How to organize your craft shows

If you have a craft business, and depend on craft shows as a way to make money, then you have to get organized at the right time of year.

If Christmas crafts are your bread and butter, then July and August are the best time to get a head start on them. Spend July figuring out what you are going to create, and then get the supplies. In the summer, many people come away from crafts because of holidays etc, and this is a good time to get the deals.

In August get yourself a good head start and make as much as you can. This is when you can find out any problems with your creations, and still have lots of time to correct it. Have as much done by September as you can, so that you do not have the added stress of trying to find supplies, create, price and organize in time for a show, like everyone else will be doing....

If you follow this type of schedule, you may get chuckles from your family and friends, as they lay around in their bathing suits while you are creating Santa's!!, but this is your business, and like any other business, the early bird catches the worm. Its no different than seasonal catalogues, that do all their layout work months in advance.

All you want to be doing when it gets close to show time, is last minute changes, packing your products, and looking your best at the craft show, not all frazzled, hyped on coffee because of lack of sleep while trying to burn the midnight oil to get things done.

You want to look your best, and its already busy enough with every weekend filled with shows, so as the girl guides always say "BE PREPARED" let the others laugh, but you will have the last laugh when you rake in the sales because you are organized!.