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“You can always justify buying a comsumable. Everyone has to eat.”
This week’s unofficial sponsor: Personal Euphoria. Thanks Maggie!
Shanna worked in finance full-time when she started doing craft shows. She broke her way into the business by working for a dip company. Watching the company bring in upwards of $3,000 in a weekend, Shanna was making $1,200-$2,000 in commission.
But she wanted to work for herself. She wanted the freedom to quit her full-time job and run her own dip business full-time.
Her first weekend branching off on her own, she grossed $3,200.
“It was my money,” she said proudly. “Money that supported my family. I could pay our bills, I could take care of my family.”
So what goes into running a dip company from the road?
Shanna makes all of her dip mixes in her “clean kitchen” at her home base in Georgia. That doesn’t just mean the kitchen is cleaned (which is totally what Heath assumed in the interview!) Most states require a clean kitchen—which means a kitchen that is used only for the business, not for personal use. Before hitting the road for show season, Shanna makes her dips and brings 500 of each flavor in the RV…and she has 30 flavors!
In this episode, Shanna shares:
- What happens if she runs out of dips on the road
- Her average costs and earnings
- How she chooses which festivals and shows to attend (and it’s WAY more complicated than you’d think!)
- How to stand out with customers
- What Shanna says to every customer who approaches her booth
- Why you can still kill it at small shows
- How Shanna and craft shows have adapted to COVID rules
- Other food-related products you can sell at craft shows
- The BIGGEST mistake you can make at a craft show
One resource you’ll want to check out if you’re looking to dip into the craft circuit (sorry, had to) is Festivalnet. This is paid service (but only $50 a year) for finding festivals. You can also check out Shanna’s Facebook group, Crafter Talk.
