It's a new year and with a new year comes a whole new schedule of craft shows you can sign up for! Finding local craft shows is essential for making a living via your creative biz. Selling at shows puts you in front of buyers who want to support you and fellow makers whose community you can join.

But where do you start? How do you find out about craft shows in your town and near you? How do you determine if you want to travel to out-of-state shows? How do you even FIND out of state shows? Here are a few ways:

TALK TO OTHER CRAFTERS

Ask other crafters what events they participate in and which ones they do NOT participate in. Word of mouth is a great way to find new fairs and glean details about existing ones.

GOOGLE

Google is a great way to find fairs in your city, state and in other states. Here is an image from a quick google we did and look at all that popped-up in Kansas City:

And here is a google from Missouri which came up with lots of fairs in the state:

FREE ONLINE...

We're sure you know, craft shows can be hit or miss. They can be a great way to get your products in front of new customers, get feedback on what is popular and of course start generating income for your business.

Even slower shows can have their benefits (meeting future fans, growing your following, meeting other makers, learning about great shows in the area, getting crucial customer feedback, etc.), but picking the right shows can help you grow your business faster and save you lots of time.

We have a few tips for choosing the perfect craft fairs for selling your amazing maker goods!

ATTEND:  Visit potential shows to see if your items would be a good fit.

COST:  Determine how much booth fees are for each show.

SHOPPERS:  Consider the audience demographics.

VENDOR ATTENDANCE:  Find out what vendors have participated in the past.

CUSTOMER ATTENDANCE:  Ask the curator or past vendors how many shoppers attend.

ONLY HANDMADE?:  Find out if...

It's No-Show January. That month between the winter holidays and Valentine's Day and there are NO CRAFT SHOWS! If your business has slowed down this month, DON'T FRET! We have a few tips for how to use this down time to KEEP GOING:

BOOKKEEPING AND NUMBERS

Use January to get your books in order and review the year. Figure out which shows were profitable (see our nifty graphic in our last blog for help in determining your numbers) and which weren't. Get organized for 2020 by sorting your tax documents and creating a profit and loss spreadsheet if you haven't already.

RESEARCH AND PLAN SHOWS

Are you part of any FB groups like Craft Show Success that has other makers in it? Post a question to them or do some research by searching past posts about shows in your city. Look up craft shows and plan your 2020. Mark down when applications close for certain events in your calendar so you don't miss out on applying! Plan for booth fees. Sometimes multiple events will have fees due around the...

As a craft show organizer, I've watched countless vendors 'in their element' and... not in their element. Whether you're a seasoned pro or ready to apply to your first craft show, there is a very important "Code of Craft Show Vendors" that is mostly unspoken, but should be followed in order to make great sales and to make your show run smoothly (for you AND for the organizer).

CODE 1: BE PRESENT AND FRIENDLY

I can't tell you how many times I've watched vendors buried in their phones while customers wait for them to look up, but when the vendor doesn't look up, the customer walks away. Make sure to greet your customers and make them feel welcome to ask you questions or find out more about your product and give them your full attention (or tell them you'll be with them in just a minute because understandably, you could be merchandising or doing a social post). Craft show customers are coming because they want to support and meet YOU, and you can gain some loyal followers by being...

The Holiday Craft Show Season is upon us! You can increase your sales and brand awareness at holiday shows many different ways. Here are a few tips on how to increase your holiday sales by using social media:

#1: Have an "Events" page on your website and social media

Make sure you have an  Events tab or page on your website.  You can find an example HERE on co-founder Carly Rae Studio's website. This guarantees anyone who comes to your website will know where they can find you, in person! Many clients shop handmade and local specifically because they want to support YOU so knowing where to find you, physically, can boost sales. Also, some clients may want to avoid shipping charges on larger, heavier items or if they are buying multiples, and may plan their purchase around your pop-up craft shows. Here is a great example of how to list your events on your Instagram and Facebook stories from Carly's site. Once you have shared to your stories, you can 'Highlight' it so...