If you're interested in selling your Christmas Crafts or Cards this year the IrishBusinessWomen.com Forum has a fantastic extremely comprehensive thread on all the craft fairs, farmer's markets and other markets all around the country. You can see it here. It's the first time I've ever seen them all in one place.
While we're here, some tips on running your own stand at a Craft Fair or Farmer's Market:
- The average stand costs 30-40 Euros to hold for a day, though that may increase coming up to Christmas
- In theory public liability insurance is required in case something should happen to someone in the vicinity of your, but many don't take it out.
- In order to have a stand at a market during the busy Christmas season, some market managers will require you to have a stand for several weeks beforehand too - to avoid annoying other stall holders who are there year around, and also to ensure they have lots of stands at their market every week
- Most people spend an average of 25c on a Christmas Card, and are willing to spend more on those cards they send to their nearest and dearest only - so consider offering a range of cards "to My Husband/Wife/Mother" etc.
- If making Christmas Cards, ensure you include some with a religious slant (some people will only buy these), and ones with Irish writing are never a bad idea.
- Try and vary the kind of products on offer at your stand - for example - if selling Christmas Cards, have a range of Christmas Cards, and also some gift tags in packs of 10, notelets in packs of 5 to be given as gifts or frame some pretty cards into pictures.
- Try to have a clear special offer on your stand with a BIG sign advertising it. E.g. Handmade Christmas Cards EUR 4.00 or 3 for EUR 10.00. People love special offers and it immediately frames their way of thinking in terms of what they'll buy.
- One of our forum members took a stand and offered a service to personalise cards - she took orders and posted the cards out later.
Things you'll need for your stand: Check out the post on our forum about this too
- Table and chairs if not provided - some people have brought trellis' along in the past to display cards behind them too.
- Table Covering - sheet, table cloth, piece of material
- Display materials - something to display items at different heights is a good idea (a box under a table cloth or sheet will do just fine). You could also try one of our great Card Stands - a steal at under 20 Euros!
- Packaging to protect your products - polybags for cards etc.
- A Cash Box or Bum Bag for change
- Paper or plastic bags - you can get these from www.vikingdirect.ie or local cash and carrys.
- A pen and paper
- Business Cards/Flyers/Posters - anything to let people know who you are. Don't have any? Try www.vistaprint.ie for business cards or www.print24.ie or www.flyer24.ie for flyers. If you have a website, make sure to put it on there.
- If outdoors - two or three pairs of socks and double or triple layer everything else. It gets colder than you can imagine.
How our crafters did at fairs!! Here's another post on our forum on the topic for further reading and a field report from Kiki on her first market experience and some great ideas for additional products for your stand, or another great report from Patricia Mc :) We started our life in the business at markets - and they're great for quick cash (at the right times) and getting great feedback on your card. Dress warm though!!
If you've any tips to add - please add a comment!! We'd love to hear from you.
If you're interested in selling your Christmas Crafts or Cards this year the IrishBusinessWomen.com Forum has a fantastic extremely comprehensive thread on all the craft fairs, farmer's markets and other markets all around the country. You can see it here. It's the first time I've ever seen them all in one place.
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