Can you Make a Living Selling at Craft Shows?

I’ve met many people through the craft show circuit who sell at craft shows full-time. Especially when they’re selling items on the craft show bestsellers list.

I remember chatting with a jewelry vendor who spent her entire year travelling to different shows.

I had a table beside her at a 3-day event, so I got to ask lots of questions…like “how do you do it?” Although she had some online and wholesale sales, the main source of her income came from craft shows.

The short answer to: Can you make a living selling at craft shows?

Absolutely.

But it’s not a matter of signing up for as many craft shows as you can.

It’s important to choose quality over quantity and research each event beforehand to best determine if you’ll make your money back.

 

Are craft shows worth it?

Craft shows can be worth the time and money you put in if your products have good profit margins, you spend your time wisely when preparing, and you have a good sales and marketing strategy for the event.

Too many vendors don’t track the hours spent preparing for a craft fair, setting up their display, selling during the event, and packing up after. When they deduct all the expenses related to a craft fair, they realize they haven’t made much money.

>> 10 Costs of Selling at Craft Fairs

They also believe making money at a craft show is as simple as setting their products on a table and waiting for people to buy.

You need to be prepared to plan an effective display and be a salesperson at the event; your products won’t sell themselves. There will also be many shoppers who are interested in your products but aren’t able/ready to buy that day. So it’s not just about selling at the event; it’s also important to market to those who don’t buy.

When you put the effort in to actually sell your products (and not just wait for people to buy) and market your business so sales continue even after the event, you can make craft fairs worth your time and money.

You’ll find lots of tips on Made Urban for improving your sales techniques. Here are a few to get you started:

>> How to (Easily) Start a Conversation with Craft Show Shoppers

>> A Tricky (but effective) Way To Promote your Products at Craft Shows

>> How To Sell At Craft Shows Without A Sales Pitch

>> 10 Psychology Tricks To Boost Craft Show Engagement & Sales

 

Why craft shows aren’t always profitable

There are always expenses when it comes to running a handmade business, such as:

PRODUCTION EXPENSES

The costs associated with the production of your products:

• Material costs – cost of all materials needed to create a product that’s ready for sale (this includes packaging if you sell a product, such as cream sold in a container)
• Time costs – the time it takes you to make each product, completed to a state that it’s ready to be sold (e.g. the time it takes to package your products and attach proper labels must be included in production time)

BUSINESS EXPENSES

Your total sales must also cover the other costs associated with operating your business, such as:

• Tools & equipment, as well as their maintenance
• Shipping materials
• Office supplies (ink for your printer, envelopes for invoices)
• Marketing supplies (business cards, postcards, flyers)
• Gas to drive to and from the post office or craft supply store
• Transaction fees
• Taxes, business registration fees, licenses, etc.

And then, let’s not forget about your time associated with each of your business expenses. Time spent:

• Researching and buying tools/equipment, or bringing them in for maintenance
• Packaging shipments and your time to drive to the post office and stand in line
• Purchasing office supplies, printing invoices, addressing & mailing invoices, etc.
• Handing out marketing supplies
• Researching, buying, paying for and driving to and from craft supply store
• Filing taxes, applying for registration or licenses/permits, etc.

 

CRAFT FAIR VENDOR FEES

When you sell at craft shows, it’s not just the vendor fees you must account for.

There are several expenses related to craft shows, such as:

• Craft fair booth fees
• Additional vendor fees:
  • table and chair rental
  • access to an electrical outlet
  • swag bag fees
• Display fixtures and props
• Signage
• Gas to drive to and from the venue
• Food and parking for the day
• Bins to transport stock
• Credit card transaction fees
• Shopping bags and tissue paper

And of course, we must account for your time:

• Driving to the bank and getting smaller bills for change
• Packing stock into bins and those bins into your car
• Driving to and from the event
• Sourcing, designing, and planning a craft show display
• Setting up and taking down your display
• Selling at the event

As you can see, craft show costs add up and eat into your profits.

However, craft shows also allow you to make more sales…a lot of sales in a short amount of time. The increase in sales helps cover the added costs.

But you’re not guaranteed to make a bunch of sales just by showing up with your products.

Which is why it’s so important to properly prepare for each one.

You must:

• Find the right craft shows that are a fit for your products and brand, and attract the type of customer that is likely to buy from you.
• Create a display that strengthens your brand and tells people they’re buying a quality product from a reputable business (not someone who’s made a couple of items and might not be around next week if there’s an issue with their purchase).
• Sell! It’s not enough to sit behind your craft show table, answer questions if any come up and ring purchases through. You must talk with everyone who stops by your space and say the right things that encourage a sale (you don’t have to be pushy; just try to connect with your shoppers).

5 DAYS TO A STANDOUT DISPLAY will also help get you started. Over 15,000 (and counting) of you have already joined, but if you have not yet…get the lessons for free here.

Here are some tips to help you make a living at craft shows:

>> How To Make a Living Selling at Craft Shows