About this course
Get the confidence and knowledge to start or build your creative business like a pro through selling at craft shows!
Be prepared and get organized to maximize your time and efforts.
Create cohesive branding that makes your application and booth stand out in a sea of other makers.
Build your creative community and customers base.
Fearlessly price your products for profit.
Craft Show Success is an online workshop that gives you the tools, resources and confidence to prepare for and make the most of your time at craft shows so you can make money, build your customer base as well as your creative community plus get exposure for your brand. Whether you’ve never sold at a craft show before, have done a few, ever got that dreaded rejection email from producers or are a veteran vendor looking to sharpen your skills Craft Show Success gets you there.
Craft Show Success not only shows you how to find the perfect show, create an application that producers notice and have a successful craft show experience but also tackles all the details leading up to and after the show. You’ll be organized, prepared and ready to sell your products like a pro. This eight-chapter workshop gathers over a decade of Nicole’s vending and production experience through tips, resources, downloadable PDF and spreadsheet worksheets, exercises, photographs, stories, tutorials and examples or what to do and what not to do.
You can start the course anytime after your purchase it and go at your own pace. Click here for FAQs about how our online workshops work.
Craft Show Success teaches you how to:
- Find and choose the right craft shows for your brand
- Determine and achieve your craft show goals
- Get organized and be prepared before, during and after craft shows
- Submit a stand-out application with great photos
- Create cohesive branding for your business
- Maximize your booth space and create unique on-brand displays
- Price your goods for profit
- Navigate licenses and permits
- Maximize your time at the show
- Build and solidify relationships with your customers, creative community and show producers
*This is a written course with downloadable worksheets and course materials.
Chapter overview
Introduction: The unique craft show experience
Selling your products at craft shows offers a unique experience and opportunity for growth that your business can’t get through selling wholesale or online. At craft shows you interact directly and build solid relationships with your customers and creative community as well as make money. Finding your footing and making the most out of craft shows requires knowledge, research, dedication, time and money. But if you’re ready to build your business and brand by selling at craft shows, this course will help you make the most out of the adventure.
Chapter 1: Finding the perfect craft shows for your business
Finding the perfect craft show for your business is not a crap shoot, it’s based on determining which shows will help you build your business and make money. You’ll assess your goals, learn what you need to do to get ready to be a vendor and how to choose a craft show that will be the perfect vehicle to make it all happen.
Downloadable worksheets and resources:
- Craft show goal assessment worksheet
- Craft show resource list featuring over 140 independent craft shows and their locations
- Craft show readiness checklist
- Potential craft show assessment worksheet
- Potential craft show evaluation worksheet
Chapter 2: Submitting a successful application
Applying for a craft show does not have to be stressful or time consuming. In this chapter we’ll cover every aspect of the application process including setting up a timeline so you don’t miss any deadlines, how to write about yourself and your business, taking professional-looking photographs of what you make and how to avoid craft show producers top pet peeves.
Downloadable resources and worksheets:
- Mini-book featuring 22 pages of good and bad product photograph examples
- Craft show application checklist
- Resource sheet of bio, product description and business description examples
Chapter 3: Creating authentic branding for your business
Branding is the YOU of your business. Your branding communicates the style, personality and story your business to potential customers in a sea of other choices. Every aspect of your business including the font on your business card, logo, color palette, booth display, online presence contribute to how potential customers perceive your business. We’ll show you how to creatively brand your business so your ideal customers come to you.
Downloadable resources and worksheets:
- Elements of branding worksheet and example
- Resource sheet of over 100 fonts
- Three branding words brainstorm tutorial and example
- Branding mood board tutorial and example
- Ideal customer worksheet
- Logo, business card and color palette branding example
Chapter 4: Preparing for a craft show
We’ll delve deep into getting organized and maximizing your time before a craft show so that you’re not up until 1am the night before or realize you forgot something essential the day of the show. You’ll learn how to pack like a champ, prepare for the unexpected, hire an assistant for the day of the show, navigate doing out-of-town shows, self-care and market the show.
Downloadable resources and worksheets:
- The ultimate craft show packing list
- Craft show timeline checklist that takes you from a year before the show through the day of the show
- What to look for in a craft show helper worksheet
Chapter 5: Creating a booth display that brings your customers to you
No matter how awesome what you’re selling is, if your booth display isn’t attractive your sales will suffer. Creating an outstanding booth doesn’t have to break the bank. Through research and preparation you’ll showcase your products in a unique and innovative way that will draw your customers to you and maximize your time and booth space.
Downloadable resources and worksheets:
- Craft show booth layout template
- Resource list of places to find unique display items and props
- List of the top ten booth display tips from the pros
- Resource list of unique display items and ideas
- Top tips for craft show booth displays
Chapter 6: Pricing for profit and covering your business financially and legally
Many creatives tend to ‘turn-off’ when it comes to the numbers side of their business but accurately pricing your products, figuring out your expenses, income and profit as well as keeping your business legal is essential if you want to have a successful business. You’ll learn how to price your goods for profit instead of just covering your expenses, cut your costs, avoid the starving artist mentality that leads so many makers to under price their products, capitalize on and reward your customers, accept different forms of payment, navigate sales tax as well as permits and licenses and keep track of all of it with ease so that you can accurately assess profit and loss for a craft show.
Downloadable resources and worksheets:
- Craft show profit and loss worksheet and examples
- Resource list of the key business expenses you must account for
Chapter 7: Putting your best foot forward and dealing with the unexpected at craft shows.
Unexpected things can throw you for a loop on the big day… Difficult customers, a super slow day, or a crazy busy one. If you’re well-prepared you’ll be able to stay cool, calm and collected the day of the show no matter what gets thrown your way. Master the art of selling your products with ease and authenticity through this no-pressure sales tactic that fosters genuine relationships with customers and turns one-time-buyers into life-long customers that keep coming back for more.
Chapter 8: Post Craft Show Recovery Follow up and Community
After the craft show is over you need to celebrate and practice a little self-care but then you need to get back to work. Following up with the show producers, your customers, building your community, evaluating and planning is essential if you want all the work you put into the show to build your business and your brand.
Downloadable resources and worksheets:
- Post craft show checklist
- Sample emails to producers
- Show evaluation worksheet
Closing: Get out there and make it happen!
Successfully selling at a craft show isn’t as simple as filling out an application and showing up. There’s a lot of planning and hard work involved BUT it’s all worth it! Showcasing your business at craft shows can be a building block in creating a successful business or an integral part of your businesses financial achievement either way you’re now ready to get out there and make it happen!
About the instructor:
Craft Show Success instructor Nicole Stevenson has been a vendor at over 300 craft shows/retail venues, showcased her products at dozens of wholesale trade shows, had over 300 wholesale accounts and produced more than 50 craft shows and art shows. In other words, she has oodles of experience as both seller and craft show producer and she’s so excited to share everything she has learned with you!
Nicole’s path includes time as a creative writing graduate student in San Francisco, street artist on the Venice Beach boardwalk, costume designer, Hollywood flea market art vendor, DIY workshop instructor, co-founder of a non-profit that produced art shows benefiting charities, owner and designer of Random Nicole (an art-inspired clothing line carried at over 300 locations) and owner of craft workshop studio and retail store: The Craft Kitchen.
These days, Nicole can be found creating illustrations and designs for Show and Tell Design Studio, co-producing Patchwork Show: Modern Makers Festival and Craftcation: Business and Makers Conference and writing about business, making and her adventures for the Dear Handmade Life blog.
“It took nearly two decades of living a creative life to finally realize the one thing that all my pursuits had in common. Whether I’m creating a venue for crafters to sell their goods, a conference for entrepreneurs to build their skills, a logo for an art gallery or writing a story about my life, I’m always making something.”
–Nicole Stevenson
Nicole and her ventures have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, NBC.com, The Los Angeles Times, Apartment Therapy, National Public Radio, Bust Magazine, Daily Candy, PaperCrafts Magazine, The OC Weekly and others.
When she’s not working, you may find her breaking up scuffles between her dog and three chickens, couch crafting while watching a film she’s seen too many times to count, playing guitar with her husband, sitting in her backyard with good friends and a margarita while playing Cards vs. Humanity, or squeezing in time for a quick trip to a lovely place where people are scarce and trees are not.
