Vendor Information
* The purpose of Iowa Made Market is to provide local artisans a space in Valley Junction in West Des Moines, IA to display and sell their handmade items in a brick and mortar shop, along with selling on an online store.
*Valley Junction is a historic shopping district in West Des Moines, IA with special events almost weekly from May-December bringing in additional shoppers.
*All items must be handmade/repurposed by you and you must live within the state of Iowa.
*You cannot already sell items in a shop within Valley Junction. We will be keeping our shop for one of a kind items that cannot be found in the other shops in this shopping district.
*We have two monthly vendor fees that are chosen when contract is signed. Why do we offer two different fees? Some people like to pay a smaller monthly fee and only pay the higher % fee when they have sales. This is good for vendors who don't have a lot of product to sell. Other vendors would rather pay a higher monthly fee and smaller % of sales each month. Vendor fees are $55 plus 25% of sales or $100 plus 10% of sales. Anyone who does not join as a vendor by August 31 will pay $150 plus your % commission of sales in the months of November-December. (Pay only 10% of sales by working 2 days per month).
*An online inventory system is used to enter and track sales. Vendors are able to log into their account at any time to see their sales and what items need to be restocked. Vendors are required to enter their own inventory, add items to the online store and add barcoded labels to their items at drop off. (barcodes provided at shop)
*Vendors are able to use provided classroom space to teach classes and increase their sales (10% commission fee still applies to class fee)
*Available space is limited and products will be juried/curated to be sure they are a good fit for the shop and not a category already full.
*There are no booths. The shop is set up in departments like a regular shop with jewelry, kids, pets, kitchen etc.
*Space is available to store some back stock of items for those who live 1+ hour away.
*Restocks may be done anytime during open shop hours (with the exception of during special events usually held on Thursday nights in Valley Junction).
If interested in joining us at the shop as a vendor send your Facebook/Instagram/Etsy shop pages and/or website to iowamademarket.org@gmail.com You may list the items you are interested in bringing into the shop. We will then take a look at the products on your pages and let you know which/if any products we will accept into the shop. Once accepted, an electronic contract will be emailed to you.
Teaching Classes Information
*You do not have to be a vendor in the store to use the classroom to teach your own classes.
*Vendors get priority access to the classroom and dates and pay 10% of their per person fee for each class (We recommend adding the 10% fee to the price you charge.
*Non-vendor teachers pay 20% of their per person fee for each class. (We recommend adding the 20% fee to the price you charge)
*Classroom can seat up to 16 people (depending on space needed for class)
*Classes are agreed upon by Iowa Made Market and the teacher. A Google doc is then sent to be filled out on each class. The document is used to list all the details for the class along with uploading a picture of the project.
*Iowa Made Market will take that information and make a link on the online store for registrations, create an "ad" in the "Upcoming Classes" section of the website, create an event on our Facebook page and add the class to the outdoor poster A frame sign.
*Non-vendor teachers are paid out within 48 hours of their completed class via Paypal or Melio. (Vendor teachers are paid out along with their in-store sales at the end of the month)
*Teachers have found success paying for one of their class fees and setting up a paid advertisement of their class to fill their class. (ask us for more details)
We get customers who ask us almost daily what classes are offered. If you have class ideas please reach out to discuss teaching here at Iowa Made Market.