In Ampthill at Find this Saturday.
Flowers, ceramics and other things. Getting your work out there.
Hello my dear friends, how are you? I’ve just got back from Italy which was stunning! I’ve lots of pics to share but I’ll save them for another time as today I want to let you know that I will be selling garden flowers and pottery in Ampthill, upstairs in Find. Usually it’s just flowers I sell here, but this time I will be bringing a small selection of pottery too. Ampthill is a Georgian market town and is in the county of Bedfordshire. Years ago, when I was growing up, it was full of antiques shops, sadly, most are now gone but one still remains- The Emporium, an Aladdin’s cave of treasure which I love! Nestled just behind it, down a narrow drive is the home of Find- a vintage and retro shop with a cafe and a room upstairs for events. This Saturday it’s the makers market which is run by The Ampthill Alchemist. I don’t do every fair but I enjoy the ones I do, just to catch up with customers and meet new people. Anyway, I hope to see you this Saturday if you’re local. It’s also British Flowers Week, so what better way to support it than buying blooms grown in our garden.
I’m a huge believer that to make a successful business as a creative, you need to get out there in front of people. It’s not enough to show up on social media. If you are a maker or creating a physical product of some kind, the best way of getting seen is showing up in person to an event- where your ideal customers will be. For small crafts and food, farmers markets and craft fairs are a great place to test the market. Be warned though, they are not all created equally! Before deciding to show at a fair, you need to do your research, go along as a customer, see what’s on offer and the quality of the goods, how many people are there? Is it well run? Look around at the customers and listen to conversations, are they your kind of people? I would never do a fair without first visiting!
When you’ve found one or two you’d like, make sure when you set up, your stand is eye catching and easy to navigate around. Have your name somewhere clear to see, business cards or a QR code to scan and that everything is priced up. Invest in a card reader, there’s Zettle or Sum-up, both are good. You want to get the balance right with the right level of eye contact, a smile and a good morning/afternoon, you don’t want to catch their eye immediately, that’s off putting for the customer, but not looking up at all will close down any contact and the likelihood is you will not make a sale. People buy from people, I’ve said it again and again. Show up, be human, be you! You don’t need to be anything else, don’t pretend to be anyone you’re not, and remember to be proud of what you’ve achieved, what you’ve made and the fact you’re getting it out there.
Speak soon.
Emma x