The previous post, I discussed the first of the five craft shows we participated in during this year. This one was organized by a Church; but because of a bad mix of screwy schedules and the sudden economic downturn, it was not as profitable as the past years. I will continue talking about the other crafts that I have gone to.
First, let me talk about the two shows that I attended in schools. One positive thing that I would like to note here is that the vendor's morale is really at a high level here. For one thing, the students help you unload the equipment as well as return them back afterwards. One of the events had proceeds that go to the High School Soccer team, the coach came out at one point and thanked each vendor for coming. This atmosphere adds so much to the show, and I would return in each of these events if only for that.
We did relatively well, in terms of sales. It was a lot better than the amount we garnered at the church fair, at any rate. You can see the effect of the economic recession here, though; people were still opening up their wallets, but you could see they were making a conscious effort not to spend too much. The attendance of this year's fair was down by about a fifth from the past years.
The other two shows that we did were dedicated to charity. They were one of the "Old Faithful" shows that we've been attending for years. These shows have always been great and well organized; it gets a good attendance, and is advertised well, too. The 2008 show was no different; but there have been minor screw-ups for this year. People who pre-paid for dual-table booths somehow got only one table each on one of the shows, which ended in major screw-ups with the placement of everybody's booths.
To summarize, 2008 as a craft season was mostly a red mark financially. There were no increase in cost, which is great; but profits suffered mostly because of the financial recession. After doing all the number crunching, attendance was down 15-20%, while sales itself was down for about 40%. Does this mean that we should be discouraged this 2009? Certainly not! We shall continue to persevere, and we will adopt our business strategies based on the current financial times.
First, let me talk about the two shows that I attended in schools. One positive thing that I would like to note here is that the vendor's morale is really at a high level here. For one thing, the students help you unload the equipment as well as return them back afterwards. One of the events had proceeds that go to the High School Soccer team, the coach came out at one point and thanked each vendor for coming. This atmosphere adds so much to the show, and I would return in each of these events if only for that.
We did relatively well, in terms of sales. It was a lot better than the amount we garnered at the church fair, at any rate. You can see the effect of the economic recession here, though; people were still opening up their wallets, but you could see they were making a conscious effort not to spend too much. The attendance of this year's fair was down by about a fifth from the past years.
The other two shows that we did were dedicated to charity. They were one of the "Old Faithful" shows that we've been attending for years. These shows have always been great and well organized; it gets a good attendance, and is advertised well, too. The 2008 show was no different; but there have been minor screw-ups for this year. People who pre-paid for dual-table booths somehow got only one table each on one of the shows, which ended in major screw-ups with the placement of everybody's booths.
To summarize, 2008 as a craft season was mostly a red mark financially. There were no increase in cost, which is great; but profits suffered mostly because of the financial recession. After doing all the number crunching, attendance was down 15-20%, while sales itself was down for about 40%. Does this mean that we should be discouraged this 2009? Certainly not! We shall continue to persevere, and we will adopt our business strategies based on the current financial times.
About the Author:
As a craftsperson, you should always be aware of the schedule of Craft Shows near you. Visit Craft Fairs as often as you can, and have a successful small business using your own talents!
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