WIP Wednesday - Guest Post: Finest Imaginary

Good Morning!

For todays post, I thought you would like to hear from another guest blogger, so I present Kim Lawler from Finest Imaginary and her 10 top tips on how to prepare for a craft fair! If you would like to contribute a guest post on how to prepare and organise yourself for a craft fair, just send me an email and I would love for you to share your knowledge with the Mr Yen readers.

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Top 10 tips for Craft Market Preparation!
For the past couple of years I've been attending numerous craft/design and art markets with my brand Finest Imaginary. The most recent event that I took part in was Renegade Handmade, one of the largest craft markets in the UK. I feel I've picked up some super useful tips along the way that'll make your market experience run smoothly, and help your preparations be stress free!

1) Prepare well in advance.
Eventually you'll be able to do most of it on the fly, but certainly for your first few fairs you'll need to pack your boxes/case a few days in advance, and even have a checklist so that you don't forget anything! It's much better to be prepared!

2) Remember your float.
Your float (or, cash tin with loads of change in it) is essential! How else will you be able to give your first customer, who will undoubtedly present you with a £20 note for a £3.50 item, their change? I generally like to have around £20, with a couple of notes and lots of pound coins.

3) Consider your stock.
Deciding how much stock to take to a fair can be a tricky one, but don't stress out too much about it. Just consider your audience and take what you think's best. You can always prepare a lookbook/brochure so that if anything sells out so customers can still see what products you can provide & what they can buy online.

4) Run through your display.
If possible have a go at setting up your display on a kitchen table, making sure that you have all the necessary display items & props. This makes it much easier to figure out how you want everything laid out on the day.

5) Bring some essentials.
I always make sure I have the following in my stall suitcase:
* Masking tape
* A stapler
* Spare paper
* Pens
* Blu-tac
* Pins
* String
* Calculator (I usually use my iPhone)
* Tissues
* A project to work on (usually my sketch book)

6) Grab a stall buddy.
Having someone to man the stall during toilet breaks & lunch runs is very useful, it also makes the day less boring if it's quiet too!

7) Record your sales
You need a way of marking down your sales so that you can transfer them to your book keeping later on, I have some printed spreadsheets that I take.

8) Don't forget the incidentals - business cards, table covers, price tags & bags.
Along side your stock you'll also need
* Business cards/leaflets (you'd be suprised how many get picked up!)
* All your products need pricing, either individually or as groups
* Paper bags for the customers to take the products away, or whatever packaging you prefer!
* Insurance (public liability insurance, take your docs with you!)
* Table coverings... I always have a white tablecloth
* Spare packaging
* Equipment for quick fixes (maybe you need to switch a chain on a necklace, or make an impromptu card set)
* Snacks & drinks

9) Get there early!
If customers are starting to come in at 10am, get there for at least 9.15 so that you can set up your stall with plenty of time! I've been late before due to silly trains, and it's very stressful setting up at the last minute.

10) Most importantly, have fun & smile!

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Finest Imaginary is the brain child of Kim Lawler, a recent 9-5 deserter, coffee drinker and kitty lover. Finest Imaginary takes a serious obsession with stories, monsters and make-believe and transforms it into sweet jewellery, clever notebooks and awwww-inducing accessories.