are excellent business partners. We agreed to do everything possible to ensure neither of us misses significant family events because of work, always stepping in for one another. This weekend, Maria's youngest daughter traveled up north from Tennessee for her wedding shower, so Maria was not working.

Which meant, I was flying solo. And if you read these blogs, you know where this is going. My strategy, stand there, smile, look approachable. Try not to look like I was waiting for a dentist appointment. I did my best. Really, I did.

But since our set up was a little tucked away from the main vendor area, traffic was somewhat limited. Thankfully everyone I met was incredibly nice. And in what might be my favorite marketing strategy so far, I recruited my daughter to walk around handing out business cards. Free labor. Just kidding, bribery. I told her I'd pay her $20 for every rental that comes from her work.

And the best part?

We'll be back at Nasketucket Bay Vineyard on Father's Day weekend hosting games. This time, Maria will be there too. Which means our chances of attracting customers immediately increase by approximately 437%.

That's partnership. As we continue this small business adventure, we're realizing that success isn't just measured in bookings. Sometimes in learning lessons. Sometimes in meeting people. Sometimes in avoiding scams. And sometimes its sitting at a vineyard on a beautiful afternoon, talking to strangers about giant yard games and realizing that maybe, just maybe, we're building something pretty special.

Until next time, we'll be over here checking emails, questioning suspicious forms and preparing for Father's Day Weekend.

Wish us luck,

With coffee, chaos and big dreams.

Julie & Maria