Good Morning!
For today's WIP Wednesday, I'm proud to introduce to you the first ever guest blogger on the Mr Yen blog - It's Jacqui Sharples of Print For Love Of Wood. Today Jacqui will be giving us some hints and tips on how to prepare for a craft fair/event. 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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| Print For Love Of Woood |
If possible it’s a good idea to do research and visit fairs or trade shows you’re applying for. You should visit as many as you can for inspiration, shop window displays are great for inspiration too - It's best if you can practise your stand layout and give yourself plenty of time allowing for the unexpected!
Insurance
Well organised crafts fairs insist that you have Public Liability Insurance. If you need public liability insurance, www.a-n.co.uk is supported by the Arts Council England and offers low cost artist insurance from £28 per year including access to 10 magazines.
How much stock should I take?
Too much is better than not enough, empty tables don’t sell! Take what you can; surplus stock can always be hidden under the table. You should aim to take three times what you intend to sell. For example, I hope to sell three of each print so I take nine of each.
Do you offer bespoke or customised work? Take along a piece or a portfolio of work and make a clear sign. It's a good idea to take a broad range of products from smaller items to the more expensive ones you create.
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| SeventySeventyOne Design |
Cash, cheque or card?
Take plenty of loose change as well as smaller notes as most customers will have been to a cash machine so they will have £20 notes. I took a £50 float and ran out of £5 notes! Be prepared and decide beforehand whether or not you’re going to accept cheques. As of the 30th June 2011 Banks no longer guarantee a cheque so you will be taking them in good faith. Having said that I took cheques and know many others doing the same and had no problem. There’s an interesting article on the taking card payments at shows on the Craft & Design website.
Don’t forget…
Write a checklist of the little things you will need, but will often not think about until it's too late such as signage, business cards, a wholesale price list, a notebook for sales, receipt book, price tickets, scissors, string, double side sticky tape, pins, power cables, packaging etc plus a drink and something to eat.
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| Clare Gage |
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| Clare Gage |
The fun bit!
Designing the layout for your stand, personally I think this should reflect you as a brand well as your product. At last years Holmfirth Art Markets Clare Gage stood out for me with her products beautifully displayed alongside her branded packaging. Shelves provide height and interest, a faux front of cupboard doors to allow for storage for stock plus it’s sturdy so customers won’t be afraid of picking products up! Don’t forget people like to feel!
Seventyseventyone Designs stand at the The British Trade Craft Fair lets the products speak for themselves with a minimalist approach, which also reflects the brand itself. Props, as well as adding height, can also double as storage for transporting your products for example vintage suitcases or wooden boxes up turned. Also - branches, coat stands and screens all provide valuable hanging space!
If you can’t afford branded packaging think paper bags and a DIY stamp or stickers. This is good advertising for your brand and it shows you care about your products.
Last of all, smile and don’t hide behind your stall! I take my printing press for customers to print a free postcard which helps explain my process, but is also a good ice breaker and promotion for my workshops.
I’ve created a pin board for inspiration on Pinterest - Craft Stall Inspiration - do take a peak and if you have any inspiring photos I would love to see them so please leave a link in the comments below.
Above all make new friends and have fun! Jax x
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Print for Love of Wood is a small design and letterpress studio in Lancashire, dedicated to the love of wood type and tree hugging paper. It is a labour of love by award winning freelance graphic designer Jacqui Sharples, a Lancashire ‘lass’ inspired by a passion for print, the smell of ink, vintage typography and her collection of wood type. Jacqui prints in house on a range of vintage printing presses, including a Victorian treadle, using traditional methods of hand setting type.
6 comments:
Thanks Jonathon ;D
great advice jax and some inspirational stalls. don't forget change for the car park ticket machine :)
Great post. Just getting ready for GNCCF next week so very poignant....just about to count all the screws and hooks in my tool box and get the yearly PAT testing done. I always mean to keep my to do list as I write the same one out every year! Hope you are going to visit the show! :)
Forgot to mention that one Alison ;o)
Good luck Hannah, hopefully see you there ;)
Hi Nice posting, I agree This design is really good. You got good collection keep it up. I pass this blog to my friends
Thanks Jacqui for including my stand. Great blog post. :)
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