$0 to $1,100.00 in Four Short Hours~Sweet Success!

Over the next few posts, I want to share with you some of the things I have done to improve my business. Some of them were big steps, some of them were baby steps, and some were just improved steps, but all of these steps together have made an improvement in my business. This being day one, I want to share with you the very first thing that I did to improve my business. I want to share with you how I went from $0.00 to $1,100.00 in four short hours! Now that is EXCITING!
Mastering the craft fair is not an easy task. It takes time, determination, and to be quite honest; GUTS! It is not something to be taken lightly, but it is something that can generate some great income in a very short time. In fact, I can only think of a few *other* occupations that can make this kind of money in such a short amount of time, but we will not be going there.
As described in my last post, I began taking my love for creating jewelry to the next level in 2009. This is the time that I did my very first community craft fair. I had been making jewelry for a while, and I had some friends that were quite interested in what I was creating. One of them was so bold as to suggest that I should really try to enter a local craft fair and try to sell my stuff to people other than my friends and family members.
At this point in my life, I really had nothing to lose as I had already lost my career

and therefore, the income that said career had attached to it. I decided to take that friends' advice and try to get into one of the local craft fairs. I began talking to people~that knew people~that knew people~that could actually get me to the *right people*. I finally found the right person that could help me enter my first craft show. I filled out all of the necessary paperwork, got it in (along with the check) before the deadline, and thus was entered for a ride that I have never forgotten.
Now, I come from a very tiny, close-knit community of 6,314 people. We have some towns that are close by, but we are the second largest in the Basin. There is only one town larger than the one I live in and it has 9,653 people. It is about a thirty minute drive from where I am at. Needless to say, we are lucky to be able to eat here:

And even sadder than that...they have some of the best food in town! I do have to say that McDonald's has it goin' on in our little bitty bite of the big ol' world. Their Grilled Southwest Chicken Salad is the very best salad you can get here~hands down! Your meal is ALWAYS fresh and hot because they have a rockin' business and nothing has time to get cold or stale. It is quite yummy! "Cheap but Good" has been an all time favorite motto of mine and when I say it, my friends know I am speaking of my local McDonald's! So, needless to say, I come from a *small town* and with that comes craft shows that aren't necessarily specifically designed for niche items.
My first show was to be held at the fairgrounds. It is with great effort that some of these shows can even get enough people to sign up for booths to make it a go. There really are no specific rules to the sort of stuff that can be sold, other than the fact that it must be handmade. I packed up my 

with my tables, tablecloths, displays and my wonderful wares and I was off to make my first million at my very first craft show!
Upon arriving at the fairgrounds, I had to unload all of my stuff, set it up, and be ready to sell within just about an hour and a half. I was a hot mess! It took longer than it should have, I get nervous under pressure, I am a perfectionist and, of course, NOTHING was right! On top of all of this, I didn't have any help! Man oh man, what the hell was I thinking? I hurried as fast as I could, got my stuff set up, wiped the sweat from my brow, and I was ready to sell~ or at least I thought I was.
I have to tell you, there is a lot of handmade jewelry in my little town of 6,314 people and I believe that every single person making it was selling it at this particular craft show. There were so many jewelry booths that one could have enough jewelry to sustain a queen for all eternity! It was a disheartening moment for the fictitious bubble I had created! It was an all day affair and I walked away with about $30 bucks in my pocket and that didn't cover the booth fee. I was disappointed, to say the least, but I was determined. One thing I am not is a quitter! I went home and regrouped. I was definitely not going to succumb to defeat!
I have come a long way since that very first show. My most profitable show was actually last year. I made $1,100.00 in 4 short hours and it was SWEET! I now have repeat customers that look for me at these events and they are loyal, loving customers that help me to know that this is truly what I want to do as my heartfelt career one day. You must remember that this is a community of 6,314 people, so this is a very good profit in my little neck of the woods. I have changed a lot of things since that very first show and I want to share some of those things here with you now. These are some of the first things that I changed to improve my business, starting with the way that I do craft fairs.
I, of course, don't have all of the answers to be successful at a craft show, but I do have some pointers that may help you out. Here is a list of the things that I think can be very beneficial to you. Be sure to click on the link at the end of this post to get some craft show check lists that I believe are invaluable, after all, they were created from trial by fire!

LIST OF HELPFUL TIPS:
1) Find your niche and do it better than anyone else. I cannot stress this enough, especially if you come from a small town and are doing small town craft shows.
2) Use table coverings that go to the floor. Don't leave the front of your table exposed, as this lets people see everything that you have temporarily stored under there.
3) Use binder clips to secure the sides of your table coverings. Attach them from the under side and *box in* your table. This creates an eye pleasing effect and it pulls the fabric up on the sides so people don't trip on it. I like the binder clips because they are much easier to maneuver than safety pins.

4) Layer your table covering with different colors and patterns. Be sure to have a solid color on the very top so that it doesn't distract from what you are selling.
5) Use table displays that showcase the items that you are selling. If your displays are great enough, they can be the item that attracts people to your table instead of the table of your competition.
6) Don't use bold add-ons. Use small items that don't distract from what you are selling. I sell jewelry so therefore, I use these:

They are very large faceted glass gemstones that can fit in the palm of my hand. I have three different sizes and different colors. I also use fake flower petals. These things can be purchased at craft supply stores.
7) Try to dress in a fashion that resonates what you are selling. My items are very Victorian so therefore, I try to dress in a Victorian fashion. I happen to own this and I wear it to a lot of my shows.

 This is not to say be uncomfortable. By all means, comfort is first priority but most of us create from the heart and it is what drives us. I have  a friend that makes all things leather from boots to saddles to everything in between. He is the guy pictured in the link above. This is exactly how he dresses for the shows. He wears his own handmade boots as well.
8) Wear what you are creating and selling! There is no better advertisement than you! You stand behind what you sell and there is no reason not to bring it! Now, if you are selling wood sculptures that you build with a chainsaw, as my friend the Chick With a Chainsaw does, then it is probably not that feasible. In this instance, be creative.
9) Have your money in a money bag like this:

 when you first start out. I still only carry the money bag because it is small and it can be moved easily. My tax is built in on my items I sell at craft fairs, so all of my pieces sell for an even amount. This makes it quite simple and there is no loose change.
10) Make sure your items have a visible price tag. Some people will not even look at an item if they can't see the price. A clear understanding is already made that you are there to sell and, most likely, they are there to buy; so have a price on your items so that your customers know how much it is.
11) Engage your customers in conversation. Try to start with an open ended question and engage them in a real conversation. If you see them looking, ask them what they like about what they are looking at. Talk to them! This was one of THE HARDEST things for me. I remember standing at my first show, never saying a word to anyone. I was smiling with my hands politely tucked inside one another in front of me, being passive and watching people come and go from my booth, never having been a word uttered between them or myself. I quickly learned that this was not going to gain me any sales. Believe it or not, you can determine if someone wants you to talk to them within the first 10 seconds of opening the dialogue.

If they throw their hand at you without looking up at you directly, and say, "Thank you, I am just looking." This is usually a pretty good indication that you can end right there with, "OK, if you have any questions, I would be happy to help." and leave it at that. Sometimes people look like they don't want to be approached, but give it a shot anyway. I had a customer that still crosses my mind now and again. She came across as a very stern woman, totally unapproachable, but I tried anyway. She wound up buying a $130.00 necklace, matching earrings, $150.00 necklace for her daughter, and earrings to match that as well. Proof that you just never can tell.
12) Be yourself. Talk naturally, engage with your customer naturally. If you are nervous, it is OK. Most customers can put you at ease within just a few moments. They are there because they WANT to be, and there is no greater comfort then knowing this. They usually have a bright smile followed by a compliment the minute you begin to speak to them. Who doesn't like that?
13) Have your boxes, bags, calculator and any other necessities within close reaching distance. Don't leave a customer standing at your booth while you spend 10 minutes trying to figure out where you left your calculator, or finding a box or a bag. It is not professional and it can spell the end of what could have been a good customer relationship.
14) Use professional looking signing and price tags. I print everything myself from my home computer. I have nothing that is hand written on my table. This also gives you an opportunity to use your branding that you have worked so hard to acquire.
15) Have plenty of business cards and brochures on hand. Have the proper displays for them. This is one that I suggest.

16) Have a brochure that your customers can take with them. In it, tell them about you, what inspires you, how you came to do what you do. Talk about your product or items and let them know why you feel your item is ahead of the rest. This has been one of the best things I could do. By the way, I print my own from a template that I had designed specifically for me. I wanted to be able to change it whenever I wanted and Mary at Graphic Confections did an amazing job designing it.
17) Use a Square or other device that you can accept credit cards with. This has been one of the best things I have done for my business in the craft fair world.
18) Advertise that you have the ability to take credit cards! I use a sign that, you guessed it, I printed myself incorporating the branding I have for everything JKC Creations, including my online presence. Believe me, it is one of the most noticed things on my table!
19) Use proper sign holders. Don't spread propaganda around your booth without a specific *home*. I use the acrylic sign holders so that the signs are standing up and they present a clear message from a distance.
20) If you do home shows, have brochures on hand that explain how they work. Be sure to mention that you offer home shows. I offer incentives at mine and my brochure details it out well. Home shows can be a profitable business and you don't want to leave this valuable information behind. Having the template that Mary made for me, I am able to customize it for my home show brochure and my brochure for my business. This is a GRAND thing, indeed!

Here are a couple pictures I took of my table last year at a craft fair around Thanksgiving. I have definitely come a long way since my early days!

And now, here is the free link that I mentioned at the beginning of this post. This list includes the things that I believe are important for a successful craft show. This document is based on the Show Checklists from the Definitive Guide to Selling Handcrafted Jewelry from Wire-Sculpture.com. I hope that you find the list interesting and useful. I am sure there are things that I have failed to mention here, but I believe that you get the idea. Dress for success, and that means everything that you incorporate into the craft show experience. Yourself included!
I have one item on my check list that I have used at every single craft show I have ever done, and I have never seen it on any other craft show list. I hope that you find this list as useful as I do! Enjoy!
Craft Show Checklists