Craft Shows: Surviving and Thriving

As the season begins for me again - this year I'm doing a couple of spring shows as well as my usual summer and Christmas events - I'm re-reading all the great advice on the internet for how to do well at craft shows, because refreshing these things in my mind is never a bad plan.

And as I was browsing Pintrest for more tips and tricks, it occurred to me that most of them are pretty redundant, and don't really give me all the information I want or need for my booth - many of them are written from the perspective of jewelry crafters, or other small items.  While much of the advice applies, it doesn't take into account my larger items, or how to display them, or how to even pack the car for such events.  So  I thought I would talk a bit about how I survive a craft show, and what preparation goes into my display work.  

1st of all, I think it is crucial to spend at least a month thinking about what I can / should do differently.  I make notes at the show, of course, and photograph my booth setups so I can analyze what works and what doesn't, but there's more to it than that.  I spend a lot of time thinking about what colors and fabrics to use for my plushies so that they don't blend into each other or the background.  I think about what kinds of display pieces will work best for my work, and where to purchase pieces or when to make them.  I take pictures of other booths I like (always with permission), and I collect more ideas on Pintrest than I'll ever actually use. 

I think the most important thing I've learned about booth design in the last few years of doing shows is that you can't just shove stuff in there and expect it to sell.  Take a little time, organize a bit, and pay attention to things like height, color, and design.  The color of your booth and it's pieces matters as much as your product, as far as drawing people in.  That's not to say you won't make sales if you just lay your stuff out on a white table cloth.  But, if you cover a few boxes with white fabric and bring a few items up to eye level, you'll sell more.  If you can hang a few things, have a few things in baskets on the floor, and set up items to interact with each other, you'll sell even more.  If you can make sure that your shelves, hanging displays, and tablecloths all work together - they don't have to be the same color, but if they blend well and look put together - you'll sell more.  But don't go over the top and try to make it look like the show floor at Macy's.  People will assume your stuff is too expensive for them - whether it is or isn't!  

If, like me, you make large items that sit on the floor, then consider how to protect them.  I make giant stuffed animals as ride-ons for nurseries.  They don't sell fast, but when they go, they always are a great intro piece - everyone who has bought one has bought other items as well.  Displaying them is a nervous thing, as children always want to try them out - so I worry about them getting dirty, or sitting on the floor.  Solution: I bought a cheap rug at Home Depot, $20, and cut it into squares big enough for my ride-on animals. Now I can move them around the booth, I can wash the rugs between shows, and  I don't worry about their feet getting too dirty.  When the rugs wear out or get too stained, I can easily and cheaply replace them.  

I've got a large collection of baskets for displaying my work as well.  I deliberately picked small batches of baskets that match, so the whole collection doesn't.  I have 6 of one style, 3 or another, and so on.  Then I build my display so that things that go together-ish are in matching baskets.  If you visit my booth and tell me you're looking for fun stocking stuffers that don't break the bank, I can tell you which baskets have items that are under $10.  

When thinking about what your booth should look like, consider where you are going to sit and interact with customers.  This one is the part I usually forget to factor in - I come up with beautiful large displays that use every inch of space, then have to find a spot for me and the chair and the cash-box and the bags...not to mention somewhere for the customer to be able to set down her purse while she pays me.  Remember to make a  check-out spot!

Don't clutter too much. While it is important to look and feel like your booth is full, you don't want people to miss the forest for the trees!  Also, having some back-stock tucked away isn't a bad thing - when someone seems interested in something, being able to say "I have a few more of those back here in other colors, if you'd like to see?" is a great thing. 

I also try to build in conversation starters to my booth - whether it's an interesting basket, ribbon details on the booth itself, or my banner, each element is designed to draw people in to ask me questions.  The more conversations you can start, the more chances for sales! 

 

Product Development: Keeping it All in One Place

One of the most common things I hear from people coming into my sewing room for the first time is "Wow, I could never be this organized!"  From the fabric on shelves, folded on it's mini-bolts and arranged by color, to the color coded scrap bins, the project baskets hung along the ceilling, the rolling shelving unit with ironing station on top, the big plotter on wheels, ready for printing whatever I've decided to enlarge, to the cabinets and counter top I installed last year to give myself yet another work station - currently I'm up to three that are easy to work on, with room for a child next to each station if need be - the thought being that I'd have a place for friends and their kids, if we ever got to that point.  Or I can just have multiple projects going at once. 

The first really noticeable thing is the project baskets.  They are bright white, and hanging from 3M hooks near the ceiling to keep the dust out of them.  I have about a dozen of these around the room.  The important thing to note is I never have projects that don't fit in the baskets laying about.  If I want to take a break from a project, it gets carefully packed into a basket and hung up for next time.  I also don't mix projects.  One basket currently has the cut pieces for eight penguins.  That's it.  No extra parts for other projects, nothing.  Another basket has completed elephant bodies that just need stuffing, along with all the eyes I cut out.  A third has parts for the quilted ball ornaments I like to make (that get compliments like crazy but never seem to sell).  All sorts of bits and bobs, but each is project specific.  

At station #3, under the stairs, is the desktop I installed so I have a place to keep my laptop and my Silhouette.  There's a bookcase with all of my animal print and floral print fabrics.  There are shelves with my ironing supplies, an old tomato paste can that was washed out for paint brushes, a vase full of pens and markers, and thread holders hung on the wall.  I have two different peg boards set up - one has all my quilting rulers, tapes, and jewelry findings hung up and organized.  The other has accessories for my sewing machine, and a shelf for my media deck for the wall mounted TV.  Everything has a home, and it all gets put back away before I start work on the next project, so that I keep the room clean and organized.  (Often my husband will come down to find me muttering over a stack of scraps, trying to decide which bin I would look in for a pink and orange print, before deciding to throw it in the multi-colored pattern bin.)

When we bought our house, one of the key features for me was enough room so I could have a sewing room.  Our two bedroom apartment before that did not have room, so all of my crafty stuff lived in a closet, and didn't really get pulled out all that often.  I got depressed if I started a project - there wasn't anywhere to put a WIP (work in progress) that wasn't in our way.  When I found a five bedroom house I knew exactly which room would be my space, and I am not ashamed to admit that I spent my first evening alone in the empty house painting that room a glorious shade of purple with pink accents.  I have since added some bright teal highlights, and for me it is a very creative space!  

As every crafter knows, when you have a space, you tend to fill it!  I was cleaning this weekend and trying to find a way to comfortably roll in an antique ironer, and there just isn't any room left.  So, until A) the plotter dies or B) I decide I really don't need so much table space - not likely - I'm going to have to accept that I have pretty much exhausted the capacity of the room.  What's a crafty person to do?  Of course!  I started researching building a garage with a room above, with idea being that would be my new sewing space.  Especially if I design it with the idea that it could be an apartment, as well.  Someday we'll want to sell this house, and having the extra income potential would be fabulous for someone.  Or us.  If we had an apartment there, then I could knock out a wall between the two bonus rooms and expand!  Hmmmmm....

I know it's a pipe dream for now.  We aren't in a position to build a garage yet, much less a two story affair.  With plumbing.  And a place to wash the dogs.  And store my inventory.  And maybe a set of greenhouse windows across the back, for starting my garden.  Aack!  Time to get to sketching!

Product Development: What to Make Next?

Koi Pond Mobile

Every show I try to add at least one new item to my inventory.

Which means before hand I need to come up with some ideas for new items.  I actually keep a running list going of ideas, and pick one every few months to work on.  Inspiration strikes all the time, which is why there is a small graph pad notebook in my purse with at least two different color pens handy.  

I get ideas from all over - this one was actually a commission request!  I make bird mobiles that are similar, and a potential customer asked if I thought I could do the same style of mobile but with koi fish.  So here we are!

I'm lookin' at you!

Now that it's done, I'm completely in love with it, so I'll make more and bring them to my next show.  But I've made them with elephants too, and I don't like how they turn out - and they didn't sell - so I won't make more of those.  

So, now that I've got a list of ideas, where to go from there?  First off, if I'm thinking about a new stuffed animal or a new purse or something else entirely, I start with sketches.  I break out a big sketch book, 11 x 17 at least, and draw what I'm thinking about from three or four different angles.  I want to have a clear idea of how I want it to look.  Then with a fine pen in light purple, and dot in where I think the seams should be, where I think darts will need to go, and how I want to achieve the shapes I've designed.  I actually reference this book (Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction) fairly often, and it does a great job of teaching you how to achieve the curves and shapes that so many great stuffies have.  After making a few of the sample patterns I'm completely comfortable trying to design my own, and so far have great results!  

Once I've got a pattern sketched, with darts and other notes marked, I try to make one out of scrap fabric.  I actually have a box of garage sale fabric that was given to me by some nice people at a show I did at a senior center - most of it is fabric I wouldn't use for projects, but it works just fine for mockups.  I stitch, stuff, and set the project on the table.  I pin eyes in place, and any accessories I think I would use for a finished product.  Then I make notes right on the fabric in black sharpie about where I need to make changes - a tuck here, more fabric here, curve this seam out or in, more or less leg, shift tail placement, etc.  Then I un-stuff it, pull all the stitches, and transfer my notes to the paper patterns I made, making adjustments accordingly.  Then I cut and make a new one, re-using as many pieces from the first as I can.  Repeat the steps as many times as it takes to make a piece I love, and want to sell.  

Now that I've got a finished pattern, I want to finalize that pattern - I print out a blank sheet with a border, the borders are set in at about 1" from all the edges of the page.  Then I transfer my patterns to these pages, making sure I make marks of where split pieces connect, where the darts go, etc.  I label each page with a number and a title - such as "Penguin: Page 1 of 3" and stack them up in order.  A quick scan in the computer, and I can print off a copy whenever I want. From time to time I will also take all the pattern pieces - especially for a project that has lots of large ones - to Kinkos and scan them on a large scanner there, just so I have a copy of the full piece.  (I invested in a large format printer some time ago, so printing up to 24" wide from a roll is not a problem.  Most people don't have this option at home, but there are many architectural and drafting service companies that will print you big sheets and scan your patterns for you, I even know one who I can email my patterns to after they are scanned in large format, and pick up prints later the same day.  Black and White, 36" x 24" usually run me about $.50 per page to print. 

Most of my patterns fit on an 18" x 24" sheet, so I invested in an Artist Portfolio for them.  (Portfolio) The bigger sheets I fold in half.  Instead of cutting out the portfolio patterns, I use freezer paper and a sharpie to copy them.  Then I cut out the paper pieces and iron them right to my fabric before I start cutting - works great, keeps things from slipping, peels off easily when I'm done cutting things out.  

As a side note, I'm still working on developing my patterns for selling them - I'm just too much of a perfectionist, and I don't like how my 'in-progess' photography keeps coming out.  Soon I'll get over that, and make a giraffe, penguin, and frog pattern to sell.  My local quilt shop has actually offered to put them in her store if I can get it together, so I'd better get moving on it!

Right now I've pulled out my idea list, and I've got about 50 on there.  Considering I'm trying to add one or two per show, I've got a few years worth to work on!  But as I do these, I'll start eliminating others from the list - things that didn't sell, for example.  I make what I think are gorgeous fabric bows (they look like Christmas bows, but are made of fabric.  Some I put on pin backs, some are on barrettes).  I've had them in my booth for two Christmas seasons now, and I've sold maybe half a dozen in that time.  I made some that aren't Christmasy, and those haven't sold at all.  So I won't make any more, and next year they'll sell.  Cause that's how it works!  

But seriously - how much variety is too much for your booth?  Well, I don't know.  I've had some people tell me to stick to one thing - stuffed animals, or quilted items, or purses - because my booth is too confusing.  I've had others compliment my range of items and my 'something for everyone' booth.  I like having a little bit for everybody, I just like how that looks more.  

Behind the Booth: Part Five - The Checklist(s)

The top of one of my favorite growth charts I've done.

Right now starts my busiest season of year, the month I take off from show preparations.  January I limit my crafting to commissions and getting my accounting done, working on things like this blog, my Etsy shop, and generally making my notes for the next run of shows.  My next scheduled event isn't until July, but I'm planning on picking up at least one spring showing - I just don't have a date hammered out yet.  

So January is when I start doing things like going over my last checklist for the summer show, and looking at my notes.  I always make notes of things I was missing and/or didn't need on the checklist from the year before, and keep it in my cash box to file with my other paperwork - the checklist actually has a place with my tax records.  So now is when I pull it out and start crossing things off, adding, and updating the spreadsheet that I've made.  

I break the lists up so they are easier to follow, and harder to miss things from.  Each one is either based on what I need for the display, what I need for sales, what I need for booth set up, what I need for take down, or what I need to pack the day of the show.  Every show I pull out the checklist, print a copy, and cross of things that I don't need, if there are any.  (On the back of the checklist will be my notes on what worked and didn't work in my display setup for that show, but that's a whole different list.)

Yesterday I started to work on my checklist again, and made some notes, and started designs for the next bit of display work I need to do, and I thought to myself how much it had evolved from the first one (which I still have a copy of).  The first list was based off one I found on the internet somewhere, and it didn't really fit my needs at all.  I think it was for a jewelry booth, and I realized after that first show that I have completely different needs.  Shelving, for one.  So I resolved to create my own set of lists.  

 

So I start with the order I need things when I do my most complicated set up, and go from there. These are the lists of everything I put together for an outdoor show, one where I plan to be outside for 3 days of sales and fun, in a location that tends to be damp in the summer.

First, the tent.

• Tent, with sidewalls
• Weights for the corners
• Stakes and Plastic Mallet
• Rug (if using, depends on weather)
• Three Tables (1 8', 2 5')
• Table Linens
• Risers
• Ladder & Shelves
• Sign / Banner
• Folding Handtruck(Dolly)
• PVC Display for Growth Charts
• PVC Risers & Covers for on Tables
• Yard Tree Mobile Display
• Tree / Branches for displaying bird ornaments
• Toolbox
• Mosquito Repellent & Backups
• Hooks for hanging Displays
• Clothespins 
• Twine / Jute
• Scissors
• Pens (Lots)
• Business Cards
• Screwdriver
• Pliers
• Binder Clips (3 Sizes)
• Small Flashlight
• Pocket Knife
• Emergency Cell Phone Charger
• Toilet Paper in Ziploc (The show has port-a-potties, but sometimes they run out of paper)
• Hand Sanitizer
• Claritin
• Advil
• Benedryl
• Emergency Rain Poncho
• Break and Shake Heat Packs - enough for two per day at an outdoor show.
• First Aid Kit (Small, travel version) that has been restocked and ready to go 
• Bandaids
• Tweezers
• Needle
• Iodine Pack
• Cold Compress Pack
• Gauze 
• Tape
• CPR Instructions (both adult and child)
• Matches in waterproof container (Fires are not allowed at the show or in the campground attached, but in an emergency...)
• Zipties - two different sizes
• Four Bungee Cords
• Pricing Gun and Tabs
• Extra Pricing Tags
• Hardware for setting up display towers (if bringing)
• $20 in $5 for bribing other vendor's kids to help haul stuff to my site
• Chair(s)

At this point, I have everything I need to get the basic booth setup done.  I can arrange my booth how I like, get everything in place and staked down so the wind cannot take it. Put my tables and shelves where they need to go, and can play without tripping over my inventory.  When I get to the site, these are the first things I need from the car, and after they are out I stop and do that much setup before going further. 

Next, the Displays:

•  Inventory (Include checklist for what my inventory should be, so I can click things off and make sure I've not left a box at home - I did that once, lost out on many sales since it was a box of 90 of my most popular item!)
• Baskets / Boxes / Small Risers
• Signs
• Chalk Marker for Signs
• Custom Book with Stand
• Business Cards & Stands
• Bags & Tissue
• Display S-Hooks, two sizes
• Ring Clips (for Draperies, usually, but I use them to hang up things like purses or table runners)
• Small Notebook / Pen (For taking notes about who my neighbors are and what they have that I might want, phone numbers, notes I need for the next day)
• Rugs for individual large items, if not using a rug for the whole booth.  (I buy carpet remnants for this task, or a painting canvas drop-cloth if I want a large rug I don't mind throwing out)
• Painters Tape
• Gaffer's Tape
• Double Sided Tape
• Camera
• Check Sim Card
• Batteries

Before I actually unpack any inventory, I take pictures of the set up from multiple angles, and spend a little time walking around - maybe 15 minutes - so I can walk back through and see my booth from a distance.  That way I can make any changes without worrying about having to empty shelves.  I make sure when doing this that I approach the booth from all directions possible.  Often at outdoor shows potential customers will walk up from either side, across from a 45 degree angle, and across from straight across.  So I check all these angles, and if my booth is seen from the back I make sure it looks nice there, too.  Then I unpack my wares and see how it looks full, and take pictures of that, too. 

The last checklist that's really important is the 'day of' checklist.  This is the last of everything I'm bringing to the booth the morning of, and it usually fits in two or three small containers that I plan on carrying to my booth. 

•  The Cash Box
• $200 Change - $100 in Ones, $50 each in Fives and Tens.  I cannot count the numbers of times I have had extra Ones handy to help out a fellow vendor in need, but good will is appreciated!
• Receipt books - one for each day of the show plus one extra just in case.  (Note: I rarely have gone through more than two 50 ticket books in a given show, but I'm optimistic.  Also, since I buy them in 8 packs, it's not a burden.)
• Pens
• Stickers for Receipts - I hate writing my business name a thousand times when I could have stickers on them ahead of time.  I do one book before the show, and bring the rest with me to do there if I don't have work to stitch on.
• Square - the lifesaver, the sales-maker, the awesome thing that plugs in my phone and makes my credit card processing possible.  :)  
• Inventory List & Price List - just in case tags fall off / are torn away in travel.
• Cash Divider - I have a small cardboard folded accordion for my cash box that lets me keep all the bills upright, and keeps them sorted for easy change making.
• Checkbooks - both personal and business.  
• Small Wallet with my ID and Credit Card - just in case.  There's a potter I keep seeing at shows, and she makes the most lovely bowls...I've started quite the collection.
• Small shammy for cleaning my glasses / phone
• Charging Cable for my phone (if indoor show with access to electricity)  
• The Marketing Bag
• Blank Custom Order Sheets for Growth Charts
• Blank Custom Order Sheets for Stuffed Animals
• Blank Custom Order Sheets for Miscellaneous
• Pens
• Sketch Pad
• Colored Pencils
• Small Ruler
• The Project Box
• The unfinished work I plan on finishing at the show
• Small Sewing Bag
• Thread in colors needed
• Needles in needle case
• Small Snips for trimming threads
• Buttons, felt accessories, etc. to finish items in box, if needed
• The Cooler (I might not have much time to eat at the show, much less time to go find food)
• Water Bottles - at least a liter, every day.
• Sandwiches
• Chocolate
• Pretzels and Mustard
• Small Cheeses
• Hard Boiled Eggs, Pre-Peeled
• Cookies
• Jerky
• Mocha Frappacinos - 2 per day
• Ice Packs

That pretty much covers my checklists for a given show.  I trim things off, of course, when doing an indoor show - a lot of the first list and some of the last go away, especially for a one day affair.  But by making my lists ahead of time, I'm a lot more successful, and ready, and confident.  Don't underestimate the value of being prepared - it will show in your demeanor, and that will get you more sales - it will make you seem very professional.  

At the end of the show I re-print my list, and use it to make sure everything makes it back into the van.  I make my notes on the back, and and tuck it in the cash box when I'm all done, where it waits until January for me to pull it out and type up the additions / subtractions.  This year's notes are fairly simple:

1. Get new rug for booth, or consider other alternative for individual items that must sit on the ground at outdoor show - old rug too stained to clean.
2. Order more hooks for Yard Tree for mobile display - make more mobile types.  
3. Figure out better / easier risers out of PVC for next year.  Need to be lighter, easy to stack
4. Paint PVC & Shelving - Shelving should be white, PVC purple or green
5. Sand and re-paint ladder.  Then give clear coat or four to make it easier to wipe down.  Consider using wood putty to fix some of the dings / scrapes in steps, give a cleaner look
6. Consider rounding the edges of the shelves.
7. Consider drilling holes so shelves can be bolted to ladder - sturdier, less dangerous.
8. Redo chalk signs with white chalk marker instead of purple - white is much easier to read.  Maybe purple accents.
9. Consider spray painting all baskets to match each other - white, maybe, or copper.
10. Sew covers for PVC risers when they are finalized.  White or purple or green, depending on what works best and what fabric I want to buy.  Consider doing in stretch so they are fitted. 
11. Take more pictures!  Photograph everything before it leaves the house.  Get photo booth out and set up in Silhouette alcove, if nowhere else, and arrange with lamps.  
12. Make more of the Growth Charts - this time at least two fancy ones, as well as the simple versions. 
13. Look for better shoes for outdoor shows - got massive blisters from last set.  Sneakers?  Boots?  See what I can find that looks nice but also feels good and doesn't get ripped off my feet by the mud like my clogs.
14. Start early on package for Juried show at the University.  Really, really want a booth next Christmas.

Just remember - every show is different, and you'll need to adjust your list accordingly.  List out individual display pieces - and their parts, if needed.  Organize your list by how it goes together.  The more preparation you do ahead of time, the less stress you'll have on the day of the show.  Which leads to having a good time, being in a good head space to enjoy your clients, and make more sales than ever!  Remember to smile!

My next few posts will probably be a bit about product development.  How I decide what products make the cut, and which ideas get put on the back burner for future shows.  Looking forward to writing then!

Behind the Booth: Part Four - Succeeding at Craft Shows

Color Matters!

Okay, so you've come up with your brand, printed your business cards, made your inventory, paid your fee for the booth, brought in your tables, set up - now, money can roll in, right?  Nope.  

Reality check - most home crafters do not turn a profit their first year.  Of the ones I've talked to, most took three to four years to really feel like their business venture was paying for itself and paying them.  That doesn't mean you won't make money at the show - it just means that most if not all of that money will go back into the business.  I'm not saying this to try to discourage you - quite the opposite!  I  just don't want you to give up if you don't have a banner year your first time out.

I'm going to help you with as many tricks and tips as I can come up with for how to succeed at the show once you've gotten set up.  I have a few simple things I do that seem to get me great sales.

• There are phrases at the craft show that we all dread hearing after awhile.  "That's so cute/pretty/detailed/lovely/intricate/gorgeous!"  90% of the time someone uttering this phrase or one like it is not planning on buying.  In fact, most complimenters aren't going to buy - that's why they are paying you a compliment.  They like your work, and want to acknowledge it.  Don't despair!  Strike up a conversation.    "What do you like about it, specifically?  Which piece is your favorite?  Is there one that speaks to you more than the others?  If it was in a different color/pattern would it appeal to you more?  Would you like to commission a custom piece?"  Try to work them around to a purchase - I've had more people who wanted something but were afraid to ask if I'd do a special order for them. 

• Always dress well, business causal is a good rule of thumb for indoor events.  If you're doing an outdoor event, dress like you are hosting a garden party/bbq.  For your neighbors.   Doing so makes you look prepared, ready for sales.  

• Stand as much as possible.  People are more likely to talk to you and buy if you're standing.  I don't know why psychologically this is, but if you're standing you'll make more sales.  Especially if you're working your booth.  By "working your booth" I mean rearranging, refilling, organizing, cleaning, checking tags, refilling business cards, or other small actions in the booth.  

• If you do need to sit - or just want to sit - bring some of your work that's portable.  I often have a large basket of elephants that just need their bellies stitched up - I finish them at the show because they are easily portable, and don't take much time to do.  Be aware of your surroundings, though!  If you can't work and chat with people, then chat with people instead.  

• Instead of inviting a friend to come sit all day with you, invite them to come at regular times - or set up a schedule - so you can eat/run to the restroom/shop the rest of the show.  You will be less prone to miss sales due to over-chatting.  No one wants to interrupt you and your friend chatting about this and that.

• Fill your booth, but don't clutter it!  I know, this seems like contrary advice.  But really, use that booth space - if someone can take in your whole booth without stopping, they will.  If you can lay it out so there are hidden treasures, you'll do better. I know I've posted this photo before, a couple of times, but it's worth showing again.  This is a booth I shared with my sister-in-law.  She makes soaps!  Notice our tables are nice and full, but most things are organized into baskets.  I've tucked some stuffed animals into key places to fill space and make it look more full, and we've added some risers for height and accent.  While you can't really see my ladder shelves too much (they are peeking in on the left) you can get the impression that we have product at multiple heights, with lots of color.

• Think about how a department store organizes its displays.  Usually they have one big display, with everything you need to recreate that image on nearby shelves neatly organized.  I try to do a similar thing with my displays, showing off one or two things very prominently and then stuffing my shelving with the rest of those items.  

• When a potential customer says "I'll be back." They don't mean it.  Don't get your hopes up on potential sales - until you have cash, don't hold anything.  The exception is when someone says "I'll be back, I'm just running to the ATM, can you tuck this behind the table for me?

 I hope these tips help you have a successful time at your first, third, or three hundredth craft show.  Look forward to my next post, Behind the Booth: Part Five - The Checklist.  All those things that I pack along (besides my inventory) and why I pack them.  Have a great day!

Behind the Booth: Part Three - Inventory

What to make, How much to make, and How I Price My Product.

I still ask these questions before every show.  (I also keep a running constant inventory of my product lines, to help make these numbers easier to predict.)

But there are a few guidelines I use to make these determinations, and since I'm sharing tricks and tips, I'll go over a few of them.  

What To Make:

Every time I go on Pintrest, I find at least a dozen new projects that I think would be great in my booth.  Every show, I get asked "Why don't you make x?"  I used to try to jump on every helpful suggestion, which has left me with a lot of product that won't sell anytime soon.  I've started telling my helpful suggesters that I will happily make them a commission anything, but I probably won't add it to my standard fare.  Depending on how I like it when it's done.  So why did I decide on Elephants and Owls instead of Hedgehogs and Foxes?  

Well, most of the initial decisions were based on a Pottery Barn Kids catalog the first year.  I knew that a big part of my product line was going to be stuffed animals, so I went through the catalog and made a quick spreadsheet of all the animals I spotted - whether as stuffed animals, sheet and quilt sets, etc.  Elephants and Owls tied for the lion's share of the instances, with giraffes and hippos being not far behind.  But there were only half a dozen foxes, and one hedgehog.  Butterflies were big too, so many of my fabrics have butterflies on them, whether subtle or ostentatiously.  From there it was taking a risk.  Then I made a plan to add at least one new stuffed animal design every year.  And I don't remake things that don't sell well.  For example.  My elephants come in many different sizes, from softball, to volleyball, to medicine ball, to ride-able.  After three years, I found the medicine ball size doesn't sell.  Sometimes I get the odd commission for one, but they don't go on their own.  So I stopped making them.  

Coaster Sets - Hard to photograph, don't sell well for a year or two and then Wham! Can't keep up with demand...

As far as the other items I make - Mug Rugs, Growth Charts, Kleenex Cozies, etc. - those items were made originally as experiments, and the ones that sell I keep making.   Most of these were suggestions from friends, family, or things I stumbled upon that I thought might sell well if given half a chance.  Generally speaking, I'll make one or two of something, determine what I think I have to sell it for, and then decide if I can make money on it and if I think it will sell.  

Lately I've been working on some potholder patterns.  I like potholders, I think it's fun to make them pretty, but I've never considered them for selling before, because of the time involved - I always thought it would be hard to make money on them.  But I've figured out a fun pattern that I think I can whip up in an hour, making a $20-30 finished product much more feasible.  

How Much to Make:

A much harder question.  Inevitably you'll make too much or not enough of everything.  No matter how many you bring, if you have the hot item of the year you won't have enough, and if you don't then you'll be sitting on the same batch forever.  I usually consider how many I want to carry around at shows for the next year before I determine a number.  

Considering my potholders for example.  If they don't sell, I can give them away as gifts or use them myself, but I won't be able to get rid of 300 that way.  So I'll probably make no more than 20 to try at the first show I bring them to.  If they don't sell, I'll either figure out a better display or I'll change the prices for the next show.  I'll carry them from show to show for 2 years before I decide they aren't going to sell - my coaster sets are like this - and then suddenly I'll sell half the pile and need to make more.  That I will consequently carry around for 2 years before they sell in a burst again. 

As a general rule of thumb, until I'd done a few shows to get a feel for how the sales trends work, I planned on bringing the following based on pricing.  

$5 or <, I bring 40 to the first show

$6 - $15, I bring 20

$16 - $30, I make 10

$30 - $50, I make 5

and anything over $50 I make 2, one in a neutral and one in a bright pattern.

But be flexible!  If you make more, you might sell more.  Just keep track at each show how much of something you sell, and you'll have a rough idea of what kinds of numbers to bring for the next time.  

Remember, you can always take orders for things in different color schemes, sizes, etc.  But!  Most customers won't ask for this, so put up a sign if you're taking custom orders or open to doing custom work.  They won't just ask!  

I like your mug rugs, but I'd really like a frog for my friend who collects them...do you do frogs?  I can do anything!  What's your phone number?

How to Price Your Items:

There are many schools of thought on this, and I know many people have different opinions on how to make this work for you.  I use  a pretty simple formula for my pricing, and it works for me, but I'll admit I make some adjustments here and there.  

The formula I start with is: (Materials Cost x 3) + (Time in Hours x 10) x 1.25 = Selling Price (Round to nearest dollar).  Also, remember some items are much easier and faster to make in batches, so if you can make 12 in 6 hours, but making 1 takes an hour and a half, use the 12 in 6 hours.  You're not likely to do less than that at a time, anyway.  Basically it accounts for the cost of the materials plus the ones I don't track (thread, for example), the cost of my time at $10 per hour, and a 25% profit built in.  That doesn't always mean that's the price I leave things, though.  I have been known to up the price of something (or lower) if need be, to make sure that my items sell.  It works out in the end, anyway.  For example, my medium elephants filled in on this formula are ($5 x 3) + (1 x $10) x 1.25 = $31.25, so I sell them at $30.  However, my little bird ornaments are 12 items x ($5 x 3) + (2 x $10) x 1.25 = $43.75/12 = $3.65 but I sell them at $8.00 ea.  That builds in  a little profit for things like the mug rugs, which I sell at $12, but should really sell at $20 based on my formula.  At $20 they never sell, at $15 I sell one once in a while, but at $12 I can't keep them in the booth.  And with offset from my birds and other small items, I do just fine on my bottom line. 

Hand embroidered pillows never sold, so this one went to a charity auction - and went for almost 4 times what I was asking for it in my booth.  You just never know!

Next time I think we'll do Behind the Booth: Part 4 - How to Succeed at Craft Shows.

Behind the Booth: Part Two - Marketing and Booth Design

Booth at the Wonderfully Made Bazaar, Cornerstone Church, 2014

A word or three on Marketing:

The first thing I can't harp on enough is branding.  Figure out your business name, if you're going to have one, and then a logo.  Then put it on everything - business cards, banners, flyers, advertising, Facebook, Etsy - anywhere your stuff is, your brand is. It's still the hardest thing for me to remember to do!  I finally printed up a set of tags that have my logo and name on them, so every piece I sell has my logo attached to it somewhere.  

(In the above picture I was sharing a booth space with my sister-in-law who makes soaps, so I had a banner made up with both of our logos and we called ourselves "Suds and Stitchery" for the show.  :)

Make sure your brand is consistent!  I do everything in plum and lime green - so my tablecloths, business cards, display pieces (I painted the ladder for my ladder shelf plum!) all mesh.  The baskets I've left natural, because they show up nicely, and stand out a bit.  Also, when I add riser shelves, they're white to make them pop.  

Personally, I try to connect with my buyers - a business card goes into every bag, thank you notes go into on-line orders.  Custom pieces get a half page paragraph on the inspiration behind their design, and any special touches so they know the story. 

Booth Design:

If you're doing craft shows, this is possibly the most important section in this whole blog series.  I find that booth design affects everything: sales, number of shoppers who stop in my booth, attitude (both mine and my shoppers), how other vendors react to your booth - it all seems to hinge on a few key principles.  And a variety of small things.  

•  Color.  Keep it balanced.  If like me, you have lots of colorful items, then keep your backgrounds neutral to showcase them.  And by neutral I don't mean Black, White, Grey, or Brown.  But don't go neon, or patterns.  My items don't look good on black or white, but put a nice solid tone behind them and they pop!  

• Match your booth to your items.  Most of my product is geared toward younger parents, tourists, and a few throwbacks that draw in an older crowd.  My price points vary from $5 - $180 with most in the $40 or less range, so I'm not in the "upscale" category.  So I did not design my booth to look like a boutique, which would have actually turned off many of my potential market.  Instead, I keep it very homey, playful, and bright.  But I know a woman who sells jewelry who does a dark chocolate and ivory color scheme to her booth with lots of satin and velvet, so it looks very rich.  Her price points start at $150 and hit $500 very quickly, and she designed her booth to reflect that. 

• Space and Flexibility.  You won't have the same amount or layout space at every show.  Some shows provide tables, some don't. Some provide chairs, some don't.  I make a plan based on four different layouts, and have practiced each in my downstairs open area with painters tape on the floor.  

1. First: The 10 x 10 booth.  This usually doesn't come with tables or chairs, but sometimes has them available to rent at an indoor show.  About a month before the show I tape out a square on my floor (in the garage also works, if you have one - or a very understanding friend).  Then I set up my tables, racks, etc and try it out.  I do a full dress rehearsal here - linens, shelving, risers, product.  Play with it.  Move things around.  Take pictures.  Try things you don't really think will work - then take pictures again.  I usually leave this set up for two weeks while I play with it, if the dogs don't get too interested in my stuffed toys.  Otherwise I take it down and play with the pictures - circling things I like, crossing things I don't, and making a solid plan. 
2. The  8' Table.  Sometimes this comes with chairs, sometimes not.  Most of the time there isn't room to have hanging racks or extra shelving - figure out how to get what you want out of this booth - I have been known to sacrifice some of my seating area to put up racks/shelves behind the table!  
3. The 8' x 5' space.  No table, but about the same amount of space.  Again, practice!  Have a plan.  By the way, if you find you like this set up more than #2, ask if you can have the table removed from your space.  Most shows will let you bring your own set up, especially if you arrange it ahead of time.
4. The Unknown.  I've had a few shows that didn't tell me ahead of time, or had oddly shaped spaces.  For example, the booth above was supposed to be 10 deep by 16 wide.  It ended up being closer to 14' wide, and about 12' deep, so we adjusted and put a second table in the back instead of having one super long setup.  This allowed people to actually walk through the whole booth, which turned out to be a very cool effect.

 Having done some design work for store windows and store displays, I have a bit of a leg up on how I design my booth.  There are a few key things to remember during your layout of product, and I guarantee you'll see better sales through these simple tips.

• Put the product you want to sell as impulse buys at eye level, on the right hand side of the booth.  People almost always walk a booth from right to left, and eye level items get the first look through.  Remember, your eye level is not your client's eye level, necessarily.  I make sure to keep kids things lower to the ground and more adult products up higher.  

• Before the show opens, walk by your booth.  Is it inviting?  Does the layout encourage you to walk up to the tables/shelves?  Is there room for three or four people to come in and see your wares?  Most people won't swing back if they can't get in to see.  Think about your venue and what you sell - will people with strollers be trying to come visit your booth?  Make sure that small items are back from the edge of the table.

• Put Price Tags on Everything!  This one is super important.  There's a varied school of thought on this, and after three years of doing shows, I can pretty solidly tell you that your sales will increase if the prices are visible.  If you have to ask the artist to get the price, only the most die-hard shoppers will bother.  Which means impulse buys are out.  I've passed on dozens of cool pieces over the years because they weren't tagged, and I automatically assumed they were out of my range because of it.  But $100 wasn't always out of my range, and I've found booths over the years where items weren't marked and nothing in the booth was over $50.   Even just a discreet card under what you're selling will make all the difference to your sales.  The only exception is for very small items, then I make a clear sign and attach it to their basket.

• Think about it this way - someone who stops to look has roughly a 10% chance of buying something (I average about 1 sale in 10 shoppers).  If they pick something up, they have a 50% chance of buying something (even if it's not that thing).  If they carry it around the booth while looking at other things, they have a 90% chance of buying something.  If you don't have price tags on your items, most will pick up an item, search it for a tag, and put it back down, because you'll be chatting with someone about their piece and won't have time to answer pricing questions all day.  You aren't selling to one person at a time, and you'll want to be able to make sales without having to be right on top of people

• If you make wearables, wear your product!  If you make vases, put flowers in some of them.  Showcase how your items would look in homes.  I put smaller stuffed animals in baskets to be reminiscent of a play room.  Coaster sets are up on the table with a pretty pottery mug, usually purchased from one of the other vendors first thing in the morning - I take a card and note the location of their booth, too.  :)  Never hurts to work together for sales!  I've given other vendors really good deals on pieces with the proviso that they show it off in their booth and send people my way who are interested. 

Next time, I'll talk a bit about Inventory - What to Make, How Much to Make, How I Price My Stuff.  

See you then!