Craft show season is a busy time for handmade businesses and there’s a lot to do to prepare and usually very little time. Being more right-brained, I was never the best at time management and logical planning. I kind of just went with the flow and panicked the week before a show, pulling all-nighters to…
Craft show mistakes can be costly. They not only harm your sales the day of the event, but they can also harm your brand and get in the way of future sales. I was the poster child for a craft show don’t when I started out. But having spent over a decade selling and…
Organizers put a ton of work into planning and executing a craft fair and they’re relying on their vendors to help make it great. You’ve helped spread the word, created tons of amazing stock, showed up on time and were a peach to deal with. But one mistake at the end of the craft fair can put you…
Although craft shows typically have more of a casual setting, you still want to keep a professional vibe and represent your brand properly. Doing so will reflect positively on your sales. With over a decade of crafty events under my belt, I’ve made all the mistakes and seen a boost in sales when I corrected…
If you participate in enough craft shows, you’ll most likely come across a slow craft show that desperately needs to attract shoppers. It doesn’t matter how well the event organizer or you, the vendor, prepare, some things are out of everyone’s control. (But here are the types of craft shows to avoid). Although it’s…
The brands that grow the quickest are the ones that get people talking. When your shoppers and customers become raving fans, they help promote your products and your handmade business. Everyone and their mama has a cellphone and the majority of those phones have a camera on them. Why not encourage craft show shoppers to…
We’ve all signed up for a craft show with high hopes; thinking the proven track record of the event or our products are going to bring us tons of sales, but we end up walking away a little disappointed. There are so many factors that can throw off craft show sales but these are…
When you’re given a business card at a craft fair, what do you do with it? Over 80% of people toss the business cards they’ve been handed. And if that business card was found in a swag bag, it’s even more likely to end up in the trash. *I don’t suggest contributing business cards to craft…
You’ll see a much bigger return on investment from craft shows if you’re able to generate sales after an event. But if shoppers don’t remember your business a day or two after seeing your booth at a craft show, they’re not going to buy. Handing out business cards isn’t enough to stay top of mind…
It happens. There are certain situations out of our control that get in the way of us sticking to our commitments (those situations should not be boredom or being hungover! Read our article on what will get you excluded from future craft fairs). Although leaving a craft show early or cancelling last minute is frowned upon, if you…