Originally Posted by
athomenow
My only thought was that if you are trying to get a small business going in a not very affluent small town it might be wise to entice people into your shop with a social gathering at little to no cost.
I think this clarifies things quite alot. If her aim is to get people into the shop to get acquainted, I would definitely not charge them to come. I'm trying to imagine my reaction if I received an invitation that said, 'Welcome, come in and get acquainted, only $7!'
On the other hand, if she were an established shop and were offering her space to established customers as a service, then charging them a nominal fee to cover the cost makes more sense.