New to Fairs... is it worth it? Did you do well?

[Sezzah]

I guess what im wondering is, is it worth it?
Im new to all things soaping so im more than happy to start at fairs to get the ball rolling and market myself.
Can anyone give some fedback into how their fairs/stalls have gone when starting out? Whats a good number of soaps to aim to sell per day? I dont want to be under stocked, but i dont want to be left with a years supply either hahaha.
Do you think there are better ways to begin?
I have the time to put into making soaps, but it can be a long day selling at fairs if the rewards and sales arent there.
Any advice is appreciated.
Sarah

 

[Rob K]

If you really are "new to all thinks soapmaking', my recommendation is that you first make at least 50 or so batches of soap before you start planning your soaping-making empire .

I realize this probably isn't what you want to hear, but there is a lot more to selling than making a batch of soap and putting it on a table. Once you've made a few hundred bars you will know if you want to keep at it, and if you have some basic business knowledge and a lot of determination you've got a decent chance at succeeding.

Good luck!

 

[Sezzah]

Oh i realise how that sounded. Im not planning on selling anytime soon, but i need to give myself a game plan for when that day comes around, like you said, if at all. My business background is the reason im asking, so that i dont jump into something without knowing what im in for and what i need to prepare. Like anyone who goes into business, i want to give myself the best starting oppurtunity to suceed so im doing all the ground work now and over the next 12months.

As the saying goes, failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

Thanks for the comment.

 

[nattynoo]

Sezzah - do you cold process or melt & pour?

I don't know if you can ever predict in the beginning how something is going to sell. When you r ready.... just go do it. Hopefully you sell out & go home with ambition to make your million next fair. Thats generally what keeps you wanting to go back.

 

[Rob K]

OK, I see what you're asking... I can certainly relate our experiences, for what they are worth.

Generally we find that around 2-3% of a show's total attendees will buy our soap. So if your venue's organizer can give you some attendance history, you can make a pretty good guess how many sales you will make. For us, the average sale amount is probably about $15, so it's pretty simple math to this point.

The hard part is determining which varieties will sell where. We have some products that sell well everywhere, and others that sell at one venue but not another. This is something that you will just have to learn from experience. Keeping good records helps a lot.

The last thing we look at is the venue's sales compared to the cost of entry. Ideally we like to see sales at least 10x the entry. This is fairly easy to achieve at farmer's markets, but not so much at arts & craft fairs, unless it's the Christmas season. If your sales are only 3-5x the entry fee, you are probably losing money once you account for all the other overhead.

Hope this helps...

 

[nattynoo]

Wow Rob. How generous of you to share your knowledge. I found your post a good read.

 

[Sezzah]

Yes thank you. Definately something to think about.

Nattynoo at the moment im melt and pour but using this to get familiar with things so i can move into CP later on.

 

[Rob K]

Maybe I should write a book... :wink: