Many of the suggestions in these blogs are derived from hard, painful experience. I don’t like to see people suffer which is why I wanted to share the best way possible to launch a craft business. I believe sharing this information will provide the craft arena with even more attractive and creative items which in turn will benefit all the rest of us already out there. Make your beautiful items and join us. We want you. You are not competition—you are an enhancement.
Even with these suggestions you will experience highs and lows. Sometimes it’s just plain funny. Sometimes it’s marginally scary. Once a gentleman spent too much time visiting my exhibit and I began getting “the creep vibe.” I don’t know if he was a bonafide creep, but later in the day after closing he followed me--hiding behind trees. No kidding. My little cart was loaded too full because I was anxious to leave as fast as I could and it was windy. The wind caught one of my CARDBOARD boxes, bounced it on the ground a few times, and then picked up several of my items and took them away. Far far away.
My stalker shouted, “I’ll get them!”
I shouted back, “NO! I don’t want them.” (I know. Dumb response.)
He started to approach and said, “Well, can you give me a ride to the bus?” (The bus stop was located a few feet away from where my car was parked.)
By this time I was closing the car door with my left foot dangling outside the unclosed door while simultaneously depressing the gas pedal with my right foot. I had literally thrown my things in the back of the car and noticed when I screeched home my rear hatch door hadn’t clicked closed. I was lucky I didn’t lose my entire exhibit on the street. It took an entire day to sort it all out at home. (Never went back for the windblown items.)
There were a few people still at the event as I packed my car but not enough for my comfort level. Earlier in the day a vendor sitting next to me pretended to be my friend to dissuade the stalker and engaged me in conversation and glared at the guy as he hung on my display. But my neighbor was not outside when I was loading the car so I was somewhat alone. That was the last time I used cardboard boxes. I can now load my car faster than my dog eats his dinner.
So watch yourself and keep a watchful eye on your co-vendors in the event they are unaware of trouble. Read people to figure out their intentions. Humans are an unpredictable species. It’s fun to linger with vendors and discuss the day, maybe get some coffee, sit on the backs of the cars and chat, and check out any lingering weirdoes. Funny things happen at these events and it’s great to share while we pack. But if I have to, I can be gone with the wind.
Which brings me to working with customers. Try to keep a nice even demeanor. Not too friendly (stalker prevention), not too cool (customer prevention). Be there tidying up your display but toward the back. Glance at your customers so they can catch your eye if they need help or have questions. Be relaxed. Try not to “sell.” You don’t have to if you have prepared a proper display that is accessible and pretty. Chat with fellow vendors. Be kind to children even as they go through your display like Great Whites at a surfer competition.
One of the most successful strategies I’ve used is the incentive. I offer last year’s items at a discount. I sometimes have a buy-one-get-one-free event. I also will occasionally barter with someone if they want something but just might be a little short on cash. I don’t go crazy on this option but I can tell when someone really wants something but just doesn’t want to spend anymore at the event. These customers come back to future events and look for you! Place a few useful signs around your display, especially a sign indicating you accept credit cards.
Thievery. There. I’ve said it. Yep, it’s there. At one event my neighbor on the right had several jewelry pieces stolen while a group of about 4 or 5 girls surrounded her asking her questions. We didn’t know it at the time but later we determined that was when it happened. There must have been another girl lingering near this group but we didn’t see her. I didn’t realize until I got home that I too was a victim of sticky fingers, possibly from the same girls.
When any large group appears at my exhibit not only do I want to be able to help and answer questions but I also have to deal with payments and credit cards. Sometimes there are several people at once in varying stages of shopping. This is what thieves look for. So since I wear my apron and keep all of my bookkeeping materials with me I can place myself in front of my display and sort of block the comings and goings of people in my area. It’s quite effective. I also have learned how to give the evil eye to suspicious types, i.e., the aforementioned weirdoes.
Don’t get me wrong. These instances are rare but be prepared. At events where alcohol is sold you’ll encounter teetering people with balance issues maneuvering the exhibit area. Accidents happen! On the other hand, some of these teetering individuals shop wildly. (heh heh heh)
Will you make money? Well, how much do you want to make? If you’re giving up your medical practice, no (although with Medicare and our country’s deplorable medical system, maybe). If you’ve been schlepping yourself to a pink collar job for a hundred years, yes, in time. Key words here: in time. I have talked to dozens of vendors and have learned that it can take 3 to 4 years (sometimes) to make an actual income you can live on. However, you’ll need some high-end items and lots of inventory (and LOTS of events). One team I met eventually dumped both day jobs and enjoy a semi-comfortable livelihood but not to the level of their former actual jobs. Still, they are thrilled to be on their own and they are always on the lookout for new items and new events. They may do multi-state events in the next few years! If you are planning on launching by yourself with no help from anyone, and there are many of us, you can do this by simply planning easy to handle storage pieces and ways to manage your money (and self) while out and about.
If you are looking for supplemental income, which is where I am, you can do this. If you are a couple and one member is employed with benefits, the other can launch the crafts. If it goes exceptionally well, hooray! Perhaps you can retire a year or so earlier than you had previously planned. Hooray again! That’s what I did. I retired a bit early to launch my business. But during the slow times I still had my pension.
I’d like to wrap this up by stating that I do enjoy this work, but it truly is work. I do not get sick days, vacation days, or company benefits (except the benefit of not going to an employer at the crack of dawn five days a week). In some ways it’s almost like two businesses: the creative part, and the exhibit part. I started a few months before retiring and it was tough. Depending on the complexity of your selected craft item(s) you are working at it constantly. And if you aren’t preparing inventory you are working on your display. If you aren’t doing either of those two tasks you are at an event. And then there’s bookkeeping and record management.
For those of you who have always loved creating gift items for family and friends and think selling them would be fun and lucrative that’s a big “yes” and a big “no.” Knitting socks for grandpa for Christmas is not the same as knitting 50 pairs for a holiday boutique. However, I did not want to supplement my retirement with more of the same work I did prior to retiring. I longed for a creative outlet. I wrote a book a few years ago and that filled a spot in my heart I had been missing my entire life. (Yes, I’m working on another book but money is coming now from crafts whereas it will come much much later with publication. See future blogs on that topic.)
If you want that creative itch scratched, you can try a craft business and see if you like it. I’ll probably keep at it until I can’t fit the walker in the back of my car and/or DMV does a “senior” review and revokes my driver’s license.
Next blog series—The Book (Part 1).
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