How to prepare for your first craft fair?

Hello! I've done quite a few craft fairs since starting Ellbie Co. in 2017 but my first one was definitely the scariest - mainly because I just didn't know what to expect! I'm not an expert by any means - but I wanted to write this blog to offer some tips and advice that I have picked up on my craft fair journey so far! Hopefully it will help somebody else who is thinking of going to their first craft fair feel less nervous! STOCK One of the first things you should think about is what stock you have and what items will be most appropriate for the craft fair. If you are going to a Christmas fair then you might want to think about bringing some seasonal items and likewise if you are going to a summer fair! If you already sell online then look at the products that are your best sellers and make sure that you take a higher proportion of those. It is always better to take a higher quantity of stock and sell less than you bring, than to sell out in the first hour and have no more stock. Seeing as you are paying a day rate for the table - make the most of your selling opportunity and bring as much stock as you can! You can always hide it under your table on the day!

PRICING On the day generally most people will be looking to buy things on a whim - if they like something they will pick it up and make a purchase. And then there might be a small handful of people who come to seek out a particular maker or a particular object with a higher price point. Because of this you try to take a higher proportion of your lower priced items (£5 - £10) and then a few slightly higher price items (£15+) Offer discounts for buying multiple items or your could also group items together with a collective price to encourage higher quantities of sales! Make sure prices are clearly visible on your items - sometimes people can get really nervous about approaching a stand and asking for the price. So by having visible prices you can erase that problem!

PAYMENTS Most people expect to pay with cash at a craft fair - so take a till float of £20 worth of pound and smaller coins with you! A lot of people will also want to pay by card too! At craft fairs I've done in London this always seems to be the case (no idea why!) But never fear you can pick up a card reader pretty easily - I use one from Paypal that cost about £50 and you can make that money back in no time! DISPLAY You want your stand to ooze the personality of your products! It should be visually exciting and showcase your items in a clear way. Aim to display just one of each item so that your stand doesn't appear too cluttered. Make sure that your items are easy for potential customers to pick up and have a look at - once it's in their hands there is a higher chance that they will be likely to make a purchase! You can use most common household items to make a stand pretty! Ikea is your friend! Below are some essentials that I use - but everybody is different think about what would work best for your products! > Tablecloth > Sign > Acrylic stands > Baskets > Velcro/pegboard > Picture frame with prices > Business cards

EXTRAS Don't forget to bring something for your customers to carry their product home in - either a carrier bag or something to wrap it in to prevent damage on the journey home! Stock up on snacks for the day ahead - you want to be smiling and welcoming, not grumpy and hangry when people approach you! Don't push people to buy - if they aren't interested thats okay - it's not personal. Instead just try to talk to people about their day and find out what they are enjoying about the craft fair. Explain your products but never push - that will only scare people away! Leave a clipboard on your stand so that people can sign up to your mailing list - every sign up is a future possible sales lead so even if they don't buy that day they might later on! Have cards that people can take away that have details of your website - that way if they can't buy from you on the day but like what they see then they can always look you up later! Most importantly have fun! It will be a busy and a tiring day - but also soooo much fun getting to know not only your customers but the other stall holders too! Hope these little tips help to soothe any first time nerves - if you have any questions pop it in the comments below and I will do my best to answer them! Love Becci xox It is always better to take more