The Markets

Ah yes, the grind of doing markets. This is, by far, one of the most grueling tasks of being an artist. The good news is you probably don’t need to be doing two markets a day every weekend and every day from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Here are a few helpful hints to find the right markets:

1. Look for markets that are going to align with your price point. If you lower your price to match the market price you will end up undervaluing your product and, as a result, working harder to make more art to keep up with the demand
2. Scope out markets before signing up. Look at pictures online of past events, talk to other vendors about markets they participated in, and attend the market yourself as a customer to see if it is a good fit.
3. If you have done a market several times and it isn’t working out, don’t double down and sign up again. There are plenty of others that can be a potentially better fit

The Art Shows

Art shows are usually the next step after markets. If you want to be taken seriously as an artist you need to have a presence in the art community. This can be having your work in a gallery, entering it in juried shows, participating in local art walks, or entering your art in competitions. The challenge here is that the curators of these shows are looking for very specific things, and it isn’t always immediately obvious what those are. A few things to consider:

1. Talk to other artists. Join a local art guild or society to meet other artists and see how they socialize their work. Even if they are artists who specialize in different mediums than your own they will have valuable information.
2. The pictures of your pieces, as well as the pictures of your booth, should look professional. This means staging your pieces for your pictures. Look at other artworks and how they are being presented by those artists. If you can mimic their presentation that will only help you in applying for these events. Look into guilds and organizations that offer professional shoots to their members at lower costs.
3. When you are part of a show: talk to the judges, talk to the organizers, and talk to the patrons. Understand what it is that they want. Remember, they are the ones who are judging and buying your work, so it is important that you understand their wants and needs.

Local Venues

More often than not local shops, restaurants, and bars are going to want to adorn their walls with artwork to give themselves a more cultured look and feel. Talk to the proprietors of these establishments. Ask them if they work with local artists. Maybe they will let you put a few pieces up. They may even rotate artwork from different artists from month to month giving you an opportunity to showcase multiple pieces for a limited time. These are fantastic ways to engrain yourself in the community and make a name for yourself.

Whatever you do, don’t limit yourself. Explore as many options as possible while trying to find the locations that best meet the demographic you are trying to reach. Do you have your own success stories for how you were able to establish yourself in your community? Tag us @bz_furfur and, as always, stay unique.

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1. Think about transportation: When heading off to a market you have a lot of valuable cargo. You must protect your work.  Think about how you are going to wrap/store your items. We use cardboard for some items, and moving blankets for others. Also, think about how it’ll fit in your vehicle. Do you have a minivan that you can load up with merchandise or a sedan where you’ll need to pick and choose carefully what to bring? Make sure, whatever vehicle you choose, you pack carefully. You don’t want things so cramped that they end up breaking due to pressure but you also don’t want them so spaced out that accelerating and breaking causes items to jolt and jostle around the back of your car.
2. Ask about themes: Some themes are obvious (for example, the holidays) while others may not be so obvious. Many organizers do, however, like to theme their markets. They will sometimes go as far as to invite special guests that align with the theme. Think about this before you decide what product to bring. Try to bring items that will cater to the individual market and convert those into sales.
3. Presentation is key: Make sure you have packed displays to properly showcase your items. These can be stands, grids with hooks, easels, shelves, or any combination. Try to be consistent. If you can pack some decorations to accent your tent. Think about the theme or bring seasonal decorations to create a more welcoming environment. Make sure you have signage, price tags, QR codes for customers to scan, and anything else that may help draw customers into your booth.
4. Resting your weary head: Is the show you are doing a good deal further than you usually travel? Is it going to be two or more days? If so you may want to consider lodging. Doing a market can be exhausting and a long trip there and back can make an already tiring ordeal all that much more so. Think about booking a hotel stay if you don’t think you’ll be up to the return trip. Book early so you can get a good rate and consider how much the hotel is going to cost when you are thinking about how much you’ll need to sell and still make a profit.
5. Self-care: We spend so much time thinking about our product, but we can’t forget to think about ourselves. Get yourself a cooler and pack some water, some snacks (maybe some fruits and veggies), some caffeinated beverages, and more water. Make sure you have essentials like sunscreen, a first-aid kit, medicines you take (even if you think you’ll be home in time to take them, it’s good to have them on hand), and backup chargers. The last thing you want to do while you’re at a market is stressing about your well-being and personal care so make sure you have everything you need with you.
6. Keep it clean: If you are doing markets every weekend things are bound to show a little wear and tear. Remember that your booth is a reflection of your business.  If your tablecloths are dirty or your tent canvas is ripped that will be reflected in how people perceive your business. Repair or replace things when they break, regularly wash any of your linens, and bring cleaning supplies with you to clean up messes when they happen.

Life is busy and time can easily escape you when you are preparing for a market. Just remember that having a tight, clean, welcoming environment for your customers is going to encourage them to come inside, stay longer, and buy things. What do you think is the most important part of prepping for your markets? Tag us with your ideas @bz_furfur and, as always, stay unique.

The post 6 Essential Tips to Prepare for Your Next Market: Maximize Success & Minimize Stress appeared first on Burning with Purpose.