Great Expectations

You've got your first craft fair stall and you're ready to sell your designs. You have visions of selling everything you've made and hauled to the fair, and you see the money mounting up in your bank account.

Have you remembered to:
1) bring your tool kit just in case you have to make adjustments or repairs to your pieces,

2) wear comfortable shoes and layers of clothing you can take off if the venue is too hot,

3) pack your business cards and a way to display them,

4) have plenty of change on hand. You don't want to miss a sale because you can't give correct change.

I have done several fairs and fund raisers since I started making my own jewelry last year, and I have nearly broken even on my costs. My customers have been family, friends, and neighbors who have attended the fairs. No one who I didn't know bought a thing.

I was disappointed, and I wondered if my jewelry just wasn't good enough. Were my prices too high? Did I not use supplies that were suitable? All this wondering made my head spin.

Yes, my jewelry was good enough and my prices fair. So, what was the problem? The problem was that I didn't understand that people are uneasy about buying from someone they don't know. They have no problem buying jewelry from a shop that has been in business for five years. The people who attended the fairs didn't know me at all. They bought from the people they knew, not me.

How do you get past that hurdle? Keep at it. Tell everyone you know about upcoming fairs. If your town or village has a notice board or newsletter, put a blurb in saying where you'll be showing your jewelry and when. And don't forget about networking. Get to know other artisans. They can be very helpful in steering you in the right direction (places to avoid and places to go) and you can swap stories with them. Leave your business card everywhere - laundromats, grocery store bulletin boards, etc. Let the world know who you are and what you're doing.

Hang in there and don't give up. Once you're known, they'll beat a path to your door and you'll be able to do what you love to do.