The Business Chat - ARGH, rejection

It arrives. 

The envelope.

From the show you applied to. 

You hold it, wondering, am I in or am I out? Do they want me?

With bated breath you open it….

“Dear applicant,

We regret to inform you…”

Damn. Crap. Argh. You’ve been rejected.

Don’t feel bad, we’ve all been there and still are there sometimes. You might assume that as a professional crafter with 11 years’ experience and hundreds of craft shows on my resume that I’m in a show automatically. But no, there is no guarantee. I’m sitting here waiting to hear from two new shows that I’ve applied to, my fingers are crossed. Even some shows that I have done for years may reject me. 

There are a variety of reasons that lead to a rejection. The most common reason is that your category is full. Within each category there are also sub-categories. An example is the jewelry category, the first to always fill up. If a show has 20 spots for jewelry, you don’t want all the jewelry to be the same. The organizer might allow 3 lampwork artists, 4 silversmiths, 4 goldsmiths, 3 fiber or leather jewellers, and 6 assemblers. The organizers will also look at price points ensuring that there are a variety of choices for customers.

Returning vendors are usually given priority as well, meaning that even if your category has 20 spots, there may only be 3 or 4 available to new vendors. 

The second most common reason for rejection is that your photos or your application sucks. Your application is the only thing an organizer has to judge you upon. Do you look like a professional? Remember, the organizer is in the business of selling space and ensuring that the customer has a good shopping experience. They need to know that you are going to show up, have a nice booth, and make decent work that is appropriate for the show. Make sure your application looks as professional as possible. Spell check. Your photos must be the best that you can get. In these days of cheap digital cameras there is no excuse for bad photos. Spend some quality time getting to know your camera and practising. Photography is a skill and can be the difference in getting into a show or not. If an organizer tells you that your photos were not great, then spend the next year making them great. 

You could also be rejected because your work isn’t appropriate for the show. If you make lower priced work and you’ve applied to a higher end show it isn’t going to work. Trust the organizers judgement on this.

Here’s a couple of suggestions for you if you get a rejection notice.

First, call the organizer and ask why you were rejected. Ask what you can do to improve your chances to get into the show next year. Not only will this provide you with constructive criticism but you will have shown the organizer that you are serious enough about your business to improve it. It’s a great way to begin a relationship with the organizer.  

Second, check the cancellation date. This is usually listed on the application (and you made note of it then, right?) Life happens and someone is bound to cancel from the show. Don’t call on the cancellation date, call the organizer the day after. Although the organizer will have a list of alternative vendors, if you take the initiative and call before they have to go searching for someone you just might get in. 

I do know of some vendors who just show up on the day of the show and hope there will be an empty space. Believe it or not, sometimes vendors who have paid for a show do not show up. This is a bit of a gamble and I can’t say that I’ve done it, however it has worked for people I know.

If these suggestions don’t get you into the show then the best thing you can do is shrug it off. They rejected your presence at the show, not you. Go to the show as a shopper and take a look around. Picture yourself there as a vendor, now go home, make new work, take new photos and try another show.

The Business Chat - You have 2 feet

Come on everyone, let’s walk down this aisle at the craft show, I can see some nice bright colours down there. 

Why this aisle you ask? Some people methodically walk up and down every aisle. Others randomly stroll wandering when something catches their attention.

And here’s our problem as jewelry designers. It’s pretty hard to catch someone’s attention when your product is 5cm in size. At a distance how does a tiny object compete with a bright painting, or a shawl or a chair in the neighbouring booth? 

Signs. Posters. Photos. 

That pair of earrings when blown up on a poster can be seen from a distance. 

Of course it’s not quite as simple as that. Where you place your posters is almost as important as having the posters. 

You have 2 feet to attract your customers attention.

Let’s look at this diagram. (OK, I make fabulous beads and great jewelry but I have zero talent when it comes to drawing. Use your imagination to make this pretty.)

Here’s 2 friends strolling down the aisle. 

Crafter A has invested in a gorgeous banner with her company name and she’s placed it on the back of her booth as a backdrop. As gorgeous as her banner is a lot of people won’t see it. You can only see a backdrop when you’re standing in front of the booth or just to the side. The trouble is that people will constantly look ahead and by the time they’re standing in front of booth A, they’re already looking halfway down the aisle. 

Crafter B has spent money on posters, and he’s placed them in the back and on the sides to fill in the wall space. Again, it looks nice when you’re standing in the booth but from the aisles the posters are invisible. How many people is Crafter B losing because they pass by without coming in? 

Crafter C has the winning combination. Crafter C has her sign right up front. Most important Crafter C understand that the most important real estate in her booth is the 2 feet on either side of the front. Those 2 feet are visible from way down the aisle. This is where you put your message, your biggest, brightest pieces, your attention getters. 

As the customer walks in to your booth, you have another 2 feet to deal with. 

Watch where a customer looks. Do they look down? Do they look up? No, they look straight ahead. They look at eye level.

You have 2 feet of prime display area. 

Display your work between waist height and eye level. The rest is filler. 

If you are using tables then raise them up. People don’t want to bend over to look at something. When a customer is standing in the aisle in front of your booth and scanning quickly they are not looking down. If you are using tables use risers and vertical displays. Get it up so that they can see it. 

If you are using shelving (hello Ikea) then those bottom shelves? Don’t even bother putting work on them. Seriously, who’s going to look at ankle level for a pair of earrings? Put a photo down there and put the earrings up top. 

You have 2 feet. 

Literally. 

A left foot and a right foot. 

Use them. 

When you are in your booth you are at work. Your job is to interact with your customers. Sitting in a chair is not interacting. Walking around talking to people is interacting. You need to be at eye level with the customer. I know it’s hard sometimes but you can sit down when you get home at night when you are off work. 

Yes, I have a chair in my booth. A tall bar stool that I can perch on. At least it keeps me closer to eye level. NEVER sit in a low chair, especially at the back of your booth. 

Using these 3 2 feet guidelines means that more customers see your booth and your work. More customers translates into more sales. More sales means that you can use your 2 feet to walk to the bank more often. 

ps. For those within driving distance from the Beadfx store, there are a couple of classes you might want to check out! October 21 How to Start and Run a Successful Microbusiness

October 28 How to have a Successful Craft Show

taught by ME! These are the only classes that I will be teaching until late spring 2014. Grab a seat now as space is limited! 

pps. At some point the classes will taught online. I'm working on that, in my "spare time". 

The Business Chat - Building a booth

Several of you have written me lately to ask about building your first booth. (You do know that you can email me questions? Catherine@sailorgirl.com, always happy to share information). You have asked about where to buy a booth, and where to get the parts. OK, let’s talk booth. 

You must create a booth that is a showcase for your work, not a stand-alone fabulous booth. Some booths are so pretty, so creative, so much a work of art on their own that the product is secondary to the display. Your display is the supporting character in your act. Without it the show can’t go on but it should never get a starring part.

What makes a booth successful? 

• They make a great first impression. They can be seen from a distance and provide an overall sense of the artist's sense of style before you even enter the booth.
• A great booth is wide open with no little bits of furniture or display racks blocking the entrance. There is also plenty of room to move around in the booth  .
• They use colours to enhance the products, not overshadow them
• The display fades into the background, they are not the first thing you notice. The products are the first things you notice when you look around the booth
• Items are, for the most part, displayed in the prime area between waist height and eye level.
• The items are displayed at a variety of heights. Rows upon rows of straight lines are a sales-killer.
• The display is solid and functional. All parts can stand being manhandled by a large number of people. 

Make a great First Impression

As you think about your booth it’s important that you keep your brand in mind. Think of an overall colour scheme and the mood that you want to set. If you haven’t yet done the One Word Challenge now is the time. 

Imagine being at a large outdoor craft show with 200 vendors. It’s a sea of white tents. Indoors you are faced with a sea of bright colours, or if it’s a smaller show just a sea of tables. Your first job is to stand out from the crowd and attract the customer into your booth. 

Curtains are one of the easiest ways to set your mood. I always have bright blue walls and from a distance they stand out in that sea of white. Curtains also define a space.

So what if you don’t have any walls? Maybe you only have a table in a sea of other tables. You’re a creative person, get creative. Try 2 coat stands placed behind your table, now string a curtain between then. Voila, instant wall that places a visual barrier between you and your neighbours (competition).  If you have more space use 2 ladders. Hang a curtain rod between the ladders, not only can you hang a curtain, you can hang posters. Use a large swath of fabric to cover the ladders and use the steps of the ladder as display shelves. These suggestions also give you something to clip lights onto. 

Use your walls. Imagine standing at a craft show and looking down the aisles wondering what to look at next. From a distance shoppers can’t see work on a table, nor can they see tiny small work (such as earrings). Makers of large work such as sweaters or artwork have a big advantage here. If you make small work get yourself some posters. I also have my posters laminated for weather protection. 

TIP: check your local printing companies. Rather than paying for actual posters I use The Printing House for 11” x 17” photocopies. Full colour - $2 each. Bargain! For laminating I use Staples, there’s also Kinkos. 

Picture frames are a nice way of making a piece of jewelry look extra special. Try putting a piece of foam core covered in fabric in the frame so that you can pin the jewelry on. Or you can use screen or mesh in the frame to hang earrings on. You can either hang the frames on a wall or stand them on a table. 

Speaking of tables, if you are using tables you must use a tablecloth. (Unless you have gorgeous wood tables instead of the folding card tables most of us use). Always use plain coloured tablecloths. Screaming bold patterns simply distract from your work. For the same reason avoid super bright colours unless your work is even brighter, and avoid metallic cloths. 

TIP: Use double-sided tape to make sure the tablecloth doesn’t get pulled out of place. 

Use risers for vertical height. People look at eye level, not down. Putting your work flat on a table is not only visually boring it doesn’t attract attention from a distance. There are many crafters who use the boxes they bring their work in as risers. Simply unload your work and then cover them with fabric to match your tablecloth. Use double-sided tape to secure your risers to the table.

How to design your booth and how to build your structure, be it walls or tables, is completely your decision. There are companies that sell trade show booths however they are not only very expensive, they are generic and geared towards corporate trade shows. Besides, you don’t want a display that looks like someone elses. A lot of people use grid walls (large metal grids) as they are versatile and you can easily hang shelves or hooks from them.  Me, I build my own display (make friends with the people at your local hardware store). We are creative people, we know how to use tools, make it special. 

As to the actual props that you use, let your imagination run wild. Kitchen stores are a great source of props. Mug stands make nice earrings stands. Check out home décor stores such as Winners and Homesense.  If you look closely at other people displays you’ll notice that most of us are very well acquainted with Ikea. Whatever you decide to use make sure it’s sturdy. It is one thing to look cute but can it be bumped and jostled by a crowd without breaking? Can it stand up to a really strong wind? 

If you are looking to create a booth visiting several craft shows for ideas is your best bet. A great source of inspiration online is searching through Flickr (flickr.com). You will also find that as your career grows your booth design will change. Do not invest a lot of money in your first booth because in 2 years time you will have a lot more work and it may be different style. Start off with something that you can change or expand as your experience grows. 

One last tip, take a photo of your booth at every show. They are great not only to reference back from one show to another, but 10 years later you will look back on your first booth and laugh. Trust me. 

The Business Chat - what to do when you're rejected

It arrives.

The envelope.

From the show you applied to.

You hold it, wondering, am I in or am I out? Do they want me?

With bated breath you open it….

“Dear applicant,

We regret to inform you…”

Damn. Crap. Argh. You’ve been rejected.

Don’t feel bad, we’ve all been there and still are there sometimes. You might assume that as a professional crafter with 10 years’ experience and hundreds of craft shows on my resume that I’m in a show automatically. But no, there is no guarantee. I’m sitting here waiting to hear from three new shows that I’ve applied to, my fingers are crossed. Even some shows that I have done for years may reject me.

There are a variety of reasons that lead to a rejection. The most common reason is that your category is full. Within each category there are also sub-categories. An example is the jewelry category, the first to always fill up. If a show has 20 spots for jewelry, you don’t want all the jewelry to be the same. The organizer might allow 3 lampwork artists, 4 silversmiths, 4 goldsmiths, 3 fiber or leather jewellers, and 6 assemblers. The organizers will also look at price points ensuring that there are a variety of choices for customers.

Returning vendors are usually given priority as well, meaning that even if your category has 20 spots, there may only be 3 or 4 available to new vendors.

The second most common reason for rejection is that your photos or your application sucks. 

Your application is the only thing an organizer has to judge you upon. Do you look like a professional? Remember, the organizer is in the business of selling space and ensuring that the customer has a good shopping experience. They need to know that you are going to show up, have a nice booth, and make decent work that is appropriate for the show.

Make sure your application looks as professional as possible. Spell check. Your photos must be the best that you can get. In these days of cheap digital cameras there is no excuse for bad photos. If your photos need a little help, there are some awesome free photo editing tools and applications (hello picmonkey.com!).  Spend some quality time getting to know your camera and practising. Photography is a skill and can be the difference in getting into a show or not. If an organizer tells you that your photos were not great, then spend the next year making them great.

You could also be rejected because your work isn’t appropriate for the show. If you make lower priced work and you’ve applied to a higher end show it isn’t going to work. Trust the organizers judgement on this.

Here’s a couple of suggestions for you.

First, call the organizer and ask why you were rejected. Ask what you can do to improve your chances to get into the show next year. Not only will this provide you with constructive criticism but you will have shown the organizer that you are serious enough about your business to improve it. It’s a great way to begin a relationship with the organizer.  

Second, check the cancellation date. This is usually listed on the application (and you made note of it then, right?) Life happens and someone is bound to cancel from the show. Don’t call on the cancellation date, call the organizer the day after. Although the organizer will have a list of alternative vendors, if you take the initiative and call before they have to go searching for someone you just might get in.

I do know of some vendors who just show up on the day of the show and hope there will be an empty space. Believe it or not, sometimes vendors who have paid for a show do not show up. This is a bit of a gamble and I can’t say that I’ve done it, however it has worked for people I know.

If these suggestions don’t get you into the show then the best thing you can do is shrug it off. They rejected your presence at the show, not you. Go to the show as a shopper and take a look around. Picture yourself there as a vendor, now go home, make new work, take new photos and try another show.

The Business Chat - how much will I make?

“I’ll never have enough time to make enough! What am I going to do?” wailed my caller. My friend was in quite a panic, she’d just received her acceptance into a much larger show than she has done in the past. It’s a good show on a summer long weekend and now she’s in a state about not having enough inventory. Here’s how the conversation went.

First, I applauded her for starting to think about inventory 4 months in advance. Then we talked about her sales expectations.

My friend makes a large statement necklace that gets a lot of compliments when she wears it. At the small shows that she has done she usually sells one or two a weekend. She was panicking about trying to make 75 or 80 of these before the show. This necklace sells for $150. I punched some numbers into my calculator and came up with $11,250. That is how much you would make selling 75 necklaces at $150.

I asked her why she thought that she could sell $11,000 worth of ONE style of necklace when she usually only sells $150 - $300.

“Because it’s a really good show,” she explained.

Wrong answer.

In my business workshops students always ask, how much work do I make for show? Unfortunately, there is no magic formula. What I can tell you is that there is a rule that we can use to help judge our stock.

In the jewelry industry we have the 10% rule. This rule tells us that our booth cost should be 10% of sales.

For a $25 show, you should sell $250. A $250 show, sales should be $2500. It doesn’t matter if your $100 show is 1 day or 3 days, if the show costs $100 you should sell $1,000. For a $350 show you can expect to sell $3,500.

Keep in mind - this 10% is an average not a guarantee. Do not expect to make the 10% in your first 10 shows because as a newbie you will make mistakes. On your three shows be happy to break even (including ALL your costs not just your booth fee).  In the next 7 shows you should see your sales improve as you work out your display and show techniques. Now start charting your show sales.

Sometimes you will do a $25 show (expected sales $250) and make $500. Bonus! Then your next show might be a $75 show and you sell $500. Booth costs = $100, sales = $1,000, average = 10%.

Knowing this rule does help with inventory. If you are doing a show that costs $50, you can expect to sell $500. If you expect to sell $500 there’s no point stressing about bringing $8,000 worth of work.

Every piece of jewelry you make costs money to make. If you don’t have reasonable expectations of selling it, this inventory is going to end up sitting on your shelf. That’s money sitting on a shelf instead of in your bank account.

A good starting point is to bring 2 or 3 times your expected sales. If you expect to sell $500, then bring $1,000 or $1,500 worth of work. Over time this will increase and you will be carrying around 4 or 5 times expected sales.

It takes time and money to build an inventory.

If your costs are 25% making $5,000 worth of inventory costs you $1,000. Spending $1,000 to go to a show where you sell $500 isn’t a great idea. Yes you still have the leftover inventory so if you are doing a couple of shows in a row you might be okay. It is still a better idea to make $1,000 - $2,000 to start, sell some, make a little bit more, sell some, and so on.

When I ran these numbers past my friend I explained that if she made $20,000 worth of inventory she would have spent $5,000 in materials. The show she is in costs $350 so she can expect to sell $3,500 (although being her first real show it will likely be less). At that rate she is going to lose money.

I had to rain on her parade. There is no magic bullet. You aren’t going to make $20,000 on a weekend craft show selling jewelry.

You succeed in this business like you do in any business, slowly and with a lot of constant work. Knowing approximately how much you will sell means that you can reasonably build your inventory, budget your expenses and maintain a realistic vision of your business.

So, if you have received your acceptance letter, congratulations!!! Now, multiply your booth cost by 10, double it, and make that amount in inventory.

Remember there are no guarantees, but at least this gives you a number to start with. 

The Business Chat - let's build a booth

Several of you have written me lately to ask about building your first booth. (You do know that you can email me questions? Catherine@sailorgirl.com, always happy to share information). You have asked about where to buy a booth, and where to get the parts. Well, let’s talk booth.

You must create a booth that is a showcase for your work, not a stand-alone fabulous booth. Some booths are so pretty, so creative, so much a work of art on their own that the product is secondary to the display. Your display is the supporting character in your act. Without it the show can’t go on but it should never get a starring part.

What makes a booth successful?

• They make a great first impression. They can be seen from a distance and provide an overall sense of the artist's sense of style before you even enter the booth.
• A great booth is wide open with no little bits of furniture or display racks blocking the entrance. There is also plenty of room to move around in the booth
• They use colours to enhance the products, not overshadow them
• The display fades into the background, they are not the first thing you notice. The products are the first things you notice when you look around the booth
•  Items are, for the most part, displayed in the prime area between waist height and eye level
• The items are displayed at a variety of heights. Rows upon rows of straight lines are a sales-killer
• The display is solid and functional. All parts can stand being manhandled by a large number of people

Make a great First Impression

As you think about your booth it’s important that you keep your brand in mind. Think of an overall colour scheme and the mood that you want to set. If you haven’t yet done the One Word Challenge now is the time.

Imagine being at a large outdoor craft show with 200 vendors. It’s a sea of white tents. Indoors you are faced with a sea of bright colours, or if it’s a smaller show just a sea of tables. Your first job is to stand out from the crowd and attract the customer into your booth.

Curtains are one of the easiest ways to set your mood. I always have bright blue walls and from a distance they stand out in that sea of white. Curtains also define a space.

So what if you don’t have any walls? Maybe you only have a table in a sea of other tables. Try 2 coat stands placed behind your table, now string a curtain between then. Voila, instant wall that places a visual barrier between you and your neighbours (competition).  If you have more space use 2 ladders. Hang a curtain rod between the ladders, not only can you hang a curtain, you can hang posters. Use a large swath of fabric to cover the ladders and use the steps of the ladder as display shelves. These suggestions also give you something to clip lights onto.

Use your walls. Imagine standing at a craft show and looking down the aisles wondering what to look at next. From a distance shoppers can’t see work on a table, nor can they see tiny small work (such as earrings). Makers of large work such as sweaters or artwork have a big advantage here. If you make small work get yourself some posters. I also have my posters laminated for weather protection.

TIP: check your local printing companies. Rather than paying for actual posters I use The Printing House for 11” x 17” photocopies. Full colour - $2 each. Bargain! For laminating I use Staples, there’s also Kinkos.

Picture frames are a nice way of making a piece of jewelry look extra special. Try putting a piece of foam core covered in fabric in the frame so that you can pin the jewelry on. Or you can use screen or mesh in the frame to hang earrings on. You can either hang the frames on a wall or stand them on a table.

Speaking of tables, if you are using tables you must use a tablecloth. (Unless you have gorgeous wood tables instead of the folding card tables most of us use). Always use plain coloured tablecloths. Screaming bold patterns simply distract from your work. For the same reason avoid super bright colours unless your work is even brighter, and avoid metallic cloths.

TIP: Use double-sided tape to make sure the tablecloth doesn’t get pulled out of place.

Use risers for vertical height. People look at eye level, not down. Putting your work flat on a table is not only visually boring it doesn’t attract attention from a distance. There are many crafters who use the boxes they bring their work in as risers. Simply unload your work and then cover them with fabric to match your tablecloth. Use double-sided tape to secure your risers to the table.

How to design your booth and how to build your structure, be it walls or tables, is completely your decision. There are companies that sell trade show booths however they are not only very expensive, they are generic and geared towards corporate trade shows. Besides, you don’t want a display that looks like someone elses. A lot of people use grid walls (large metal grids) as they are versatile and you can easily hang shelves or hooks from them. (King Displays on Adelaide St W in Toronto is a good source). Me, I build my own (make friends with the people at your local hardware store). We are creative people, we know how to use tools, make it special.

As to the actual props that you use, let your imagination run wild. Kitchen stores are a great source of props. Mug stands make nice earrings stands. Check out home décor stores such as Winners and Homesense.  If you look closely at other people displays you’ll notice that most of us are very well acquainted with Ikea. Whatever you decide to use make sure it’s sturdy. It is one thing to look cute but can it be bumped and jostled by a crowd without breaking?

If you are looking to create a booth visiting several craft shows for ideas is your best bet. A great source of inspiration online is searching through Flickr (flickr.com). You will also find that as your career grows your booth design will change. Do not invest a lot of money in your first booth because in 2 years time you will have a lot more work and it may be different style. Start off with something that you can change or expand as your experience grows.

One last tip, take a photo of your booth at every show. They are great not only to reference back from one show to another, but 10 years later you will look back on your first booth and laugh. Trust me.

The Business Chat - Your Holiday Booth

Your booth is your store, even if it’s only for an afternoon. How your store looks absolutely affects your sales. Your display will make your store’s first impression on your customer. For the basics of booth display you should read Booth Display 101 and Booth Display 201. Today we’re talking about how to display for a major holiday season. Now is your chance to shine!

Speaking of shine – it’s Christmas, go ahead and add some glitter to your display and get festive. A lot of people find shopping tedious and by the time they get to you they’re fed up. What can you do to make them feel happy and festive? Maybe a little tinsel or some twinkly lights. Add something special – how about a bowl of candy? (Keep it high so the kids don’t grab too much).

If you make holiday themed work, why not try and use holiday themed display items? Christmas tree earrings can be clipped to a small plastic tree. If you’re making ornaments set up a mini-display using those ornaments. If your earrings are on cards, clip them to a string like cards on a mantle.

Something I add to my booth for this season are extra signs. Signage is non-verbal communication to your customer. Here are some signs that are really important at this time of year.

1. People are buying gifts now, have a sign about your gift wrapping. (If you do it. Which you should).
2. Another excellent sign is your exchange policy, what if the recipient doesn’t like it, or it doesn’t fit, what does the recipient do?
3. Where can the customer find you for the remainder of the holiday buying season? If you have a craft show in the middle of November there are still a lot of buying days until Christmas. And yes, some people will leave buying until December 24. Have a list of your other holiday shows and your contact information (such as web address and email) readily available.
4. Put suggestion signs on various products. Examples of a suggestion sign is “A great hostess gift!” or “Perfect for the teen in your life”. If you look at the customers at some point they’re glazing over with overload, lead them to a decision.
5. List your payment options prominently. If you do not take credit or debit cards find out where the nearest ATM is so that you can let your cashless customer know.

Chances are your holiday show is inside. Most indoor shows offer hydro (check with the show organizer).Lighting your display is VERY important. No matter how bright the hall is, it isn’t bright enough. You need to spotlight your work. Hardware stores such as Home Depot are good sources for lights. Also check Ikea. Check the whole store, many vendors use “work lights” which aren’t in the lighting department.

Make yourself a lighting diagram of your space and from this calculate how many lights you will need and where they will go. Now double that amount and put the extra lights in your diagram. Draw in how many extension cords and power bars you will need. Don’t forget to take extra light bulbs or batteries if your lights use them. At every show you do it’s really important to have a cash and packaging area away from your display. Try to make it a little bit larger than normal as people will have a lot of bags and they may not want to put them on the floor while paying you.

Of course the best holiday display for your booth is YOU. The closer we get to Christmas the more people will be tired of shopping, tired of crowds, tired of all the other vendors hawking their wares. At this time of year it’s extra important to smile and be nice. And have twinkly lights

The Business Chat - Rain or Shine

Last night around 4 a.m. I woke up with a start, what was that noise? Oh, rain. Oh, thunder. Oh, tomorrow is a show day. Oh, heck.

Here’s the thing with outdoor craft shows, they are rain or shine meaning that they go on regardless of thunderstorms, tornadoes or extreme heat waves. You just have to be prepared.

So here are some tips on surviving an outdoor craft show.

You absolutely must have a tent. And it has to be a good tent. You must weatherproof your tent.

Now you must weatherproof yourself for rain. Craft shows are not the time to be worried about the fashion statement you are making. Yes, we want to look good especially if we’re selling wearables. At the same time, if you are uncomfortable or cold you are not going to be happy. And happiness is the best sales tool you can have. More important than being fashionable is being comfortable.

Let’s start with your feet. If it looks like rain, wear rubber rain boots. Cold, wet feet for a 12 hour day are silly. I leave my rain boots in my booth bin. Along with a pair of socks (who wants blisters?) If it’s not raining running shoes are the best. In the heat, a good pair of sandals with lots of support are critical. Make sure they are shoes that can be easily washed, parks are full of mud or dust.

Before you go to a show check out the weather report and dress appropriately. Take an extra sweater or jacket and layer up. It is very different to be standing around for 10 hours than to be walking around for 2 hours. One of my neighbours today was wearing a super cute sundress and bare legs, by noon she was freezing and miserable. Because she was so cold she was shivering and all scrunched up. It’s not good body language. We want to look positive in all aspects of our presentation.

Pack a decent rain coat, a nice long one. Umbrellas are great but they require a hand to hold them. It’s better to have a really good rain coat with a hood just in case you happen to be standing in the rain. Again, I leave a dedicated rain coat in my booth bin so I’m never without.

Extra tarps. You just never know when you’ll need a tarp to throw quickly over a pile of something. You can pick up cheap ones at a dollar store, do yourself a favour and put 4 of them in your booth bin. You might also want to put in a couple of clamps to hold the tarps in place.

A bag of rags. Paper towels are great for windexing mirrors or dusting small objects but if you get caught in rain you might have to do some serious clean up. Go with a couple of small towels or something else absorbent.

Wet wipes. Should you get caught in rain in a park life can get very muddy. Wet wipes will help, they’re also useful in a very hot and dusty park.

Treats for you and extra to share. Sitting in a tent in the rain isn’t high on the fun list, in fact it can be downright crappy. It’s amazing how much a treat can make you feel just a little bit better, it’s very Pavolvian, but hey, it works. Make friends with your neighbours too and try to make light of it, you’re in it together.

My day in the rain today? Well to be honest it was really brutal in the morning. The thunderstorm was extremely strong and almost 2 dozen tents were destroyed (not mine). I had a huge amount of mud all over my display that took an hour to wash off. Fortunately I had great neighbours, and we were all doing the same thing. Someone went on a coffee run, someone produced chocolate cake. Even in the crappy rain customers came out. By noon it was just a steady drizzle and yet more customers came out. At the end of the day when I added my sales up I was pleasantly surprised, I sold as much in the rain as I normally do. Yes it was harder, but my neighbours and I had some laughs, we made good friends and I made money.

Rain or shine. The show goes on. 

The Business Chat - 7 tips for taking care of your best sales tool

For the past few months you’ve been working like crazy, creating fabulous art. It’s ready to be seen by the world. You built a gorgeous booth. Everything is packed. Every detail has been thought of. Or has it? Have you taken some time to look after your most important sales tool?
YOU.
You are your most important sales tool. When you’re prepping for a show you spend so much time thinking of your work, your display, your packaging, your marketing that sometimes you don’t look after you. Without you nothing is going to get sold. It’s important that you make sure that you have everything you need to be comfortable and well looked after so that you’re in the best shape you can be in. If you’re hungry and cold you’re not going to be in the best frame of mind to sell. Take a few minutes and read these tips on prepping yourself for a show.


1. Proper footware

It doesn’t matter how super-cute those shoes are, if you can’t stand in them for 10 hours they don’t work. Not only must you be able to stand around in your shoes, you have to carry all your display in and out of the park. This is one place you can skip any thoughts of fashion and go straight for practical. If necessary, bring an extra pair of shoes. Actually, you might want to anyway. If you start off in running shoes and the day warms up, maybe have a pair of sandals tucked away for mid-afternoon

2.  Lots of water. 

Talking is thirsty work! Don’t assume that you’ll be able to run off and pick up a cold drink, bring lots. I take 2 litres of water a day. A thermos of hot tea or coffee is always a good thing both for the pick me up and the warmth.

3. Food is your friend

I don’t know about you, but when I’m hungry I am one grumpy girl. Grumpy isn’t a good sales attitude. I know in your show package they said there would be all sorts of food available, however you don’t have time to go running around looking for food and that food may be really far away from you. The chance of you having the time to sit down and eat a meal slowly over a decent time break is non-existent. Take a lot of hand food that can be eaten fast. Sandwiches are fine so long as they’re not messy. Cut veggies, fruit, bags of nuts and granola bars are good. Tupperware of meals that need to be heated up and eaten with a fork are not. Most veteran exhibitors carry a small cooler so that snacks such as cut up pieces of cheese and drinks can be kept cold. Whatever you decide to take with  you, make sure it’s in insect proof containers and that  you have plenty of it. It’s hard work you’re doing, you  need fuel!

4. Dress for the weather

It is really important that you look good in your booth. I’m not saying you have to be a fashion statement, but you do have to dress like your work. You are a huge part of your brand. By this I mean that you need to reflect the same look as your work. If you are making expensive, intricate woven pieces, then perhaps leave the tie-dye shirt at home. If you are making $10 hemp bracelets, then the demure white shirt and suit jackets isn’t really the look you want. Pick your clothes carefully. You want clothes that blend into the background so that your jewelry is the first thing a customer sees.

At the same time as dressing for your booth it’s really important that you dress for the weather. If it is cold, wear a sweater. Or two. And a jacket.  I also pack fingerless gloves and a hat.

If it’s raining, rubber rainboots are a must. Wet feet for 10 hours are no fun. Wool socks in the rainboots are a good idea.  Also take a long raincoat with a hood (you can’t hold an umbrella when you’re carrying your display).  Take the umbrella anyways.

The best choice is to wear a lot of layers so that you can tailor yourself to the weather as the day goes on. It may be warm when you’re walking around, but just standing in one spot means that you cool down.

5. Sunscreen

Check the expiry date on it. (no, I didn’t make that mistake, a friend did, wow what a burn).

6. Lip balm, sunglasses

Did I mention that talking is hard work? You’ll need the lip balm (with a strong SPF). I try not to wear sunglasses because I do like eye contact however there are times you need them.

7. Treats

Absolutely!!! At some point you’ll be really tired and wondering why you do this. There’s very little in my world that a well-timed truffle can’t fix. Whatever floats your boat.

The Business Chat - Mental preparation

Yikes! it’s been 6 months since I did a craft show and I’m having a hard time switching my brain into show mode, I’m sure you know how it feels. I’ve been so busy focusing on other stuff, like applying to shows, making cool fun new work, blogging, facebooking my little heart out and planning future endeavours. Basically I’ve been working ON the business and now I need to switch gears and start working IN the business again. To do this I sat down today and had a staff meeting.

“Gee, self, planning the new website is really awesome but wouldn’t it be great to pay the rent?”“Uh, yes. And I’d to order more glass. And I need to print new posters.”“So I need to get my butt in gear and sell at the show this weekend.”“Right, let’s focus on selling.”

And then the meeting broke up for a cookie break.

Time to break out my 7 steps to getting into Let’s Have a Successful Show mood.

1 Calculate how much the show is costing by the hour.

Take the cost of the show and divide that number by the number of hours the show is open. For example, if the show cost $300 and is open from 10 – 6 for 2 days (16 hours), then you are paying $18.75/hr. If there’s a slow period in the day, don’t pick up that book or your phone. Really, did you pay $18.75 to read a book or talk to your friend? Do something productive.

2 Set your show goals.

You can’t know if you’ve had a successful show if you haven’t defined what is success. If you are exhibiting at the show to make money, how much money? Name a number, be exact. If you want to increase your mailing list, by how many people? Are you testing a new product, what would make you think it worked out? List your show goals on a piece of paper.

Now decide what you will reward yourself with when you make those goals. The carrot and stick method can work wonders.

3 Assuming there is a monetary goal involved, break that goal down into a per hour goal. If you want to make $1000 and the show is 16 hours, then you must sell $62.50 per hour. $1000 is a big chunk of change, $62.50 is not. When you get tired and think, “gee maybe I’ll just sit down for a bit” think of that $62.50 and see if you can’t make one more sale.

4 Go over your booth display checklist twice to make sure you have all the bits and pieces you need. Knowing that all display items are in the car means that you can focus on actually selling.

5 Go over your story in your head, or discuss it with your cat. What makes you so special? What makes your work different than your competitors? Why should a customer care enough to buy your work? Don’t think it’s going to sell itself, help it out.

6 Take 10 minutes to mentally walk yourself through the whole show. Picture yourself arriving and setting up the booth. Imagine your first customer, greeting them, chatting about the weather. Now imagine your first sale! And the next one! Imagine a whole flood of sales. Picture yourself finishing off the day, how tired you are, but how happy that you made your goals!

7 And lastly, imagine yourself with your reward. Go ahead, you deserve it! You worked hard at that show and you totally rocked! 

The Business Chat - Post show work

We’re in the home stretch now people, one more shopping week until Christmas! Anyone still have a craft show to do? For those of us who are done, congrats! You’ve survived another holiday season. As tempting as it is to just dump everything in a corner and ignore it all and get down to the serious business such as baking cookies, once a show is done there’s still some work ahead of you.

Here’s my list of post-show tasks.

1.       Bookkeeping.  The day after a show I go over all my show sales. On a spreadsheet I mark down all sales. I go over all expenses from the show that might get lost later, such as running to the hardware store for more light bulbs on the way to the show. I enter the total sales on my income spreadsheet. I break my sales down into net sales, HST and gross sales. I also keep track of payments by credit card and by cash.

TIP: The tallying of sales and HST is really important!!! Every sale I make I collect HST. This is NOT income, at some point I will have to hand this over. If this money sits in my bank account it gives me a false sense of income. There’s nothing more tempting than looking in our bank account and thinking “hey, there’s an extra $500 there and look at those shiny beads on sale.” However that money is not mine so I must not spend it. The day after a show I know exactly how much tax I have collected and I move it over to a special bank account just for that purpose.  There are a variety of free online bank accounts available. I use ING. I move the tax money over, and poof! It’s gone. I can’t spend it, I can’t readily access it. When I have to remit my tax bill the money is still there.

2.       Custom orders. If I wrote any custom orders I enter it into my order spreadsheet. I make note of the day that I promised to deliver and I send the customer an email thanking them for the order and letting them know when I will be making it and sending it. Remember, a lot of people think of us as flaky artists. If you are business-like and professional you will pleasantly surprise them.

3.       Go over show notes. During the show I constantly make notes on stuff like, make more blue earrings for the next show, or order more postcards. Now is the time to go over these notes. If I need to buy any supplies I mark this down on the to-do list.

4.       Enter the names from my mailing list sign-up sheet into my contact database. Your mailing list is the lifeblood of your business. At every show I ask people to sign up for my list. Now is the time to put those names into your contact database.

5.       Send a thank you email to the show organizer. Always a good idea to say thanks.

Doing these small chores doesn’t take very long and it really makes a big difference in how smoothly your shows will run. Once you’ve run through this checklist, pat yourself on the back on a job well done. Now go and bake some cookies.

The Business Chat - CraftSource 2012 is up!!!

Hey! It’s December! What??? A few days ago and we were carving pumpkins and kaboom, it’s full-on Christmas season now. Time flies so fast! Before you know it the flowers will be back and it will be the summer craft show season. Even though we’re all super busy now it’s important not to let your craft business get put totally aside. One thing to start thinking about right now is your 2012 craft show season. I received 2 show applications in my inbox this week already and those applications are in the envelopes ready to go.  I also received an email from a colleague telling me that the 2012 edition of CraftSource was available for download! Yay!

When you are in the beginning stages of your craft career applications don’t just show up in your inbox yet. You have to find the shows yourself. In Ontario the best place to look for shows is in the Ontario Craft Council’s online publication  - CraftSource . Most provinces/states have a crafts organization that publishes a list of shows. If you’re in the USA check out Sunshine Artists magazine. Another good source of shows is to look at artists you admire and look at their websites. All of us have websites where we list the events we participate in.

CraftSourcelists the larger shows, not the community shows or church basement types of shows. (And definitely not the mall shows which as a handmade artist you would NEVER do). If you look at these and think “wow, those are expensive, I’m not ready yet” that’s fine. Download the publication and read it anyway. it’s important to know about everything that’s out there. Why not challenge yourself to aim for one large juried show this summer, after all, summer is a long time away.

Once you’ve downloaded and read the whole guide, here’s a guide to what to do next.

 Fortunately almost all show organizers now have websites where you can download the application. Applications are free, go ahead, check out a whole bunch of them. Even if you aren’t sure about doing a show it’s always good to know about them for future reference.

Once you’ve made a list of shows you’d like to participate in or are just curious about, download all the applications. If an application is not yet available make a note on your calendar when you can get it. When you have your applications write the application deadlines on your calendar so you don’t miss one!

Here’s a couple of insider tips. NEVER do a show that is not juried. A juried show means that someone has looked at your photos and checked to make sure your work is handmade. A non-juried show is any old crap that someone wants to sell and you can bet some of it is made in third world countries. As a handmade artist you cannot compete with third world work so make sure you’re in a show with only other handmade work. A juried show also has quotas, meaning that the show has a good variety of work and is not 100% jewelry.

ALWAYS send your application in as fast as you can, don’t wait until the deadline. Jewelry is one of the hardest categories to get into due to the high number of applicants. Just because a show has a deadline of March 31 doesn’t mean that your category is still open until March 31. Besides, the faster you get your application in, the faster you get that task off your to do list.

Create a standard application kit for yourself. Decide which photos you will use, write your resume (craft only), and other items you’ll need and keep them all in one place. This way when you get an application all you have to do is print out the kit and pop it in an envelope.

Get the BEST photos that you can. Digital cameras are really cheap now so there’s no excuse for bad photos. If you’re photos are lousy invest some time reading the manual for your camera and some time learning how to take good shots. Your 5 – 10 images are all an organizer has to judge your work on, make them shine. There is no formula for image shots but there are some basic rules. Use a plain coloured background, preferably white. This isn’t about showing how artistic a photographer you are, it’s about showing what you make. Do not crowd the shot, each image should be of 1 or maximum 2 pieces. Make sure the whole shot is in focus. Label each photo (on the back) with your name, company name, name of the piece and what it’s made of.

Everybody reading this blog should sign up for a show in 2012, even if it’s just a one afternoon event in a church basement. If you start planning for it now you’ll be totally organized and ready when it arrives.