Hi there! I’m designer, metalsmith, and educator Megan Auman and I teach artists and makers how to profit from their creativity. I firmly believe that art, craft, and design make the world a better place, which is why I hate to see artists and makers undervaluing their work.

Whether that’s underpricing, burning out, or not marketing or selling to their full potential because they “don’t want to bother people,” I want to see artists and makers ditch the guilt and fear and start making real money from their work.

Here at Artists & Profit Makers, I share business advice I’ve learned running my eponymous jewelry line over the past seventeen years – everything from pricing to wholesale to product photography to yes, sales and marketing.

But more than that, I help artists and makers bring their businesses into Alignment so you can build a business that makes you money AND makes you happy!

your trade show questions?

by Megan Aumanin shows, wholesaleon January 4

It looks like lots of people want to know more about trade shows and wholesale!

There have been some great questions in the comments, but I thought I’d open it up a little more formally:

What are your questions about trade and wholesale shows?

Ask away, and I’ll try to answer as many as I can in a post at the end of the week. (And if you’d love to share your trade show experience and know-how, that would be great too! Just send me an email at megan(at)craftMBA.com)

3 Comments

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Karen
January 10 @ 4:59 pm

I have the dumb questions like – can you explain the pricing vocabulary – like “keystone” “net 30,10” “blah, blah, blah. my brain goes numb when I start to think about those. and what do you suggest? and what to avoid?

also – have you ever been burned by a buyer? as new exhibitor how can you vet potential buyers without seeming rude?
- Joseph Kolasinski
  April 13 @ 8:37 pm
  
  Karen –
  
  Not sure if your questions got answered, but I might be able to share a few things.
  
  •Keystoning is taking your wholesale price and multiplying it by 2 to get the store’s retail price. Some accounts will use a 2.2 markup or higher.
  
  •Net 30, Net 10 – How soon would you like to be paid? 30 days or 10 days? You could also do Pro Forma (Pre Paid.) Typically for new accounts, you would make the first order Pro Forma or C.O.D. with follow up orders moved to Net 30 or Net 10. Those are the basics it can get more complicated.
  
  •Burned? Yes. Few things you can do to weed some people out. Make a minimum order requirement. This keeps most of the people that got into the wholesale show from buying one piece from you at your wholesale price when they have no intention of carrying you work. I’ve also written a statement on the wholesale price list. Something like “wholesale terms are extended to those accounts that maintain an active storefront, open to the public with regularly schedule hours and a staff whose goals include promoting and facilitating sales of my work”
  
  Hope that helps.