I may be a jumper when it comes to jumping off the ledge into this business thing, but even I like to be as prepared and organized as possible when it comes to new experiences (we are all made up made of complex idiosyncrasies).

Most artists and crafters I’ve talked to make it a habit to “walk” a fair before deciding to participate. There are even magazine subscriptions (http://www.craftsfairguide.com/) available that provide artists with feedback and comments on fairs. The good thing about weekly markets is that you can check them out and have a pretty accurate sense of the customer demographic and visitor rate and be pretty sure that those stats will remain accurate in the following weeks, when you will actually be a participating vendor. Fairs that happen once a year can change drastically from year to year, in appearance, customer visits, etc. Although reviews and vendor feedbacks are helpful, things like economy can change drastically in a year.

Although I knew of most farmers markets in my region, I basically went to Google and typed in “city” I was looking at and “farmer’s market” and would get linked to the management company that ran the market. A broader search for “California farmers markets” gave me even more hits. After finding management companies, the next thing to check is whether the farmer’s market does accept craft vendors (some are solely organic produce or just produce).

Most year-long markets will accept applications ongoing, but it is always worth a call to find out if there really are spaces still available or to see how long the waiting list is. Markets that run only for half the year or a bit longer might be full already, but you never know – there may still be some weeks where there are a couple of empty spaces (people are out on vacation or for other reasons can’t come a particular week, etc.).

Once you find some that fit your schedule, are near you (whatever your own criteria is), go check them out.

- Get there at the same time the vendors do – this will allow you to see what the set-up process is. Is there a particular street that the vendors use to get in, parking areas?

- Stay for at least an hour after the market officially starts, and possibly longer – some markets take at least an hour just to rev up, while others are hopping from the get go.

- Take notes – how many artists/crafters similar to you, how many craft/art vendors overall, what kind of set up do they have, how many people are stopping by their booths, and how people are actually buying.

- Get acquainted with the demographics and note age groups (are there moms with kids, mainly couples, baby boomers, yuppies, college kids, young families starting out?). This will be helpful if you already know what your customer base is, allowing you to really see if the market you are checking out is a good fit for your products.

- Check out the logistics for yourself: are there bathrooms nearby that you can use, will you need a canopy (is it an empty parking lot or a tree-filled street), is there parking near the site or will you have to leave your items unattended while you re-park your car after unloading, is there police/private security on-site (if you have to leave things unattended and are by yourself)

- Go up to vendors and ask questions. I usually get at least two people at each market I attend asking me for the inside scoop, like cost, experience, etc. You’ll probably get some really great inside tidbits that aren’t stated on a website or application.

Although every week at a market is different, doing some of this prep work while you visit will give you a good idea about whether the market is a good fit to begin with. Some, you will almost instantly see, are not, and doing this kind of leg work will save you not only money and time but prevent aggravation as well.

“Courage” (conte and pastel drawing), Copyright © Attaining Creativity 2008   

In the period of simply one month, things change. I can remember hot days spent in cool darkness, wondering how I would earn money through my art. I would research markets, make drives to hot asphalt parking lots to check them out, and find they weren’t a good fit. Over and over, these day trips proved both fruitful and fruitless. And yet I found possibilities, did the paperwork and got into two weekly markets (Old Monterey market on Tuesdays and San Jose Downtown on Fridays).

Now as I set up my booth smoothly in less than an hour, I am amazed at the transformation. My first booth seemed cute in the living room of my house, and stood up to sprinkling rain and hot weather. Yet it also limited the amount and variety of items I could sell. So the display grew

And now here I am, a month into this selling journey, still finding new things to be fearful of and accomplish. I’ve recently acquired a merchant account so that I can accept credit cards (that is a physics lesson in itself). But I need to overcome the fear of messing up a credit card transaction.

It will, however, work out. I am no more settled in my weekly routine as well. I spend days drawing, printing, doing administrative duties, and selling. My days are beginning to become booked with productivity and I am realizing that I can do this.

I send weekly updates to family and friends, and their feedback and suggestions are always a boost. But I am finding that my down days have become almost non-existent. I know what I need to do – the mystery is clear now. And so I must set forth and do it.