Springtime until Fall, many local communities feature fun, exciting, outdoor festivals that are widely attended. These festivals range from local church carnivals to the art and wine tasting festivals that are popular in California. Most festivals allow local vendors to set up booths to sell clothing, jewelry, art or crafts - and these booths are a huge draw for the festivals as well as a great opportunity for the vendors!
If you have been working eBay and holding home parties to expand your jewelry business, attending local festivals is another great channel to build sales.
You can obtain a list of festivals from your local Chamber of Commerce, or newspaper, and along with the festival information, a contact person is usually listed who can give you a price for booth space as well as the rules and regulations your booth must abide by. If you can, try to get statistics on prior year's attendance, this will help you make a decision between festivals if two fall on the same date. Usually the first and last festivals in any season are the most widely attended.
Location is key when choosing a festival booth! Locating your booth close to the food booths or to a music stage is sure to increase traffic and bring you more potential buyers.
Jewelry MUST have appropriate lighting in order to sparkle and attract clientele. When creating your booth, be sure to showcase your prize pieces with attractive displays that are well lit at just the right angle.
Have plenty of business cards available with your web site clearly printed on the front. Some attendees may not be able to afford jewelry at that time, but will remember you when a birthday or other event arises requiring a gift - if you make it easy for them to remember you.
An easy-to-use credit card machine will also increase your sales at the event, as many vendors accept cash only. Be sure your point-of-sale terminal doesn't have any connection issues prior to the event, as poorly run transactions frustrate busy festival goers.
Last but not least, before each festival be sure to email or snail mail your loyal customer base to let them know you will be there. Offer them a special deal or coupon to motivate them to attend, and you will make even more sales.
And don't forget to contact your jewelry wholesaler well in advance to be sure you'll be well stocked for the festival. You'll want to make sure you have a large variety of enticing pieces to offer, as well as the latest trends in the market.