Traveling the Circuit-Improving Fuel Economy for Artists and Crafters

September 27th, 2009

by Shasta McLaughlin
copyright 2008

It’s no secret that fuel prices are on the rise. High fuel prices either affect the profits your #handcrafted art or craft business makes or you adjust prices and methods to account for them either way someone pays the difference.

FuelEconomy.gov will help you to make driving to and from shows more efficient by helping you maintain your vehicle for maximum fuel efficiency.

Some other ideas to help you keep your profits in your pockets where they belong:

Time your trips to see friends and family to correspond with the best shows in the area. Attending shows while visiting nearby friends and family makes the trip accomplish two purposes. It also makes the trip a business trip which is a tax write off, so save your receipts. By staying with friends and family you will save money on hotels and probably food.

When traveling long distances to shows find other events to attend on the way to and from the show. Increasing the number of shows you attend increases the number of people who see your product and hopefully your sales. Reducing the distance between events reduces the number of gallons of gas used per show. Also you will spend less time driving from place to place, giving you more time to see the sites and rest between shows. Keeping the distance short between stops also helps you to plan ahead better, you won’t be caught looking for a hotel between 10pm and midnight when most of them are already full. You can also make reservations further in advance when rates are better saving you money.

Do more shows close to home. This is obvious but worth mentioning the closer to home the events you do, the less money spent on gas getting to them. Tie a string to a pin and place the pin in your city on the map. Use it to draw circles on the map at distances of 30 miles, 100 miles and 150 miles then check out which shows happen in the cities inside your circles. In places where the population is dense you should be able to find quite a few shows happening in your area. For areas where there aren’t a lot of shows happening consider starting one, pick up business cards of artists and crafters off of bulletin boards, at farmers’ markets, and at shows happening in the area. Contact them and ask if they would be interested in attending a show. Some of the most successful shows I’ve seen were held in a large back yard with 4-6 crafters participating.

Get a website. I know some of you are afraid of computers and probably don’t even own one of your own. Don’t let your fear of technology stand in the way of your profits. Many adult education classes offer all the basics of computer usage. You don’t even need to know any special computer languages to create and maintain your own website anymore. My website costs me under $100/year and came with a what you see is what you get editor with great tutorials. Your website works 24/7 to sell your product and inform your customers. You can’t get a salesman as dedicated to selling your product for a better price. Include your website on your business card. Give your card to everyone who purchases from you at events. Have them available to anyone who visits your booth. Use your website to inform your customers about your product, about where to find your product, and to sell your product between shows.

Create a mailing list. Ask each of your customers permission to add them to your mailing list. Mail a postcard to customers in the area you will be doing shows letting them know where they can find you. Offer them a discount for bringing the card and a friend to see you at the show. People who’ve already bought your product are more likely to buy your product than the average Joe by staying in contact with them you increase your sales and profits.

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