Making it
Jenna Hutcheson (at left) and Jess Vermette were trying to start their own business when they created the Ottawa Makers Market. © Rupert Nuttle
They had all the marketing but not the market. When Jenna Hutcheson and Jessica Vermette were launching their floral design shop l’Orangerie, they spent months deciding on a name and honing their brand—but didn’t have anywhere to sell their product.
“We were just starting out,” said Hutcheson. “We needed to have a place to test our products. So we decided, maybe somewhat naively, to just start our own market. We thought it was that simple.”
And in April, the Ottawa Makers Market was born. It was created with the goal of providing the opportunities Vermette and Hutcheson felt were lacking for Ottawa’s young entrepreneurs.
They initially thought to rent a small venue and include 15-20 local vendors, charging $50 each to set up shop for a day. The markets would also have a charitable component—a by-donation entrance fee—with 50 per cent of the proceeds going to local charities.
The first market was held in the ice shed of the Rideau Curling Club, in June. It may seem like an unexpected spot for an artisanal fair, but the pair organized two more markets at the same location in July and August. The summer markets drew in up to 60 participating vendors, but with the arrival of curling season, the pair had to find a different spot. They settled on Orange Art Gallery, a former bank with “lots of ambiance.”
The more intimate venue allowed Hutcheson and Vermette to try out a new direction: “We had been toying with the idea of doing a night market that was more of a social event,” said Hutcheson. Customers and vendors could get to know one another in a relaxed setting.
Each of the night markets has drawn a crowd, and the organizers are thrilled with the level of talent on display.
“Since we’ve started we’ve definitely seen growth in the maker community, which is awesome,” said Vermette.
Hutcheson agrees:
Maker movements such as Ottawa’s have increased in popularity across North America in recent years. In addition to putting on local markets and craft fairs, “maker cultures” also embrace the sharing of tools and expertise between self-starting entrepreneurs, for maximum innovation. These collaborations frequently take place in “makerspaces” such as Ottawa’s Makerspace North, which is located on the same block as Orange Art Gallery.
The rising number of makerspaces and makers markets in Canada coincides with two other recent developments: a growing appreciation for “social entrepreneurship” in the business community and a workforce of over-qualified millennials.
“Social entrepreneurship” is a term that’s being used more and more in business circles, according to François Brouard, the director of the Sprott Centre for Social Enterprises at Carleton University.
He says that definitions vary depending who you ask, but that essentially an enterprise is considered “social” if it operates to benefit members of the community instead of generating profit for shareholders.
Non-profits have always been social enterprises, he points out, but we’re starting to see a mentality shift in the for-profit sector as well. While it’s not enough to just brand your business “green” or “local”—and a lot depends on whether you view entrepreneurship as a social mission in itself—Brouard believes that all businesses have something to learn from social enterprises.
“The end result is more important than the label,” he explained.
Ottawa Makers Market was definitely conceived in a social spirit. In addition to their charitable contributions, the events have enabled young entrepreneurs to find their legs, and brought Ottawa shoppers into contact with local talent.
Hutcheson believes that economic fluctuations over the last decade have also contributed to a larger awareness among consumers, who are now more inclined to buy from local artisans than they were a decade ago.
As for millennials, earlier this month the Parliamentary Budget Officer reported that the proportion of university-educated workers aged 24-30 who are overqualified for their job has been increasing since the early 1990s.
The percentage of overqualified workers among recent graduates has risen to 40 per cent in 2014 from 32 per cent in 1991, with a marked increase following the 2008-09 recession. The report also found that roughly 65 per cent were either overqualified or unemployed.
Hutcheson, who initially studied international relations with the intent of joining the diplomatic corps, said that labour conditions are not ideal for her generation.
“Coming out of university and the job market sucks. It’s really hard to find a job in your field,” she said.
Vermette agrees. She works as a server at Vineyards Wine Bar Bistro, and said it can be difficult to balance between her business and her job.
“Working two shifts a day basically, doing one at my job and then another one all day planning the market. But it’s alright,” she said.
Last Thursday, for the holiday night market, Orange Art Gallery was in full swing. The delicious scent of Peruvian food wafted from the Rico Peru truck parked outside, while inside, patrons and vendors chattered over drinks and live music.
At his booth, Emil Mateja pointed out a drawing of a goat’s skull with birds perched on it. “A lot of my illustrations focus on life and death, the cycle of life, and how we experience nature day-to-day,” the young artist said. That night, he was mostly selling holiday-themed greeting cards.
Mateja used to work for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. When his contract ended, he decided to focus solely on his illustration work. He said some people discouraged him from taking the plunge.
“People are saying the art’s great, but it’s not going to sustain you all the time,” he said, “You have to get a job – any menial job that gives you a steady paycheque – and then you can work on the passion.”
Many of the market’s vendors are in a similar position—recent post-secondary graduates balancing day jobs with their own businesses.
For the time being though, Mateja says he has enough savings left over from his Postal Workers Union contract to start growing his business. “I can see it picking up slowly,” he said, “It’s obviously not a fortune, but people are liking it.”
For her part, Hutcheson is happy to see Ottawa’s entrepreneurial spirit thriving.
“We’re in the exact same situation as everyone else here so it’s really inspiring to see.”
