poacher handing out biz cards in front of our shop

[d fleming]

So far I've just been picking fun and no help whatsoever but for my two cents I can tell you I've had a local business owner put their coros right in front of my shop advertising against me, then when I couldn't get anything but bs out of him on the phone I put zoning on him for illegal signs. After that he put his neighbors sign in front of my shop to cause her grief when they had words between them thinking I would report her as well. He has since changed names and moved and never was serious competition to begin with, but he definitely is a jerk of the lowest order. He has even gone so far as to tell some colleagues of mine that he knows me when he has never met me in person. Had I found him passing out cards in front of my shop I would have tossed him by the collar and belt loops off the property in a very nasty fashion most likely involving a boot to the behind. Some people (mostly the lower rung on the ladder) do not understand anything less.

 

[Techman]

This is a lot of whining about someone wandering around on public property passing out bizz cards. This guy either is in desperate straights or is doing this on purpose.

If he did it on purpose then he is getting exactly what he wants. He is getting you to waste your time worrying about him. That takes away from your time better spent on developing a market for the bizz.

This time energy can be better spent on perfecting our own gorilla marketing techniques. Success is the best revenge.

 

[binki]

This is a lot of whining about someone wandering around on public property passing out bizz cards. This guy either is in desperate straights or is doing this on purpose.

If he did it on purpose then he is getting exactly what he wants. He is getting you to waste your time worrying about him. That takes away from your time better spent on developing a market for the bizz.

This time energy can be better spent on perfecting our own gorilla marketing techniques. Success is the best revenge.

I agree with everything you are saying except public property. We rent and pay for this space for the event and have a right to accept or refuse vendors AND the city has requirements for us to follow on this. It is not public property at these events, it is our event and we should have the ability to control it. Otherwise anyone could come and set up a booth without paying. Even the face painter pays for a spot.

The only ones that do not have to pay an extra fee are the merchants downtown because we already pay for it in our biz license.

 

[Slamdunkpro]

...poacher story...

This is a job for the Farmer's market organizer. At every trade show / open air market / fee event of this type I attend, people soliciting business who have not paid a booth / space fee are ejected / asked to leave / threatened with trespassing (if applicable). He's not only trying to hurt your business, he's hurting the farmer's market. It's like rabbits, first you have one poacher, then two, then everyone starts thinking "why am I paying a booth fee when they let these clowns solicit for free"?

The organizer should tell him to knock it off or leave the market.

 

[binki]

The organizer should tell him to knock it off or leave the market.

The organizer is the merchants assocation here, that is us/we/me, all of us downtown.

I sent a note to the president to add it to the next agenda.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Thinks your making a mountain out of a mole hill.
James is very correct on his 1st post
the rest I stopped reading just rehashing.
Bring it at your meeting, and this maybe a one time thing anyway

 

[Pro Image]

I agree with everything you are saying except public property. We rent and pay for this space for the event and have a right to accept or refuse vendors AND the city has requirements for us to follow on this. It is not public property at these events, it is our event and we should have the ability to control it. Otherwise anyone could come and set up a booth without paying. Even the face painter pays for a spot.

The only ones that do not have to pay an extra fee are the merchants downtown because we already pay for it in our biz license.

Sorry Binki......If its held on city streets and sidewalks and the public doesn't have to pay a fee to enter the market then its public property......YOU pay the city to be there not John Q. Public......If its free to Him to get in the market, then He has all the rights in the world to be there just like you do anywhere that you go on public lands.......

 

[binki]

In checking with the city the solicitation is prohibited by the municipal code if he hands out printed material, including business cards, on public property.

I did have a brief email conversation with him about the state of the business and he did confirm they were hard up for work which I suspected.

Anyway, I appreciate the responses and the insight from them. I just thought it was pretty tacky for some to not only come in and introduce himself and try to get us to outsource to him and also to solicit right in front of our place.

 

[tomence]

Sorry Binki......If its held on city streets and sidewalks and the public doesn't have to pay a fee to enter the market then its public property......YOU pay the city to be there not John Q. Public......If its free to Him to get in the market, then He has all the rights in the world to be there just like you do anywhere that you go on public lands.......

Very good post.

Its like if you are Toyota car dealer you cannot have a used Ford vehicle displayed on your parking lot.

He is handing out business cards he is not selling physical items. You paid to sell something right at that moment.

 

[Techman]

solicitation is prohibited by the municipal code if he hands out printed material, including business cards, on public property.

Not enforceable. Already decided by the supreme court.

 

[G-Artist]

binki, I have been somewhat in your shoes a few times. I have worked on and
also coordinated large events using public places, mostly being in charge of vendors
and having others, not licensed by us, trying to sell wares. It is easy to make an
arrest of unpermitted vendors or confiscate their goods for sale, But passing out
business cards? What if he wore a decorated shirt or vest advertising his goods/services
and someone asked him for his card?

Solicitation only has the meaning given to it within the ordinance. And that is
only enforceable if it is a blanket one with no exceptions. An adjacent city recently
passed one to rid the city of street-corner panhandlers and guys who sell Sunday
newspapers at major traffic intersections...of course the Firefighters MDA Boot
Drive is now banned in that city. It's amusing to me (not that I cared a whit about
the two entities that were banned) that the local neighborhood associations who were
the driving force behind it may firn that ordinance biting them in the ass because they
may not be able to block off a street and have a block party where they sell stuff
to raise funds for their neighborhood organization.

Check this out.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/proposed--free-expression-zones--on-hold-98846259.html

Lots of nuances.

 

[binki]

Well we have the final word. The event staff will ask anyone handing out material to stop or leave.

If someone wants to take the event to court then they can but in the mean time we will be protected.

 

[Pro Image]

Well we have the final word. The event staff will ask anyone handing out material to stop or leave.

If someone wants to take the event to court then they can but in the mean time we will be protected.

Better watch you step........You know everyone is SUE happy these days and if your EVENT is on PUBLIC property and you force him to leave the PUBLIC space then one of those hot shot civil right attorneys will sue your organization for violating his civil rights.........

Just let it go.....let him go out of business and dont worry about.......