Craft shows and markets can be a great way to showcase your handmade items and connect with potential customers. However, the idea of building an inventory for a market can be daunting, especially if you’re like me and have a crazy busy schedule! In this blog post, we’ll go over some tips to help you build an inventory for your next craft show without feeling overwhelmed.
Choose a General Theme
Choosing a general theme for your inventory will help you focus your efforts and create a cohesive collection of products. It could be a specific type of product, a seasonal theme, or a particular style or color scheme. For example, if my upcoming market this summer, I’m focusing on creating modern “farmhouse” style items like farmhouse pumpkins, modern baby sets, and “farm” snugglers like chickens and bunnies.
Make a Sales Goal
Having a sales goal in mind will help you stay motivated and track your success. You could make three goals – a good, better, and best goal. For example, let’s set a “good” sales goal of $2000 for the weekend.
Make an Inventory Goal
To determine your inventory goal, you could multiply your sales goal by two. For example, if your “good” sales goal is $2000, your inventory goal would be $4000. This way, you can ensure that you have enough inventory to meet potential demand!
Create a Timeline
Once you’ve determined your sales and inventory goals, create a timeline leading up to the event. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you’re not scrambling at the last minute. For example, if your event is in 10 weeks and you already have $2000 of inventory prepped, you need to make $2000 worth of inventory in the remaining 10 weeks.
Break it Up into Small Steps
To make the process more manageable, break it up into smaller steps. Divide the total inventory you need to make ($2000) to make by 10 (weeks), and get $200 (how much inventory that you need to prep per week). To break it up even smaller, we could aim to prep an average of $29 of inventory per day.
Make a Written Plan
Once you’ve broken down your goals into smaller steps, make a written plan. A great option would be my Market Prep Planner!
Give Yourself Grace + Celebrate the Little Wins
It’s important to remember that the journey of building an inventory for a market can be overwhelming at times. Give yourself grace and celebrate the little wins along the way. Even if you don’t hit your inventory goals, remember that you still have a great opportunity to sell, network, and enjoy the event. Take breaks when needed and be proud of all the items you’ve made!
In conclusion, building an inventory for a craft show or market can be daunting, but with a little planning and organization, it can be a manageable process. By choosing a general theme, setting sales and inventory goals, creating a timeline, breaking it up into small steps, making a written plan, and giving yourself grace along the way, you can feel confident and prepared for your next market. Happy prepping, makers!!!
