Selling Your Crafts At Craft Shows

Have you ever wanted to sell your handmade crafts or artwork at local craft fairs, but have no idea where to start? Or maybe you've taken the first step and have tried selling your art at a craft show or two, but now you're looking for ideas on how to sell more, how to make your booth more appealing to customers and where to find more venues to sell your handmade goods? You've come to the right place! I've been selling my own handmade creations, as well as the work of other artists, at a variety of craft shows and other events since 2004. I've learned a lot of lessons the hard way, and now I'm sharing them here with you so that you can learn from my experiences! In this book, I'll cover the basics of getting started selling at craft fairs, as well as how to design a great looking booth, how to give outstanding customer service & sell more and even how to find and create additional events at which to sell your handmade work. WHAT IT INCLUDES: - how to define your target market - where to find good shows - how much should I spend on a booth fee at a show? - how to make your booth look great - promoting your show & getting your customers there - my craft show tips & tricks - dealing with crazy weather & unexpected events - theft prevention - craft show supply checklist - how to give great customer service - how to use craft shows to create after-the-show sales - alternative venues to sell your work, beyond traditional craft shows - how to create your own events to sell at - tracking your inventory - how to create a personal & business spending plan - big hunkin' list of craft show resources WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR: This book will be most useful for someone new to selling at craft shows. I do cover more advanced topics as well though, including how to define your target market, visual merchandising, inventory tracking, and creating a business spending plan. The book includes worksheets along the way to help you. The information in this book is based on my experiences, selling in the United States, mostly in Louisiana. However, most of the information contained here is useful to anyone around the world who is interested in setting up a booth at craft shows, festivals or conventions. WHY I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT: I did my first craft show in 2004. It was the Alternative Media Expo, put on by Antigravity Magazine here in New Orleans. I sold a few things, and learned a LOT of things. And I haven't looked back! I've done all sorts of events since then. I have sold regularly at the Frenchmen Art Market, and have done festivals around the New Orleans area including Bayou Boogaloo, Gretna Heritage Festival, Freret Market, New Orleans Earth Day Festival, and many, many more. As one of the founding members of the New Orleans Craft Mafia, I've even organized a variety of events, both with the group and on my own. As a group, we've created a monthly art market and the annual Last Stop Shop holiday market. On my own, I've also hosted home shopping parties, trunk shows and pop-up shops. In 2007, as one of the winners of Etsy's Upcycling contest, I even traveled cross-country to San Francisco to participate in Bazaar Bizarre at Maker Faire!

Want to sell your handmade crafts or artwork at craft shows, but have no idea where to start? Or maybe you've taken the first step, and have tried selling your art at a craft fair or two, but now you're looking for ideas on how to sell more, how to make your booth more appealing to customers, and where to find more venues to sell your handmade goods at? You've come to the right place! Comprehensive and indispensable, this book gives advice on everything needed to succeed in the craft-show marketplace. Easy-to-follow instructions make it a snap to select the best shows to attend, create an appealing booth, and offer good customer service. Each chapter in the top-selling guidebook has been completely updated to reflect recent changes in the craft world and the book includes new information on branding, creating products that can compete in today's marketplace, selling on the Internet, and taking promotional photos, as well as creating new marketing strategies for pricing and moving merchandise. -Easy to read, full of practical wisdom and entertaining stories -Up-to-the-minute information on internet marketing and branding -Proven advice

The crafter's complete guide on how to display work at shows and make profitable sales.

Business advice for enterprising crafters, by crafters No one knows more about helping handmade businesses than Hello Craft, the nonprofit trade association for crafty entrepreneurs. Written by the directors of Hello Craft, Handmade to Sell is the most complete, up-to-date, and authoritative guide for DIYers seeking to learn every aspect of selling, marketing, and branding. Based on the Summit of Awesome, Hello Craft’s annual business conference, this book covers topics including: • Developing successful product lines • Copyrights and trademarks • Taking perfect product shots • Using analytics to boost your online sales • Selling at fairs, shows, and other retail outlets • Diversifying income through licensing and teaching • Hiring and outsourcing Throughout, you’ll find expert tips and invaluable strategies and advice from some of the most successful indie crafters and artisans. Whether you’ve only contemplated selling your crafts or want to grow an existing handmade business, Handmade to Sell offers essential guidance for anyone who has ever dreamed of making a living from what they create.

Want to take crafting to a new, entrepreneurial dimension? Let 'Craft Show & Sell' be your guide. Through highly visual, step-by-step tutorials and inspiring profiles on some of the world's most successful crafters, this book delivers all the advice and vision that today's crafters need to take their brand or business forward into a new realm.

Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

Get started selling handmade! This straightforward book walks you through the process of preparing your goods for sale, pricing and bookkeeping, finding venues, marketing and promoting your products, and working with customers both online and off—all without quitting your day job. Clear, concise instructions explain everything you need to know to sell crafts effectively in your spare time, and help you decide whether to take selling to the next level. Learn how to: • Find out whether you—and your crafts—are ready to start selling • Set prices to cover your costs and make a profit • Establish a bookkeeping system • Manage dual inventories of parts and finished goods • Discover the best places to sell your crafts in person or on the Internet • Identify the right people to market to • Accept credit cards and process other forms of payment • Start selling wholesale • Stay out of tax and legal trouble • And much more!

Sell Your Jewelry at Craft Shows! The top reason jewelry artists fail at craft shows is that they don't know how to choose shows. Add to that an undefined collection, an ineffective presentation and profits are hard to come by. Imagine if you could bypass all the common mistakes when selecting craft shows and selling your jewelry, before booking your first show. What if you could learn the most effective ways to sell your jewelry before spending any money on shows? Craft Show Business reveals not only how to avoid craft show duds, but also how to sell your jewelry using proven strategies for success. The vast majority of craft show information focuses on basic advice without all the meaty how-to details. We all know that putting out a candy dish for visitors will not attract serious buyers, but only those who want free candy! Backed by 25 plus years of industry experience, at over 300 craft shows, the strategies contained in this book will walk you through the business step-by-step. Discover proven methods for selling your jewelry, growing your perfect customer base and for building a successful jewelry business. Proven Sales Strategies With over 60 pages in the -Proven Selling Strategies- chapter alone, this book will change your perception with crucial information that puts you in charge of your own success. Here's what you'll discover in this in-depth, information-packed book: How to choose the best shows that will bring in a profit and build a repeating customer base How to rethink your application packages to increase your chances of getting into better shows How to display your jewelry to create maximum impact that pulls in the sales How to pre-market your shows on a budget and drive more traffic to your booth Learn how to talk and engage with a crowd without scaring people off Discover how to properly prepare for an upcoming show and set yourself up for success Learn insider tricks for how to increase sales and build a solid customer base Learn how to keep the good shows coming and the bad ones at bay Learn how to price your work for better sales and increase your profits Learn how to make record keeping simple and free up your time to make more money Learn lots of proven strategies to increase your sales and streamline your approach to designing items that are proven best sellers Learn how to make your business and designs stand out from the competition How to tweak your business so that you have money coming in year round How to protect yourself and your work at shows Learn how your personal money blocks hold you back and what potentially prevents you from having a thriving business The most common craft show risks can be avoided by preparing yourself with the right knowledge. Craft Show Business gives you an insider's grasp of how to choose the best shows and arms you with vital insights on how to present and sell your work. You will learn proactive strategies that are tested and verified. Think of the possibilities for your business when you can learn time-proven methods that will have you selling like a pro. This long-needed book cuts through the steep learning curve and eliminates years of wasted money and time. With complete and thorough advice from a seasoned professional, Craft Show Business is the essential guide, giving you the facts you need to make the important decisions. Take the guesswork out of building a show lineup you can count on starting now. Before you spend a dime on a craft show, find out everything you need to know about selecting great shows and how to boost your sales at craft fairs and festivals. Let this be the year you finally get your collection out there and into the hands of your customers!