Show Prep

It is looming.  Show season is rapidly approaching.  Saturday kicks off our summer shows and are we ready, uh, nope.  Never feel like we are ready, so I guess we are keeping to our standards that way.  I realized tonight as I sat down to write this post that I had forgotten to order the postcards with our show schedule printed on them.  Chris and I had talked about it a month or so ago, I went off to do something else, and la la la I COMPLETELY FORGOT.  Thank goodness for RUSH printing and shipping (though I don't relish the expense).  Last year, we just printed the schedule for upcoming shows on papers to hand out at the shows.  This year, we are up-scaling and making it look a bit more professional.

Here is a list of items we try to have at every show:

In a medium sized 3 drawer plastic box (called "the business box") we keep:

• ink pens, pencils, and Sharpies (fine and medium point)
• a polishing cloth for removing evil tarnish from jewelry that has spent time out of the show cases
• extra rubber earring bumpers (hate earrings falling off the display cards)
• business cards and beaded business card holders (we are continually amazed at the number of cards we go through each year)
• scissors, low tack painters tape, duct tape, Scotch tape
• blank cards for making quick product notes or price changes
• price labels (rhino barbell tags and small rectangular sticky tags)
• a notebook for recording sales and jotting down bead ideas or special orders
• laminated Nebraska Sales Tax cards for each of the different tax rates
• a calculator
• extra zippy bags
• headpins, silver seed beads, 4mm silver balls for making beads into pendants for necklaces
• tools for wire wrapping pendants

In a separate box, I have neck cords and chains for making Chris's beads into necklaces. A pile of brightly colored, seasonal tissue paper and a variety of sizes of gift bags are also found in this box.

I also have a small edged tray that I sit on my lap for working up pendants, writing down sales, or wrapping up purchases.

I keep my cash box behind the table on a small table with the business box and with the cord/wrapping box.  This way I control the clutter and keep it from the customer's view.

I tried to add pictures to this post, but Blogger was having issues (and I got frustrated fighting it) so I will continue the post on Wednesday.  See you then!