Now let's talk about which was kind of talked about a little bit especially with our online audience about small shows and very unusual venues that are like doing really weird stuff. So this is an unusual venue that I told that this is a rec room in a bar here in san francisco actually it's edinburgh castle in the tenderloin so my friend lived upstairs from there and they let us set up a crafts show with with our art heart and then I made these like little hair doodads and some other weird stuff. This was a really long time ago like probably fifteen years ago or something. Um anyway that show was was it was really awesome. First of all I think I I ended up making like five hundred bucks everybody that came there was like our was like our friend or drunk people which was awesome and then like a famous artist that I totally like, respected and admired about one of my paintings and I was just like what? This is awesome. So as we've noticed I mean from this saying yes got me to where I am ...

when I first started out I say yes that everything everything crash related so somebody was like, hey, my office like the people work a lot I work in an advertising place and like I want you to like come down and like set up with the holidays and people so people can shop great I'm their you know uh hey my girlfriends are my parents neighbor was like hey my friend sells like mary kay or something like that she's going to come over and do you like it or not was a tupperware party and should you want to come set up your stuff sure all set up my stuff in your living room next to this tupperware lady because I am just starting out I have you know very little customers or maybe I'm a little more established and I'm totally broke right now and I need cash man yes yes yes yes yes yes so you decide where you are in business what to say yes to and what to say no to you know that person that's doing that show that I said was like kind of weird I mean maybe they that you know that could end up being an edinburgh castle for them you know who knows uh really vending the oakland performance of vagina monologues see I knew the organizer it's like oh you make so hey I could give you a table if you give us something for the silent auction yep I did it was in place one also and I was approached by two stores took every year stuff so just one of my best shows of the year was always at this advertising agency and those people worked like hugs I mean they work so much and they didn't have time to shop, and they they would have, like, twenty, twenty, thirty vendors there, and they were just, like, come out, you know, shop, and it was awesome. Um uh, so we've gone over a lot of stuff already. We have so much more to do, though, and I really want to make sure that we're not getting overwhelmed because we're not quite in that place yet. One of us felt like one of us here in the studio felt like, yeah, I'm I'm ready, I've got all this, I've got all this covered, which is awesome, awesome, the rest of us still had some work to dio, so these smaller shows are a way to kind of get your feet wet in tow learn I mean, rebecca was talking about how much she learned from doing those fifty craft shows, so she was putting herself in her own, like, little business school, you know, I think I did a lot of a lot of little ones, yeah, I can't imagine that all fifty would be big, like there's, not that many gigantic craft shows on dh they also help you, like, figure out your goals, so, like, maybe in the beginning, you're thinking, you know, I really want to focus on uh let's say building your social media audience and then you realize man, I am really getting burned out on doing so many craft shows I still want to stay connected to my customers and get this in person experience by doing craft shows but I also want to build my wholesale business now so I'm going to change up those goals and like focus on that andi help you prepare for the bigger ones you don't want to be spending, you know, five, six hundred dollars on a booth for two days and walk in there and not know what you're doing um wait to get your skin a little bit thicker too oh yeah so when people say you can't get that old navy for eight dollars yeah yeah yeah my target market yeah without investing your savings or something yeah yeah this is very this is very important and there are so many different kinds of it we've already talked about some of these schools and so if you don't have school these children, you ask your friends that have schooling children go to the local school and say, hey, do you guys to a holiday bazaar churches and temples or religious organizations if you belong teo any kind of religious organization they're always doing like fundraiser things and these people don't have a crash oh fundraiser and you are like an organizer like me and you're like, I think I can put something together and I'm going to take, you know, twenty percent or whatever, like don't do it for free make this your little side gig, uh, offices, which we talked about flea markets, which I've talked so much about farmer's markets to our great cause, those air weekly. So you're building like you said, you're building that regular customer base organisations that you belong to, like, I am not in a mummy's group, but I know a lot of people are, and I know that somebody from my mommies group said, oh, you know, my mommies group is doing this little like sale that edited that so there's, just so many opportunities if you just kind of open your mind community art centers your house high, you invite three of your crafty friends over and you're like, I wish I had a picture of slide for this. Yeah, when I was first starting out, I took all the furniture out of my living room put it all in the one bedroom with my friend paige got some hoops paint from home depot, you know, because like cheap painted the walls sad they're made art because we couldn't afford our rent guess what we made like ten dollars, over our rent that night, you know, so there's so many opportunities, you have to be hungry, and you have to be looking for them, you know, and prepared and organized obviously, uh, local bars and restaurants. Great show I did was at a bar. You've just definitely check the lighting ahead of time. You know, that is something I will really say about doing a bar show, but drunk people love to shop. Um, more friend's house. So, uh, yeah, there's opportunities everywhere. You don't have to jump in by applying tio, a large craft show that's like a huge money investment and time investment, you've got to kind of get your feet wet.

Class Materials

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Craft Show Secrets Syllabus.pdf

Bonus with Purchase

Craft Show Readiness Checklist

Craft Show Timeline Checklist

Profit and Loss Worksheet With Examples

Packing Checklist

Craft Show List

Benefits and Goals Worksheet

Branding Worksheet

Post Craft Show Checklist

Craft Show Application Checklist

Brand Mood Board Exercise

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Nicole Stevenson

For most of her life, Nicole Stevenson had a different answer when asked, “What do you do?”At age 9 when she started her first business, a handmade stationary shop housed in a refashioned refrigerator box in her front yard, she

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topics covered in this class

Business

Ratings and Reviews

user-1b0a09

It was an awesome experience. I learned so much from Nicole. She is entertaining and so knowledgeable that I feel I left the show with soooooo much info. I loved being in the studio audience, I met so many great people, crafters and new friends I feel we all became one big support for each other. I am putting to good use everything I learned. I look forward to coming back to Creative Live for another learning experience. Craft Show Secrets taught me all the ins/outs of craft shows ...I'm excited for my next craft show. Time to Create!!!

Lisa Jones

Great Class! Full of practical information + tools about how to REALLY succeed doing shows. I have attended many a craft show and found an enormous amount of useful tips. I especially loved the bonus material! Thank you Nicole and Creative Live for keeping it real + FUN!!

a Creativelive Student

I've been growing my business successfully online for the last six years, but hadn't shown my work in person for a decade. As a refresher, I took Nicole's craft show class to be sure that I made the most of the time I would have in front of my customers. Because of the preparedness and mindset that I gained from Nicole's teaching, my show was a huge success. My interactions with the customers, producers, and other vendors were genuine and joyful, building a stronger foundation for future business and relationships. This course took the worry and stress off my shoulders so I could enjoy the opportunity that I had. Thanks, Nicole! Tamara Kraft Pithitude

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Smaller Craft Shows & Unusual Venues

Smaller Craft Shows & Unusual Venues

Lesson Info

9. Smaller Craft Shows & Unusual Venues

Lessons

Craft Shows Should be a Part of Your Business

Introduction: How to Have a Successful Craft Show Experience

Why You Should Be Doing Craft Shows

Is Your Business Ready for a Craft Show?

Now is the Time for Craft Shows

Get Your Product Ready

Branding Your Business

Pricing Your Products