Comments on: But do you make any money?

By: blondechicken

blondechicken — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:21:50 +0000

This is a GREAT, business-minded question!
The numbers I talked about here are sales, not profits.

But I do go over my profits from each show after show, taking into account all the expenses and don't consider them a success unless I cover all my costs + make a good profit.

We're going to cover this issue - how to know if a craft show is worth the cost - in the class, because this is an important step!

Thanks again for your question!

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By: blondechicken

blondechicken — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:21:50 +0000

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:12:08 +0000

Thanks for a helpful post! If you don't mind my asking, do these numbers reflect the percentage of your revenue or profit that comes from craft shows?

My worry when considering starting out with craft shows is that the booth fees & travel expenses are quite an investment upfront, so if my sales aren't so hot, I could lose money on doing a show. Whereas with my Etsy shop, my sales are much slower, but the upfront investment is 20 cents. It seems like no matter how much one crunches the numbers and prepares ahead of time, it's always a bit of a gamble to do a show.

By: blondechicken

blondechicken — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:42:24 +0000

Oh, all of these are good! I'll answer them tomorrow in the class (since I already know you're in!)
But I will say - every show is different. Some provide the table. Some let you rent a table. Some will have specific rules about what you can't bring!

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By: blondechicken

blondechicken — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:31:12 +0000

Thanks!

But you see, if I didn't do them, I'd have more online sales...because I wouldn't be hoarding my yarn for the show!

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By: Riin

Riin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:29:59 +0000

Thanks, Tara. That's really enlightening.

How much did you spend on display items for your booth? What do they include at the show, and what do you need to bring yourself? Do you have any suggestions for low cost display items?

Thanks for sharing!

By: Hanna

Hanna — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:24:59 +0000

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us. That is fascinating! Amazing (scary?) to think of how much of your income comes from those two shows …