CaffeineDaddy.com is new to Pearl Market this season. Entrepreneur Jeffrey Foulke created CaffeineDaddy.com and sells all kinds of caffeinated products. Whether you’re looking for caffeinated soap, toothpicks, lollipops, beef jerky, or more; if you can name it, CaffeineDaddy has it. Want something to slow you down? CaffeineDaddy has that too. To learn more about CaffeineDaddy.com visit their website and check out our weekly vendor spotlight video. 

Numbers like these reinforce the importance of Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District’s commitment to running the Pearl Market. Our Market Manager, Adam Schroeder, has helped expand the Market’s offerings through outreach to potential farmers and vendors and has improved the Market’s accessibility and visibility.  This year, after a trial run in the 2009-10 Winter Pearl Market, guests of the Market could use credit cards or the Ohio Direction Card to purchase tokens redeemable at almost all Market vendors.  The move from cash-only purchasing made it easier for last-minute shoppers, and the ability to use the Ohio Direction Card opened the Market to a new demographic.  The program was a huge success with over $14,000 in credit card transactions and over $2,400 in Ohio Direction Card/EBT transactions.

Special events and offerings served to boost interest and attendance at the Market.  Five Tasty Tuesdays were held, during which staff prepared recipes featuring Market products and provided samples and copies of the recipes to customers. (If you missed our Tasty Tuesdays, you can still check out the recipes at downtowncolumbus.com/pearlmarket/special-events). The Ohio Proud Mobile Kitchen set up shop in the Market on two occasions.  Area chefs shopped the Market and then prepared some tasty samples for Market customers.  Other special events included the Second Annual Kids’ Day on July 27 in conjunction with COSI, which garnered media attention on all of the major network television stations.  And there was Tomato Day, Strawberry Day, Squash Day, Taste of the Summer Harvest and Taste of the Fall Harvest, all of which featured special recipes and samples of the special ingredient or ingredients of the day.  Plus customers were able to enjoy live entertainment every Market day from a variety of musical guests, which sometimes led to actual dancing in the streets.

Capital Crossroads kicked off the Friends of the Market program this summer to allow fans of the Market to help support daily operations.   Both individual and business Friends of the Market options are available for purchase, benefits of which include a listing on the Pearl Market website and a reusable canvas Pearl Market shopping bag.  By the end of the Summer Market, 30 individuals and one business had signed up to be Friends of the Market. If you are interested in more information or would like to take a peek at our Friends list, visit downtowncolumbus.com/pearlmarket/friends.

The Market received much earned media from newsprint to television all season long.  One of the highlights included Fox 28 reporter, Johnny DiLoretto, who came to the Market and aired his entire morning show live in the alley.  He promoted the Market and interviewed vendors, which was a great way to support the entrepreneurial spirit of the Market vendors.  In addition, Market promotions were enhanced through our marketing and communications channels, including Facebook, Twitter and our weekly Right Now Downtown email blast.  Each vehicle was used to share information on special events and a weekly Market Special was available to Right Now Downtown subscribers.  One of our Market vendors penned a weekly blog post called the Market Maven and we posted a number of videos showing interviews with vendors and highlighting what makes the Market unique.

Though the summer Pearl Market has wrapped up for another year, the Winter Pearl Market is just kicking off. The Winter Market will be held on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. November 2 through February 25 at 33 N. Third Street.

Kimberly Esque-Marino is the owner of a really cool local indie company catering to dog owners: Potty Pocket.

“We love the opportunity to be among creative individuals who have unique products that are hand crafted with care.  As the small independent retailers are disappearing from the market place it is  nice to know that consumers who are looking for quality items have a place to go and shop.  When we support local artists and farmers, we are supporting our community, thus ourselves.”

 

“It was important to me that they be made here in Ohio.  Potty Pocket is a group effort.  Family and friends have helped to get this idea off the ground.  I designed and make the product, a friend designed the logo and web sight, my sister and husband help to sell them and everyone gives unending enthusiasm and support that has made this challenge a lot of fun.”

 

Check out her website and visit POTTY POCKETS at the market each week. Tell her the Market Maven sent ya!

Sweet Thing Gourmet is one of those indie businesses that make you smile and feel all excited again about working for yourself.

Owner Kyla Touris talks to us this week with her inspiring tale of moving to Columbus and starting a new life.

Here is what she had to say:
Okay, so I’m a jammer.  I learned from my mother the basics, and I dabbled in it a bit after college, mainly making presents for friends and such.  I was living in Montana at the time, and I would drag my husband with me to pick wild huckleberries.  It took hours to pick enough for one batch of jam, but it was amazing!  We made some as gifts and were told we should go into business.

When we moved to ohio with our infant son, we both planned to work and put out child in daycare.  I had mixed emotions about it.  Then we found our we were pregnant with twins, so that plan was derailed!  We scrimped for a few years on one salary and meanwhile, my mother-in-law had given me a subscription to Victoria Magazine, where I pored over stories about female entrepreneurs.  I was inspired by some of the stories and thought “Hmmm… there could be somthing there.”

I started researching outlets in our area and found the Worthington Farmers Market.  I wrote a business plan, shelled out money for some fancy jars and designed a logo and label with my husband.  We launched out product that year with four flavors of jams and some biscotti.  At first it was very seasonal, but gradually we began picking up holiday shows, home parties and gift boxes.  By 2005, we were going strong and our list of flavors grew quickly.  Now we are up to about 35.

The good and the bad of being your own cottage industry:
I’m my own boss, and I get to make all the decisions.  I keep the hours I want, which at times are very long.  Around the holidays, the business becomes my life, and it can be hard to shut it off.  While I started this to be home with my kids, it can be difficult to keep a balance between the two.  The creative part is fun, but the business part is a lot harder.  So much I am learning!  As the business grows, new expenses crop up and there is the challenge of maintaining the quality.  And still do it all out of our home.  My husband works with me now, and there are challenges there.  But then we turn on the music and get into the Zen of creating, and start to work through it all.

What do I love about Columbus?
I’m still learning about it.  We’ve been here almost 10 years, but so much of that has been devoted to our kids.  I love the downtown area a lot, though, with the urban feel to it.  I’m excited about the plans for the City Center site!  That’s what I love about the Pearl Market, too – it combines my country side with my urban edge.  And not to brown-nose or anything, but I love the people who run the Market.  Adam, Kacey, Tiffany and the rest of the crew are incredibly helpful and positive.  Really, it feels like a party!  Oh, and another thing about Columbus is CD101 and WCBE.  They keep me going much of the day!

Top five blogs/shops on the web?
I feel so unhip, there seems to be so little time to spend on the computer.  I did just discover Daily Candy, and I love columbusfoodie.com.  Oh, I’m so uncool!  I’ll work on it!

Who would I love to meet at the Market?
Eric Clapton!  Maybe he could come “jam” with me!

Thanks so much Kyla!  Make sure you go visit her fabulous stand at the Market and go check out her Web site too!  Tell her the Market Maven sent you!