Greenway Neighborhood Market

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Executive Summary

Greenway Neighborhood Market will be a weekly outdoor farmers market in Wisconsin where local farmers, bakers, cheese makers, flower growers and food makers sell directly to neighbors. A farmers market is simple in idea and hard to run well. Someone has to find a good location, get the permits, recruit the right mix of vendors, keep the market clean and safe, tell people it is happening and make sure vendors sell enough to come back every week.

That someone is us. We earn money three ways: a booth fee that each vendor pays on each market day, sponsorships from local businesses that want to be part of the market and a few seasonal special events, such as a harvest festival and a holiday market. We do not sell the food ourselves. Our job is to make a place where farmers earn a fair living and neighbors can buy fresh food from people they know.

Here is what our numbers show. We expect about $89,100 in sales in Year 1, growing to about $211,600 by Year 5 as the market grows from two market days a week to a bigger season with more events. We expect a profit of about $15,100 in Year 1 and about $21,400 in Year 2, then about $23,500, $27,600 and $30,700 in Years 3 to 5. We need $40,000 to open, as the Funding Need Calculator in this plan shows, and we plan to start with $40,000: $12,000 of my own savings and $28,000 from family and a local community development fund. These figures are estimates built from the assumptions at the end of this plan, not promises.

I am Priya Nair, the owner and market manager.

Company Description

Greenway Neighborhood Market will be a limited liability company (LLC) owned by Priya Nair and based in Wisconsin. We will run two markets each week during the growing season, a Saturday morning market and a Wednesday evening market, in a public lot next to a neighborhood park that the city allows us to use with a permit.

What we believe. Fresh food tastes better when you know who grew it. A good market is also a place where neighbors meet, kids see where food comes from and small farms stay in business.

What we offer.
- To vendors: a clear application, a fair booth fee, a prepared space, a market manager on site every day, advertising and a steady crowd.
- To shoppers: fresh produce, meat, eggs, bread, flowers, honey and prepared foods from local producers, plus live music, kids' activities and a small information booth.
- To sponsors: a way to be part of a popular neighborhood event and to reach local families.
- A few special events each season, such as a harvest festival, a holiday market and a spring plant sale.

What we do not do. We do not give food safety or legal advice to vendors. We require every vendor to hold the licenses and insurance that apply to what they sell, and we check that before they may sell. Selling meat, dairy, eggs and prepared foods is regulated, and rules differ by state and county. We will learn what applies in Wisconsin and what the county health department requires, and we will not open until the permits are in place.

Where things stand today. I have visited several markets to learn how they run, talked with the city about a permit for the lot, built a list of 18 farmers and food makers who have said they would sell at a new market nearby and met with two local businesses that would like to sponsor.

Problem & Opportunity

Many neighborhoods do not have a place to buy fresh food directly from the people who grow it. Grocery stores are convenient, and the food often travels far and can cost more than shoppers expect. Many families would like fresh vegetables, fruit, eggs and bread from nearby farms, and do not know where to find them.

Small farmers and food makers have the opposite problem. They grow good food and need places to sell it. Selling at a grocery store means giving up much of the price. Selling at a market means paying booth fees, spending the whole day and hoping enough shoppers come. A poorly run market, with weak advertising, a bad location or too many of the same product, can send vendors away.

What we hear from both sides.
- A vegetable farmer says, "I need a market with steady customers, so I can plan how much to harvest."
- A baker says, "I would sell at a market if the booth fee were clear and fair, and if I knew the market would be there next year."
- A parent says, "I would shop at a market if it were close, easy to get to and had something for the kids."
- A small business owner says, "I would sponsor a market that really draws neighbors."

What gets in the way. A good market needs a site, permits, insurance, signs, a mix of vendors, a manager who cares, reliable advertising and rules everyone knows and respects. Many neighborhood markets fail because the organizer is a volunteer who burns out, or because the budget does not cover the cost of running it.

We do not claim to fix the food system. We can run one good market well, keep it fair to vendors and shoppers and make it financially sustainable so it lasts.

Products & Services

Greenway Neighborhood Market runs a clean, friendly, well-organized market that vendors want to sell at and neighbors want to visit.

How the market works.
1. Vendor selection. Vendors apply online. We look for a balance: vegetable and fruit growers, meat and egg producers, bakers, flowers and plants, prepared foods and a few crafts. We make sure no one product crowds out the rest.
2. A clear booth fee. Vendors pay a daily booth fee, about $40 in Year 1, with a small discount for vendors who commit to the full season. We publish the fee and the rules before the season starts.
3. Rules everyone can see. We require vendors to hold the licenses, permits and insurance that apply and to follow our market rules on food safety, pricing, weights and scales and respectful behavior.
4. Setup and management. A market manager is on site every market day to set up, welcome vendors, answer questions, solve problems and keep the market clean and safe.
5. Customers. We promote the market with signs, social posts, flyers and local partners, and we offer music, kids' activities and a market information booth.
6. Sponsors. Local businesses can sponsor a season of the market and are recognized on signs and our website.
7. Special events. Three events in Year 1: a spring plant sale, a harvest festival and a holiday market.

Accepting food benefits. We plan to apply to accept SNAP benefits through a market token system, which requires state approval. We have not counted on this in our budget and we will not promise shoppers anything until we are approved.

Why it works. Vendors earn more when shoppers come every week, and shoppers come when the market has good products, clear signs, easy parking and a friendly feel. A paid manager keeps the market consistent from week to week.

What we do not promise. We do not promise that every vendor will sell a set amount. We promise a well-run market, honest communication and fair treatment of every vendor.

Market Analysis

Who we serve.
- Local farmers, growers, bakers, cheese makers, flower growers and food makers who want a place to sell directly to customers.
- Neighbors, families and workers who want fresh, local food and a pleasant place to shop.
- Local businesses that want to be part of a community event.

How we estimate demand. We cannot say how many shoppers a new market will draw, so we plan carefully from what we can count. We have a list of 18 vendors who told us they would sell at a nearby market, and two businesses who would sponsor. In Year 1 we plan for about 60 market days across two markets a week for about 30 weeks, with an average of about 26 vendors per market day (1,560 booth days), 9 sponsors and 3 special events. By Year 5 we plan for 3,000 booth days, 19 sponsors and 6 events.

How shoppers find us.
- Signs and banners near the lot and along nearby streets.
- A simple website and a weekly post with the week's vendors.
- Flyers at libraries, schools, workplaces and faith communities.
- Partnerships with the neighborhood association and park district.
- Word of mouth.

How vendors find us.
- Personal invitations to farmers, bakers and food makers who sell at other markets.
- Notices to farm associations and local food networks.
- A simple online application.

Seasons. Our main season runs from late spring through fall. We plan a holiday market in winter. Revenue is lower in winter, which is why we keep our year-round costs modest.

Competitive Landscape

What shoppers and vendors do today, and how we are different.

1. Grocery stores and big-box stores. Convenient and often cheaper for some items. They do not offer the personal connection or the freshness of food bought from the farmer who grew it. We do not try to replace them.

2. Other farmers markets. There are markets in nearby towns, some larger and some smaller than ours will be. Some are open on days that overlap with ours, so we will choose days and times that give vendors and shoppers a choice. We will welcome vendors who sell at several markets.

3. Farm stands and community supported agriculture shares. A farm stand sells from the farm. A farm share (CSA) delivers a box each week. Both are good options, and they serve a different customer. We invite farm stands and CSAs to promote their programs at our market.

4. Online grocery and meal kits. Convenient for many busy people. We offer something different: a place to meet neighbors and see the food.

What makes us different.
- Two markets a week, including an evening market for people who work during the day.
- A professional manager on site for every market.
- A clear, fair booth fee and published rules.
- Programs for kids and families.
- Strong ties to local sponsors and the neighborhood association.

What we will not do. We will not let vendors resell produce they did not grow without telling shoppers. We believe honesty is the heart of a farmers market, and our rules say so.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How shoppers, vendors and sponsors will find us.

Before we open (the three months ahead):
- Finish the website with market days, vendor application and sponsor information.
- Invite 18 vendors by personal conversation and ask them to apply.
- Meet with the neighborhood association, the park district and local schools.
- Meet with local businesses and offer a sponsorship package.
- Put up banners and signs in the neighborhood and at the lot.
- Hold an opening day event with music, a ribbon cutting and activities for kids.

During the season:
- Post the week's vendors, new items and events every week on one social page families already use.
- Send a short email to neighbors who sign up at our information booth.
- Hold a "meet your farmer" spotlight each week.
- Offer a loyalty card so shoppers earn a small reward for coming back.
- Ask vendors to hand out a market flyer with each sale.

Sponsors. We offer a simple package with signs, a mention on our website and social posts and a table at one market. We invite sponsors to the opening day and the harvest festival.

Pricing and fairness. We publish all fees. We do not allow vendors to underprice one another unfairly or sell products that do not meet our rules. We keep a waiting list when a category is full.

What we watch. Shoppers per market day, number of vendors, average vendor sales (with permission) and how shoppers heard about us. We use these numbers to adjust our marketing and our vendor mix, and to spend our $4,000 marketing budget in Year 1 wisely.

Operations Plan

How the market will run day to day.

Market days. Saturday morning and Wednesday evening, about 30 weeks in Year 1. On each market day we arrive early to mark spaces, set up signs and the information booth and welcome vendors. We stay through breakdown and clean the site.

Vendor management. We keep a list of approved vendors, their licenses and insurance and their booth fees. Vendors are assigned spaces, and we keep notes on what sells well. We hold a short meeting with vendors at the start and the middle of the season.

Safety. We require vendors to follow food safety rules and keep handwashing stations at the market. We keep a first aid kit, have a plan for severe weather and know how to reach the police and fire department. We also keep barricades so vehicles cannot enter the market area.

Equipment. We buy about $12,000 of equipment at the start: tents, tables and weights ($6,500), a sound system, handwashing stations and barricades ($3,500) and a card and token terminal for market tokens ($2,000).

Staffing. In Year 1 I serve as owner and market manager. In Year 2 we add a part-time market day assistant. In Year 3 we add a part-time events and vendor coordinator. By Year 5 we have three market day assistants.

Money. Vendors pay booth fees by card or bank transfer before the season. Sponsors pay by invoice. We keep simple books and track each market day's costs.

Risks and how we plan for them:
- Bad weather. We keep a rain plan, move indoors when we can and offer vendors a make-up day policy.
- Too few shoppers at first. We promote heavily in the first month, and our cushion covers three months of costs.
- A vendor sells something that is not allowed. We check licenses before each season and inspect each week.
- Losing the site. We have a written permit and a backup location.
- A food safety or injury problem. We carry insurance and follow a written plan.
- Burnout. We hire a part-time assistant in Year 2 so I am not the only person who can run the market.

Management & Organization

Priya Nair, owner and market manager. I started this market because I love what happens when neighbors, farmers and makers meet over fresh food. I have visited many markets to learn what makes some succeed and others fail, and I have worked in customer-facing jobs where listening and patience mattered. I will learn and follow all the permit and food safety rules that apply in our county.

What I bring. I am organized, I am comfortable with large groups and I like helping small business owners solve problems. I understand small business basics: simple books, fair pricing and clear agreements.

Who helps me.
- A volunteer advisory group of three people: a vegetable farmer, a neighborhood association leader and a small business owner.
- A bookkeeper, paid by the hour, who handles monthly books and taxes.
- An attorney who reviewed our vendor agreement.
- A county health department contact who answers food safety questions for vendors.

Our team. We hire people who are friendly, dependable and comfortable working outdoors. Market day assistants help with setup, vendor questions and breakdown. We train each person in our rules, safety plan and customer service.

My pay. I pay myself $38,000 a year from the first year. That is built into the numbers in this plan so the market does not depend on unpaid work.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them.

Before opening (Months 1 to 4):
- Month 1: Register the LLC, apply for the city permit and open a business bank account.
- Month 1 and 2: Buy insurance, order equipment and write the vendor agreement and market rules.
- Month 2: Open vendor applications and sponsor outreach.
- Month 3: Put up signs and banners, finish the website and meet with neighbors.
- Month 4: Hold opening day.

Year 1:
- Hold about 60 market days with an average of about 26 vendors.
- Sign 9 sponsors and hold 3 special events.
- Keep a vendor list with at least 30 approved vendors and a waiting list.
- Ask vendors and shoppers for feedback twice during the season.

Year 2:
- Reach 2,000 booth days and 12 sponsors, with 4 special events.
- Add a market day assistant.

Year 3 and beyond:
- Reach 2,400 booth days in Year 3 and 3,000 in Year 5.
- Add an events and vendor coordinator in Year 3.
- Apply to accept SNAP benefits through a token system, and look at partnering with a nonprofit that matches those benefits for fresh produce. We will not count on this until we are approved.
- Consider a winter indoor market after two strong seasons.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it.

Total needed: $40,000, as the Funding Need Calculator in this plan shows. We plan to start with $40,000, which covers that amount with a little room to spare.

Startup costs: $25,500.
- Market tents, tables and weights for the market information booth and vendor spaces: $6,500.
- Sound system, handwashing stations and barricades: $3,500.
- Card and token terminal for market tokens: $2,000.
- Market permit, business registration and attorney review of the vendor agreement: $3,200.
- Insurance first payment: $2,800.
- Banners, signs and wayfinding: $2,500.
- Website, vendor application system and opening marketing: $3,500.
- Opening supplies: bags, scales, first aid and sanitation: $1,500.

Cushion. The calculator adds about $14,250 for roughly three months of Year 1 expenses and about $0 for cash the business uses before it breaks even, so a slow first season does not force us to close.

Where the $40,000 comes from. $12,000 of my own savings and $28,000 from family and a local community development fund. We are not borrowing money, so there is no loan payment in our plan.

Phase 1: Open the Saturday market only, with about 20 vendors, and add the Wednesday evening market once the Saturday market is steady.
Phase 2: Add the second market, the holiday market and the first part-time assistant once the Saturday market is steady, using profit from Year 1 and Year 2.

Sales and profit. Year 1 sales are about $89,100. We expect a profit of about $15,100 in Year 1, about $21,400 in Year 2, about $23,500 in Year 3, about $27,600 in Year 4 and about $30,700 in Year 5. Year 5 sales are about $211,600.

Cash. The lowest year-end cash balance in the plan is about $40,700 at the end of Year 1. At the end of Year 1 customers owe us about $5,346, so we follow up on unpaid bills each week.

Where each Year 1 dollar goes. Pay: owner / Market Manager $38,000. Direct costs of goods and services: about $10,530. Other yearly costs: market Site Permit and Rental about $6,000; insurance and Licenses about $5,000; marketing and Signs about $4,000; supplies, Software and Mileage about $4,000.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you share this plan:

- Your business registration and your city or park permit.
- Your insurance certificate.
- Your vendor application and vendor agreement.
- Your market rules and food safety guidelines.
- A list of vendors who have said they will apply, with their products.
- Letters of interest from sponsors.
- Your site map and rain plan.
- Your health department contacts and requirements.
- Quotes for equipment.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Vendor Booth Fees (per booth per market day): 1,560 in Year 1 at $40, growing to 3,000 at $48 in Year 5. About $3 each goes to direct costs.
- Sponsorships and Advertising (per sponsor per season): 9 in Year 1 at $1,800, growing to 19 at $2,200 in Year 5. About $150 each goes to direct costs.
- Seasonal Special Events (per event): 3 in Year 1 at $3,500, growing to 6 at $4,300 in Year 5. About $1,500 each goes to direct costs.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): owner / Market Manager $38,000; market Day Assistant (part-time) $20,000; events and Vendor Coordinator (part-time) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: market Site Permit and Rental $6,000; insurance and Licenses $5,000; marketing and Signs $4,000; supplies, Software and Mileage $4,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $12,000 at the start, then $1,500 to $2,500 a year.
- Startup costs: $25,500, paid once from $40,000 in startup money.
- Market days: about 60 in Year 1, growing as the season lengthens.
- Vendors: about 26 per market day in Year 1.
- About 6% of each year's sales is still owed to us at year end.
- Taxes: 21%, as a simple estimate. Check with a tax professional about how your business is taxed.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own prices, quotes and real costs.

Startup Costs