Well, we're less than six weeks away from our Spring Market! We know many of you vendors are in that busy but fun preparation mode--creating, building inventory, organizing, and crossing off lists. And you shoppers--well, it's time to start Spring cleaning to make some room for all the cool things you'll gather up at the Horseshoe :) This upcoming weekend would be perfect for a yard sale to get rid of the old and make room for new--it's supposed to be 70 degrees both days. Yay!
Today, we've got another helpful business post from Amy Kalinchuk from Craft e-Revolution with great tips about outdoor vending at fairs and markets. As you prepare your booth, use the checklist below and the checklist from one of last year's posts, The Booth, to make sure you have all your ducks in a row!
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As mentioned in a recent post, it’s time to get ready for outdoor fairs! If you’ve never done one before, fear not. Below is my personal checklist for when I vend outdoors. If you have something to add to the list, please leave a comment—we are here to learn, right? I’m certain my checklist isn’t comprehensive, but it works for me. Feel free to steal it and adapt it for yourself, this craft fair season.
• Tent (with or without walls--see The Booth post for where to buy tents)
• Tables and tablecloths
• Chair
• Signs and Banners
• Tent décor, such as bunting
• Bungee cords (for signs and weights)
• Weights for the tent (You must have these so your tent doesn't fly away or hit someone! Buy them with your tent, or make them easily and cheaply here)
• Table display items (boxes, shelves, etc.)
• Products to sell (!)
• Bags for merchandise
• Money box w/$100 in change
• Credit card acceptance tool (whatever that is—I use a Square)
• Credit card acceptance sign
• Clipboard with inventory sheet
-Notes should include total retail sales tax collected and any percentage fee paid
-Tally marks next to inventory list
• Business cards
• Notebook and pen for collecting email addresses for your newsletter list
• Pens and pencils, Sharpie markers, for yourself
• Duct tape & scissors (Just in case you need it)
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper (Just in case! Portable toilets are, by their very nature, unpredictable)
• Tissues
• Cell phone
• Cooler w/snacks or lunch, and water
• Clean hair, face, teeth, and clothes
Amy Kalinchuk writes about crafting and business, and publishes others at Craft e-Revolution. Feel free to contact her through her website about your ideas for a photographed craft tutorial ebook.
• Tent (with or without walls--see The Booth post for where to buy tents)
• Tables and tablecloths
• Chair
• Signs and Banners
• Tent décor, such as bunting
• Bungee cords (for signs and weights)
• Weights for the tent (You must have these so your tent doesn't fly away or hit someone! Buy them with your tent, or make them easily and cheaply here)
• Table display items (boxes, shelves, etc.)
• Products to sell (!)
• Bags for merchandise
• Money box w/$100 in change
• Credit card acceptance tool (whatever that is—I use a Square)
• Credit card acceptance sign
• Clipboard with inventory sheet
-Notes should include total retail sales tax collected and any percentage fee paid
-Tally marks next to inventory list
• Business cards
• Notebook and pen for collecting email addresses for your newsletter list
• Pens and pencils, Sharpie markers, for yourself
• Duct tape & scissors (Just in case you need it)
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper (Just in case! Portable toilets are, by their very nature, unpredictable)
• Tissues
• Cell phone
• Cooler w/snacks or lunch, and water
• Clean hair, face, teeth, and clothes
Amy Kalinchuk writes about crafting and business, and publishes others at Craft e-Revolution. Feel free to contact her through her website about your ideas for a photographed craft tutorial ebook.
If you have a cat and some room to store after the show, 40 lb. boxes of litter (covered with something for the show) make great weights to attach to each leg of your tent and then you can use them up eventually. It's sort of embarrassing to buy that much cat litter, but it worked well for us in the end :)
ReplyDeleteI love that idea!! Very resourceful :) Thanks, Brooke!
ReplyDeleteAwesome post!
ReplyDeletequick comments..what is Bunting? under tent decor?
and wow I had no idea about that Square credit card reader that looks great, but now I just need to get an iphone.
or if you have an android phone, you can use a square! speaking of, i took 20 more credit card readers to Tomte over on 41st and Tennyson for sellers who want to take credit cards! they are free for the taking!!
ReplyDeletethis is good across the globe too ;) i can use some of these tips for my upcoming art market, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think that rolls of shrink wrap (for moving) are a great thing to have for events! This stuff is almost like duct tape in its versatility! You can use it to help keep stuff secure, wrap stuff to protect it from breakage, and SO much more!
ReplyDelete@Alternate Decision Clothing--bunting is the triangular-flag thing that's hanging from my tent in the photo. It's just an example of "tent decor." They are rather eye-catching. I made that bunting in the photo myself. ;)
ReplyDeleteStuff is nice and i hope so it works for me,i am vendor of party tent
ReplyDelete, folding tent
previously my target was quality .fortunately i have got it.