Booking This Year's Fairs

After a whole week relaxing in the sun in Lanzarote, I finally got myself in gear this week and sent off all the booking forms and payments for the fairs I am hoping to attend this year.

I really want to attend at least one a fortnight and for the months of June, July and September, this hasn't proved a problem, but August is proving more difficult.

After attending various craft and gift fairs I thought it would be better if I could exhibit at fairs targeted at new mums and mums to be as they are the ones who would want to buy nappy cakes and baby sock cupcakes.

I suppose August if quiet as people are away on their holidays but I will carry on looking and try and book at least one more fair in that month. Mind you I really hope some of the nappy cakes sell in bigger quantities than they have so far as with all the money I have paid out I could really do with making some back.

I'm also off to see the business manager at the local bank a week on Monday. Apparently they give you free advice on how to run your business and the best way to advertise etc. They sometimes even give you small loans to start up and fingers crossed that's what will happen to me - my bank account would be very thankful!

So, that's it from me for now. Will update you as and when.

Take care x

Hmmm ....

think the craft fair I attended last weekend was a total waste of time.

Mind you, I did get to sit outside in the sun for a couple of hours reading my book and giving out leaflets, so there were some small mercies.

I didn't actually sell one thing the whole time I was there. Problem is the only time people are going to buy a nappy cake or sock cupcakes is when they know someone who's pregnant or just had a baby and it would seem that all of the people who attended last week's fair didn't!

So, back onto the internet to find fairs which cater exclusively for babies and toddlers. I have applied to attend a couple of them and hope to have more luck.

I'll keep you updated.

Baby Sock Cupcakes

Got a telephone call on Tuesday night - thanks to all the flight disruption, one of the stall holders that should have been attending a gift fair tomorrow (Saturday) was stranded in Dubai and would I like to take their place?

Well, considering I've been on the waiting list for while I jumped at the chance. Then, get a phone call Thursday evening to say that as flights are now running again the place has been taken by the original attendee. Oh typical!

The woman who called must have felt sorry for me though as she said I could set up a table outside the hall and bearing in mind this weekend is meant to be warm and sunny I said I may as well.

So, I then decided I needed an alternative to just the nappy cakes and decided to try my hand at making baby sock cupcakes. I got myself on the old world wide web and ordered some cake boxes and cupcake cases and settled myself down for a quick lesson.

They have actually come out much better than I hoped so I am going to take them along tomorrow and see how they sell.

I'll keep you posted.

Have a great weekend all.

Attended another fair on Sunday

As the title above suggests, I attended another gift fair on Sunday.

I thought it had to be worth another try, but whereas the last one I went to the weather was cold and dull, this weekend happened to be the hottest of the year so far.

This obviously showed in the fact that less than 200 people actually attended - I guess everyone was off to the beach for the day or concentrating on their bbqs!

I was also working from Friday afternoon onwards desperately trying to help all the groups affected by the travel disruption because of the flight problems. Basically I was on call 24 hours a day right up until this morning when I went into the office and carried on. Still, according to the news things might start getting back to normal from tomorrow.

So, back to the gift fair. I took 7 of my nappy cakes along in various colours and sizes and managed to sell just the one. Still, I did hand out a lot of my leaflets so you never know I might get something back from them.

How Expensive are Gift Fairs?!

I have been sitting this weekend working out whether I can actually afford to attend craft/gift fairs.

Obviously the more fairs I go to, the more chance I have of making some money (which will make a change since all I seem to have done lately is spend it!). The problem lies in the fact that unless you go to a little known or relatively small venue, the organisers seem obliged to charge you the earth to allocate you a tiny little bit of their precious space.

Take the gift fair I went to a couple of weekends ago. To rent a 6ft paste table for the day cost me £20 which was pretty reasonable - mind you I did only sell the one nappy cake and that was right at the last minute so when you work it out I was probably in deficit by the time I got home.

Not to be detered I went online to see what other fairs were on locally throughout the next few months and apply for some more info on them. Imagine my horror when for a two day stand at the East of England show I was looking at .... wait for it ....£235 per day! Yes, I did say per day and that was for nothing more than a 6ft paste table. Exactly the same as I got at the earlier fair.

I know you will be saying that a big event like that would prompt a lot more foot traffic but I'd have to sell all my nappy cake stock and more to even make enough to pay for the stand in the first place.

So, my dilemma remains. Do I fork out exhorbitant amounts of cash in the hope that I will sell all my nappy cakes on the day or do I stick to the smaller fairs and pray for divine intervention (ie., loads of pregnant women or women with their pregnant friends walking through the door).

Answers on a postcard please!

PS. Thought I would post a couple of photos of nappy cakes I've made recently.