SMALL BIZ OWNERS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TRUST EACH OTHER

I'm able to keep Chickin Feed up and running because I have received lots of help from lots folks that wanted nothing in return from me, except to see me succeed. I am so very grateful. I've also placed my trust in the hands of many people.

Each time I leave my products in a store on consignment or overnight at an event, I am participating in the unspoken agreement of trust that small business owners extend to each other every day. When I sign up to participate in an event, the organizers trust that I will participate in a way that honors their event and that I will bring my A-game. Fellow vendors trust that I will keep to myself and not take any of their merchandise while they step away from their booth (everyone has to go to the bathroom at some point!). Customers trust that I will not spam them if they sign up on my email list and the ultimate trust is given when they hand me their credit card to process. AND I've extended my trust to the customer assuming that they are handing me a valid card. Only on an occasion or two have I been stiffed and it might be because I wrote something down incorrectly and didn't get proper contact info. For the most part I've been very fortunate. I've always understood how important that extension of trust is and would never do anything to jeopardize that relationship.

If you know me personally, then you probably know that I don't have much to hide ('cept a few lbs.) and I'm always willing to help. (My husband thinks it is a sickness) I'm always happy to lend my ideas and resources as I'm able . . . ESPECIALLY to fellow business owners. Again, I wouldn't be where I am if many other people hadn't shared their resources - with no strings attached - with me. So I am particularly shocked and bothered by an event that happened to me one week ago.

Last Sunday, I exhibited at a great event called the Field of Greens (fantastic day!) I ran into a vendor that I hadn't seen since I met her at another event a few months back. We had a good time chatting and joking that day. She even helped me showcase one of my products by wearing it the whole day. We talked a lot about sources and "where can I get this and that done" and decided that we should just meet for coffee on Monday since we live in next-door neighborhoods.

We talked Monday first thing and since part of what she was interested in was how to do some iron-on transfers, I suggested that I could come over to her place to show her how to load them up and print them out on her computer. She said her roommate was sleeping, could we meet a the local coffee shop instead? Of course we could I said. She said she would bring her laptop. I brought her 10 or so iron-on transfer sheets so she could try them and wouldn't have to go to the office supply store right away. We talked for about 45 minutes - I showed her lots of places to look for things on the computer and some ideas about how to set things up so that her business ideas could be more easily expressed and about a great site where she could pop he logo on a bunch of different products for branding purposes.

Just before we were ready to leave, I got up to go to the bathroom. When I got back I noticed a deposit slip on the couch and asked if she had dropped it, she said no and I realized it was one of mine from the previous week. We chatted for a few more minute and I left.

I was headed to pick up some supplies on the north end of town and something (intuition) told me to check and see if I had brought my debit card with me that day. I looked and it was missing. I called my husband to see if he could locate it in any of my pants pockets and he could not. I decided to cancel the card - it was to our personal checking account and since we usually run close to the margins, I wanted to be safe. Later that night my husband asked if I'd had fun at Target that day.

Approximately 20-30 minutes after my "let me spend my time to help you with your business" meeting ended, a charge for $194.94 ran through at the Target five minutes up the road from where we met. I've seen the security camera tapes and it is unmistakably her. The one that I trusted to watch my purse while I went to the bathroom.

CODA: She sent me a money order for $200 later in the week with a note that apologized for her "actions" without admitting to what she had done. Since the bank covered our charges, the money is not mine to take, I've done what I should with it. And I'm really not going to spend much more of my time thinking about this, I did want to get it out and to encourage folks to trust their intuition and tote their purse to the bathroom, just to be safe.