How To Begin Participating in Craft Fairs: 5 Steps

Many artisans and crafters make their money from craft fairs and vendor markets. If you are just starting out and have never participated in a market before, it may seem like a scary foreign land. Here are 5 steps a small business owner or crafter should take when they are just beginning to participate in craft fairs and markets.

Step 1: Who Are You?

Before you can convince potential customers to make a purchase – you need to be able to demonstrate to them who you are as a small business. Having clear branding throughout your vendor table can help you stand out from the other vendors. A clear understanding and vision of your business will help you focus on the products and services that will help you draw in your target audience.

There are also many areas that require licenses to participate in vendor markets or craft fairs. Whenever you are considering participating in an event, make sure you verify the laws of the area, and what licenses you may be required to have.

Example: Lily has decided to participate in a local farmers market. Lily wants to sell empanadas, but she also has some handmade jewelry she could sell and maybe some vintage clothing. She does not have a name, because she is not sure what her focus should be on, and does not want to limit herself. She does not have an LLC established just yet.

 

It is extremely unlikely that the farmers market will even accept her application because she does not have an LLC. Even if she did have one, her application still probably won’t be accepted. She has no name, no vision, no understanding of who her business is. She does not have a business – just an idea to sell products.

This does not mean she should give up! She just needs to get her ducks in a row before she can start participating in events!

Step 2: Who Is Your Target Audience?

Vivian and I are constantly talking about the importance of knowing your target audience. I personally think this is the number one rule of marketing. If you do not know who your target audience is, how are you supposed to reach them? 

Your target audience has a huge impact on which craft fairs and vendor markets you decide to participate in. Not all events are for your small business. Focus on finding craft fairs and markets that will attract your target audience.

Example: Our friend Rae, from The Design Demon, participates in a good number of craft fairs and markets throughout the year. However, she is never going to participate in a church bazaar. For one, I don’t think they would accept her based on her name alone. It’s also just not her target audience. Older church ladies are not going to be interested in earrings shaped like coffins that are engraved with the words, “drop dead”. There’s no reason for her to waste her time trying to make sales at this type of event when there are plenty of others where her target audience will be present.

Step 3: Do Your Research

Now that you know your target audience, it’s time to do the research. The amount (and quality) of research you do can make or break your success at a craft fair or market. Not all markets are created the same. Not all of them have the best intentions or care about the vendors’ success. 

Research includes looking back on previous years. How well has the market done in the past? Have they grown at all? What can the event organizer tell you about the size and type of crowd they expect to see? 

Side note: A good event organizer will be able to answer your questions, or will at least try to find you some answers. If the event organizer has no answers and is overall not concerned or well informed – that’s a red flag.

Reaching out to past vendors can also be very effective. They will be able to give you a vendor’s perspective on the event, and their opinion as to whether or not the craft fair was a good opportunity or not. Not to mention, creating relationships with fellow small businesses can help you get your name out there.

Vivian and I created a free download, “10 questions to ask yourself before participating in a craft fair, vendor market, or pop up”, to help you make an educated decision. You can download it here.

Step 4: Practice

Practice makes perfect! Practicing before a craft fair can help you feel more prepared for the experience – and will help you catch any kinks BEFORE they can become a problem.

What exactly am I supposed to practice? Everything! Practice your small talk and interacting with potential customers (spouses and friends can be bribed to help). Practicing putting together your table display can help you set up quickly in the future, and you can visually see if there are any changes you need to make. It could be that your display does not have enough dimension. There’s no way you would know this before your event unless you set everything up!

A really important piece of the vendor market process that you need to practice (and that so many people forget about) – packing your car. This is especially true if you have a smaller car or if you have fragile products. Playing Tetris the morning of the event is going to leave you in a sour mood, which will impact your sales.

Pro tip: Get a cart! You do not want to be carrying your entire set up in your arms, from the parking lot to your vendor table location. This would likely take multiple trips, and the parking situation at these craft fairs are not always the best. We suggest a foldable cart, so you can easily fit it in your car with everything else you need for your vendor market. 

If you live in the South like Vivian and I, a battery powered fan is your best friend. Participating in any outdoor event between the months of March to September will be miserable without one. I have seen a small business owner have to be taken to the ER for heat stroke during a vendor market. Please take care of yourself, bring lots of water, and get that fan. 

Step 5: Communicate After the Event

Post communication can easily be forgotten about when prepping for a craft fair or vendor market. The problem is post communication only works if you plan it out ahead of time. 

What is post communication?

 Post communication is when you interact and communicate with event goers after the event. This can be through email marketing, SMS marketing, social media, or other forms of communication. This does not have to be complicated – simply sharing your business card with any potential customer (whether they make a purchase or not) can help you keep in touch. 

Plan out how you are going to connect with potential customers before the craft fair or market. Are you simply going to hand out cards? Perhaps you create an email list form for people who want to join your mailing list. You could even create a QR code for people interested in your mailing list. As long as you have this planned out and organized before the actual event.

Why does post communication matter?

Marketing is about creating connections and relationships. It’s great when someone purchases from you during a vendor market, but it’s even better when they continue to buy from you in the future. Instead of hoping that they remember you enough to look up your online store, you can reach out to them and massage that relationship with post communication.

Let’s say someone does not make a purchase from you during the craft fair, but they took your card or signed up for your SMS list. By staying top of mind with your interactions, they are more likely to make a purchase from you in the future – even if they didn’t make a purchase today.

Is that everything I need to focus on to start participating in craft fairs or vendor markets?

This is where you should start. As you become more familiar with event marketing, you will find different ways to grow and improve your market skills. The scariest part is the beginning. The best thing you can do is to just go for it! Talk with the vendor next to you, try to make friends, and have fun. Good luck on your first craft fair!