So another long gap between blogs! I have been soooo busy recently, not just with orders but with organising a Craft Fair!! This is my first time of doing one and I am hoping it is going to go really well!
You may be wondering how it is that I would even think of doing this, and I have to say it is not something that I had ever considered doing previously, but I went to another awful Craft Fair in March, I have been to a few but this beat all of them put together! There must have been all of 7 stalls there, there was no sign that anything was even going on there and no advertising around – oh and they were still trying to charge the odd person that came in on the door! Anyway I happened to comment to a couple of other stall holders that I could do a far better job and it has snowballed from there…
Firstly I had to find a venue and a friend suggested the beautiful Cross Barn in Odiham.
Once I had seen it my mind was made up and that evening I bought a domain name and spent the next couple of days getting a website up and running. I had already decided we would have free admission and I wanted the stalls to be a reasonable cost as well. The next step was to get the free advertising in – there are many great websites out there that will advertise your event free of charge, it just takes a bit of effort to add your listing. I then started on the designing of posters and leaflets – I was already getting bookings coming in and I got crafters and friends that lived locally to get posters up in places and provided them with leaflets to take to craft fairs etc. I also went around Odiham and the local shops and businesses were happy to put the posters up. The next stage was local radio… again local events you can add free and they get a bit of air time, so hopefully we will be on the radio over the weekend! Last but one stage was getting a couple of ads in local newspapers, the Basingstoke Gazette and the Star/Courier so covering quite a large area altogether – would have been more had it not been for Insurance! I hate insurance, very expensive, and I am sure a lot of places go without but I wanted to do everything properly.
I am now in the process of laminating the unattractive but very stand out posters to go on lamp posts etc. in the area – still got to go out and put them up though!! Under cover of darkness me thinks – ha ha!
I have a couple of lads, (with food hygiene certificates), doing sarnies/rolls, cake, tea, coffee etc. on the day as well..
Have I forgotten anything? I am so hoping not!
Please take a look at the exhibitors page of the website – there are so many gorgeous things on there, and if you are in the area we would all love to see you!
