while i love my life in Bulgaria and have done for the years i have been here, i am starting to wonder why many of us choose to support each other in the ''expats'' way of doing things.

As many of you are aware that the world is in crisis because of the recession and times in Bulgaria are becoming very tough, especially for my generation. I am 25 years old and have decided to settle here on the coast, one of the reasons were because i was hoping to enjoy the company of other expats in the area. However there are always some ready to knock you down!

Moving to the coast with two very small children and starting up a buisness when my husband is out of work seemed the right thing to do and with the support of friends and family we decided to do it.

As you all know weather has been terrible and therefore we have been unable to attend the market on a thursday, which is a huge slog for us as obviously we loose an income. The website is doing ok...but slow which is to be expected as it is new, so someone gave me a great hand and said, in ravda there is a table top sale on the 17th of feb....and then someone else told me about it and someone else and lots of others. They said its a great way to meet new people in the area and prmote the buisness. I was so please especially as i thoug its one day more we can make up for missing the market!

Anyway i have just been told i can only sell the accessories and not the clothes as there is someone else seeling clothes already! The accessories i have are great but when promoting a buisness i feel its important to promote all of it and espeiclaly as the clothes are the bulk of the business. I do not have enough accessories any way as most of them have sold out. After waiting for 4 days for judgement day for an answer it is not enough time for me to order more stock and have it here in time!

So thanks Captain for knocking me off the last step. You could had helped a young willing hardworking family to climb the ladder but insetad you knocked us off!!!!

support needed please!!!!!!!!!!!! since when did we start turning our backs on each other? its hard enough living in a different country never mind during the time of recession and there is no work available!

Hello Amy. forgive me if I have mis read this but are you saying that both you and the Captain ? whoever that is? are both some sort of agent? and it appears that the Captain has complained about you selling the same as they do? sorry if I sound a bit daft but it's not to clear to me what your saying so can you explain for my benefit as well as perhaps the other members

the captian is the guy who is organising the event, well at least he is the one who has said i cant sell the clothes at the table top. Captain his his forum name.

Basically another girl is attending and seeling clothes for kids too so apprently he is keeping a balance by not allowing me to sell.

Funny how there were two people selling english products from different tables? I feel very offended and upset!

It is a table top not a shopping mall i mean seriously......thanks for taking the time to show your appreciation though.

Well I fail to see what difference it will make although you may be selling children’s wear it won’t be the same and surely the more choice that the punters have the better the market will be, there’s nothing worse than going anywhere and not having a choice so I think in the long run he will be the looser, I'm not too sure where you are but there are other markets that are run by brits which might be worth checking out? I don’t think this Captain person is a member on here? So he won’t be able to explain his actions

krypton wrote:

Hello Amy. forgive me if I have mis read this but are you saying that both you and the Captain ? whoever that is? are both some sort of agent? and it appears that the Captain has complained about you selling the same as they do? sorry if I sound a bit daft but it's not to clear to me what your saying so can you explain for my benefit as well as perhaps the other members

The Captain, his wife and daughter own and run the Boat Inn at Ravda. As far as I can gather the Captain allows his premises to be used to promote and run table top sales. I think from reading a previous posting that the tables are restricted to a first come first served basis, but I think the CAPTAIN would be the best person to clarify the situation, so CAPTAIN where are you?

Hi LittleSteps

Go to the tabletop (regardless of any 'conditions'), talk to your visitors, give out lots of your business cards (with the web address on it of course) and explain your range of products.

People often buy online afterwards.

As for the 'Captain', as you said, he's organised the event on his premises, so it's really up to him who attends and who tabletops exactly what items.

Don't give up ... the snow will soon be gone, you've got a good website and good products and word will spread.

i am in the nessebar area and i know he is on the MyBulgariaportal.info forums.

i personally can not get my head round it! i just think its such a horrible thing to do. I won't be a customer in his restaurant anymore that is a sure thing!

any info would be really welcomed on other sales that i may be able to attend. I am willing to travel! thankyou so much for your support it is really aprreciated. after all what a crap start to my day. Only want to make up the lost earnings to buy my little girl some shoes as she has started to walk!!!!

thanks you cheered me up!

just seen the next message yes this is true for the captin however is organiser natalie said that it is his decission and he said everything like i explained above!

thanks so much Chris good point as well abotu it being his premises. I do have business cards! thanks

Well good luck Amy I will try and find out where the other markets are and get back to you oh and I didn't realise that the Captain was a member on here I can't recall ever seeing him post?

Hi
Here are two for you to go on with, Balchik table top (apparently very successful and friendly) and Kings Bar, Sleevevo, Dobrich car boot sale
I am not sure that to boycott the Boat Inn restaurant will enhance you being an exhibitor in any of his table tops to come. Would it not be a good idea to go along to this next table top and ask the organisers to put your name down for any futher events. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face
I am not sure that Chris's advice/suggestion is in your best interest. Turn the situation round, you are the exhibitor selling baby products and somebody turns up having not been invited and starts giving out business cards etc selling the same products. I don't think you would be very happy. I hope you will take on board what I am saying because I am trying to be positive and constructive and posting in your best interest
All he best in this world of difficult trading conditions and good luck
willowsend

krypton wrote:

Well good luck Amy I will try and find out where the other markets are and get back to you oh and I didn't realise that the Captain was a member on here I can't recall ever seeing him post?

I think he posts on another forum

MyBulgariaportal.info i posted there too......cutting my nose off to spite my own faceee hmm yes, im just upset...lucky he doesnt know me i guess

LittleSteps wrote:

MyBulgariaportal.info i posted there too......cutting my nose off to spite my own faceee hmm yes, im just upset...lucky he doesnt know me i guess

LittleSteps, I have sent you a pm

willowsend wrote:

I am not sure that Chris's advice/suggestion is in your best interest. Turn the situation round, you are the exhibitor selling baby products and somebody turns up having not been invited and starts giving out business cards etc selling the same products.

Maybe some confusion here Willowsend.

Seems to me that LittleSteps has been invited to the tabletop, but to market 'accessories' and not baby clothes? Therefore, surely, what can possibly be the problem with giving out a business card?

If I'm incorrect, then I apologise in advance.

If I was the only 'web designer' there and the guy on the next table was a 'print designer', I can't see myself getting upset at all if he gave out a business card saying 'design for print and web', at the end of the day you choose your supplier on their merits, not as they're 'the only one'.

In 20 years of running my own successful businesses (and working for Global companies for 10 years prior to that) I have never heard anybody tell me that giving out a business card could be against anybody's 'best interest'?

There is nothing wrong with healthy competition in the marketplace (indeed competition is a good sign, showing a healthy potential market), giving the consumer a choice is nothing that should be shunned in my opinion.

Then, I live in a town with no other foreigners, no ex-pats, only Bulgarian's, so perhaps I don't quite understand some of the 'nuances' over on the coast nor amongst expats here.

PS. Why do things via PM's ... why not put things on open forum ... after all forums/fora are places for sharing information?

TABLE TOPS AND CRAFT SALES IN THE VARNA REGION.
.

1ST FRIDAY IN MONTH STEPH’S CRAFT FAIR, TSARICHINO 11-1
1ST SATURDAY IN MONTH ELBAR, ROGACHEVO 11-1
1ST SUNDAY IN MONTH VENTURES RESTAURANT, VETRINO 11-1


2ND SATURDAY IN MONTH PENNYLANES, STARO ORYAHOVO 11-1
2ND SUNDAY IN MONTH PAUL KINGS, SLAVEEVO 11-1

3RDSATURDAY IN MONTH VENTURES RESTAURANT VETRINO 11-1
3RD SUNDAY IN MONTH GARYS BAR, KLIMENTOVO 11-1

LAST SUNDAY IN MONTH SECRET GARDEN RESTAURANT AVERN 11-1
(IN AID OF BSAPP)[2LV. A PITCH]



ALL OPEN TO NEW COMERS AND YOU WOULD BE MOST WELCOME OR JUST COME AND BROUSE AND MEET NEW PEOPLE,


Hi I hope these help you these are the ones we attend, as my husband makes wooden garden items, eg, sheds..benches..dog kennels..bird houses ..gates...fencing,etc
would be good to meet you

The competition is good when people sell the same things and its give the clients a better choice.

Regards Wilola

those events above ,surley are a bit far to travel to from the nessebar area
there must be more in LittleSteps area....anyone know where they are held ??????
good luck littlesteps