I've sold my work at nearly 100 events across the United States over the past 12 years. It has been a rewarding and lucrative experience. Participating in festivals can help you meet new fans of your work, get feedback directly from buyers, and make money at the same time! I have learned so much from selling my work at events, and am sharing everything here in this big five-part series. If you've ever considered applying for a show, I encourage you to go for it! A five-part series may seem overwhelming, but I'm breaking down EVERYTHING you need to know.
after the event, you may have a less-than-organized pile of wares.
Part One: Finding Shows and Getting In (link to previous post)
Part Two: Preparing Your Work (link to previous post)
Part Three: Preparing Your Display (link to previous post)
Part Four: Getting Sales (link to previous post)
Hopefully your first show was a success!
If you made your table fees back with your sales and met some new fans of your work, I would call that a pretty good first run. If not, do realize that one show is never a solid indication (good or bad) of what your average success will be looking forward.
Though you most certainly deserve some rest and relaxation, do make some time to take stock and plan for the next step.
Reorganize
Packing up at a show is often done while tired, hungry, and in a rush. You will inevitably be less organized than when you arrived. Take some time the next morning to get your "show kit" prepped and ready for the next. Make a list of anything you will need to replenish for the next show and be sure to check it off. This is a much better scenario than getting to the next show and realizing that you don't have what you need. And when the next show comes around you will be relieved that you are ready to go!
Assess Your Sales
What sold the best? Was it your small paintings, prints, or greeting cards? Sales are not always consistent from show to show, but it still makes sense to take notes, as shows can be similar from year to year. There are some shows I know to bring all of my t-shirts and others where I’ll add some originals. My notes help me to have better shows. Also try to recognize specific subject matter or prints that sell particularly well. What is it about those pieces that push people to buy? You may not understand the answers now, but if you collect this information over an entire year you may glean some insight that will help increase your sales. Total up all of your receipts and start a spreadsheet in Google Sheets or similar program and keep records of profits from each show.
Assess Your Costs
Add up all of the costs of participating in the event. Include booth fees, application fees, rental fees (if applicable), parking fees, cost of food while traveling, mileage and gas costs, and any other charges you incur. (In this calculation, do not add expenses for large pieces of equipment like printers or scanners, as these should be factored in over several years.) Your expense totals are important to understanding your actual profit. When tax time comes around, they will also be important deductions you may take on your taxes. Certainly consult tax laws or your tax professional, but many of these fees are tax-deductible as the cost of doing business. Add these numbers to your spreadsheet for each show. Subtract your overall costs from your profit and add that to your spreadsheet as well.
*If your total net profit is not what you hoped, or doesn’t feel high enough to justify all of your hard work, consider the less-tangible advantages to putting yourself in front of a crowd. I have made important contacts, gained commercial jobs, been invited to participate in gallery shows, and made online sales directly as a result of sitting at my booth. While a terrible turnout doesn’t justify the potential of these perks, they should be factored in.
Follow Up
You have hopefully met many people at the event. Some may have given you their card because they are a fellow artist with a question, a gallery owner, or requested to be put on your mailing list. Whatever the reason behind these interactions, be sure to send a quick follow up to your conversation. The real world is much like Steemit in that there are rewards for contributing, meeting new people, and extending your conversations. The more people who know who you are, what you do, and that you are a pleasant person to work with, the more jobs and connections that will come your way. Following every lead doesn’t take very long and will help in the long run. You may even want to add the contacts you made to your spreadsheet as well.
Make A Plan for a Sustainable Business
Your business cannot grow unless you invest in it. The number one reason why businesses do not succeed is because they don’t invest enough in themselves. This can be scary, but can be done incrementally. It always baffles me when graduates who spent $200,000 on art school are afraid to borrow or invest $3,000 in equipment and self-promotion when they start their careers. When you profit from a show, be prepared to put a percentage of that profit back into your business. Invest in a new product, a better display, a designer who specializes in amazing logos, whatever you need the most. If you can’t grow your business, it will eventually become unsustainable. If you have a day job that pays your bills, using all of your show profit to invest in your next is a dream scenario. I once had a very good show and took all of the money and invested it in apparel with my design on it for the next show. I saw triple the profits at that show, and continued to build my business and brand with those profits.
Remember Christmas in July!
Whatever winter holiday you celebrate, ’tis the season for shopping, and buying. Artists see a spike in show opportunities occurring in late October through December. Some artisans work all year just to fill their weekends around the holidays in a whirlwind tour. It can definitely be worth it. You most likely been there, buying gifts for hard-to-buy-for friends. You are tired and willing to spend money just to check off a few boxes. Sellers at holiday shows benefit greatly from weary holiday buyers. And those at the market already know they want to buy handmade. BUT be sure to plan ahead - many holiday shows put up their applications in July and August! Search NOW for shows you might be interested in and add your name to their e-mail lists to be notified of application deadlines. Then follow them on social media to get a sense of who sells and buys at each one and whether you fit.
Consider selling Gift Certificates
If you do many holiday shows, your buyers may hem and haw over exactly which piece is appropriate for their recipient. I often get folks who know my work is a good fit for a family member but don’t buy because the exact piece of art they should acquire alludes them. If you come prepared to a show with formal printed gift certificates you may be able to sell them to those undecided. This works best if you have an online shop. You can either write in a distinct coupon code on each certificate that will automatically work when they punch it in at checkout (codes are supported on most popular merchants’ sites) or take down the recipient information for when they want to buy.
Online Shops
If you bite the bullet and sell at shows, it makes sense to consider selling your work online. After a big show I’ll usually get a boost in internet sales. If you collect e-mail addresses of your fans at every show, you can send e-mail newsletters announcing online specials, sales, and new items to them regularly, increasing your profits and followers, eventually even boosting the number of people who come out and see you in person. And if e-mail isn’t your style, you can announce sales on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. As touched upon in my first post, some shop sites to consider are Etsy, Shopify, and BigCartel. There are tutorials online for all of these possibilities, and you can be up and running reasonably quickly. (Though you can also spend a very long time tweaking and customizing if you choose.) If none of those sites seems like a fit for your wares, check out this list of alternatives.
Consider Selling Your Wares Wholesale
I don’t recommend immediately selling your good wholesale, but if you want to grow your business, wholesale is a great way to go when you are ready. Selling your work wholesale means you sell it in quantity (minimum determined by you) at about 50-60% of retail price to shops online or brick-and-mortar who sell the items and get the profit. There are articles and information online about this in more depth, but I will give you a few pointers to consider first. There is a reason I mention this topic so early in your adventure. If you have a product you can deliver in quantity and plan to eventually take your business as far as it can go, you’ll end up selling wholesale at some point. And if this is in the cards, you want to price your work NOW for profit at 50-60% of your retail prices. If you have an art print that retails for $60, you would need to profit from it at $30 to make wholesale work. You want to sell you work directly for the same prices as those stores, so selling in person will yield much higher profits. That said, you cannot be in 100 stores at once, but your work can! If you have a product where this approach might work, wholesale could be for you. If you are pricing your work appropriately for wholesale success, you'll be ready if you are offered a wholesale opportunity at an event. Etsy actually enables those with shops to apply to sell wholesale directly form their site! Sourcing Handmade, Wholesale Crafts, and BBFdirect also offer services for wholesalers. They are not for everyone, so do your research and see what is right for you. You could also simply approach stores that fit your work and ask if you can show them your wares. Many wholesale accounts are created by simply pounding the pavement.
Consignment
Stores may also be interested in working with you as a consignor. Whereas wholesale accounts are paid upfront, Consignment means that a shop will take some of your product and only pay you if and when it sells. While this can be nice exposure in high-profile shops and can yield some profits, it takes much more work on your part. Many stores are disorganized and you will have to keep very good records of what items each store has and what they sell. Just be sure you put a system in place to keep organized to make consignment work, and always try first for a wholesale scenario!
Thanks for reading Part Five: After the Show. If your missed Part One: Finding Shows and Getting In, you can read it here. If you missed Part Two: Preparing Your Work, you can read it here. If you missed Part Three: Designing Your Display, you can read it here. If you missed Part Four: Getting Sales, you can read it here. Now you should have a basic understanding of show applications, preparing your work to sell, creating a display, selling your wares, and what to do next. If you have questions to ask or advice to add on this topic, please do reply and comment for the benefit of all!
Images © Jaime Zollars
Part One: Finding Shows and Getting In (link to previous post)
Part Two: Preparing Your Work (link to previous post)
Part Three: Preparing Your Display (link to previous post)
Part Four: Getting Sales (link to previous post)
Part Five: After the Show
Part Five: After the Show
