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The season is upon us and for those who are maybe making their own products or sell products on behalf of other companies, you maybe thinking of doing a craft fair of some sort or another. It can be very nerve wracking if you have never done one before so I have compiled some hints and tips for you, just in case your new to the scene or maybe you haven’t done one in a while and just need a checklist.
First off when you’re preparing for a fair you defiantly need some sort of table cloth or table covering. I use a large piece of material which in a previous life was a wall hanging in our shed to brighten it up. A quick wash and it’s now my table cloth and looks great. A table without some sort of cloth or covering looks bare and can look a bit messy. You also don’t know what state the table is in when you arrive, I’ve had it where there are stains, cup rings and dried on glue and sellotape. I think putting a cloth down gives good first impressions and showcases your products in a good way.
You can use anything, a bed sheet, a reusable table cloth from the supermarket or just pop into your local fabric store and select some material. A table is usually 6ft long so bare that in mind when shopping around. Another tip for table cloths is to try and match your business colours, i.e if your logo has purple in try and get a shade of purple in your cloth. I think this ties it all in together and reinforces your brand.
A great way of making your table look interesting is by spacing your stock out and by giving it some height. Paying attention to your table display is an absolute must, people shop with their eyes and they will judge before they have even seen what you’re selling. If your table looks flat and boring, people will walk straight by. You need to show off to them what you have made! Get creative, you can use anything to make shelves and build up layers on your table. If you get stuck, just Google ‘craft fair table display ideas’ and you get so much inspiration.
Next is a cash tin. Nowadays not only having enough change is a must but it really is worth investing in a card machine. These don’t have to break the bank and you don’t need to sign up to any contracts. All you need is to download an app, sign up and add you bank details and you’re away. And with fees being as low as 1% per transaction it’s definitely worth it especially when you think the amount of people who (since covid) don’t carry cash on them. The device usually starts from £20 and there are a few companies you can choose from as well as different size devices.
The only downside is need to make sure you have Internet as they do need to connect to your phone. I have done a couple of fairs before and they were in the sticks so the internet was not great so a lot of waving around in the air to get a connection. But in honestly I wouldn’t be without it, the amount of people who don’t have cash on them anymore is quite astounding.
Always bring business cards, flyers or leaflets or something so people can find you. Some people genuinely just don’t have the money on them at the time or they’re not in need of the what you’re selling at that moment. But if you’re able to give them something for them to be able to find you at a later date then give it to them. It can even be something you have printed out at home, it really doesn’t need to be extravagant as long as it has your details on so they can look you up on your social media or website then that’s perfect. A popular idea now is having your website or social media pages as a QR code so people can quickly scan from their phone and go, no need to type in addresses and worry about spelling mistakes. The QR code takes them straight to your site.
Try is below:
Get your phone out and open the camera
Hover over the QR code and it will come up with link in which you just need to click.
Prices. I know a few people who think differently to me on this but I genuinely believe you need to have clear visible prices on your products. People don’t like surprises and they also don’t like asking how much things are. So I am a big believer that everything should be priced and if you have an offer on…let them know! People won’t engage in conversation as they will be worried they can’t afford it or they won’t be able to say no!
This leads me to say, don’t be offended if you say ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’ and people ignore you or don’t meet eye contact. I think it’s great to greet people when they come to your table and you’ve acknowledged each other but sometimes that’s all people want. For some, it’s too much to have constant questioning, what do they want and offers thrown at them especially if it’s a big fair with a lot of stall holders. That’s a lot of people for them to talk to!
Lastly, bring something to do. If you haven’t got company with you (or even if you have) I would always suggest in bringing something to do. A book, crossword puzzle or even a project you’re working on that you can sit and not mind being interrupted. There can be times where there are lols and it can be quite boring and on the other hand people love to see what you’re up to it can be a great conversation starter.
And of course have fun! If you think somethings wrong (which it’s usually not) use it and see what you can do differently next time. I don’t believe there is ever a bad day, only a lesson.
Got any good tips or advice? Let us know in the comments!