础听growing group of Squamish entrepreneurs is taking craft fairs to a whole new level with innovative products and astute marketing strategies.聽
Their small, mostly home-based businesses are transforming craft fairs into 鈥渋ndie marketplaces,鈥� offering locally made, designed and sourced clothing, home d茅cor, children鈥檚 items, health food and other handmade goods.聽
Squamish resident Megan Grundy, owner of Polish + Groom, is one such indie marketer who has created a line of natural cleaning products.聽
The self-proclaimed clean freak makes polishing paste, cleansers and sprays that are infused with essential oils from her home in Brackendale, and uses the products for her cleaning company.聽
鈥淲hen I first started at the markets, I realized I had to up my game,鈥� said Grundy. 鈥淵ou get better as you go because you learn new skills, and a lot of people are open to helping and sharing ideas.鈥�
Good marketing, including creative signs and backdrops, that showcases the business is key to a successful day at any marketplace.聽
The entrepreneurs, many of whom work on their companies full-time, also equip themselves with clear business plans that incorporate Squamish residents鈥� increasing interest in buying local and healthy handmade items.聽
Grundy is seeing more health-conscious people looking for options other than store-bought cleaners that contain synthetic ingredients. Sensitive to unnatural smells herself, Grundy created Polish + Groom after seeing a void in the market since selling her first cleaning business. It took five years of trial and error before she found the perfect combination of ingredients.聽
鈥淣ow I can do what I鈥檓 passionate about. I love using chemistry to create things and working with my hands.鈥�
Grundy is preparing for Refresh Market, one of the largest indie markets in 小蓝视频, taking place on April 23 at Squamish鈥檚 West Coast Heritage Railway Park. Around 100 vendors from Pemberton to Metro Vancouver will be at the biannual event.聽
Along with attracting new customers through Instagram, she also makes connections by travelling to markets throughout the Lower Mainland and now sells at 12 stores in 小蓝视频聽 鈥淲hen I quit my day job to focus on my hobby, it took Polish + Groom to a whole new level. Now my hobby is my day job,鈥� said Grundy proudly.聽
Locally fermented聽
After testing her water kefir on family and friends for a year, Sabrina Horlyck and Kristin Campbell launched Squamish Water Kefir Co. at the tail of last year鈥檚 summer farmers market season.聽
They now make the fermented drink from a commercial kitchen in Squamish and will be selling it at Refresh Market and other venues this spring.聽
Water kefir, which people drink for its probiotics and beneficial enzymes, has been made for centuries with a two-step fermentation process using a culture of bacteria 鈥� the good kind 鈥� and yeast.聽
Dubbed 鈥渘ature鈥檚 soda pop,鈥� their kefir has just a few simple ingredients and comes in flavours such as hibiscus, lemon ginger and blood orange. 鈥淣o one had heard of water kefir a few years ago. There wasn鈥檛 a lot of information online, so I had to do a lot of research,鈥� said Horlyck, who wanted to start her own business, without having to commute far away from her children.
鈥淣ow more people know the benefits of kefir. It鈥檚 high in probiotics and gives a variety of 40-plus strains of bacteria that are good for the gut.鈥�
She credits the support of the community for her business鈥檚 quick success in just over a year.聽
Squamish residents are becoming more interested in health-related products, said Megan Lussier, business analyst with Community Futures Howe Sound. They are in search of locally made products that fit in with their health-conscious lifestyles, including Horlyck鈥檚 water kefir and the natural cleaning products from Polish + Groom. 鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing more people interested in healthy living than ever before, and a lot of entrepreneurs are following this,鈥� said Lussier. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e looking for quality and to support the community.鈥澛�
Indie markets and farmers markets, such as the popular Squamish Farmers鈥� Market, are making it easier for customers to buy from a variety of local entrepreneurs in one location.聽
Around 50 小蓝视频 farmers, food producers, crafters and artisans gather to foster community spirit sustainability at the Squamish Farmers鈥� Market, located at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Victoria Street on Saturdays throughout the summer.聽
Several traditional craft fairs are also still held in Squamish, often at schools, rec centres, senior centres and churches around Christmastime. Here, vendors who typically create their products as a hobby or part-time job show their wares 鈥� although more full-time business owners are also taking part.聽
Custom calligraphy聽
Natasshia Neary hand draws the designs for her business, Oh The Sweet Things, from her home studio in Squamish.聽
She specializes in 鈥減erfectly imperfect鈥� calligraphy and illustrations for cards, wedding invitations and company logos.聽
鈥淚 went to private school in the Philippines where we took penmanship classes, and I think that鈥檚 where the seed was planted,鈥� said Neary, who has studied fashion and graphic design. 鈥淲hen I started, there weren鈥檛 many calligraphy workshops like there are now, so I took an online course.鈥�
Most of Neary鈥檚 clients are from the West Coast and the United States, but she recently received an inquiry from someone in Norway.
After hand-drawing the designs, she transfers the creations to the computer and has them printed in Vancouver. Each custom illustration is unique and has a handmade feeling, qualities most of her customers are seeking.聽
It鈥檚 this close relationship that ties customers and indie market vendors together. Rather than simply buying an item at the store, customers want to be involved in the process or hear details about its creation directly from the person who made it. Social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, provide this link, as well as craft fairs and markets.聽
With marketing in mind, Neary is redoing her stand for Refresh Market with flowers and greenery to represent her brand.聽
Attracting customers can be competitive, but the clustering of local businesses brings out more people who want to see a wide range of local products.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 really important for me as a designer to represent my brand well,鈥� said Neary. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like creating a story.鈥澛�
