Copy and Pasted from WireYourWorld on Etsy, She copy and pasted from craftlister.com but I am putting it here for my own reference,

I need to take time to read it soon........

As an Artist or Crafter, you will only get out what you put in. These days you even have to put in more to get out the same as yesteryear. So, if you want to make MORE money in this field, you need to increase the amount of WORK you do AND the QUALITY of it, anything else is fantasy. Smarts and planning will help, but hands down you will need to find a way to make MUCH MORE PRODUCT for MUCH LESS MONEY AND TIME and have it be of HIGHER QUALITY than before.

You will not get rich with a few dozen items on your single table at a show close to home. You won't either with a thousand less costly but nicer items in 2 booths, acting like a salesperson, at what you researched to be the best show in the state on that day, but you're bound to fare better.

Keys to Success: Preparation, Research, Learning, Planning, and Execution. ( and printing this...)

Think BIG! - You will unlikely see much more, let alone many times, your current yearly profit unless you do more, better shows AND sell more at each AND make more profit on each item AND sell more items per sale.

Start By:

1. Review your suppliers and sources. If you are buying thousands of dollars of anything, make sure you are getting the best possible price, find out what is necessary to qualify for discounts. Shop around with new suppliers, prices are never stable and there are almost always deals to be found or made.
2. Find a way to produce more for less cost to you in less time. Then, stock, carry, and DISPLAY more inventory.
3. Book larger, better shows, and ask more for your quality products at them. The top customers are still to be had and still travel in packs!
4. Create a Customer Base - Start a customer/mailing list! Send them announcements of shows you are doing near them and include a few repeat-customer specials with each mailing.


Tips for Crafters to Increase their Profits and Total Revenue:

Create a Customer Base - then repeatedly market and sell to it. Include a re-order form in every bag!
Start a Mailing List - collect names at shows and market to it! Send special offers, coupons, hot specials, upcoming show locations, etc.! Include a few repeat-customer specials, engendering customer loyalty!
Home Gift Parties - Customers throw home parties where you show your wares to their friends and the host gets a discount on your items based on total orders placed at the party.

Create a Distribution Chain!
Crafter / Artist Representatives - They are out there! They take on multiple artists as clients, then market your products to stores, large and small.
Craft malls, crafter collectives, galleries
Approach stores, gift shops, etc. and ask them to carry your local, hand-made product. - It may take time to find even one, but then you have more opportunities for sales even on weekends with no shows!
Trade table space with other Artists - if you make purses, match up with some purse accessories - straps, charms
Sales Force - Get helpers so you can do more shows or target more stores. If your time is best spent creating, you should pawn off some sales activities to those that are experts in sales.
Seek out wholesale opportunities
Place flyers about such in every sale bag
Actively contact and visit any possible gift shops, boutiques, etc.
Do Wholesale Shows, Crafter Clearance and Cash & Carry Markets
Offer drop shipping
QVC & Wholesale Buyers - if you can produce many identical es quickly and cheaply, ask for a sitting with any large store's buyer!
Web Store - create one today! 24/7 sales opportunities. Hassle-free order taking. Customer expected.

Seek Out Unique Selling Opportunities that Others are Passing Up!
Fund Raisers - Send letters to local organizations offering your goods for use in their fund raiser. Offer reduced price so they can mark up enough.
Local Business Professionals - as gifts to clients - local made crafts or art makes a great client gift and usually is cheaper than a fruit box!
Corporate Vendor Shows - some promoters arrange these, other large corporate buildings or hospitals will arrange themselves for a local crafter to set up in the lobby, hallway, etc. for a few hours during lunch. Etc. Call companies and ask if you can sell there! Often, there is no spot fee even, but you might be asked to reduce your prices slightly as a courtesy to the employees.
Coupons! - It's hard to pass up a discount! Give a coupon to each purchaser enabling them or anyone in their party they give it to to get some thing for 20% less, etc.
Offer to take special orders �€“ for an additional fee since it does take more time
Create an Online Store, it never closes & your repeats can always find it!
Contact local interior designers as a possible supplier of even custom pieces
Colleges / Universities �€“ Contact them. Most let vendors setup any in-school weekday near the cafeteria, bookstore, or common area
Offer wholesale to other vendors, stores, gift shops, boutiques, etc.
Offer wholesale hand-made components to other artists and crafters. Parts that most buy...

Booth Presence, Salesmanship Skills �€“ Turning a Looker into a Customer
Encourage and direct their envisioning the use of your product. Ask them where they would wear it, where they would place it, etc.
Get an item into their hand! Encourage touching - have items displayed in a pick-upable way and even directly hand items to customers if they ask anything about one, even only the price.
Ask for the sale �€“ Ask 'Would you like this in a box?'
Market the hand-made aspect of your product
Don't hover, or be perched too close to customers; add a barrier and distance between where you sit and where the customer walks. You should pop out into the booth if they do ask for help or if they appear to be of the friendly nature where it might even be expected by them. But remember, no customer will ever not come in your booth because you are not on top of them as soon as you see them; however, there are MANY customers will NOT even look at your booth or items as they pass if you are standing center booth, eying all passers and shoppers!
Do NOT ask if they need help!!!! Do NOT tell them to let you know if they do need help. They already understand this and most do not appreciate such remarks. If you must say something more than 'Hello!' like 'I have those colors in all sizes under the table, let me know if you like one'.
Learn to read body language and you WILL sell more of your work!!! - Only smile or say hello at the most until the customer says anything other than a hello greeting response!!!
Crossed Arms - they feel they need to protect themselves from you
Hands in Pockets or Behind Back - they do not want to be seen as potential buyer yet and do not need help as they are 'just browsing'
Eye Contact Avoidance - they do not want to acknowledge that you see them and now need to say hi
Smile - they only want to smile, not say hello or hear how you as the booth owner could help them
Torso facing direction - if they are pointing away from you as you talk, they signaling their intention to run at first opportunity
Shoulders Hunched, head Down - they want to keep to themselves
Disarm the husband - Often his pushing makes or takes the sale. He pushes her on with 'why don't you pick out something for...' or he pushes her on to further their booth march. Often occupying HIM with chit chat, questions, plain old BS, etc. will make the sale. He might simply not urge here to leave the booth by his non-attending to her, but there are many times that after the game of 'so where are you from', and others that he will not only approve of her pick-out but even suggests she buy MORE with a 'why don't you pick out a matching... too?'
Encourage touch and try on! - Feature SEVERAL prominent mirrors. Don't have items behind
glass! Too neat of a display and some folks will fear touching, slightly shopped is best!

Image, Appearance, and Branding.
Improve your display and thereby image. You should look presentable too. Appearance is the name of the game here folks.
Make Clear that your Items are Hand-Made by YOU ( IF they Are...) This MUST include a SIGN, a PHOTO ALBUM of your shop, and your VERBALLY STATING it to customers you do talk to as in 'we do make everything ourselves, so I can answer anything' . Everyone with such a sign and album has told me it DOES INCREASE SALES. It has also been said that product price tags that say 'HAND-MADE By ...' increase sales and even that folks will then later seek out your name if they see the tag - branding!.

Evaluate and Refine your Business Determine Profitability of each Product: Profit = Number Sold x ( Price Per Unit - Supplies Cost & Time Cost Per Unit ) - Incidental Business Expenses 4 methods exist to maximize profit: Sell More Units, Sell Same Units for a Higher Price, Produce Units at a Lower Cost, Reduce incidental business costs and Sell more Units without increasing them Determine How much Profit you make on each Item Type per year Drop your least profitable products Duplicate and develop your most profitable products into More lines and types. Make a High-end line of your most profitable products Product Diversity, Quality, etc. BE NECESSARY! - do you have 'functional', necessary items, that folks buy anyway? Repeatedly or even regularly?? Do you offer easy reorder, contact, and 'find us again at shows' methods? Sell something Different or at least Better; stand out! State on a sign why yours is better. People love to be informed and have a better product that they understand and can relate the superiorities of. Keep up with fads, and colors; also your own sales trends! Photograph old best seller designs Adjust your product line and prices. Drop your least profitable items after calculating profit on each multiplied by the number sold per year, then diversify and improve upon the types of items you made the most on. Any items that sold faster than you could stock a few, should be raised in price! A product for every price should be your goal. If you don't have an expensive item, you can't sell an expensive item. Packaging - Offer some units in a new types of packaging and see how it affects sales! Folks love gift boxes, little jars, anything they think they can re-use.... especially for gift packaging/wrapping. Improve your Product Line LISTEN to your customer. What they say they would like, what they ask if you have, can do.... Ask for more Ideas if they start by offering one and they seem knowledgeable and grounded. Carry Seasonal Items Diversify and carry more of your top sellers Make some practical items that customers need and buy anyway Design Products TO Sell. Increase their Perceived Value. Market their benefits, not features. Add Value Watch and record color selections, styles, etc. Make more variations on those that SELL. Keep consistent in style and colors so customers can collect and match. Always offer FRESH designs! Watch what sells. Watch what the competition is doing and what is working for them. Learn rom others. Talk to other vendors at shows. Adjust your product line and prices. Drop your least profitable items after calculating profit on each multiplied by the number sold per year, then diversify and improve upon the types of items you made the most on. Any items that sold faster than you could stock a few, should be raised in price! A product for every price should be your goal. If you don't have an expensive item, you can't sell an expensive item. Do More, Better Shows - Show & Event Selection Raise your show standards and drop the lowest quarter or so of your shows and try new ones. Shows that cost more, if long running, often cost more for a reason.... Try a few 'better' shows. Raise your show standards and drop the lowest quarter or so of your shows and try new ones each year. Ask vendors where they do well and ask customers where they go that they think are great shows! Often customers will ask, 'do you do ...?' This is their telling you that '....' is possibly another great show in that area. Ask them more about it! Write the info about it down and then investigate further! Ask More Questions of Promoters whose shows you are considering. Make a Question Sheet and print it up to fill out while on the phone with each promoter asking for an application. You can save a whole wasted day at most bad shows by asking all promoters the critical questions. What percent of vendors return each year and what % are first time exhibitors? How many years has the show been running? Has attendance in recent years gone up, same, or down? What was last years attendance, year before? Weather each? What is your spot price & how much do average vendors make at your show in total sales? Average product price at show. Door admission cost? Has it gone up in the last 3 years? What % of exhibitors have more than one booth? Do you allow non-hand made? Do you and have you removed merchants with non-approved products? Do you Jury? What is your process? What percent of Applicants are accepted? Do you limit by category? How many categories do you recognize for that purpose. How many in my category? What other types of products in my category? What is the avg vendor quality? Are you flea market, crafts, art and craft, fine art, etc. What % of crafters are mom and pop operations and what % are full time professional crafters? Advertising? How many newspapers? How far in advance? Street signs? $ spent on ads? General Advice To Increase Sales Quantity & prices Vs. show prices and your options Consider that you might be ready for the next level of show where you may pay more for a booth, but where you will have many more people make purchases and where you can ask a higher price per work, and receive it with smiles! Clearly post Prices; sometimes the same item with a higher price actually sell BETTER! Also, all shows are NOT the same, prices should not be either. Charge tax as added, not included. Add tax onto even dollar priced items. $5 sells as well as $4.95. Since you must pay the sales tax anyway, you might as well not have it come out of your product price and your profit. Make Larger Sales to each Customer Offer multiple item discount specials. 3 for ... Add TAGS to all items with you contact info. It may be gifted and you have more sales opportunities if the recipient know who made it. Turn more Passer-bys and Lookers into Customers Add Lead in items, Loss Leaders, etc. In stores these are the cheap ones in main walkways that get you into the isle of higher cost ones. A Sandwich Board style price board has been said to improve sales. Price tags should be one each item. Signs near groups of items. A Workshop Photo Album and posted Sign stating you make everything improves sales. Quickly get rid of lookers that want your attention but not your items. Spend time on others! Make sales calls. Contact past large $ or custom order customers. Let them know of shows near them. Improve your appearance and that of your booth and product packaging. Accept Credit Cards and have a sign stating an at least $25 minimum charge. Get out of your chair and re-arrange your booth from the customer side whenever no one is in booth. Make out to be a shopper yourself!!! People are MUCH more likely to look if others are looking (you) and there is no salesperson to watch them browse. Display and Carry More Inventory Get better racks that show more at once. Make them if necessary. Take 2 spots instead of one. The extra room allows you to display much more and gives a larger distance between you and the customer so you are not looming over them as often happens in a single spot booth. If you put out one of an item it will go unnoticed. You need a whole rack or booth of an item type before it often takes off. Make Products Faster with Less Effort Learn or Invent new Production Techniques Make Jigs, Tools, Masks, Templates, etc. - Create your own tools, devices, jigs, clamps, patterns, templates, etc. to help you do your repetitive work faster and more accurately. Have someone help you construct it once you conceive of it, heck it might be sold online already as a tool of your trade! Work in Assembly Line Fashion - Produce more efficiently - Reduce the time needed to produce a unit. Your production time is your most valuable! Make it more productive. If you make 10 items at once, but finish them in later stages differently as appropriate, your time for each will be much reduced that if you had only made one. As artists we must maintain uniqueness, but to compete with bulk crap from china, we must also ourselves produce in bulk - but with quality. There will always be a market for true one-of-a-kinds, but even then, other supplies and prep steps can be production lined so you do many items at each stage on many at a time rather that each item all the way through at a time. As craftsmen we have the obligation to be resourceful and fruitful, productive manufacturers of the goods we are experts at producing. From those that much is given, much is expected in return. Subordinate idiot prep work, clean up, shopping, ordering, etc. Keep up with industry techniques, tools, knowledge, alternate supplies, etc. Buy the Right Tools. Set Production Goals, then work to meet them Find the bottle-necks in production and concentrate improvements there Set a Work Rhythm. Then gradually increase it. Make multiple items at once if normally one. Make 50 if normally 10. Experiment with new production methods and designs. Tinker, Play, and have Fun! Consider that changing an existing design in some small way may not affect sales and might half your production time for it. Lower Your Costs Make components you currently buy already fabricated Re-evaluate suppliers of most costly supplies. You might find a new better deal that saves you 75% of something that is 80% of your total cost if you order 2 months worth of raw material at once. Any money saved is FREE profit! Sell or Re-use 'waste'. Order More Supplies at Once. Large suppliers will save you multiple times off craft stores. Then Ordering thousands of dollars at once will often save up to 50% of even already wholesale supply costs. Review your suppliers and sources. If you are buying thousands of dollars of anything, make sure you are getting the largest volume discount available, find out what is necessary to qualify for more. Shop around for new possible suppliers each year! Prices are never stable and there are almost always deals to find. Buy surplus, with friends in group-buys, only when on sale, off-season, in-person to reduce defective/damaged supplies that otherwise are a loss, etc.

I NEED SOME $$ IN PAYPAL!!!!

I had two sales and promptly spent all that money on things for my upcoming show and supplies, I am in the hole with paypal to a tune of $9.
I need to sell something soon to set me straight!
There are things I need to pay for!

I guess I need to post into the livejournal clothdiapering community, to sell my cloth diapers my youngest no longer fits into, and his Maya Wrap sling as well (into the babywearer sales community), he is too big for that as well.

FlexShaft part and imprinter

Sooooo, I signed up with propay.com in order to take credit cards at my shows. My first show (after my long hiatus to have younguns) is in two weeks in Cary. I am excited about going to this one. I am from Cary and there are alot of wealthy people there. So I figured if I really want to do well I need to have the ability to take credit cards.
I just ordered my imprinter off if Ebay, Mr. Imprinter.com.
I got the custom plate and slips with it for a grand total of $16.
not too shabby, It was the cheapest I could have gotten it for anywhere I do believe. I did quite a bit of searching.

Also today Richard called Foredom to see if he could just get the switch which has burnt out in my flexshaft, he can put it in, and we figured it would be alot cheaper than replacing the entire foot pedal. we were right, it cost $10 to replace the switch, the pedal would have been $25 plus shipping. I think we did alright today!

My Flexshaft Broke!

This could not have had happened at a worst possible time. I am getting ready for a show in 2 weeks, with no flexshaft my work comes to a halt! I need it fixed now!!!

I hate the Alundum Stone!!!

but I love my newly made Plique a Jour earrings!!!

website

I fixed my website, as of right now it is a free site with ads, and it points straight to etsy, but hey I like it!
http://www.angelfire.com/biz6/sebordeaux/index.html

Just need a domain name. I think "Bordeaux" is taken - ;)

I got my kiln back - woo hoo!
I just hope they correctly fixed it, I will know soon.

Spring Green

Blue (no name or item number written on my tube of blue)

Enamel Tests

I should be getting my kiln back this week. It has been in the repair shop because of the faulty display.

Anyway here is some big news....

I GOT A SINK!!!! Running water to my studio. I could not enamel without running water, now I can.
So in getting ready, I am doing some enamel tests of my existing colors. It is going well.
I am making earrings my test pieces and I am going to document each color here as I go.
These earrings will be for sale for $21 each.

This pair is #2720 Trans HARoid Purple. (the color isn't exact in the photo - it is a eggplant kinda color)

Display Tweaks

Last week I decided to get a jump start on getting my display ready for use again (it has been put away for 2 years).
I drug the whole thing to the center of the yard and assembled it. I realized the shelves needed a good washin' and to be re-painted. So I dis-assembled all of it and put it back together in two unit sections, with half the total shelves set up in such a way for me to paint them and let them sit in the air to dry. I then realized it would be a good idea to set up the tent around the shelves in case it rained, so I wouldn't have to take them down until I was done. I got the tops of the white shelves, cleaned and painted. I left it outside overnight to dry. That worked out quite well, however the next day a nasty storm came to town, nearly blew the tent down on top of the shelves, so my 4 year old and me, rushed to disassemble it before it started to rain and wind really whip up. We did it! All that time to set up though, alot of wasted time, we need to do it all over so I can finish painting.

N E C K L A C E D I S P L A Y S

I really could care less for the conventional neck bust displays for necklaces, and at $30 each, it really is unreasonable to use them in my set-up. Besides that they get dirty and banged up, just by the nature of taking them to shows. So my alternative was to cut fan shaped pieces of plexiglass with notches cut out of the top for the necklace to hang on.
My problem - a way to make them stand on their own -
My solution - well, everytime I have set up at a show so far with this display (which has only been about 3 times) I stuck the plexiglass down into bars of soap. It worked until customers handled them or the wind blew them, the holes worked larger and the fans were no longer sturdy. It wasn't working good enough. Though my booth smelled wonderful.

So I asked on the etsy forum if anyone could suggest a solution, Only one person seemed to have any ideas, a tripod stand or some of that foam for plants you can get from the floral dept of the craft store.

I bought some tripods, though too little they would not hold my plexiglass. So I tried the foam and it seems to work well, I guess the best test of that will be to use it. They will work better than soap but I don't believe they are the best solution still yet.

In looking at the picture of my booth, I realized how much I dislike the three big white boards where I showed off multiple necklaces together. They are dirty and not the look I want.
So I have all these tiny tripod easels now with no use, so I made tiny fans to compliment the larger ones, they work perfect, and my pendants will fit on those as well. I can also use them for earrings. I think I will paint the little ones white.
I am excited about how they are turning out.

here are a couple of pictures to help illustrate what I am describing,

Upcoming shows

I was accepted in the Spring Daze Festival in Cary, NC. It is a juried show, however I have no idea how it differs from a regular festival where you just pay for a booth and are in, next to god knows who.
(I was in the middle of 2 food venders once, lets just say I will never order food from one of those festivals based on what I observed)

Anyway, I am also planning on selling at the local Farmer's Market on Saturdays. Maybe just set up half my display. (I am iffy on this one)

And one more the Orange Street Festival. I really like that one, because well I do really well there.
Three years ago I won third place for my setup and got a hundred dollar check, then had to break down and not even show up for the second day because, my dad passed away at 3pm on the first day.
2 years ago I attended that one when I was pregnant and really hurt my foot bad, there.
hmmmm maybe I should avoid that one huh? :)

I think those three should be good enough for a start - esp since my youngest is still quite young.
I am thinking my 4 year old could help me sell at the Farmer's Market, he might enjoy that - If not he can sit at Grandma's each week.

Today I painted half of my shelves. I am in no hurry but they definitely need the overhaul since I haven't pulled them out in over about 2 years.

I need to set everything up to make sure I have enough merchandise. I am nervous about that.
and I need to make a few more necklace holders.

Well I have to send my kiln back :(

The digital number is broken.

one of the lines in the screen doesn't light up, so I wouldn't be able to tell if the temp was at 1500 degrees or 1300 degrees, that would be a problem.

Amber

I have been mulling over what to do with this Amber Cabachon for well years now, and here is what I finally did with it.....

Dawanda

OK, I have 4 items listed on Dawanda now. I do not have to keep renewing there to get seen! My views come in 3 times faster than on etsy. Most people say the opposite is true for them. Maybe it has something to do with my ring being on front page of the category for jewelry artists for the past week, IDK. I am also translating my listings into German and French - supposedly this also increases views. I can't wait to get my first sale there!

New Avenues for Revenues

OK I just signed up with Dawanda - I am nervous about the set-up and $$ conversion. we will see how it goes. here is the link

http://en.dawanda.com/shop/Bordeaux

I got my book, and I realize that there are some tools and such that I still need to get before I can get started.

• A sink with running water (hubby is working on this)
• a sheet of mica (not essential)
  
• fireproof gloves (I knew this already)
• a good dust mask
• a fiberglass brush
• wet/dry carborundum paper (320-, 400-, and 600- grit)
• a jar (I am sure I have one ;))
• comet powder
• some green scouring pads
• a new watercolor paint tray
• some paint brushes
• teeny spatula
• holding agent (klyr-fire)
  
• eutectic solder
• cloissone(sp) wire
  

Wow that is more than I realized, I guess it will still be a while til I am fully ready (cash flow ya know)

What to do with it!

I will be enameling copper and silver with my new kiln.
I have not used a kiln in about 6 years, so I bought the book "The art of Enameling : Techniques, projects, inspiration" by Linda Darty.
I know the book will be a good one because she was my professor at East Carolina University.
I can't wait to get the book, refresh my memory and get started.


There is something else I wanna do.
Since Argentium Sterling Silver is so new, there isn't anything really published about enameling on it. I plan of testing the waters to see what happens. We shall see. I already know torch firing works just fine on Argentium Sterling Silver.

Have I ever mentioned, I LOVE Argentium Sterling Silver!

I GOT A KILN!

Craft Shows and Booths

I see the question a lot as to what a good display for a booth at a show should look like. Well here is what I have learned from my experiences.

When I started doing shows, I was clueless so I bought 3 folding tables and made black tablecloths for each one, I spent a
lot of time sewing them to fit so as not to blow wildly in the wind.
Well black is usually the first thought to show off sterling silver, due to contrast.
but I learned very quick that I looked like a black hole amongst my colorful neighbors.
No one wants to enter a black hole, and my jewelry was lost in it. I had very few sales.

Then I moved on to purchasing some pale green fabric to put on top of the black. This helped just a tiny bit, customers weren't as intimidated, but it still wasn't what I wanted and it wasn't good enough IMO.

Then I realized that my tables were at waist level, and so was I where I was sitting. People had to look down at my items and I was looking up to them from my short chair. I could not stand for hours. Neither my booth nor myself were very approachable.

I spent a couple of years mulling over how to remedy my problems, I had no ideas at all. (I only ever did about 4 shows per year.

I researched some very expensive displays I came across a company called abstracta, they had a good product with good ideas but cost so much it was out of the question, plus they used glass - and it gets windy on the Cape Fear River.

I needed something which could break down and easily be transported in my van.

My husband all along had been preaching that display didn't matter, the product is all that counts. How wrong that line of thinking is. Remember the black hole - would you go into one.

Big corporations spend mega bucks on merchandising and the appearance of their stores.\\

Then just a couple years ago, before kid #2 which has totally stalled out my show ability. (I will be returning this spring.)
I had an idea....

My husband could barely believe what a fantastic idea this was.
It gets everything at eye level, including me, I could sit and speak eye to eye with customers.
I was very noticeable and bright. Customers came in by the hoards. (though I still haven't been to many shows with my display yet - soon though)
I won a hundred dollars and third place in a show.

It was easy to put up and break down and easy to transport.
I LOVE IT!
ok you wanna see it now don't ya.

here it is (click for much larger view)


The wood shelves slide onto pipes it breaks down flat.
For the blue necklace displays I cut my shape out of plexiglass and painted the back blue. two notches at the top holds the chain, add two more for earrings to match set. Only problem I have to somehow fix now is I have the necklace displays stuck in soap to hold them upright, it is not the best solution, although my tent smells lovely!

The rest of the individual displays were purchased.

My tall director's chair was the icing on top.

I hope this inspires someone out there in how to display their merchandise.