Unsuccessful Craft Show; Was it you or the event? 15 ways to tell
It can feel defeating, frustrating, and even embarrassing when you walk away from a craft show with little to no sales. But it’s important to learn from each event. And to learn, you need to be able to decipher if the problem was the craft show, so you can choose better for the next one….
How To Turn $5 Craft Show Sales into High-Value Customers
In my last article, I shared the importance of a gateway product and key elements to create one. You can learn more here: Every Craft Show Table Should Have a Gateway Product The purpose of offering gateway products it to make a sale (even if it’s a small one), and to warm up that lead in…
Every Craft Show Table Should Have a Gateway Product
When a consumer first comes across your business, they’re unlikely to invest in your core products; they’re considered a cold lead. Cold leads are people who have the potential to be your customer, but are unfamiliar with your business, brand, and products; they’re discovering them for the first time. You’ll come across cold leads at…
How To Make a Living Selling at Craft Shows
Craft shows aren’t always profitable, and many people don’t earn enough from them to live off of. They can require a lot of time to produce stock and then stand at the event all weekend. Not to mention, some events have high booth fees. But if you want craft shows to be your main source…
The “Boutique” Vs. “Thrift Store” Effect at Craft Shows
There’s nothing wrong with thrift stores. But consumers do tend to equate thrift stores to low prices/deals/discounts. And when you’re selling handmade, your products (in most cases) are higher than average (when compared with big box stores). So if your craft show booth looks more like a thrift store than a boutique, shoppers may be…
Busy Doesn’t Mean Profitable: What Craft Show Vendors Get Wrong
I’m a huge advocate of presenting fewer products at craft shows. I think making too many types of products and product options is one of the most common mistakes craft show vendors make (one I made for years too). And that it’s the cause of low craft show sales. But I get a lot of…
5 Mistakes To Avoid If you Want To Wholesale your Crafts
Selling your handmade products to retailers, at wholesale prices, can be a great option if you have good profit margins. It’s also ideal if you don’t love spending time marketing, selling, and shipping individual orders. You can instead, market directly to retailers, sell dozens of products with one sale, and make one shipment. If you…
Craft Show Display Trick – Line & Composition
Line and composition is a visual merchandising technique that is a little more advanced, but will elevate your craft show display. It will help your table or booth feel more balanced and subtly lead the eye from one product to the next. I like to think of line and composition as a visual game of…
How To Refocus Your Craft Business for Better Sales
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your handmade business, your sales are lacking, and you’re not getting any traction on social media or attracting repeat buyers, it may be that your business lacks focus. Most handmade businesses are run on the side. On the side of a full-time job, parenting and family time, and/or just life….
A Tricky (but effective) Way To Promote your Products at Craft Shows
Craft fair shoppers are surrounded by products. Every aisle is lined with tables, displays, and vendors hoping to catch their attention. And while shoppers may enjoy browsing, most of them have their guard up when they feel like they’re being sold to. The moment a sales pitch starts, many people instinctively: Smile politely Nod along…
The 3 Types of Shoppers Your Craft Business Must Appeal To
If you’ve ever worked a craft fair, you’ve seen it. >> The shopper who walks in, spots something, and buys within 60 seconds. >> The one who slowly scans every table before committing. >> And the one who says, “I’ll come back,” and may… or may not. Most craft business owners design their products for…
The Social Media Mistake That’s Quietly Costing You Sales
Yes, your social media accounts exist to support your business. But if every post is essentially saying “Buy this”, you’re training people to scroll right past you. One of the most common mistakes craft businesses make is turning their feed into a digital product catalog. New listing. Close-up shot. Different color. Limited edition. Shop link….
5 Mistakes That Almost Derailed My Craft Business
Successful businesses aren’t built in a straight line. They’re built through adjustments. Through wrong turns. Through admitting something isn’t working and choosing to pivot instead of quitting. If you’re currently feeling stuck, discouraged, or questioning your direction, I hope this article shows you that struggle is not a sign you’re failing. It’s often a sign…
How to Make Craft Show Shoppers’ Decision to Buy Easy
In most cases, your job as a business owner is to make customers’ lives easier. Easier to understand your product. Easier to shop. Easier to pay. Easier to feel confident in their purchase. But there’s one area where you actually want to make things more difficult. You want to make it difficult for shoppers to…
How to Build a Customer-Focused Craft Show Business (& Boost Sales)
My handmade business started the way many do — at a craft fair. I signed up for shows that fit my schedule. I made products I enjoyed creating. I built displays using baskets from around my house, and printed signs the night before. Every decision made sense to me. But here’s the problem: A successful…
How To Remove Buying Friction At Craft Shows
The longer a craft show shopper needs to think about a purchase, the less likely they are to buy that day. Doubt can start to creep in and when making a decision is hard, the easiest option is to make no decision. They’ll walk away and “think about it”. To avoid this at a craft show, you…
7 Ways Offering Less at a Craft Show Makes You More Money
At first glance, bringing less to a craft show sounds risky. Fewer products feels like fewer chances to sell. But in reality, a smaller, more focused selection often leads to higher sales, better margins, and a calmer booth experience. Here’s how offering less can actually make you more money at a craft show. 1….
Why Craft Show Shoppers Buy More when you Offer Less
When I first started selling at craft shows, I wanted to make all-the-things. I had many ideas for products, and for each product, I had several ways to alter it to give options. I wanted my craft show table to appeal to as many shoppers as possible…for obvious reasons. Appealing to more shoppers means more…
How To Create a Sales Funnel at a Craft Show
When someone slows down or stops at your table, you’ve already won the hardest battle: their attention. But what happens next is where most vendors lose people. Many craft show setups unintentionally give shoppers two options: Buy Don’t buy And when buying feels like too big of a commitment in that moment, walking away is…
8 Things to Sell at Craft Shows You Don’t Have to Make
Running a handmade business and selling at craft shows can be exhausting. Every dollar you earn is tied to your time: designing, making, packaging, loading your car, setting up, selling, and packing it all up again. That’s why many craft show vendors hit a wall. One way to ease the pressure, increase profits, and make…