This is a good sign! It lets you know that people are interested in this and WANT to be a part of it!

Yesterday, I opened up 20 vendor spots for December, at $25 each. HALF OF THEM ARE GONE ALREADY!

As a vendor, you will receive a featured post, which will publish on December 1. This will serve as your “booth.” Your post can be as long as you want, and include up to 4 photos.

An excerpt of your post and one photo will be displayed on the front page for the whole month of December. I will be rotating the order of the posts throughout the month, allowing everyone to have a chance to be in the “first row,” etc.

I will also be promoting your featured spot through social media and doing weekly giveaways of gift cards to increase traffic.

Reserve your vendor spot now for only $25. Get your’s before it’s gone!

To purchase, click here

I like the idea of eating the food a city / region is famous for while visiting that destination. I had a layover in Milwaukee and discovered Alterra Coffee, which is now high on my list of my favorite coffee shops. In addition to a large selection of beverages, they also have several sandwiches. Since I was in Wisconsin, I ordered the Wisconsin Grilled Cheese, and I was NOT disappointed!

Once I arrived in St. Paul, my friend Tommy took me to Nina’s for coffee. The barista made a perfect “heart” in my latte. It was pretty – and it tasted even better.

Our first dinner in St. Paul was at Pazzaluna. I ordered a basil, tomato, and mozzarella pizza. It had the thinnest crust of any pizza I’ve ever ate. It was delicious! I’m a fan of Bloody Marys and I had a couple at this restaurant. They were served with a good amount of spice and a lot of garnish. Just how I like them.

On Thursday, we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Conference, as well as breakfast and lunch on Friday. The food was excellent – and the desserts were awesome. We had the most amazing caramel cheesecake for dinner the first night – and the next day, we had caramel apple cheesecake. YUM.

On Thursday night, I met a friend at McGovern’s for more Bloody Marys. This place served them with a beer chaser. This was the first time in all my life that I have ever been served a beer chaser with a Bloody Mary. And I’ve ordered Bloody Marys in quite a few places across the country. I don’t know if this is a unique spin or if this is how it is supposed to be done and they were the only people who actually followed that rule. What do you think?

On Friday night, Rachel and I went to the American Burger Bar and ordered their take on The Juicy Lucy. This is a Twin Cities Tradition – and like I said before, I like to eat the food a region is known for while visiting. So, I asked my friend Tommy what the area was famous for, and he told me about The Juicy Lucy. Basically, it’s a hamburger with cheese stuffed inside. And yes, it tasted as good as it sounds.

I flew out of Minneapolis at 6am the next day, which meant getting to the airport at 4:30am. I was more than ready for breakfast and coffee when I got to my layover in Milwaukee. I headed straight for Alterra, where I ordered a Hazelnut Cafe Au Lait and a potato breakfast burrito. YUM. From now on, whenever I am in Milwaukee, I am stopping at Alterra.

Now, if you have read this blog before, or know me personally, you’ll know that two of my favorite bands, Motion City Soundtrack and Farewell Continental, are from Minnesota. MCS is currently on tour and wasn’t in MN when I was there, but FC was in full effect! Guitarist Tommy Rehbein was at my hotel to pick me up before my taxi arrived t0 drop me off!

I’ve been close friends with Tommy for years – and he knew exactly what to do with me. He took me to a coffee shop and book store.

I have this thing where I like to buy a copy of Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger in every new city I visit.

I write the city and date on the inside cover. It’s my favorite book – and hopefully, one day long into the future, when I die, I will have collected many copies from many cities. Needless to say, I have a St. Paul edition on my book shelf now.

After Tommy dropped me off at my hotel, I checked out the room, and it was really nice. We had a great view of the Mississippi River.  After that, Rachel and I headed out to the BlogHer Handmade Speakers Dinner, where we had a great time. (I’ll be talking more about that in the food post).

Once we headed back to the hotel room, we got in our pajamas and talked about the sessions and classes we were going to attend over the next few days. Then, we were interrupted by a knock on our door.

The Hotel Security Dude told us another room complained that we were making too much noise.

I was like “Um, we don’t have the TV on, we’re not playing music… we’re just talking.”

I don’t know who our neighbors were, but they were obviously not very cool and total pains in the ass.

The next two days were filled with sessions, trips to the craft fair inside the event (aka “The Marketplace”), a Starbucks taste-testing, and great lunches / dinners (where Rachel one a Cricut Expression!) It was kind of a whirl wind few days – but totally worth it!

The Creative Connection took over on Friday and Saturday and there were classes on crafting and cooking, as well as business sessions. I was very excited to go to this! I went to the main BlogHer for the first time last year and it was AMAZING to be around so many people who are into what you’re into.

For example, on the first day of BlogHer Handmade, I had whipped out my camera at lunch to take a picture, and I didn’t have to worry about anyone thinking I was a weirdo.  These people understand! They blog! They get it!

Being around so many people with creative energy is such a fantastic motivator. You just want to get home and work, work, work!

Aside from that, I was going to be rooming with my friend Rachel Johnson from Swap-Bot. I had known who she was for a while, and asked her to be on the Crafty Blogging Panel I had arranged for Etsy last year.  We  totally hit it off and stayed in touch. It was great to see her in person again – and we already have plans to hang out in New York City at BlogHer ’12 next year!

In addition to all of this, I had even more reason to be excited.

I was going to speaking and moderating one of the BlogHer sessions!

My panel was on Using Content And Community To Grow Your Reach. You can read the transcript here, and see a list of the other transcripts here. (the Live Bloggers did a great job with getting so much of the panels into the transcripts. A few things are missing here and there – but remember – this was written by someone who was typing as we spoke.)

I had a fantastic time speaking at the session with my fellow panelists, Amy Turn Sharp and Becky Jorgenson.

In addition, I met some great people – and I recommend you follow them on Twitter ASAP: SwirlSpice, MizzJenny, TipJunkie, LooneyTunes, IvesT, Decor8, Chookooloonks, Spazzgirl, FaveCrafts, and CraftyChica. This is just the small list – I will be giving out more shout-outs, so keep an eye out for that!

I’m going to put up a couple more blog posts on the trip as well, one on the sights and fun stuff I did, and the other on the food!

Here are some photos of the things I talked about in this post:

We’ll be talking about selling your crafts online & offline, pricing your work, finding motivation, dealing with the ups and downs of business and more!

My super awesome guests will be Bethany Nixon (@bethanylouise) and Amy Cronkite (@amelac) of Handmade Detroit and Rachel Johnson (@swapbotnews) from SwapBot!

I recommend using TweetGrid to keep track of the discussion. You can log in by clicking here.

Remember to use the hashtag #indiebizchat when you enter in your tweets.

RSVP below by posting a comment! That way, you can start following the other attendees on Twitter in advance of #indiebizchat

** Not sure how to join the Twitter Party? Click Here to watch the Twitter Party Video for instructions.

(Want some great exposure for your biz? Sponsor an #indiebizchat Twitter Party for just $35 by clicking here.)

In celebration of all things American, I want you to show off your crafty patriotism. Let’s see your best stuff!

So feel free to post the links to your crafty goodness! Seriously – show it off, why don’tcha?

And to start it off, I would like to highlight this Cheeseburger Bed made by Lish Dorset and Bethany Nixon. This wasn’t exactly a patriotic act… It was made for last year’s CheeseBurgHer Party at BlogHer, but I had to include it! I mean, seriously – many of you are probably cooking some cheeseburgers on the grill right now!

July 8 – 11am   Sell More With Your Blog
July 12 - 9pm   Big Crafty Talk-A-Thon
July 14 - 3pm   Finding Summer Motivation
July 19 - 9pm   The Pros & Cons Of Working Solo
July 21 - 3pm   Time Management Tricks & Tips
July 26 - 9pm  Making Affiliate Sales

I will be posting more info about each party, such as the special guests and info on how to join the Twitter party as each party date draws closer.

Hope you can make it!

What is your name? Megan Green

What is your business? Stinkybomb Soap

When did you start your business? Started tinkering around the summer of 2008, opened our Etsy shop, www.stinkybomb.etsy.com in September 2008

Why did you decide to start your business & why did you choose the type of business you chose? I have always wanted to run my own business, it’s a very romanticized concept for me. Stinkybomb was something I truly stumbled onto. I started the concept to fill a silly, sarcastic curiosity. The feedback I received gave me the confidence to pursue it further.

What is your favorite thing about being in business for yourself? Meeting other small business owners and crafters. I am inspired by some many brilliant and creative individuals around me. I also enjoy that my children can grow up knowing that you can define and create your own reality, as long as you pay your dues, work really hard and love what you do.

What turned out to be harder than you thought? Staying home with two children while running the entire show.

Looking back, what is one thing you know now, but wish you knew back then? That birth control isn’t 100% effective. That and that you have to let go of some control once and a while.

Do you participate in any business groups (mentoring, networking, etc) ? I belong to the Columbus Crafty Cotillion, The Couchfire Collective and The Handmade Soap Makers Guild.

As a business owner, it can be easy to work all the time – do you have any tips for balancing your business and your personal life? A friend once told me: “When you find yourself getting angry at the kids because you are trying to work. It’s time to walk away from your work” Sometimes easier said than done.

What have been some of your best business successes? Sounds cheesy but customer feedback. I love it when people tell me how much someone enjoyed getting our soap for a present. Also, being able to donate a small percentage of our grenade sales to wounded soldiers.

What are you planning to do with your business in the future? We intend to launch more state soaps over the next year. So look for all 50 states to show up soon. Soap making classes and private parties are something we are starting to tip our toes in and has me currently very excited.

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Note from Crissy: I met Megan in 2009 when my friends from Handmade Detroit and I took a road trip to meet up with the crafty ladies of Columbus. She is effing hilarious and makes a very high quality product. I am telling you to go buy something from her. You won’t regret it!

Here are some tips to help you get through those bad days:

Do Some Work Ahead Of Time: Yes, it would be nice to assume that the person holding the show is going to promote the hell out of it. But you can’t always be sure they will. So make sure you do a little marketing work before the event. You should be blogging about it, talking about it on Twitter and Facebook, let your newsletter list know about all of the events you’ll be at (and maybe include a special coupon that they can print out and use at the event).

Don’t Get Discouraged During The Event: If you are at an event and sales are dismal, don’t get discouraged. Or at least hide your discouragement! If you have a big scowl on your face or are laying your head on the table crying, no one else is going to stop by your booth. Keep smiling. Pretend you’re having the time of your life. And keep hoping that your last sale of the day will be a BIG one!

Sometimes, It’s Not About The Immediate Sale: Remember, you are still introducing your product to everyone who stops by your table. Have some business cards out for people to grab, and put a clipboard and paper out to capture people’s email addresses. Who knows? These people might be broke today, but they won’t be broke forever. If they fall in love with your items, and you keep in touch with them, they might end up being very good customers.

Make The Most Of Your Time: Like I mentioned above – use this as an opportunity to pass out business cards and get to know people – and not just customers! Take some time to go around and meet the other vendors. This is a a great way to meet people with complementary businesses who might be interested in trading swag with you. For example, you send out an order and include their business card or sticker. They send out an order and include one of your promo items.

Unfortunately, we cannot stop slow craft fair sales, and we cannot guarantee that every show will be a success. But that doesn’t mean that every show that does not end in a big payday is a failure. Unexpected bonuses can happen – so keep looking for them.

Here are some more posts with great craft fair tips:

Craft Show Tips From The Hip Hostess

Craft Show Display Tips And Must Haves (from Etsy)

Tips To Maximize Your Sales At A Show

14 Tips To Increase Your Craft Fair Sales

Are you a part of the handmade economy? If so, you likely have been overwhelmed with the blossoming number of opportunities in which to showcase & sell your work. We now have so many options: online sales on your own website, online sales through sites like Etsy.com & Artfire.com, storefront sales, and wholesale to boutiques are just a few. However, the crux of the handmade economy, might still just be the ‘Craft Market’ and your local craft fairs.

Time & time again, we’re seeing that actually meeting people in real life, explaining the work you do is a huge value to the marketing of your handmade work. The connection that is made between the maker of craft, and the person who purchases the craft, is a valuable link. So what are some tips & tricks to snagging those would be shoppers, walking by your booth at the craft fair or boutique show? Here are a few that we’ve gathered from our years of working with jewelry designers at www.BeadinPath.com.

1) Brand Your Booth.
You’ve branded your business cards, jewelry tags, even your invoices, all to showcase your logo & match your brand. Your booth should be an even more creative extension of that.

If your jewelry or handmade goods have a Steampunk look, your booth can showcase that by your choices: a tea-stained tablecloth, aged chipped wood brown frames with rusty gridwork on which to hang earrings, an aged wire armature on which to drape necklaces.

Perhaps preppy is your niche & your brand logo is pink & green? Your choices might be: polka dotted tablecloths in your brand colors, lucite trays from HomeGoods (the kind that you serve Summer drinks on are perfect) in bright contrasting colors to lay out your hand-stamped cards in, or pink patten leather photo albums to show past custom work.

You get the idea. Make sure your table is an extension of the look of your brand. If your brand is easily identified, your would-be customer walking by can easily identify if they are drawn to your product before they even see what you make.

2) Stand Up.
Ever shop a craft fair & see the crafters behind their booths sitting or reading a booth? Do you ever stop at those booths & engage them? Likely not. That’s because their body language shows they’re not approachable.

If your energy is dull & distracted, your booth with likely get passed over for the booth next to you where the crafter is happily showcasing her latest knitting technique, or handing out free samples of her soft yarn. It’s important for the energy of the people behind the booth to be open, positive and engaging.

3) Work Your Booth Front.
As an extension of the ‘stand up’ piece, I’d even go a bit further and say you should work from the front of your booth. Depending on how your space is set up, it’s even better if you can get in front of your booth vs. behind it.

It will keep you up and motivated to engage people. But even more than that, when things slow down, you can start tidying up or start re-displaying things that might have sold down. All of this busyness creates energy in front of your tables.

People won’t differentiate you from a shopper because all they’ll pick up on as they’re casually sauntering up, is that this booth has some energy and it will pique their interest.

Once you have some people digging through things alongside you, you can take your place either back behind your booth or along the side and engage your new, interested shoppers.

4) Something to Take Away.
Every time someone stops at your booth, it’s a huge branding and marketing opportunity, even if they don’t make a purchase that day. It seems like an obvious tip, but it’s amazing how many crafters or trade show vendors don’t come prepared: make sure your booth has something of value to take away.

And I don’t mean just business cards or free samples. The word ‘value’ has had a lot of buzz in the marketing community lately. But it’s been proven that if you provide a customer or would-be customer with something of value, you have made a connection and likely a future sale.

Now, value doesn’t have to equal monetary value. Value can be knowledge as well. For example, offer a handout that explains HOW you make your goods. People are tired of being told why they should buy. Tell them instead why YOU love to make what you make. Give them a glimpse into your joy. It will be infectious.

Another example: you make Vintage Button Bracelets. You likely have a stash of buttons that are lovely but you might not use them in your work. Make up some cardstock gift tags with a vintage button hot-glued onto the front and ‘To’ and ‘From’ written in calligraphy on the bag. Stamp your company name or Etsy URL in a small font along the bottom.

You’ve given your would-be customer a freebie that is a take away extension of your brand that they can actually SAVE and USE. Of course, don’t leave those business cards at home. They’re still important.

5) Give chocolate.
One thing we’ve started doing at our Bead Show booths is offering a bowl of chocolate or some kind of endorphine-filled pick-me-up treat, especially in the afternoon. As the energy of the day starts to wane, usually around 3 or 4 o’clock, it’s felt from booth to booth.

Shoppers are tired because perhaps they’ve been on their feet all day. Or maybe it’s just because it’s been 3 hours since lunch. And that energy from behind the booths that we touched on in the previous paragraph? Let’s face it, the vendors are worn out & that energy is going to be contagious to the shoppers.

Break out the home-made chocolate chip cookies you brought from home & offer then to people walking by. Not in a pushy salesman-type way. But in a “Hey girlfriend who just walked into my kitchen, wouldn’t you like these warm from the oven cookies?”-kind of way. Chocolate is a sure fire way to spike those endorphins in the room & get people engaged & shopping again.

These are just a few tips to carving your way to Craft Show Success. I’d love to hear some of your suggestions & ideas in the comments section below. Or you can email me directly at Heather@BeadinPath.com

About The Author: Heather DeSimone is co-owner of The Beadin’ Path, Inc, a full service bead store & online retail and wholesale bead company, specializing in vintage lucite & glass beads. You can find her via her  website, on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.