Press release on QFlea - Virtual Flea Market

The Virtual Flea Market Remains Free and Continues Growth at Fifth Anniversary

USA -- July 17, 2004 -- QFLEA.com - The Virtual Flea Market proudly celebrates the completion of its first five years as the largest free virtual flea market on the Internet. The flea market is a most unique business collaboration of over four hundred vendors who sell a variety of items from their websites, including crafts, jewelry, clothing, personalized gifts, teddy bears, soaps and candles, and many services. These vendors join QFLEA.com at no cost.

The QFLEA flea market is well positioned on Internet search engines and has developed a good reputation with many online communities. "We spent the first five years working on strategies that have led to people finding us, often by accident", says Charles Silverman, the guiding force behind QFLEA.com. "Now we'll dedicate the next five to having people wanting to look for us." That will require QFLEA to begin advertising the flea market, a challenge for an organization that provides free services and does not generate much in the way of working capital.

When asked whether his shoestring budget concerns him, Silverman spoke about the difference in philosophy between QFLEA and other endeavors. "We've never done this for the money. Many of our small vendors have a tough time competing against the big retail outlets, so we give them every opportunity to succeed without charging them." In its first five years, QFLEA has provided flea market listings, newsletter and website advertising, access to member benefits, a business resource web site, and many words of encouragement to the vendors at no cost.

The vendors all subscribe to an email group that Silverman moderates, which Tara Thralls of Tiedyes.com sees as the largest benefit of QFLEA membership. "This is a unique feature", says Thralls, "in that all of the members are truly dedicated to helping one another to grow their respective businesses. Although sometimes members are in the same 'category', there is no competition amongst them. We all share our knowledge willingly and freely with one another - to everyone's benefit."

When Rose Rushbrooke, an artist and quilt maker was setting up Roserushbrooke.com, she appreciated the benefits of QFLEA's services. "I learned how to set up a shopping cart, how to accept credit cards online, and how to optimize my web pages for the search engines. The generous group of co-members answered questions via an email list. When I set up my virtual table I was probably making one or two sales a month. Each year I doubled the income from my website and the trend is continuing. Some of this can be attributed to my own learning curve but QFLEA started me in the right direction."

Wendy Kennedy, of canadiancountrygifts.com, speaks for most sole proprietor business vendors when she describes QFLEA as the collaboration of a "diverse group of small business people with a variety of skills". Kennedy knows that when she has a question, she'll receive an answer. "Being part of a group like that is a huge help to someone who wears all the hats in their business."

Shoppers have also come to appreciate QFLEA's collaborative approach to business. When a shopper is looking for a particular item, the shopper can email QFLEA and request help finding it, and Silverman will post that request to the group. If any vendors carry the item, they contact the shopper directly. This is the personalized attention that Silverman and group are quite proud to give to their customers, and it brings the customer back. After five successful years, Silverman says the next step is to "attract more customers to satisfy, and get them to tell their friends about it."

For Additional Information, Please Contact:

Charles Silverman
charley@qflea.com
http://www.qflea.com

Rose Rushbrooke
Artist, Quiltmaker,
Fractalist and Character Animator

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