If you are new to selling at craft fairs, you may feel understandably nervous about your first foray into this exciting world. However, with the right amount of preparation and a willingness to learn, it won’t take you long before you fit in amongst all the seasoned sellers.
Within the below guide, you will discover everything there is to know about selling at craft fairs, with top tips for beginners that are easy to understand and implement.
- Test the waters
If you are trying to decide when is the best time to start selling your products at craft fairs, you should know that there is never the right time. You may keep putting it off until you have the perfect product or you have found the right pricing, but the truth is that you need to just bite the bullet and get yourself and your brand out there.
It may not go smoothly your first time, and you are highly likely to make mistakes, but you’ll never know if you don’t try.
- Research potential fairs
Research is key when it comes to finding the right craft fairs and markets to sell your products, so this is the first thing you need to do. You can start by looking online to see what is available in your area, and then it can be a good idea to go as an observer to see what they are like.
If you feel confident to do so, you may want to talk to some of the vendors to see what advice they can give you on getting started. Make sure to listen and take notes, as this can be hugely helpful when you start selling for yourself.
- Source quality supplies
Even with the best banter and sales acumen, you won’t be successful selling at craft fairs unless you create your products from high-quality supplies. If you don’t already have a wholesale supplier, now is the time to find one, as they can save you a lot of money on supplies for your products.
Don’t forget that the presentation of your products is equally as important as the products themselves so you may want to think about investing in wholesale trays. These are highly effective at making your products look more visually appealing and are also great for storage.
- Make paying simple
When people go to craft fairs, they want a stress-free and enjoyable experience, so you need to make your payment process as simple as possible. There are two ways to collect payments at craft fairs: cash and payment apps such as Venmo.
Ideally, you want to be able to offer both of these methods, as this will enable you to attract more customers.
- Think about branding
Even if you are a small business with no employees other than yourself, you still need to consider branding when selling at craft fairs. In the beginning, this could be as simple as a company logo and color scheme. If you have a website or social media profile, make sure that you are consistent with your branding across the board, as this will help to make your business more memorable.