craft show thoughts/tips.

as i mentioned yesterday, i held my first craft show last friday. it was the testing of the waters, if you will, before making the concret cannon ball decision into setting up a shop.
it was a great experience and wanted to share some of my thoughts and observations on it.

first// be prepared to be blown away by the number of crafters out there. if you've watched craft wars on tlc, that's pretty much how it was.
the creativity of these people is truly amazing. and i know it's a total blogger fail, but i wasn't sure whether it was proper etiquette to take photos of their booths. didn't want them to think i was sizing up my 'competion' or something, but i mean there were wreaths, ornaments, wine bottle covers, jewelry, crochet stuffed cuties, etc.

second// do a mock set up of your booth/table at home before to know what you will need to display your items. we were told a table. i didn't realize it was a round table, so what i had in my head, didn't quite work out. i made do. yet it would have been nice had i been able to stand up the paintings so they could pop out more.

third// kind of goes along with the second. but if you can, invest in a little banner that you can display in front of your table/booth. your brand of course is important. you want to be seen as a small business, not just as a person painting in her spare time. wink. on that same note, business cards are a must. i was able to make some quick tags with the shop's name and etsy address on the back, and i can't tell you how many people grabbed one from me. win.

fourth// be sociable. this one is hard for me because i'm such an introvert. i will smile shyly most of the time but while manning your booth, it's so important to be sociable and step out of your comfort zone. show your excitement to be there, not your fear of people. smile, make eye contact, speak clearly and confident.
this key point, i still need to work on myself!

and fifth// check the weather and do not wear heels if it's a gray, sloshy, rainy kind of day. carrying your stuff back to your car might be a little bit, okay a lot, a lot trickier and dangerous that it sounds. safety always people! ha!

of course there are many more tips that i could get in setting up more craft shows, as i'm just a rookie. but i can say  for sure i will get myself out there again!

have you been to a craft show or held one? what did you think of it?