Craft fairs any ideas

[chauntelle]

I've just started booking up some fairs and partys for the summer. I have only done one and that was a majour disastar but i have learnt from it and so this year am far more prephared i plan to have a range of styles that i have been practising height to my stall biz cards, leaflets price lists,a table cloth that goes to the floor and a great big SMILE!!!!

And so i was wondering for all of us newbies out there wot is the one piece of advise that you could offer??? Thankyou in advance wishing you all lots of success and fun this sumer!!!

[Sherl]

Having a range of product and price points is good.. gives people more of a reason to come into the booth. Decorate your booth so it is warm and inviting. Most of the shows I do have a Prim feel to them.. I saw women loved that style so I made my booth have that feel. I have women stop and check out the decorating, then decide they will check out what I have to sell. Not everybody wants candles or soaps.. I've actually sold parts of my display.

Do not sit! I do not even bring a chair.. I am there to sell and when I don't have people in the booth I am wiping dust and fingerprints off candles or straightening my product displays. Sitting just brings a downer feel to the booth... then, when you get up, it can make people want to leave because they feel like they will be pushed into a sale.

You got the smile, have fun! Enjoy everybody that comes by and as you said, learn from each show. Good luck!!

[Trish]

Read the sticky at the top of the business section. There are tons of tips for craft fairs. I just did a show last weekend and sat down and reread through it. good luck!

[LynnS]

I am guilty. I do sit but get up as soon as someone comes and walk over to them if not next to me. I though do NOT read papers etc. That is a big NO NO. I have seen people reading books etc and I feel "they must not be busy and usually aren't". I do not clutter things and keep all products together. Like lotion soap etc, candles by themselves, potpourri and room freshener, candleholder-plates and warmers together. People go straight to what they are looking for. Usually something catches their eye.

One major turn off to me is seeing different size candles next to each other. No pattern. Votives next to jar candles and small jar candles next to big jar candles. Keep it conformed and not messed up and bunched together. I catch myself needing to re-arrange things. The strawberrry candle might be where the flower candles are. You can loose a sale that way. Someone asks if you have strawberry. You do but suddenly gone. THINK it was sold. Then find it later. That can happen and did happen to me so I watch and re-organize my booth at times.

LynnS