If you have a love for arts and crafts and can’t envision yourself doing anything else, then perhaps it’s worth investing in yourself and your passion. Depending on how much effort you’re willing to put into it, selling your work at craft or vendor shows could bring in enough income to cover your expenses, provide a nice supplemental income, and/or be an exhilarating full-time job. If you are ready to dive into your passion, then let’s discuss how to get going while maintaining a budget and saving some money.
Turn to Coupons for Affordable Eye-Catching Presentation
Crowds turn out in droves to shows and festivals, to buy art, jewelry, woodwork, metalwork, glasswork, knitted goods and more. Making your booth stand out among the others and presenting your work in the best light is the best investment to draw potential buyers in.
You don’t have to spend a fortune to create a professional product display that boosts your sales. Search online for creative ideas, and repurpose what you have for creative displays. Most of what you will need can be found at sites like Amazon. If you’re a Prime Member, you will get free shipping in a short time frame and reduced prices. To add icing to the cake, you even can get cashback offers on already great deals.
Here are some things to consider using for an eye-popping display, some of which you can easily find on Amazon:
● Display stands
● Shelves
● Backdrops
● Freestanding wall displays
● String
● Chicken wire
● Baskets
● Corked bottles
● Car stock
● Table covers
● Mannequin
Marketing on a Budget
Let people know who you are. Use all your creativity to come up with a catchy name for your shop. Then, you can either design your own logo or hire someone to design it for you. If you’re not tech-savvy and need an inexpensive option, check with your local community college to hire a studying graphic designer to create a logo for you (you’ll get a product and they’ll get experience). Use the logo to create a business card, post on free social media sites and create a sign for your booth.
Don’t let your new customers walk away without a business card that tells them how to contact you and find you online. You can place the cards on tables or throw them into the packaging when you wrap an item. There are numerous places to find inexpensive business cards online. The benefits will be big, and with the cost low, you can use the extra money on inventory to create more products.
Collecting Payment
People still carry cash, and you can always opt to be a cash-only booth. However, you should consider accepting credit cards if at all possible and advertise that you accept cards. Your customers will like the ease of pulling out a credit or debit card and will be more likely to purchase something if they don’t have cash on hand. Do some research on companies that offer card readers. Companies like Square, QuickBooks, Clover, Elavon and PayPal will take a percentage of your transactions to pay for the service, which you can factor into the price of the product to offset cost.
Setting the Right Price
The goal of participating in the shows and festivals is twofold: Do something you love, and make some money while doing what you love. Setting the right price is crucial to your success, and it allows you to devote more toward your art or crafts. While a cheaper product is easier to sell, you need to set the price to cover costs and make a profit. Consider also creating a wide variety of work to cover many price points.
Participating in shows and festivals is a great way to get your work out there and make some money. Search for great deals to create an awesome presentation. Focus on marketing to bring in buyers and ensure repeat customers. Make money by investing in convenient ways for your customers to pay, and set the right price based on your expenses. In no time, you will not only enjoy what you’re making, but you’ll also enjoy making a profit off your passion.
from guest correspondent Abby Holt
A selection of handmade Maddalena Bearzi metal and textile pieces displayed on sand and desert rose crystals for a beautiful and unique display-case. This jewelry is available at Dacha and in our online shop. Image: ©Dacha