Two Seaside Babes just finished our second year of shows. We LOVE doing shows (craft shows, festivals, art fairs)...getting out to our customers first-hand, meeting them, and introducing them to our products. It's been a great way to get our name out there to local customers, local shops, photographers, and the media.
During the past 2 years, we've learned a lot about doing shows. And doing them in a way that is profitable. We've learned (mostly the hard way) what works...and what doesn't work. What to buy...and not to buy. Things that you just cannot live without...and things that you should just skip.
Just like most artisans and crafters, the mere mention of an "outdoor" show makes the heart flutter a bit. And not necessarily in a good way. Rain. Wind. Extreme temperatures. It's a whole other ballgame when you do outdoor shows, as opposed to indoor shows. It takes a completely different setup, completely different gear, and a completely different mentality.
Two years later and we LOVE outdoor shows. They are our bread and butter. It's easier to sell warm weather gear to people when they are outside. Even in the summer this still holds true. Believe it or not, the worse the weather is (cold, rainy), the better we do. We sell hats and scarves after all. People want to stay warm at outdoor shows.
So the biggest thing you need is a canopy. With sides. And silicone seal. I know, you're asking yourself why. Because...there is no waterPROOF tent. There are water RESISTANT tents. No matter if you pay $100 for your canopy or $2000...it's going to leak. Somewhere and at some point. So get ahead and spent $7 for a tube of silicone seal. You'll thank me the first time it rains.
That old adage about needing to greet your customers on your feet...well, that's a load of whooey. I've had 2 knee surgeries...you won't see me standing for long. But you will see me sitting in my director's chair. It's eye height with my customers. I don't need to stand to look them in the eyes and talk to them. I just park that thing smack dab right in the front of my booth (sometimes even outside) and crochet for everyone to see. It brings people in. I'm not looking up at them (like with those traditional folding chairs). And I'm not killing my knees...especially at some of the 4 day shows I do.
Grid walls. I just got them this year. O.M.G...why did I not invest in these sooner? They make my booth look so much more professional and I can get oodles more of inventory in the booth because of them. They create visual space, adding height to the booth. And for any veteran having done shows, you know that customers don't want to just look at merchandise laying on a table. They want to look up, down, across, and all over the place. Grid walls certainly help us do that.
I hate the look of the plastic tarp walls on the canopy. They look so....uninviting. So I hang white sheers to make the booth feel like a boutique. You would not believe the compliments that I get from patrons, other vendors, and show organizers about something so simple. It really gives your booth a completely different look. A more inviting look, at that.
OK, back to vertical space. And horizontal space. I have tons of these wooden crates that I stack my inventory in. I can easily "separate" my hat styles with the crates, putting certain colors in each one. I use crates to define boundaries and allow customers to more easily find what they are looking for. I stack them to give more height to the tables, instead of having everything laying flat. Not only is it more appealing, but it allows me to get way more inventory on the tables.
Speaking of tables...don't buy some cheapo table, just because you want to save a few bucks. I learned (obviously the hard way) not to get the 6' tables that fold down the middle. Sure, they make transporting a little easier. But putting tons of inventory on...not so much. Especially when they collapse...right down the fold. That's all I have to say about that.
Most people don't like to carry cash on them anymore. I certainly don't. I carry my check or credit card everywhere. And I charge it like a crazy shopaholic. No, I'm not a shopaholic. Ok...well, not entirely. I digress. At a show, you NEED to have the ability to accept credit cards. i take over 60% of my sales through credit cards. I use a JAK with my iPhone. I get automatic approval, the customer signs for the purchase right there on the spot, and gets an invoice emailed to them. In less than a minute. Beats a knucklebuster any day! Or taking checks.
Sometimes I've already sold what another customer wants. Or I don't have the size they need. Or color they want. Bring a ton of custom order requests from you. I made mine easy peasy in Word. I take custom requests at every single show I do.
I could not survive without my fabulous inventory management system. I came up with a workbook that has inventory numbers assigned to every single product we make. EVERY SINGLE one! When one sells, I write the number down. After the show, I subtract that item from my inventory. I know...to the penny...what sells, how much we made, and what we need to put back in inventory.
Lastly, inventory. OK...this seems no-brainer obvious. Take a look at some of the shows that you do and there will always be a handful (or more) of artisans and crafters that have one table sparsely filled with products. Or maybe that's you?
Open your eyes!!!!
Customers want choices. They want styles. They want colors. They want sizes. They want choices upon choices upon choices! The more they have to choose from, the longer they are in your booth. The longer they are in your booth, the more likely they are to buy. The more likely they are to buy more than 1 item if you have many things for them to choose!
The old saying is that you will typically sell 20% of your inventory at a very good show. The more you bring, the more possible it is to make more.
Of course, now you need to be smart about your inventory. I have doubles and triples of my best-selling items. But I don't put it all out on the tables. I have totes under my tables filled with extra inventory. Or inventory that won't fit on the tables.
Well, I hope that might help you in your shows. Please remember what works for me might not work for you. But I do hope that it might give you some ideas. Or inspiration. Regardless, happy selling to you and good luck at your next show!
Standing in the dining room, looking into the office.
Yes, the compulsive neat freak in me color coordinates everything. EVERYTHING! But doesn't it look oh so pretty that way?
More yarn. And also our hair accessory area...headbands, hair clips, and buttons.
The bottom of the shipping armoire. I do other crafts besides crochet, you might know. I paint. And sew. OK...I TRY to sew.
