Why I Quit Craft Shows & What I’d do Differently

A lot of people feel like throwing in the towel when it comes to craft shows. If you don’t find the right ones, with the right organizers, bring the right product and create an amazing display, they can be anything but profitable.

Although a handmade business can be successful selling only online and through retailers, craft shows are an amazing tool to test your products, get to know your customers, conduct market research, grow your business locally and if done properly, leave you with a wad of cash.

I’m lucky enough to say that I always walked away from craft shows having made money (some profited more than others but I never took a loss). But that doesn’t mean there weren’t a LOT of mistakes and lessons along the way. I’m sharing some of those in this article to help you improve your craft show game.

 

WHY I QUIT CRAFT SHOWS

I had sold at every type of craft show in my city, learning through trial and error how to pick the right ones. An unsuccessful craft show can really take the wind out of your sails. Especially when you can’t blame it on bad weather, poor organization or lack of promotion on the organizer’s part.

When you see other vendors doing well but aren’t seeing the sales at your booth, you really start to question if craft shows are right for you…..and maybe even start to doubt your business.

I definitely had my share of events that were less successful due to the organizer or because I applied to a craft show that wasn’t a fit for my products. 

Along with trying a variety of events, I also tried a variety of products. I started with selling pajamas and rice heating bags, a few pillow covers, got into making (every style of) handbags, sewing mittens out of leftover handbag fabric, and sold a few odds and ends like wallets, coin purses, pencil cases, etc.

I played around with different display setups, fixtures, props, signage, and sales pitches at each event as well.

After years of selling at craft shows, I finally started to find my place.

But I did quit selling at craft shows for a period of time, because I was exhausted from all the trial and error. 

Here are the important lessons I learned getting to that point:

 

LESSON #1 – STOP OFFERING SO MUCH

If you’ve read my ebook, you know I started my handmade business with a completely different product than I finished with. My first craft show was a bunch of flannel pajama bottoms with matching rice heating bags, as well as some throw pillows made out of vintage t-shirts…..aaand I was sharing a table with my friend selling photography.

At the next event, my friend and I started our joint venture making handbags. The majority of the table was dedicated to them, with a few pieces of photography at the end. The table was like a buffet of purses; no two were alike.

With each craft show, I narrowed down my selection and began to see the power of building collections.

The business grew and was profitable, but I saw the biggest growth and profits when I focused on one handbag that set me apart.

That handbag was what I called The Weekend Bag. It was structured, made out of beautiful upholstery fabric and came in three sizes.

I still remember the first craft show I launched The Weekend Bag. It was the most expensive of all my products, so I was a bit nervous, wondering if anyone would actually buy one. But watching it catch shoppers’ attention, seeing that look of “I need this bag”, having people come back after a loop around the event and adding up my sales at the end of the day, I had a really clear direction.

The other styles of handbags took a backseat, and I focused on stocking up on The Weekend Bag for my next event. This one was an outdoor farmers’ market, and despite the better part of the day being windy and cold, I had one of my best sales days yet, plus 2 opportunities to work with other businesses.

What I wish I knew from the start:

Trying to offer something for everyone won’t create more sales. Find something you’re good at, that’s different than what everyone else is offering, and spend your time perfecting that.

Here are a couple of articles to help:

>> How To Find a USP for your Handmade Business

>> 8 Mistakes Craft Businesses Make with their USP

 

LESSON #2 – ENOUGH WITH THE PRODUCT!

Way too much time was spent making products for craft shows and not enough on other little details.

In the beginning, when it came to craft show prep, all I worried about was making stock. A few days before, I would look around the house for items that could work as display fixtures and pile them together. Signage was quickly typed up on my computer, printed, and placed in dollar store picture frames. Price tags were handwritten with whichever pen was handy and attached with leftover pieces of ribbon.

There’s nothing wrong with working with what you’ve got, but the problem for me was that nothing worked with my brand.

Actually, the main problem was: back then, I didn’t even have a brand.

I always chose colorful fabrics and fun prints for my handbags, but the elements of my display did not play up their bold, fun look or work with them.

In the beginning, I recall using Ikea baskets, a mix of white wooden frames, and plexiglass picture holders for signage. I used the only tablecloth I had handy, which was moss green and jacquard print.

Not only did my display elements lack branding, but they also clashed with my products.

It wouldn’t have taken much effort to buy some items from the dollar store, spray paint them an on-brand color and choose a theme to follow for each item that was placed in my display space.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have put the effort into building a brand from the start. Not only would it have strengthened my display, but it would also have helped my table stand out at a craft show and encouraged more people to buy.

What I wish I knew from the start:

Decide on a style/look and create cohesion…not only among my products, but across my entire business. That’s how you start building a recognizable brand and style that consumers associate with your business.

Here are a few articles to help:

>> 3 (Easy) Steps to Define your Craft Business’s Brand

>> 8 Ways to Add Branding to your Craft Show Booth

>> How To Brand a Craft Show Display Without a Logo

 

LESSON #3 – IT’S NOT WHAT YOU’RE SELLING

It took me a while before I got into selling effectively and had more to say than “there’s a pocket on the inside too” or “it also comes in blue”. I actually started at craft shows, barely getting more than a “hi” out.

I really didn’t know what my story was or how to tell it through my sales pitch and display.

For the first few years of selling at craft shows, I was simply working on being comfortable around shoppers and trying not to embarrass myself. I figured I’d just let them shop and if they had questions, I’d be there to answer them.

It was also difficult to come up with sales pitches because all my handbags were different. There wasn’t one main selling feature I could share.

This one is good for an evening out and this one was hand-painted. This one has lots of pockets and I love it as a book bag. Does that one fit a laptop? I’m not sure, it’s the first time I’ve made it and didn’t have time to test it out before the craft show…..

So much info to cover in so little time, and even I didn’t know the important features and benefits because I only worried about making, making, making!

Once I started focusing on my weekend bags, it was easy to point out important features, help shoppers imagine where and how they’d use the bag and then allow them to browse the different sizes and fabrics it came in.

Instead of trying to sell a basic tote that could be used for anything that would fit, I was selling a: reinforced weekend bag made out of durable upholstery fabric. This makes the bag sturdy enough to use for textbooks or laptops and big enough to throw sneakers and clothes into, so you can head to the gym on a lunch break or use the bag for travel.

I could paint a picture of exactly who might use the bag and when, where, and how they might use it. This made selling (and displaying) so much easier. I wasn’t trying to communicate 101 uses for a variety of bags; I was sharing a few main uses for 1 bag.

What I wish I knew from the start:

You have to put effort into selling your products and connecting with customers. Sometimes the right person will find your products, and they’ll sell themselves. But you’ll see much higher sales when you chat with shoppers and promote your products. 

Here are a few articles to help:

>> 3 Tips to Avoid Awkward Shopper Silence at a Craft Show

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

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

 

 

Those are a few key lessons I wish I knew when I was first starting.

Knowing them from the start, or figuring them out within the first few years, would have made craft shows so much more fun and profitable.