We are just starting out, but it seems this is the best way to get started with those of little or NO budget. Bottom line, is the quality of you;re work and word of mouth...
Thank you!
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Anita Hooten
Wednesday, May 6, 2009 12:04 pm EDT
Yes! Word of mouth does wonders! We also just started out, last summer we only did three shows. I didn't realize you had to contact people months in advance to get into a show. However this year, just from those three shows, we have people contacting us! It's amazing. What do you do?
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Bear Paw Sticks & Staffs
Saturday, May 9, 2009 12:52 pm EDT
DON'T OVERLOAD YOUR SCHEDULE!!! David & I made this mistake this year; now I'm dealing with a broken arm, a heavy schedule (every weekend from March-July), and having to cancel some shows (and lose the paid fees) due to physical limitations (the broken arm, again). If you're younger, not incapacitated, and can handle the financial commitment and physical aspects, this might be doable, if you choose. We've been invited to participate in some juried, by-invitation-ony shows. This can be a real ego-boost, but you may find yourself overcommitted financially and physically if you're not careful to analyze if your product and display style will fit the type of show you're committing to do. We've learned to thank them, ask them for an email address and/or phone number and contact name, and promise to check our schedule and let them know. If we can't do them in 2009, we file the info away for 2010.
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Innovations Studio
Saturday, May 9, 2009 11:46 pm EDT
The wisdom of scheduling is one of the learned processes I believe. There will always be the first discovery of shows that fit and those that don't. The urge to add more is very hard to resist-whether it's just because it sounds like it would be good or you've heard from others that it is good. You have to consider what you are able to do and maintain consistency--display, quality products, and being able to meet your obligations all around. Some vendors don't have to 'make it to take it', but if you do you've got to factor in the restocking time required and like you say, lagrizzly, those unexpected elements like illness or injury, investment money lost, or the ones you've let creep up on you, like old age (in the case of me and my car) can wreck the best laid plans unless you have a back-up crew on call. I think your idea about turning down invitations but keeping them up to date even when they don't fit at the time is both wise and to your advantage. Confidence in your business is good and necessary, but doing the wrong venue just because you've been invited is not -nor is cramming your schedule because you feel you must include everything you've been invited to do. With time you'll have a jump on planning for a year in advance choosing the shows that have the best entry deadlines, fees and accommodations, etc. from your accumulated information. I have to admit that I still include shows that are not necessarily the best for me just because I've come to like them, but sometimes you have to use common sense and move on. Keep those contact names and e-mail addresses fresh and don't necessarily wait to get a show announcement. Introduce yourself to anyone who represents what you want to be doing in the future and hand out business cards and contact information liberally.
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Anita Hooten
Monday, May 25, 2009 11:25 pm EDT
Yes, you are both right. Point well taken! The financial commitments are a bit daunting. With larger shows we, have to carry an insurance policy. (which we are still trying to scrape enough to get) If it rains, you most certainly lose. We have been taking advantage of a few invites this year. Simple things, like setting up a booth in the pits at go kart races. There was no charge to set up, so we couldn't turn it down. I have started a folder to tuck away all those other contact that were either full already, or we couldn't do for reasons of our own. I've been trying to do larger one day events. With three young children, I have to watch how we plan our weekends. They can only handle so many hours at an event before they have a meltdown. :O)
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Bear Paw Sticks & Staffs
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 03:04 pm EDT
Wow! I bet with 3 youngsters, long show hours are out! We sometimes take our 5-yr-old Grandzilla with us to local shows, but he does get bored at the longer shows. He sure can talk up his Papaw Bear's sticks, though, and has cinched more than one sale for us!
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valerie2006
Thursday, May 28, 2009 03:37 am EDT
Good Luck to everyone, I hope your business prospers, just stay focus on what you're doing and you can't go wrong.
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Bear Paw Sticks & Staffs
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 11:58 am EDT
Hey, kneff : ". . . doing the wrong venue . . ." You know we tend to slant David's sticks to the Celtic/Renfaire market. We were invited to a well-regarded and long-standing semi-local Pow Wow. Turned out to be a financial & weather disaster, but opened 2(!) venues to us we hadn't thought of: pow wows and civil war reenactments, plus some related product lines for each venue that would be easy to do. Also, two items that we already produce could simply be renamed and marketed slightly differently, depending on the venue. Not saying these ideas were worth the financial & literal bath we took, but . . .
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Innovations Studio
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 02:54 pm EDT
Hey, lagrizzly : See...?! so, when are you going to come up here to ours? I thought you did the reenactments already. Good going! Reaching out of the box and using the old noggin!
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Bear Paw Sticks & Staffs
Wednesday, June 3, 2009 08:51 am EDT
Yeah, I have my moments, but they're usually followed by days of wandering around looking for my car keys!
