by Bruce Baker
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A Craft Show Checklist That Can Give You Peace of Mind
by Bruce Baker |
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IMPORTANT CHECKLIST ITEMS |
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Items on your list that will make your show experience more pleasant: |
Have you ever pulled out of the driveway on your way to a craft show with a nagging feeling that you have forgotten something? Getting to a craft show without an important part of your booth is a nightmare! Everyone has this experience once in a while, but a craft show checklist helps prevent it from happening again.
The type of checklist I am referring to is one you type or write out and photocopy so you can easily add and delete items as your business grows and changes. Review a fresh copy of this list before you leave home to make sure you have not forgotten anything. Check it again before you leave the show to be sure you are not forgetting important tools and supplies.
In the past few months, I have reviewed many craft artists' checklists and found them to be amazingly similar and very idiosyncratic. One of my favorite checklist entries was by Michael Mode, a woodturner from New Haven, Vt. The last item on his checklist was "close the vents (to keep out small creatures!)."
Mode says that by using his checklist he can drive away with peace of mind. Your list will benefit you not only with items you need at the show, but details you need to remember to close down your life (at home) until you get back.
The value of a checklist is profound, especially in the time and mental anguish it will save you. When you are constantly trying to remember all the materials you need to pack, and tasks you have to do, it robs you of valuable energy and time that could be put to better use in preparing for the show. Would you rather spend four hours packing and struggling to remember materials or four hours finishing off more inventory to sell at the show, or even napping peacefully!
Using dedicated craft show materials
Even more important, and a bigger timesaver than the craft show checklist, is the acquisition of dedicated craft show materials. By dedicated craft show materials, I mean specific tools and materials that you need to do a craft show that you use only for the purpose of doing shows. These tools and materials will cost you a little bit of money upfront and will mean that you have two calculators and two staplers, etc. However, if you forget something, you have to run out (leaving the show) to buy a replacement anyway.
It can also save valuable time. Packing is one of those jobs that expands to fill the time you allot to it. If you are the type who runs around your studio robbing your office of the calculator or stapler, stealing the light bulbs or fixtures from your workbench, then I am talking to you! When you pack for a craft show in this way, you are not only wasting time before this show, but you are wasting the same time before every show. Not to mention the time it takes to unpack and put everything back.
If you utilize dedicated craft show materials, this scenario describes how you pack: You back up your vehicle to where your show materials are stored and you load the prepackaged boxes, your floor covering and lighting system, etc. Then you run through your checklist and off you go. It takes minutes rather than hours -- pre-show preparation is a breeze.
If, at the show, someone borrows something from you, note it on your checklist. Before the close of the show get in the habit of looking at your checklist. Anything that was borrowed from you should be noted. Use the list to remind you to get it back.
| The value of a checklist is profound, especially in the time and mental anguish it will save you. |
Efficient packing techniques
An efficient way to pack your dedicated craft show materials is to pack your boxes and seal them before you leave the show. Then, bring your boxes home sealed. You'll have everything in place for the next show. If you must remove anything from a box during your time between shows, use your checklist to indicate what you have removed and then simply replace it before you hit the road. An unsealed box indicates that it's not ready and something was removed.
One of your boxes should contain all the materials that need replenishing after a show -- business cards, catalogs, postcards, paper towels, glass cleaner, tape, staples, etc. This box needs to be re-stocked before every show and then sealed, or re-stocked when you return from a show -- when your needs are fresh in your mind. If you use this dedicated craft material method, you will find you have many more hours of productive time that you used to spend packing. The increased productivity will very quickly pay for the cost of owning two calculators, two staplers, and two rolls of duct tape, etc.
Bruce Baker is a jeweler, a gallery owner and a nationally recognized expert on booth design. He and his wife, Nancy Dunn, own two craft shops, Middlebury Jewelry and Design and Sweet Cecily, both in Middlebury, Vt. Contact him to arrange a seminar or to order his cassette, titled "How to be a Dynamic Craft Seller," at (802) 388-3434. Write to him at 40 Main St., Middlebury, VT 05753-1426, or visit his Web site at www.dbakerinc.com.
Copyright© 2001
MAY 2001: TABLE OF CONTENTS