Hiring Help at a show?

[andidanie]

Hey Team -

Next weekend, I am doing a large 2-day event, both days are 10-7 (!).

I do my events by myself, but I am REALLY hoping to be swamped at this one.
A friend suggested hiring someone to help, but that's 2 long days, and parking is $18 per day(!) (If they couldn't stay all day both days, we'd have to drive separately).

I really don't think I can afford to "hire" someone, and I feel like that's asking A LOT in a favor. Plus, no one else knows my product :/

Any thoughts or advice? Have you ever hired someone to help out at a show? What's a reasonable rate?

Thanks,
Andi

[JustMeToo]

I do a show that's four days. Two of them are 10 am to 9 pm. I don't hire anyone, and sometimes I have a lineup. I just stay calm, and look after the next person in line. People are pretty terrific. BTW, I am 71 so I'm sure you could manage it. That way, you have all of the money for your hard work for yourself!
I can't help you with rates, but good luck with whatever you decide to do, and I wish you great success at the show!

[SplendidCargo]

Maybe have some relatives or friends stop by to help you part of the time and you can reward them with free dinner?

[JustMeToo]

Hi Christine. Your idea is great IF andidanie doesn't need them for making sales! She mentioned that no else knows the product - so sometimes that can be more hindrance than help! If you're busy, you don't have time to answer the "helpers" questions as well, and it's difficult to "correct" them in front of a customer, if they give the wrong information.
They can be helpful in other ways, though, like bagging the sales, or making change, that sort of thing, or even minding the booth, for washroom breaks.

[ByFreddismom]

I have "hired" one of my SIL for a number of shows I did while still living in New Jersey. I bought coffee in the morning and paid for lunch, she would help me set up and tear down, kept things neat during the day and helped customers when she could in addition to bagging and helping to track inventory. It really was helpful to have her there and if it was slow I had someone to chat with! I did pay her based on what I took in that day, usually 10% of sales but never less than $50.00.

[ThisLittleKittenShop]

I agree with mary, a helper can do all those things, and you can be the one to solely answer customers questions.

As for finding help, if you have a family member or a friends kids that are in high school they will need volunteer hours (at least thats what it is up here in canada ) to graduate so maybe you can offer volunteer hours for helping at your show.

[SewTrulyMe]

I'm fortunate to have either my daughter or my husband ready to join me at shows. My daughter is significantly better at dealing with customers as needed but both are invaluable when it comes to bagging sold merchandise or handling cash transactions (husband does only cash; my daughter is better on credit card transactions than me). It's also handy to have an extra set of eyes on what items are needed from extra inventory stored under the tables. Luckily, both seem satisfied with "meal" compensation!

I always attempt to form a buddy bond with at least one neighboring vendor. Many are in the same boat of being alone and need to rely on someone watching their space while they leave to use the restroom.

[WovenByKim]

I am also a one woman show. And i will say I have tried to take a friend along or even a family member, but when a customer sees you are busy they will naturally ask the helper what they need to know. This is just my experience but it never worked out for me so I just go it alone. I have been doing this for 30 years and I am no spring chicken either. Stay calm and enjoy the show and so will the customers.

And yes a (buddy bond) with a neighboring vendor is a must for bathroom breaks. The restroom is very close to my booths so I can "make it snappy".

[JustMeToo]

Kim. I agree. I have had many friends offer to help, but I decline (with thanks). My son helps me set up and break down my biggest show, but I would rather do the shows myself. As in your case, the washrooms are close - so the booth is on "self-serve" for a couple of minutes lol.

[ImLaughingMyGlassOff]

I have two teen agers and my 75 year old mom on my team. The teens are great for set up and tear down. Mom is great to stop by once or twice a day and cover a half hour break. My older daughter is a skilled artist and she can make my display look great. The younger is very detail oriented and can rock taking a good inventory at the end. My mother will do whatever is asked of her, but she is a bit beyond 4 consecutive 12 hour days.

[BlueTurtleCrafts]

I sometimes think it would be nice to have a hired helper - especially for set up/take down. but I don't think I'd want someone there the whole time - I don't have space for them!! A friend of mine came and stayed for a while at a few shows and it just felt crowded - though it was nice to be able to take a short break or a look around for once :)

[ImLaughingMyGlassOff]

Kathy - exactly what I get with my mom. I can say please come for an hour at 11 so I can run back to my car for what I need, if anything, use the restroom, sit for 15 minutes, etc. Please come back at 3:00 for the same. Please cart my kids around and make dinner at home?

[andidanie]

I don't have any family in the area, and all my friends have young kids; it seems it would be asking a lot to have them help for shows that are 2 days from 10-7. And my own kids are too young; the oldest is only 9.

I always introduce myself to my neighbors, offer to help them when I can or lend tools/supplies when they need it, so I have "friend" to watch my booth when I have to use the restroom.

I guess I'll just make the best of it. If it's too crazy day 1, I'll put the word out and see if anyone can help for day two. (But we have to get security clearance in advance, so I may not even be able to do that :/)

Thanks for all the replies!

[TigersandDragons]

I'm lucky because my partner is normally my helper, and he is pretty good. But it took me years to train him to be better with people, as he is not a natural salesperson or a "people person".

I have had various helpers over the years, some family, some friends and acquaintances, some strangers (recommended by people I knew). Some of these were good and others were practically useless. Most of the time I paid minimum wage, sometimes a piece of free jewellery thrown in there, feed them while at the show, gas money (for one show that was 1.5 hours away).

It can be hard to get a good helper, especially if you can't offer regular employment. People are busy with jobs, kids, etc. An older person may be a good choice, because they have more free time and be interested in working just for the novelty. Once I had an older nurse work for me, she liked being a salesperson as a break from her stressful job in a cancer ward, and she already had experience from working in a gift store. A younger person might work out because they may not be weighed down by responsibilities, be more flexible, and happy to work for cash.

Also it depends on what kind of helper you are looking for:
- someone to help you load in and set up and tear down ? Watch your goods while you park? These kinds of helpers are often easier to get.
- someone who will watch your goods, to prevent theft (always important when it comes to jewellery)? Be there basically so you can have short breaks?
- Someone who can handle money (do math), wrap up sales, put out stock?
- a good sales person, someone who at least can be friendly and outgoing?

Last summer we have two overlapping events. For both of these we knew we would need helpers, as it could get really busy. So we ended up with:

A) For the outdoor event my sister's boyfriend came out for 1 1/2 days.
This show required the entire tent and display to be set up and torn down every day. He was a great help with the "schlepping", but could barely watch the jewellery (was always on his phone), or say hi to people even though he is a naturally friendly person. It wasn't as busy as expected, but his being there meant I could go to the bathroom, get food, and have help with the physical labour. Because he has a well paying professional job, he didn't expect to be paid, so we gave him a gift as a thank you.

B) I BEGGED a friend who has helped me over the years to come out for the second half of a day (a full long day in the heat was too much to ask). She has small children so it was a favour even though I paid her (and gave her $20 for gas). She is a little bit shy, but smart, learns quickly, and pays attention. Even though she normally helps me only once every year or two she remembers what to do, and what to say to customers. By the time she arrived, I was in a heat haze and it had started to get busy. That I could sit down and let her run the booth for a bit was a great relief. If I could only afford to give her more work, I would.

C) The third person helped me at the indoor event. She has helped a friend of mine at many shows, and kept offering to help me.
She practically works for free, likes to have jewellery in exchange because she is on disability. It wasn't as busy as expected, but she wasn't the kind of worker I was looking for. She kept taking off without asking first, because she wanted to look in on a nearby performance. When talking to customers, she would tend to ramble on a bit too much, wanting to tell them all about herself and the things she liked. Her sales/personal skills were better than A, and she liked being at the event, but I would only use her in the future if I was desperate.

Anyways, I know crafters who have managed to find decent temporary help just by placing an online ad. I think if you can find a good candidate, train them and use them a few times a year, it's a good investment. Don't expect to find "gold" right away, and it's likely that no one will ever be as good as you, when it comes to selling your craft.

Also, maybe you don't need someone to be with you for the full day, just the peak hours - like 11-4?

[BeachFleaMarket]

I struggle with this too. If I'm local, family helps. I pay them by the hour. One grandson works on commision when he helps with sales.
I am doing shows further from home so no family help. The venues are more like a convention with my niche market attending. The events usually have a facebook page. I post on the facebook page that I need help. I am very lucky to find great helpers this way.
I also thought of making a sign with bags for people to "hold" items if I was too busy. Made labels for their name and cell # to go on the bag. This way they could come back when things calmed down.
These sales are not even a full day, usually 6 to 3 hours so the sales are fast and furious. I pay the helpers by them picking some of my inventory or cash or a little of both.

[IntricateAccessories]

My husband helps me and hangs out with me during craft shows. I love having him there. I take him out for dinner and drinks afterwards for all the support and help he gives me.

[BeachFleaMarket]

My husband has agreed to help me at a show I am doing as part of a road trip. The hotel has a seafood buffet that night.
His first wife wore him out with craft fairs. I have to respect his saying NO.
I'll be very happy with him offering to help. Since it's at a convention, I can introduce him to some of the attendees before the show.