I’ve never loved selling. I didn’t like it when I worked for a retailer, and I like it even less when I’m having to promote my own work. But selling is a necessity if you want a successful business. So I’m sharing my best tips as someone who strongly dislikes selling.   1) Focus on…

Not every craft show in your city, or every craft show you’re invited to, will be a fit for your business and its products. Even the biggest and most popular craft shows may not be right for you. Here’s what to review. 1 – Target market First and foremost, get an idea of who the…

There are many reasons craft show shoppers leave a table without buying. But this article is covering why shoppers will avoid your table altogether. Craft show shoppers often make split-second decisions about which booths to approach or skip. Here are the most common reasons they might purposely avoid a table or booth (even if the…

When organizing a craft show, it’s important to consider the vendors and shoppers. The following are the elements craft show shoppers tend to value most. 1) Variety Although a craft show should have a target market in mind and not try to have something for everyone, within a target market, you should have variety. When…

If you’re organizing a craft show, you already know it comes with a lot of responsibility. You need to make sure it’s a good event for shoppers, so they discover new businesses and find items to buy. And you need to ensure it’s successful for vendors too. This article shares 8 things craft show vendors…

This article outlines what I include in each product line, why I think it’s important, and how to apply it to a variety of businesses. 1 – Core Products A core product is a staple/main item(s)/bestseller for a business. The rest of the products offered work around and are connected to these core products. Depending…

In my experience, every craft show is a little different. Every day of a craft show is different. What flew off the table one day might not get touched the next. There is no surefire way to know if a product will sell at a craft show. But there are ways to best-guess and to…

A business can’t survive without marketing. Many makers assume the event organizer will handle the marketing, but leaving it all up to them means leaving money on the table. Here are 6 marketing mistakes you don’t want to make before, during, and after a craft show. 1 – Leaving it up to the organizer The…

Most craft show vendors will deal with other vendors selling something similar at the same event. Even if you’re selling a unique product that doesn’t have any direct competition, you’re still “competing” to get shoppers to spend their money with you. To build a business and booth that stands out at a craft show, attracts…

When I watched the majority of craft show shoppers walk by my table, I knew I had to make some changes. Here are the mistakes I discovered I was making. 1 – I put zero effort into marketing I believed craft show organizers were solely responsible for marketing an event and that I just had…

You don’t want to rush shoppers through your craft show booth. And chatting with shoppers, finding common interests and making connections can often be what energizes you and reminds you why you started your business. However, every once and a while, you’ll deal with a tire kicker who blocks others from stopping at your table,…

First and foremost, you must price your crafts to cover all your costs and wages and leave you with a profit. But once you get a proper price, you have some wiggle room to increase or decrease that price to encourage buying. Shoppers often buy on emotion, not logic. And your prices can affect those…

You’ve set up a booth at a festival or market, but it doesn’t seem as though anyone is interested in buying from the craft vendors. Everyone is walking around, eating food they’ve purchased from the food trucks, and taking in the live entertainment, and they don’t seem interested in handmade products. What do you do?…

Sometimes, making more money at craft fairs doesn’t mean you need to sell more. Here are some money-saving tips that will increase your profit margins so you walk away from an event with more money left in your pockets. 1 – Be smart with production costs Always look for ways to reduce how much time…

Craft show shoppers are judging your products and placing a value on them before they see their prices. If they think your product’s prices are going to be lower than they actually are, it makes it much harder for you to make the sale. Here are 10 things you can do to increase the value…

It’s important to make as many sales as you can at a craft show and sell the stock you have. These are ways I lost money when I thought I was doing the right things to make a sale. 1 – Holds This is obviously my most frustrating lesson as I’ve placed it top of…

As mentioned in this article, you’re doing well if you’ve made enough money to cover your COGS (costs of goods sold) and your booth fee. If you didn’t earn enough revenue to cover those costs, that’s okay; many vendors don’t, but they use the event as a learning experience. If you’re wondering why your sales…

A “successful craft show” is different for everyone. So many factors can impact sales and revenue, profits, and potential for after-event-sales depend on what you’re selling.  However, this article will help you determine if a craft show was a success for your business. Start by knowing your costs Selling products at craft shows isn’t as simple…