While many small farmers markets allow for homegrown products only, some larger markets also permit local craftspeople to participate. In fact, most popular farmers markets offer holiday markets specific to offering folks the chance to buy and sell local arts and crafts! On one side, people say that crafters may not earn enough to make it worth their time. |
What’s the best thing about winter if you’re a crafter? Preparing for spring craft shows, of course. And Spring 2021 will be a season like no other. With a COVID vaccine at last on its way, the long dark winter of social distancing seems poised to come to an end. And that’s great news for crafters and for all those who love crafting events and shows. Here are a few pointers to help you prepare for the spring 2021 craft show season.
|
1. Get neat, tidy and organized! We all have to report to the IRS sooner or later. What's that saying about death and taxes? Well international laws may differ but where I live I have to report to my tax office once a year. And they want to know a lot! So you better have your receipts, bills and paperwork organized and neat. Nothing is worse than having a taxes deadline, and angry IRS guy breathing down your neck, and only a huge box with bits of paper to save you. You don't need to be OCD about it either, but you should know your organizational system. And remember, it is your freaking office so go and buy the pink paper or the Hello Kitty filing folder. Decorate your boring files with scrapbook paper, stickers, and sparkle-y lettering. I think there is no need to tell you that you should get organized with storing your products, that should be a given. Maybe just one more tip regarding that matter: Don't smoke where you work or keep your supplies. So many times I opened a package from a seller and it reeked of smoke. Disgusting! I wouldn't buy from these sellers again. 2. Get legal! Don't hesitate to ask questions! Before you start your business, get to know your country's laws regarding that matter. It is super important to have a business that is legit and registered by the official authorities. Otherwise you might get in trouble with said authorities and you don't want that! Don't be afraid to ask people who already run a business. Some of them are more than willing to help you, you just need to ask. And don't be afraid of the authorities. I, for instance, was always super intimidated by the IRS people. At one point they asked me to send in my first bills to check if I'm doing everything right. I was super scared and thought "OMG I AM DOOMED!" But guess what, they just wanted to help me so I won't get into trouble later on. They called me the next day to tell me that I'm doing everything right and they were so very nice! Okay you can't say everyone will love you at the IRS and some people just aren't nice but hey, no one is out to get you! 3. Take some time to do your product pictures! And make a million at once, it is great when you can choose from many great pictures. I have made quick shots of my products and always regretted it afterwards. When I was feeling sick, stressed or had only little time to take photos I was always disappointed with the outcome and I often ended up with taking them again, re-listing everything. I also think little props and a nice background make a picture so much more interesting. Scrapbook paper make great backgrounds. Take a look around the marketplace and get inspired by what other sellers use as a background props. Then look around your house, your craft table, the garden, etc for things you can use. 4. Get ready for Christmas! I was totally overwhelmed by Christmas shoppers. I never spent so much money on Christmas presents myself, I rather make them myself or buy small things only for my closest friends and family. So the whole Christmas capitalismpalooza came as a little surprise to me. I made a big deal of my year's income on Christmas. It was a very busy time and I wasn't ready for it.. That is not going to happen to me again. So you better stock up, work on wrapping in advance, order more business cards etc so it's less stress and more fun. Other holidays like Valentines Day and Easter are also quite busy. 5. Craft fairs are amazing! If you only sell your things online because you can't afford your own local shop (who can? *sigh*) or selling in a boutique or something, craft fairs are an amazing opportunity for you. They have them nearly everywhere now. It is great to see your customers react to your goods, to get complimented on your work and see happy faces buying your product. Some people may ask questions about your products that you have never thought about before and you can later use it for making it better or writing more detailed product information in your online store. Others might tell you what they don't like about an item and you can learn from that, too. It is also a good way to network more, to give out your business cards, to meet new people and other sellers. I always love getting to know new crafty people. In my experience, I have never met a seller on a craft fair who wasn't nice and polite. And you're all in the same boat (or fair ;) ) so finding topics to talk about is easy. FestivalNet.com is of course what I would recommend for craft fair research in North America. 6. Find your community! I follow many many steampunk and sewing blogs. I communicate with people who like and make the same crafts as I do through so many networks. It's fun! You should try it. Whatever item you make there is a community for it. There are message boards and flickr groups and twitter chats and online classes and communities to the bazzoo! You should find your niche and its community. It is very helpful to exchange opinions, tips and tricks with like-minded people. It gives you also the great feeling of being part of a team rather than working alone everyday at your craft table. 7. Wrapping is super important! I have gotten so many compliments about my wrappings. I really put a lot of effort in how my products look when they arrive in their new home. It takes me about 20-30 minutes to wrap one item. That's not very good on time management but I don't mind. I like doing what I do and I like sewing or paper crafting each item its own little bag/box, put a nice bow on it and write a thank you note etc. I think it is also a nice way to wrap your things in a green way. A fabric pouch is so much better than a plastic bag! 8. Don't share too many secrets! You know how to make something rad that is a bestselling item on etsy and no one else does it? Don't write a tutorial about it in your blog! Come on, you have to stay a little mysterious. People will copy you sooner or later anyways, no way around it. And you don't want to make it too easy for them, right? Speaking of copycats, don't be insulted or mad when you see an item that looks suspiciously like yours. It might be unintentional, it might be just inspired by yours. Don't get into a fight with these people. All we can do is being flattered, swallow the anger, call your best friend, say mean stuff about your copycat to get it out of your system and move on. 9. People love extras and German Gummibarchen. Little extras are always appreciated. Each one of my order comes with mini gummibear bags. I think it is not only nice to send some local sweets (especially when you sell mostly overseas) it also works great as additional bubble wrap! I get so many nice comments and "thanks for the sweets" remarks from my customers. You can also send little extra items with your order, like a pin, a brooch or a hair bow. It is also a nice way to say thank you to your customer and make sure they'll remember you. That way they often come back. I mean, be honest, who doesn't like free stuff. 10. A thank you goes a long way! Be nice. Try to always be there for your customers and always answer emails/ marketplace convos, etc. Always be polite and say thank you! Say thank you when someone orders something, when someone leaves you a nice comment, when someone retweets your shop tweets. And when someone is being a sweetheart and helps you with whatever it is (tips, tricks, link) say thank you! Sometimes I want to scream at people for taking such things for granted. Once a girl who was new in Germany asked me where she could buy fabric here via etsy. So I went on the net and sent her a million links and, guess what? I never heard from her again. See, people remember you when you're being rude. And that is not the impression you want to leave! |
Here are some tips from veteran art and craft fair producer, and long time Festivalnet.com Amy Amdur of Amdur Productions. (Photo from Amdur Production's Gold Coast Art Fair in Chicago, Illinois.) 1. Plan It! Use graph paper or a computer layout program. Plan each wall, know the sizes of the work you intend to show. Hang pieces that stack on a vertical midline, and pieces that are side by side on a horizontal midline. Aim for symmetry. 2. Frame It! Try to have harmonious framing so that the public's attention is on your work, not on the frames. Instead of showing one style of artwork, you really want to show a group of work. It could also be by subject matter. By having one or two frame styles it keeps the focus on your booth. 3. Size Matters! Hang a large impact piece or two of your art in the center of your back wall. It can help bring people into your booth and support the sales of your smaller pieces. When people are walking by your booth at an arts and crafts fair you have only about 5-6 seconds to grab their attention! Displaying that larger, eye-catching piece at the back of your booth helps slow down the crowd and draw in shoppers. 4. Jewelers and Those with Smaller Craft Pieces Consider displaying photo blow-ups of some of your favorite work on the back wall and the front lower sections of your cases. That helps fest goers ‘see’ your work from a distance which makes them more apt to come in for a closer look. 5. 3D Artists Use multiple display levels and pedestals to showcase your work at craft fairs. A more sophisticated layout is on multiple levels. Consider a vase or a sculpture in this instance. 6. Signage is Important Use signage which reflects your work, not just a generic name sign. Velcro backed individual letters on fabric panels are a great way to display your name as well. For example, if your palate is a "deep green" find a sign which matches your work. You can even take that same look and put it on your business cards! Bottom line: signage shouldn’t be generic, but specific to you. 7. Include a Ground Cover Solid color carpet remnants or throw rugs create an inviting atmosphere and don’t have to be expensive. Duct tape down all sides for safety. People often forget the ground when setting up at arts and crafts fairs and this will help make your booth stand-out. 8. Remember to Weigh Down Your Tent Connect the weights to the upper cross bars of your tent so that your hard work doesn’t blow away. Wind is a force to be reckoned with at craft fairs, and it really doesn't take a lot of it to ruin your tent. 9. The Tent Itself is Important A heavy, commercial grade tent with a sky light is best for most artists and crafters. These have stronger structures to hold walls without sagging. And, a sky light creates a brighter interior which makes for better viewing of the details of your work, like color and texture. 10. Use a High Director’s Chair Choose a director's chair in a color which works with your booth. A higher chair gets you on face level, not belt buckle level, with your customers. Remember, your booth serves as an onsite gallery at arts and crafts fairs and a high director’s chair looks like an intentional design element. . |
|
Got the COVID-crazy Craft Fair Vendor Blues? Stay Busy! Here are some tips on using this downtime to drum up business, expand your reach, and help keep your business going. #2 Do the Social Media Thing! Many Craft Fairs might be closed this summer, but the internet is open 24/7. If you want your craft business to survive during social distancing, participating in social media as a business is simply unavoidable. There’s no way around it. People are on social media more often than individual websites or even reading their email. You want to be where the people are. Using hashtags to let folks find what you do, using strong photography and helpful descriptions, and offering sales and discounts are ways to bring in business. There are endless resources online with guidance for being effective in social media. Invest in yourself by learning and putting what you learn into action! Here’s an article about using Instagram for your Business. Don’t stop there, look and see what other craft fair vendors are doing to drum up business with social media.  image @rawpixel #3 Set up (or Freshen up) your FestivalNet Profile which includes a Photo Gallery and Shop. It’s free and comes with your membership (a small commission is charged when you make a sale, go here for all the details for selling online). Once you’ve taken those good photos of your craft and have a social media presence going, what’s left is the platform for folks to buy your crafts. We want to see Craft Fair vendors selling in our online Festival of Finds this summer! Thanks for reading and wishing you all the best! |
When I first started Booty Beltz my goal was to wholesale to as many stores as I possibly could. I hadn't been to many craft shows, and back 7 years ago they were not nearly as plentiful as they are today. But, my very first craft show was life changing! After dealing with endless store buyers, line sheets and NAFTA, I was thrilled to finally sell my belts directly to the end customer. It was so much fun and I loved being able to bring a bunch of stock, sell my heart out and then leave with a wad of cash! At first, I just signed up for any craft show and festival I could find. This lead me to become a traveling gypsy and I did at least 20 shows a year all over Canada. Some were fantastic and some felt like torture! I soon learned that you needed to do a little research before you mailed off an application. Here are some tips to help you find the most successful shows:
Read more tips here... |
|
Not long ago, I happened to speak with an artist who by chance got the same talk from the same art professor with the same slides. She, however, had the presence of mind to raise her hand and ask "How many of these perfume bottles have you sold?" The answer: Zero. |
