BUSINESS: How To Pick The Right Craft Fair

It is all too easy, when starting out in the handmade arena, to be seduced into booking a stall at every single craft fair and event going. The desire to try and get the word out about your products and, more importantly, sell your work, is often very strong when you first start out and is driven by newcomer's enthusiasm and excitement.

I know this because I did this very thing when I was starting out with my handmade jewellery business, and I quickly discovered that some, if not many, of the events I was attending were not the right platform for what I was selling. So, I have put together this quick guide to help you pick the right event for you and your work:

• Budget - think about what you can afford to spend on taking part in an event. When starting out, I would highly recommend that you don't book a stall at a major event, which can be very expensive, as you have not yet had the chance to test the market with your products. If you do spend a large amount on stall fees, you are essentially gambling that you will cover your stall fee as well as other associated costs (eg travel costs, insurance, etc) with your sales from that first event. It is much wiser to test the market with a more affordable stall at a local craft fair.

• Image - consider your brand and the image you wish to portray to the public. For example, if you are selling high end jewellery, will selling it from a market stall send a subconscious message to customers that your jewellery is worth less than it actually is? Would your product be better suited at a trade show or in a gallery setting? Making successful sales is all about making sure that the correct audience for your product will be present at the event!

• Location - it sounds like common sense but think about where the event you are considering is to be held. This will help you to make a judgment about who is likely to attend the event and whether they fall within your target audience or not. Also, location is important from the point of view of accessibility - is the event near public transport, are there car parking facilities nearby, etc. In addition, ask about where in the venue itself your stall is likely to be located - there is no point having a stall that is hidden away in the farthest corner where no one will see it (and you won't always get an answer to this question).

• Who else will be there - most event organisers can provide you with a list of other sellers at each event. Take a look at the mix of items on sale and consider whether your products will fit in. For example, high end jewellery is unlikely to fit in at an organic craft market but would be a good fit at a jewellery show!

• Attendance - if the event you are considering is a regular one (eg monthly, seasonal, etc), do your best to find out what the average attendance figures are. This will give you an idea of footfall and how many people will be passing by your stall to look at and hopefully buy your products. It is a simple equation - the higher the footfall, the higher your sales.

• Competition - if you manage to get hold of a roster of attendees, check how many other sellers will be selling the same products as you. A bit of healthy competition is always good, but you don't want to be selling jewellery at an event with lots of other jewellery sellers.

• Marketing - check how much promotion and press coverage the organisers are doing for the event. The more advertising there is beforehand, the higher the footfall is likely to be which increases your chances of sales.

Once you are happy that you have picked the right event for you, the next stage is preparing for it as effectively as possible - check out my quick guide to preparing for you first craft fair here.

©  Anna Stassen; all right reserved