You can absolutely make money selling at craft fairs – as long as you are making educated decisions about which craft fairs and markets you are participating in. Before signing up and paying your vendor fee, you are going to want to ask yourself a couple of questions.
Will My Audience Be There?
To make money selling at a craft fair your target audience has to be present! Do research about the market or event and ask yourself, “Is this the type of craft fair/market that my target audience would go to?” If the answer is no, or probably not, then this is NOT the right market for you.
Can I Afford It?
Your vendor fee is not the only expense when it comes to participating in craft fairs and markets. Consider your travel costs, the cost of your display, and whether you will have to close your business while you’re gone. These may seem small or insignificant but all together they can really add up.
Every year my town, Summerville, SC, hosts the Flowertown Festival. It’s a big deal here – with hundreds of people visiting for the 3 day event. I was talking with a small business owner who made the educated decision to NOT be a part of the festival – even though their business is in the heart of downtown Summerville. Not only were they not confident that their target audience would be there, but the vendor fee alone was $800 – well out of their price range.
Instead, they sent their children out with $5 gift certificates to hand out at the festival – only redeemable that weekend. This was a great way for them to still benefit from the event without being a PART of the festival.
Do They Align With My Beliefs
Many markets or craft fairs will also benefit a nonprofit or organization. It is important for your branding to align yourself with others who share your business’s beliefs. Or if you do not want to make a statement – then avoiding these types of markets is what you will want to do.
There are many other questions you need to ask yourself before making the decision to participate in a craft fair or market. We have created a FREE download of 10 questions to answer before making your decision.
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Feel free to share your thoughts with me, I can be reached at vivian@theseasonedmarketer.com!
Looking for more free marketing tips and content specifically for small business owners? Check out our podcast, S.O.B. Marketing Podcast. Every Wednesday we discuss a new topic to help small business owners take on marketing on their own. Listen to our episode of the S.O.B. Marketing podcast wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube! Have a topic you want us to discuss? Email us at Help@TheSeasonedMarketer.com!
Interested in elevating your event marketing game? Check out our FREE mini training course! Learn 3 mistakes you could possibly be making that are impacting your participation in events, craft fairs, and pop-ups. Not only is this training course FREE, but you will get a special discount at the end for our new course, ROCK YOUR FAIR! Click here to check it out.
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