Hi All!

I’m new to the site, and just wanted to poke around and see what everybody’s been up to in the fair industry. Is it just me, or does everyone seem to have a certain formula that they have developed over the years to make things easier? Of course, we do this because we love it, because we wanted to be our own boss, and because we have something unique to offer most of the time, even if it’s only in the form of a smile. :)
But, it’s not always easy, is it? For me, the first year was a tentative attempt to not lose money, and because I was so careful and not fully invested, I lost money. lol
Anyhow, I thought I would share my 5 top blunders with you all, as sort of an introduction to my crazy art shows and fesivals world, and also those 5 things that helped me to organize and gain a better sense of the business aspects of fair events.
Please, if you have more to add, we could create a helpful and fun little checklist of the do’s and don’ts of the mobile arts and crafts show vendor world, and learn from each other!

My Worst 5, Counting down for more drama ;)
1) Being Clueless! I didn’t research the industry or how to organize my business.
2) Being Late! It looks Really bad when you pull into a functioning fair and start setting up in front of a crowd, disturbing your neighboring vendors. (I lost my spot and deposit a time or two, also)
3) Sold Out! I watched a food cart roll away after three hours because they were sold out of dough. That poor guy, his son hadn’t stocked properly.
4) No Backup! Personnel, supplies, transportation, etc.
5) Late Permits! Oh my gosh, these are SO important!

My Best 5:
1) Double checking the packing and stocking of my inventory Before I leave
2) A calendar journal and filing system for all of my paperwork and fair dates, rules, permits, maps, Everything
3) Having at least 2 backup vehicles (a friend and my step-dad) prepared to bail me out in case of break downs
4) Never doing a show alone. You never know what can, and probably will, happen.
5) Being sure that the grounds are up to par and that I am not placed next to a natural fertilizer vendor with a pick-up load of product… we all have to set standards, right? ;)

It was great to meet you all! Good luck out there!

I love how your broke down this list! So many people are caught up in long convoluted stories about what went right and what went wrong as crafts vendors. Sometimes, we need to just rethink the very basics!

I have to share my personal story that fits in with one of your top five mistakes. The first and second craft shows that I took part in, I handled all by myself. Wow, did I get a big head! I was doing well, and people were buying my crafts. I just had no idea what would happen with my first larger festival! I was swamped, and I actually lost a couple of customers who got tired of waiting around.

I would definitely say that one of the worst mistakes a vendor can make is thinking they can handle arts and crafts shows on their own. Now, I always make sure I bring at least one helper. For larger festivals, I bring two assistants!

As someone who has been working the arts and crafts fairs for many years, the first thing I did right was to make a business plan and stick with it. Yes, we creative folks don’t like formal plans, budgets, and red tape, but they can often be a “make or break” sort of thing. The next thing I did right was spend time doing research - I was able to invest my limited budget in the craft fairs and art shows that really paid off. Third, I spent some time walking around and watching what people were noticing and buying at other fairs and festivals. This gave me insight that I would have missed stuck back in my stall. I also made friends with my “competition” and began finding support at many other craft fairs and events. Finally, I did everything “officially” which means I registered my business and kept formal records, this too was not artsy and fun, but really paid off in the end.

The five things I did wrong include second-guessing myself about accepting an offer from a customer because I thought it was too big for my capabilities; being unwilling to leave my general geographic region and attend alternative arts and crafts shows; ending a relationship with a good supplier without seeing if they could sell to me at the price I wanted; ignoring the power of the Internet; and failing to network for the first two years of business.

I can certainly sympathize with many of the do’s and don’ts that you have all posted here.  Among my favorites are “making friends with the competition” for the do’s and “doing a show alone” for the don’ts.  Making friends with “the enemy” as we jokingly say is always a good idea.  I find that at all the shows, the things we sell are so varied that we aren’t really in stiff competition.  Many people come prepared to make multiple purchases.  In addition to sitting back and laughing, we compare tips, sales strategies, and best of all, personal stories.  Over the years, I have come to call many of my fellow craft fair vendors friends, and it was only after I stopped seeing them as my competition that I was able to forge such bonds.  Another thing that is beneficial about this is that they are willing to offer a hand when you want to take a break or view the other booths, which brings me back to my favorite don’t on this forum.

The OP hit the nail on the head when she said that doing a show alone is a poor idea.  In addition to missing out on the ability to look around and browse, you will also find it impossible to enjoy a meal or even go to the restroom.  Losing customers during busy periods is always a concern, but sadly my biggest finding is that at many arts and crafts shows I also lose merchandise.  I definitely think that most of the attendees at the fair events are honest people, but it is a sad truth that unattended or insufficiently supervised merchandise has a way of vanishing under your nose.  A second employee, or even a helpful friend can help this.

I have really enjoyed my time on the boards thus far, and you all seem like such charming people.  It makes me happy to see so many of us in one place, and I feel that we have many great ideas to share and stories to tell.  I look forward to getting to know all of you.

Thanks for all the helpful hints and advice added to my original post, guys! It’s been fun reading what everyone has to say about their own experiences. I think the moral of the story just might be, get yourself a crafty friend or two before you do your next fair event!
lol

Hiya, just got around to reading this post, and I think everyone’s gone home by now.  But here goes…

My biggest mistake when I first started in art and craft shows was that I over-spent.  I was definitely conscious of my budget, but I never really formulated a good cash flow plan.  I figured if I made enough money to cover the hotel, jury fee and permit, I’d be fine, right?  In the end, the little stuff took a chunk out of my profits.  I forgot about parking fees, I forgot about gas and lunch expenses (because I like a big lunch!).  I forgot to add up the “freebies” I gave away. 

Then again, you also have to buy materials very shrewdly.  For a while, I was buying most of my miscellaneous stuff at Wal-Mart, heaven help me.  Then I found out I could get a deal on wholesale supplies and cut my expenses by about 30%.  Some other vendors I know even hunt for clearance craft bins.  Now that’s a great place to get freebies. 

One more thing and then I’m going for pizza.  I notice a lot of people making mistakes with signs.  It is a good idea to use signs and I say kudos to people who think of the idea of signage in the first place.  But please, try to avoid using cheesy sales words like “best” or “cheapest.”  Nobody is “best”, we all sell different things.  Nothing is cheap, or else you’d find it in a dumpster.  This is art, people!  I think the job of a sign is to explain what is not obvious.  Tell people something special about what you’re selling.  Make sure the sign is clean, easy to read and try not to go nuts on the colors or images.  Signs draw attention to what you’re selling, they don’t distract.

Thanks for listening.

Siate felici,