5 Things Craft Show Shoppers Shouldn’t See
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…
How to Promote a Craft Show Last Minute
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…
How Craft Show Shoppers can Help Promote your Product
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…
5 Reasons you’re Not Making More Money at Craft Fairs
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…
How to Make Handmade Jewelry that Stands Out & Sells Out
Handmade jewelry is a popular product to sell online and at craft shows. In fact, it’s probably safe to say, jewelry is the most saturated category in handmade products. It’s a great place to start because even if you’re a beginner, you can create beautiful pieces and the start-up costs can be kept relatively…
How to Keep your Business Cards Out of the Trash
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…
Sell More Handmade with this 1 Trick Retailers Use
Everyone wants to sell more handmade products. But to do so, you must get out of the seller mentality and think about buyers and the way they shop. Major retailers do a good job of this. Their focus is on the buyer from beginning to end. The owner of a retail store (or…
How to get Craft Show Shoppers to Remember your Handmade Business
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…
What to do When you Need to Leave a Craft Show Early
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…
Why you Should Never Leave a Craft Show Early
There are times that you can’t avoid leaving a craft show early. Trying to beat blizzard conditions on the highway or a family emergency are fair enough reasons for heading out before the craft doors close. However, being bored and packing up while there are still people selling and shopping is a big no-no. Acceptable and non-acceptable reasons for…
The Pros & Cons of Selling Handmade through Retailers
If you’re just starting your handmade business, you may not have gotten so far as to start thinking about selling in stores but it’s a great way to gain exposure, sell more products and expand outside of your local community. Before you jump in, take a look at your pricing and decide which type of…
Is your Handmade Business Breaking Copyright Laws?
Copyright infringement is a complicated subject. There’s a ton of info out there and the only way to be sure you’re getting correct information is to talk to a lawyer who is knowledgeable on copyright laws in your area. Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer by profession and nothing in this article should be construed as legal advice. Although…
How To Lower Production Costs to Increase Profits
So you’ve added up all your production costs and used our calculations to determine your wholesale and retail price. But what happens if that price is much higher than you’re comfortable with and perhaps pricing you out of the market? Or maybe you want to increase your profit margins by keeping the price…
How To Protect Your Business’ Bottom Line
I worked in retail for several years and heard the words “bottom line” a lot. It came down to watching the amount of paper towel each store used, taking inventory before ordering more supplies and cutting back on staff for slower days. Little things like ordering more pens when there’s a box hidden behind the…
How Much Profit does your Handmade Business REALLY Make?
I know you love what you do…..and you can’t put a price on happiness…..but when you walk away from a craft fair with $1500, have you considered that $500 was spent on your booth fee, parking for the day and swag bag donations? What about when you look at what you made this month? Are you…
What to Include in a Consignment Agreement
When you decide to work with a store owner on a consignment basis, you want to be sure you have some sort of an agreement in place so that you both have an expectation as to what your rights and obligations are. The store may have their own consignment agreement or contract, however,…
How to get into a Juried Craft Show
If you have a product that will sell well at craft shows, it’s time to start applying to events. Juried craft shows are preferred by handmade business owners because they tend to have more elements in place that help ensure success. One of the downsides of juried craft shows (over non-juried) is that each vendor…
5 Mistakes that get your Craft Show Application Tossed
If you have a product you know will sell well at craft shows, it’s time to start applying to the best ones. But you want to take the necessary steps on your application form to ensure it doesn’t get tossed. Craft Show organizers are friendly people and would probably never physically or electronically trash your…
Does your Small Handmade Business Need Insurance?
Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer by profession and nothing in this article should be construed as legal advice. Although I strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice or free from errors, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a…
Craft Fairs are Over – What to Work on Now
The rush is over, sales have slowed way down and you’re either panicking, wondering where everyone has gone, or you know there are ebbs and flows to every business season and that you can use this downtime to your advantage. When I worked in retail, January/February were painfully slow and it made it…