Maker Entrepreneur Happy Hour & Informal Show and Tell

Welcome to the second edition of Philly's latest greatest maker-est meetup group for new entrepreneurs. Our group helps connect entrepreneurs who make and sell physical goods to the resources they need to grow their business. We'll have our second happy hour at Perch Pub to introduce ourselves, show off our wares informally, and talk about the challenges facing the community.

Announcement: In addition to social programming like happy hours, we also want to offer useful educational programming. Tell us what challenges your facing and how we can help. Click here (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/maker-entrepreneurs) to take the #MakerBoss Needs Assessment Survey to tell us what you need.

New to the group? Wondering if it's for you? If you think you know what we mean by Maker Entrepreneur, feel free to skip these FAQs and hop on over to the RSVP button.

If you have any questions, here are some answers that might help you determine if this group is right for you.

Hope to see you on 6/11!

What is a maker entrepreneur?

A maker entrepreneur is anyone who makes and sells physical objects. When we say “make,” we mean anything that has to do with the product development process. When we say “sell,” we mean any part of the business process.

Some common maker entrepreneurs are:

Artists who fabricate and sell their work
Designers who mass-produce and sell-their work
Inventors who develop, test, and tweak a product before licensing it to someone else
Business-folk who work with a team of designers, artists, or manufacturers to turn an idea into a product and bring it to market

How is a maker entrepreneur different from a regular ol’ maker?

In many cases, they’re the same thing. Anyone who makes things is a maker, and many people who make things like to see them hit the market. The biggest way that maker entrepreneurs are different is that they don’t just make things—they make businesses. They don’t just design, develop, and create—they also mass-produce, market, and sell.

How is a maker entrepreneur different from other kinds of entrepreneurs?

Trick question. Entrepreneurs of all stripes share many of the same challenges, obstacles, and processes. The major difference is that maker entrepreneurs must go through the process of developing and getting a physical product to market. This process involves supply chain and procurement questions that are unique to maker entrepreneurship and aren’t (usually) part of the software or services entrepreneurship experience.

Am I a maker entrepreneur?

If you think any part of this process is interesting and want to learn more, then, for the purposes of this meetup, yes! Anyone who either runs a business that sells physical goods or who is thinking about starting one is welcome. By the same token, if you want to start a business that involves selling things that you play a role in designing or developing, then you are a maker entrepreneur and you’re invited.

Why should I go to this meetup?

Because everyone else is super excited to meet you! The strength of any community is the people in it and you’ve got a lot to offer. You can also come to meet other maker entrepreneurs like yourself. You can ask each other questions about logistics, ecommerce, or 3D printing—or you can keep it light and just get to know each other.

What will happen after this meetup?

That’s where the fun really begins. You’ll have a chance to give feedback about what will help your business. Are you struggling to grow your ecommerce site? Are you trying to reduce your manufacturing timeline? Whatever pain points you might be facing, this group exists to help you address them.

Who’s running this meetup?

Technically speaking, you are! At our first happy hour we’ll talk about what matters to you and other maker entrepreneurs. The organizer of the event is Alli Blum, founder of Hooley, a coloring company for grownups. Alli decided to start this Meetup after realizing that there wasn’t a community of maker entrepreneurs to rival the Philly tech community, which has been extraordinarily helpful for her. She hopes that this meetup will one day grow into an ecosystem of maker entrepreneurs in Philadelphia as vibrant as the Philly tech community—or that she’ll at least get to meet some other smart entrepreneurs.

What are the deets?

We’re gathering on Wednesday, 6/11 from 5-7 at Perch Pub. The first happy hour is free and your in-advance RSVP will help us give our gracious host a headcount. RSVP through the Meetup page.

I have more questions!

No problem. Fire away below or email alli@hooleycoloring.com!