Following Don Driver's advice, I had gotten a matching $35 "side curtain" for my ourdoor tent, and used it as a backdrop to cover the rear of the tent and prevent the tip from being distracted.

That part of it worked well. The problem was that backdrop hindered air circulation through the tent -- not a good thing when it's 85+ degrees! And when the tent was in an open field, the sidewall made it look closed-off and uninviting from the rear. So I stopped using it.

This past weekend I tried another solution, which worked very well. I took a 3' x 6' vinyl banner, and hung it at the rear of the tent with bungee cords. It filled the 10' x 10' space enough to focus attention on me, but didn't entirely close off that side, and still let air circulate. Bingo!

The banner is also great advertising; people know at a glance what I'm selling and why, because it's about 9 feet off the ground and visible from at least 20-30 feet away. It beats a table sign hands down, and the banner also makes you look like a real pro, whether you are one or not!

The banner was about $90 with shipping, has my name, logo and slogan on it, and looks very snazzy (I got white vinyl with red lettering and a black logo). I bought it from halfpricebanners.com, and can recommend their service and quality. I had been using the banner for indoor shows last fall and winter; this was the first time I tried it outdoors, but it seems pretty durable if handled with care and rolled up when stored (don't fold it!).

You can design the banner yourself over the Internet, they will email you a proof to approve, and then send you the banner; the whole thing takes about 10 days tops. In my opinion, the banner paid for itself the first time out in increased traffic and sales. (Thanks again to Bill Beach for the tip on this.)

Remember folks -- "no flash, no cash!!" SETH