Caronavirus and Crafters

The caronavirus has impacted me as a crafter.  The dilemna is whether to register for craft shows that will be held during the rest of the year,  I will not be selling at Spring shows.  But more importantly, what about shows in the Fall and the holiday season when we crafters, like brick-and-mortar retailers, make most of our annual sales?   What are other crafters doing during this time of public health crisis? 

I have decided to devote more time to my online sales where the public, and potential customers are sheltering in place and social distancing is not a factor. Of course, the risk is that everything will be back to normal by the Fall and I have not registered for my usual craft shows.

Listen to Your Customers

Listen up if you sell at craft shows/festivals, etc.

Last fall, I was selling at a craft show.  I noticed that sales have been declining at that show in recent years.  A customer provided the answer.  She suggested that I unclutter the entrance to my booth so that people can see in and access my booth better.

I realized that I have been adding new product lines to the same 10' x 10' selling space over the years. After the customer's suggestion, I invested in a second space and second canopy, and redesigned the 2 side-by-side spaces.  Sales doubled and tripled at shows all this year-- more than enough to pay for the additional investment.

It pays, literally, to listen to your customers and take their suggestions seriously.