LIFESTYLE & TRAVEL

Hobby to Hustle: Selling at Craft Fairs

Expanding your business opportunities with homemade crafts can be an exciting idea, but the first steps of your venture may seem daunting. Craft shows are a fun experience as an attendee, where you may spend all day perusing different items. Making the move from a shopper to a vendor, selling at craft fairs can offer a new set of fun opportunities. By becoming a craft fair vendor, you’re able to expand your network, highlight your crafts, gain inspiration from other vendors and reach wider audiences.

The Basics

Before diving in headfirst, it’s important to understand there are two main types of craft fairs: juried and non-juried. To participate as a vendor in a juried craft fair, your work must first be examined and accepted by a panel of judges during the application process. If accepted, you may then complete the remaining steps to participate in the fair, such as purchasing your booth and obtaining the required licenses. Non-juried fairs, as the name implies, do not involve a review during the initial application process. They simply require vendors to apply to participate, purchase their booth space and acquire the necessary licenses for business at the fair.

It can be helpful to conduct field research by attending other craft fairs before starting as a vendor. When you’re browsing at a fair, take notes on the appearance and design of the booths — how they’re organized, where items are placed, what extra décor is used — to form ideas about your own booth. You may focus on fairs featuring vendors similar to your work in quality, style and price points. This will help you stay within your desired budget during your own vendor experience and ensure you aren’t aiming to attend fairs outside of your price range and target audience.

Licenses

Once you’ve observed other fairs, you can review any licenses and permits required to attend as a vendor. When searching for fairs, many fair organizers or facilitators will list any necessary documentation during the application process. In most cases, you will need a general business license to sell items. Depending on each state’s guidelines, you may also need to obtain a sales tax license, which will require a federal employer identification number (EIN) for your business. And depending on the locality or municipality where the fair is held, you may need a permit to sell.

Sales

Once you’ve chosen to attend a fair and acquired the necessary licenses, there are a few considerations that may influence how you price items. Craft prices may account for the following factors to result in net profit: vendor booth fees, travel costs, selling permit costs, material costs and standard pricing of items in the area. Vendors may choose to adjust their prices with each fair they visit, and vendors traveling a longer distance for a fair can stop at shows along the way to increase overall income. Some organizers or affiliated websites will provide forecasted foot traffic statistics and price points before fairs begin. Overall, it may be helpful to create a sales goal before the fair and bring a surplus of crafts to be prepared. Furthermore, preparing a stock of business cards to present to fair attendees can motivate window shoppers to contact you later for potential purchases after the fair has ended.

Booth Setup

Now that you’ve considered pricing, you can brainstorm your ideal booth location and layout. According to most fair statistics, corner booths tend to generate much more business, as they are centered in heavy foot-traffic areas. However, most fair organizers will typically charge higher prices for these booths because of this.

When considering the design of your booth, there are endless possibilities. A sense of professionalism in your booth design can help you seem trustworthy and official to potential customers. Furthermore, using signs, racks, easels, special lighting and shelves can elevate the presentation of your products and create eye-catching displays. To keep the appearance of your booth clean and organized, you may also consider using floor-length tablecloths to hide any clutter, equipment or storage boxes under your tables. Knowing the specific dimensions of your purchased booth can assist with mapping your design beforehand. Before your first fair, you may also consider setting up a mock booth at home and inviting friends and family to visit and provide feedback.

Your Craft Fair Journey

While becoming a vendor at craft fairs comes with many considerations, it’s a fun and creative way to turn your hobby into a hustle. By preparing with some field research, price consideration and booth design, becoming a craft fair vendor can bring you additional income and expand your network.

Sources:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/selling-at-a-craft-fair

https://www.fairsandfestivals.net/articles/view/juried_vs_non_juried_events

https://www.fairsandfestivals.net/articles/view/how-to-sell-at-craft-shows

https://www.fairsandfestivals.net/articles/view/licensing-permits-and-taxes-for-festival-craft-show-and-art-fair-vendors