Hello! I am Linda Holton from Holton Handicrafts. I am partner to my hubby The Lathe Junkie, mother to two grown children, two fur babies, and four grandchildren. I love to craft and write and have a large variety of interests. On my blog I share with you my experiences and fun ideas for You, Your Pet, and Your Home with lots of other fun thrown in.
I know a lot of people who participate in craft shows, art fairs or even flea markets every weekend but the number of shows increases starting in September or October. Are you ready for your shows? Having a good show means more than just having adequate inventory to support the show.
Here are five things you should consider in order to be prepared.
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Gather your equipment and take stock of what you have. Are there things that you are carrying around that you just don’t use? If so eliminate them. Make sure you are stocked up on basic supplies such as pens, paper, clips and anything else you use on a regular basis at a show. Condense your supplies down to just what you use so that you are carrying less.
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Do a mock show set up. If you have room to do this, setting up your display in a non show setting can help you determine the best setup for you. Doing it before a show can help you get ideas to improve on what you are already doing without the pressure of the show.
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Clean and maintain all of your display items. Wash and press your table cloths, wipe down all of your shelving and props. Make sure everything is in good
working condition and ready to use. -
Make a marketing plan. You don’t have to be a marketing expert to have a marketing plan. Push out a facebook event before the show advertising you will be there or share the event the show used. Be sure to follow up with pictures and information the day of the show. Use a signup sheet to collect email addresses from people who want to hear more about your products. Have a printed list of upcoming shows that you will be at so your customer can visit you again. And the #1 thing you can have at a show is a business card! Make sure you have plenty.
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Don’t forget about selling tools. Do you use shopping bags or just old bags that you have saved from the grocery? It is well worth the investment to purchase bags. You don’t have to have expensive branded bags, just something simple. We purchased some yellow grocery type bags on closeout. Selling tools also includes your taking credit cards. Are you comfortable using your Square or PayPal app to take cards? If not practice how so you don’t have the added stress of figuring it out at a show. Don’t forget to pack that charger so you can keep your tablet or phone going to use that app all day.
