Home-based businesses sell wares at trade show

MOSES LAKE — About 30 businesses, ranging from jewelry to furniture refinishing, presented their goods at Big Bend Community College Saturday.

They were part of the Personal Finance and Home Based Business Trade Fair. The event was a gathering of people who ran home businesses for classes and to sell their items and services.

The goal for the event was to allow people to reach a larger market and allow them to meet other people involved in home businesses, said Allan Peterson, director for Big Bend Community College’s Center for Business and Industry.

Kristyn Brown and Melissa Rankin were selling jewelry for Liberating Style, a Moses Lake business run by Angela Clay.

“We have jewelry a lot of other places around town don’t offer,” Rankin said. “Everything from fun to funky to an even more of a fashion staple like silver and gold.”

She said the number sales have been a bit slow, but the amount they sold has been good.

“Because people know us around town. We have great products,” she said.

Don Bunch was selling hand carved wooden pens at the event. He’s been selling them at various fairs and trade shows for about six years.

“The pens and stuff are all exotic woods from around the world,” he said.

He makes the pens by placing a tube in the middle of the wood, then places it on the lathe until he gets the shape he wants. He adds the pen at the end. He said he runs the business as a hobby.

Linda Curran and her husband shared a booth where she sold her photography and he focused on his furniture refinishing business, Da-Lin Enterprises. The two use the business to supplement their Social Security payments.

“It’s a hobby business. We’re going to apply for our city license,” Curran said. “Then he makes Native American drums from scratch.”

For more information, Liberating Style can be found online at www.liberatingstyle.com or called at 509-989-0500. Curran’s business, Da-Lin Enterprises, can be contacted by phone at 509-793-5557.