How To Sell Your Crafts At Craft Home Parties
Craft
home parties are becoming a very popular way
for crafters to
sell their
wares, and with good reason.
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Some of the advantages are:
- It’s an inexpensive and low risk way to get started
- Craft home parties tend to be very lucrative
- Unlike craft fairs, you have no competition
- Flexible working hours
Here are some things to consider before you get started
Are
your crafts suitable for home
parties?
Are they portable and easy to display?
What style would
you be most comfortable with?
Craft home
parties can be set up as home shows, mini workshops or presentations,
and both your personality and your craft should determine the style you
choose.
How
will you display your crafts?
Your
display needs to be quick and easy to set up, while still showing your
crafts at their best.
Where will you have your first
party?
The easiest way to get started is
to either have a craft home party in your own home, or ask a friend to
have one for you.
How
will you reward your hostess?
Decide on
a hostess incentive scheme, so that you can let guests know
what’s in it for them if they book a party with you.
Once you’re ready to go ahead, and have set a date for your first party, you’ll need to send out invitations to all the guests. Try to give at least two weeks notice, but make sure that you or the hostess reminds them again closer to the time.
Before the party, make sure your crafts are all clearly priced and that you have everything you need for your display. You’ll also need the following:
- money box or bag, with plenty of change - a calculator is also useful
- business cards and any brochures or leaflets you have
- order forms (if you plan to take orders) plus pens
- bags to put bought items in
- receipt book
- diary or calendar for more party bookings
Allow yourself enough time to set up before the guests arrive. Unless you’re having the party at your own home, you need to warn the hostess that you will be arriving early.
Once guests start arriving, try to greet everyone that attends - if you’re friendly and helpful, your sales will soar. If you take custom orders, make sure all of the guests know that.
When everyone has finished buying, you can present your hostess with her hostess gift and any commission she has earned to spend herself. Ensure the other guests know that they will receive incentives too if they book a party with you.
And that’s it! Once you’ve given it a go, you’ll be hooked - craft home parties are a lot of fun and very lucrative, so book a few more and soon you’ll have your own home based craft business on the go.
***end***The author, Louise Longworth, uses this method to sell her handmade jewelry, and has published www.craft-selling-parties.com to help other crafters do the same. It contains in depth information and lots of tips on how to build a home based craft business by selling your crafts at craft home parties.