Selling crafts may seem like a small and simple business, but nothing could be further from the truth. From homemade birdhouses to handcrafted jewelry, the craft circuit is a multibillion-dollar industry that's growing faster than you can draw a hot-glue gun.
Instructions
1. Become familiar with the different types of craft fairs. One fair is a sales event tied to a specific season, such as Christmas. The other is a recurring event--flea markets or street fairs--that take place weekly. Identify those fairs best suited to your work. Some restrict entrance to artisans who have applied for and received permission to participate, while others simply require payment of an entrance fee. The American Craft Council (craftcouncil.org) is a good source for information about fairs across the country, including who attends and exhibits at each one.
2. Entrance to juried shows is tougher. Your acceptance is based on the quality of your work, the number of similar artisans, and success at previous fairs. It's not apolitical. They want successful artists who bring in good foot traffic.
3. Talk to fellow artisans to scope out which shows are worth participating in and which are not. Research major events in your region on Web sites such as ArtAndCraftShows.net.
4. Attend fairs that will attract your targeted audience. Some fairs attract buyers from gift stores looking to make large wholesale purchases, while others attract customers shopping for things for their home. Determine what type of buyer is attracted to each show, and if it coincides with your target market.
5. Apply to craft shows as early in the year as possible. The best locations generally go to the earliest to sign up, and the best shows have long waiting lists. Your wait is in direct proportion to how many other vendors are in your particular category of work, such as quilting. Your application should reflect any honors and awards you've won, as well as years of experience, to increase your chances of being accepted. If asked for preference, request a corner location in the middle of the floor, which gets more traffic, generally, than mid-aisle booths.
6. Have professional photos taken of your work to include with your application. Keep a variety of color and black-and-white prints, as well as slides available to send when requested. Set up a Web site so customers can view your work online. See Sell Your Art.
7. Do a cost-benefit analysis on the entrance fee versus expected revenue. Some fairs charge vendors more than $1,000 to participate. Don't forget to include all expenses, including travel, hotels and shipping merchandise to and from the show. Can you can bring in enough cash from your sales to make the effort worth it?
8. Jump-start your craft fair experience by signing up for local mall shows, which are generally easier to get into and run year-round. You'll get a feel for what customers like in your area and have a chance to polish your sales skills, which will be invaluable as you move into larger shows.
9. Do your homework for specific shows and plan your inventory carefully to know what will appeal to the people walking the aisles. You want to have a variety of products to appeal to a broad range of customers, but you need to balance that against the cost of transporting and displaying the items.
10. Price your merchandise according to what other craftspeople of your skill and ability are charging, as well as the size of the piece, the amount of time you invested creating it, cost of materials and the overhead you need to cover to stay in business. Your merchandise should be priced appropriately. Some fairs are very high-end while others are more mass market.
11. Buy a booth or make arrangements to rent one from an exhibit house, which can be found in the Yellow Pages under "Trade Shows, Expositions and Fairs." Or check online at sites such as EventSupplierDirectory.com. Booths are expensive, so know what you need and shop aggressively. Outside shows generally require a covered area in order to protect your work from both sun and rain. You'll also need a table or display unit, tablecloths or covers, a chair, and packing supplies, storage boxes and carts to pack and haul your work without it getting damaged, and a space to store it between fairs.
12. Arrange for a merchant credit card account with a bank to accept credit card payments. Sometimes banks are reluctant to allow part-time or home-based businesses to hold merchant accounts, so you may have to be persistent. Some online financial services, like Intuit.com, provide small merchant credit card accounts. Shop around to get the lowest up-front investment and ongoing fees. And check out MobileArtisans.com for potential providers.
13. Do some preparation before the fair and distribute handouts with prices, product lines and contact details. Create or update your Web site (see Hire Someone to Design and Build Your Web Site). Many people don't buy at the fair, but will collect your materials and order from you later.
14. Start locally to see how your merchandise moves before you branch out to fairs outside your area.
15. Be prepared to travel if you do well and want to continue to grow. Making the most of the craft circuit will likely mean traveling to fairs outside your area to find a new base of prospective customers.
