Qs and As

BOUTIQUE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

•  What are the dates of the boutique? Nov. 11, 12, 13 & 18, 19, 20, 2010

•  What is the location? 3039 E. Backus Rd., Mesa, AZ 85213

•  How much space do I get for the entry fee? Except for a few exceptions, we do not have spaces, as such. For the entry fee, we assume each person will use a space equal to a 6 ft. table. We display items through 4 or 5 rooms of my house. We, also, have space available in the backyard. We put up two 10 x 20 ft. tents and a 10 x 10 ft. tent. Several crafters prefer to bring their own tent and that, too, is fine. Cost is the same. Last year, we had 9 tents, ours included. Jewelry is usually kept together and we try to have all jewelry in the house because we believe it is an item that might be a readier target for theft. However, we are not aware that we have ever had any thefts and this will be our 20th year. If you want to have all of your items together in your tent, that is okay but we still expect each crafter to work 8 hours, over the two weekends, for the boutique.

•  Does the boutique provide anything for our space? We have a limited number of tables which we set up throughout the house and we have many crafters who have extras and are willing to lend them. We do have a number of crates which we use inside the house, wire frames which go against the walls and a few other display items which we use in the tents.

•  If I use my own canopy, will I need to provide my own display items? Yes. The main concern would be safety. Insurance for the boutique is horrendous. We try to follow every safety precaution. Since our boutique runs from Thursday, 11/12 through Saturday 11/21, we do not tear down from the 14th through the 18th. You do not have to remove your merchandise but you would be responsible for its being protected from the weather. Flaps that close on your canopy or waterproof tarps that can be anchored in case of wind, are necessary. I do have electronic monitors which I set up while the boutique is not in progress but you may, also, take your merchandise home with you. We will not assume responsibility for your items beyond the safety measures we have in place.

•  Can two of us share a crafter number? Yes. Two of you can use the same number. However, you will have to share one crafter number. It has worked out well for others who have done this. When putting the crafter number on the 2 parts of the tag, you can use each one's initial following the number. When you get your tags back, you can separate them so you will know what each of you sold. We still expect that each participant will need to work 8 hours for the boutique. If either of the crafters sharing a crafter number is not able to work 8 hours, the entry fee is increased by $80.00 for each crafter not working. However, one person can work the whole 16 hours.

•  What is the entry fee and the percentage? The entry fee is $65.00 and the percentage is 15%. This covers insurance, advertising, supplies and general operating expenses. The $65.00 entry assumes the crafter will be working 8 hours for the boutique. If she/he is unable to work 8 hours, the entry fee is $145.00.

•  Do you have a central cashier? Who takes care of the sales tax collection? We do have 2 central cashiers. The boutique collects the sales tax and reports it proportionately to the city and the state. It is a requirement of this boutique that you use a 2-part tag on each item. At the cash register, the bottom half of the tag is torn off and used to ring up the purchases. After the sale is completed, the tags are collected in a container and eventually sorted by crafter. Our registers are audited every night and register tapes and crafters tickets are reconciled. These tags are then given to you the next day so you will know what was sold. The customer has the top part of the tag on the purchased item and can use it to verify the price she paid or to order additional items because she has the crafter's number.

•  What advertising do you do? We distribute 7,000 flyers. We mail almost 3,000 flyers, we distribute flyers to all public schools in Mesa and some in neighboring cities. We use the Country Register and we have used the Mesa Tribune. We have our web site and we send flyers to all the mobile home parks. We are listed on Craftmaster, a national craft show calendar. This year we will be exploring some other advertising ideas.

•  What is expected from crafters for advertising? We expect each crafter to distribute 100 flyers to her/his family and friends. We will have an e-mail flyer ready and we ask each crafter to send this flyer to her/his data bases. In addition, we ask each new crafter to give us a list of 25 or more of her/his friends and family so that we can add this to our data base for the next year. If we add new crafters, we must increase the amount of customers, and thus sales, or we are just splitting the same pie in more pieces.

•  Are crafters expected to work every day? No. We expect each crafter to work 8 hours over the two weekends. If you have your own canopy/tent, we still expect you to work 8 hours for the boutique, in addition to the time you spend at your display. This could be handing our baskets, helping find another of the same item, just supervising shoppers, helping carry out packages, pulling tags, etc. The more hours you are in attendance, the greater is the opportunity for you to answer questions about your product and get feedback from prospective customers. During the boutique, each of us is a salesperson for every product that is here. Being familiar with the whole show is an advantage.

•  How many people come through during the show? Actually, we have never counted. However, based on the number of sales and the volume of business, we believe there are upwards of 3,000 customers.