10 Tips For Best Selling Practices at a Venue
It’s that time of the year, and you’re finally ready to take your small business to the next step: selling your work at a venue! Even though this is a very exciting move, it can also be a little overwhelming.
Here’s a few tips that can help prepare you for challenges and take the stress out of your exciting opportunity!
1. Get a Seller’s Permit
Likely a Seller’s Permit may be required when applying for venues. Typically, this will be expected for large county fair and conventions. It may not be required if for a booth at your local church art fair — but it’s best to have on hand if you intend to participate at larger events.
To apply for a seller’s permit, you’ll need to fill out an application with your state’s Department of Revenue. Remember to check back in at the end of the year and fill out the tax form of your sales. A seller’s permit typically last for 10 yrs. If you discontinue to sell at fairs, you will still have to file the online form.
Example of seller’s permit for Wisconsin
2. Plan Your Set Up Early
There’s a variety of ways to display your work, but you’re going to want to choose something that works for your products. If you’re selling paintings and prints, you’ll want to invest in some grid panels and zip ties. These’s will stand up on their own as long as you set them up in a zig-zag pattern.
For anything that doesn’t need to be hung up, you’ll want to display them on a sturdy, but collapsable table. Think about adding boxes or stackable shelving units to display your products at a pleasing eye level and making your items stand out from a distance.
To get the perfect set up takes planning and practice. A week before your event, mock-up your set up and take pictures. This will help you achieve the best look within the shortest time on the day of your event
3. Lifesaving Investments
Whether you’re at an outdoor venue or indoor, you’ll want to make sure to invest in these additional items that will simply make your set up easier to transport and stay up during rough conditions.
A Dolly
For an indoor event, you’ll want the assistance of this metal truck to help transport your tables, grids, and products from the car to the show room.
Pop-Up Tent with Side Panels
For outdoor events, you can never depend on perfect weather! Though, regardless of rain or shine, you’ll want to protect yourself and your products from the sun. Artwork and prints can fade if exposed to too much sun, as well as other crafty products. Potential customer’s will seek shelter under your booth to escape the sun and rain.
Weights
It could be the most beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky — but did you know that the wind has no mercy for your booth? It can be ruthless! Make sure you weigh down your tent and valuable merchandise. As I stated above, get a pop-up tent with side panels to help deter the wind from blowing away your products. You can make cheap weights by simply filling up milk jugs or large detergent containers with water and hang them to your tent with bung cord.
Table Cloth
One, it’ll give your set up a more professional look, but most importantly — you can use the space under your table to store everything and keep additional inventory covered.
Water Proof Storage Containers
Keep all your products (and anything else used for your set up) in plastic storage containers. They’re great for storing away inventory during the off season, but also keep everything dry and protected during storms and hot humid days. If you do pack away anything in a cardboard box or bag, make sure it’s not anything that’ll get ruin when wet.
4. Have a Partner
There’s no doubt that you can independently crush your set up and sell artwork all day by yourself, but why not get an extra hand to help? By having a partner, you’ll have an easier time unpacking the car, start setting up while they’re parking the car, put up the pop-up tent with ease and have them set up the tables while you focus on more time consuming matters (like laying out artwork and their price tags on the grid panels.
If your products are a hit, having a second hand will help speed up transactions or keep your customer’s engaged while you finish bagging up items.
You’ll need a break every now and then, so it’s great to have someone familiar watch your booth and answer customer’s questions while you’re away.
My husband has been great help with assisting with my booth set up
5. Have a Cash Bank & Credit Card App
You’ll need to have a cash bank to make change for your customer’s. I recommend having 20 in singles, 10 bill’s of fives, and 10 bills of tens. You will want to have even more than that incase you have to break larger bill’s. Almost half of the younger generation use mostly card verses cash, so having a credit card app that allows these transactions will make a huge difference! Most companies have a card reader for purchase. If the venue doesn’t have internet access, you’ll also want to create a hot spot.
Post a sign to let customer’s know that you can take credit cards!
6. Business Name
You’ll need this when you apply for a seller’s permit, but if the venue doesn’t require one—you still want to create a name for your small business! Set yourself apart from the competition so that you’re business gets recognized. Have fun with this by thinking about what makes your or your product unique or simply name it after yourself (ie: Swink in SwinkArt is simply a combination of my first and former last name. “S” from “Shannon” and “Wink” from the first four letters of my maiden name “Winkowski”).
Research your business name idea’s on the web to see if something is already in use (Though, if you’re using your name, chances will be low). You want to make sure that when people search for your business, they find you and not someone else with a similar name.
7. Business Cards, Banners, Labels & Pricing
The easiest way to develop your brand identity is to create a few marketing items. You’ll want to let you customer’s know what your business is as they approach your booth— create a banner with your name. Are they interested, but not ready to buy? Give them a business card to your online store. Did they purchase one of your items? Give them a card, so that they can follow you on social media to build your brand persona.
Post pricing with your items, so that customer’s can browse at their leisure. If they see something they like, they’ll also see how much it costs verse having to ask.
Labels are another great opportunity to show off your brand. Some items like Soap will need ingredients posted. Promote herbs and crystal jewelry by listing their health benefits and artwork can share the story of your process.
