6 Types of Events for Selling Handmade Products
There are several different types of events and some are better suited to certain products than others. There aren’t specific rules (aside from laws and permits) when it comes to the organization of an event, so themes, vendors, setups and prices can vary drastically. JURIED VS. NON-JURIED There are two ways organizers select vendors…
How To Start a Craft Business (Step-by-Step Guide)
Whether you’re starting a jewelry business, scrunchie business, candle business, or any other type of crafty business, the basic steps are the same. This article shares the essential steps to starting a craft business and is a simple quick-start guide. Each step shares a brief explanation and then links to articles to help you dive…
How To Find a Profitable Niche for your Craft Business
Whether you’ve been selling the same item for years or your product is still in the planning stages, it’s important to be continuously looking for ways to improve and stand out from the crowd at craft shows or on Etsy. This is where a niche can be helpful. The more you can narrow your product…
How To Find a USP for your Handmade Business
USP stands for unique selling position. In simple terms, it tells shoppers who your product is for, what makes it different and why they should purchase from you. There are different ways to develop a unique selling position but the formula I like to follow is: Niche Market + Niche Product + Benefit = USP…
How To Find a Target Market for a Jewelry Business
Starting a jewelry business without a target market in mind is sort of like planning a trip without knowing where you’re going, who you’re going with, how you’re going to get there, etc. >> You must know the exact location you want a plane to land if you’re going to plan a trip. >> You…
How To Find the Correct Target Market for your Craft Business
You’re in business to sell your products to people, right? So it makes sense that you should know who those people are and make your products for them. Who you make products for is your target market. Your target market should be the first thing you define when starting a business. Where most businesses…
The #1 Mistake to Avoid when Choosing a Target Market (for your craft business)
Aside from getting set up legally, choosing your target market is the first step every business should take…even before deciding on a product to sell. However, that’s not how most handmade businesses start. Most owners start with a product they’ve made (and friends and family have told them they should sell), then they go looking for…
What to Say at Craft Shows to Get a Shopper’s Attention
You don’t have a lot of time with each shopper. And many won’t even give you enough of their time to say much more than a “hello”. So every word counts. If you can say something that grabs a shoppers’ attention as they’re walking by, or as soon as they enter your booth, they’ll…
How To Find a Target Market for your Candle Business
Everybody likes candles. So if you make candles, everyone is your potential customer, right? Definitely not. That mentality is the quickest way to build a candle business that fails. As Marie Forleo says: If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one. Being too broad or general with your target market (or not having…
How to Develop a Product Line Using the 3 – 5 Strategy
In my last article, How your Creativity is Killing Sales, I mentioned using a 3 – 5 guideline when creating your products, which helps ensure you’re not offering too much selection. Sticking to this 3 – 5 strategy also helps ensure your product line stays cohesive. This article is a detailed explanation of that strategy,…
How your Creativity is Killing Sales
When someone is at your craft show table or in your Etsy shop, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to buy. You may think letting your creativity go wild and offering an abundance of options makes it easier for shoppers to find something to buy. But it can actually have…
5 Reasons Your Craft Fair Customers Only Buy One Item
When you’re selling at a craft show, it’s important to optimize sales. Selling two items to each customer is better than selling one item to each customer. Even if a customer only buys one item at the event, the right strategy can encourage them to buy another item from you after the event and become…
6 Reasons you Didn’t Sell Anything at a Craft Show
Craft shows require so much time and money to prepare for. Walking away having only made one sale, or no sales, is deflating (and frustrating). Sometimes it’s just the way the cookie crumbles. Even experienced vendors who typically generate hundreds of dollars at a craft show can have zero-sale events for reasons out of their…
6 Ways to Save Money when Selling at Craft Shows
It’s best to spend conservatively when preparing for your first craft show. You may love or hate selling at markets and events. You also don’t know how shoppers will respond to your products. Some sell better at craft shows than others. However, you still want to make a good first impression and optimize sales. Here…
5 Things To Do Before Finalizing your Craft Show Display
It’s important to realize that a craft show display is never “done”. With each craft show, you’ll likely want to tweak something based on: the type of craft show you’re attending new products changes to your brand what your target market is looking for (e.g. back-to-school products in September vs. stocking stuffers in Nov/Dec) But…
The Fastest Way To Sew Scrunchies (To Sell at Craft Fairs)
If you want to be profitable selling scrunchies, you must find a way to decrease production costs. Getting your material costs down is one way, but speeding up production is just as important. The Fastest Scrunchie-Making Method I’ve tested a few ways to sew scrunchies and timed myself. I’ve found, using “The Burrito Method”…
5 Tips for Choosing Craft Fair Fixtures
Before spending time and/or money buying or creating fixtures for your craft fair table or booth, keep these 5 things in mind. 1) Shopability There are some really cute and clever ways to display items but if they’re items that shoppers are going to want to pick up and touch, make that step easy…
Craft Show Display 5-Minute Fix – Add Negative Space
A common mistake craft show vendors make is trying to use every square inch of their space. In an attempt to optimize sales, they fit as much product on their table as possible. But doing so can have the opposite effect and actually harm sales (and your brand). What is negative space? Negative space…
Craft Show Display 5 Minute Fix: Display vs. Stock
A common mistake craft show vendors make is treating their space like a stock room and trying to fit in as much as possible. This approach can end up lowering the perceived value of your products and attracting the wrong type of shopper. Imagine a few types of clothing stores: Low Price In a thrift…
8 Ways to Add Hanging Space to a Craft Show Display
If you have larger items that you need to hang at a craft show, but you only have an 8 foot space, you may find these options will help. You’ll also find ideas for bigger spaces (e.g. you have a 10’x10’ booth). These options are ideal for displaying products such as: hanging planters smaller wall…