Ryan Galiotto

Posts Tagged ‘fairs and festivals’

Ohio State is a member of the American Corn Belt, and therefore, we are naturally heavily dedicated to agriculture. Over the years, we farmers have been fortunate to have seen many inventions that have made farming easier. Surely, it is still a difficult and high-risk job; these advancements, however, have helped make this line of work be the monotonous state of life that it has been for my grandfather’s generation.

As it happens, the farmers of today get to have more time to devote to himself and his family, as opposed to their predecessors from decades past. For example, I, as a farmer, have been able to spend more time with my hobbies. This is something that I would not have been able to do with the way they farmed fifty years ago; I am able to go back to wood carving in the same way that I did as a young lad. And this is all due to me spending only significant fraction of my time farming, as opposed to all of it.

So before I realized it, I had developed an impressive collection of wood carved objects that could no longer fit in the shelves. So, as saddening as it was, I was forced to start keeping some of them in boxes. But even then they began to pile up. I was getting faster and better at carving.

So then one of my good friends suggested something interesting: Why keep the fruits of my labor in boxes that no one will get to see, when I could instead sell them at craft shows? He even suggested that I man the booth myself, and just instruct my first-born son to mind the farm in these rare days. I could even carve some more while I wait for people to take an interest in my crafts. It was an interesting idea, and I decided to try it out.

It turned out to be one of the better things that I’ve decided to do. While rough at first, I eventually got the hang of it, allowing me to keep my collection to a bare minimum while not stopping my hobby. It’s not the best income, but it’s decent enough to afford me to give a gift to my children from time to time. Now I don’t have to give them some of my works on their birthdays.

New Hampshire has always been an independent state. Even before joining becoming part of the initial thirteen states that founded our nation, we have already broken off from the grip of Great Britain six months prior. Its people shares this independence to this day. We maintain, that we should “live free, or die trying”.

While the world has significantly settled down from the chaotic times in the past, we still believe in keeping our independence. Because of such, people from New Hampshire usually try their luck at business, like I have. I went out and tried to be an entrepreneur, and now I am my own boss. Craft shows gave me the opportunities I needed.

In this year alone, there are more than 200 fairs that will occur in our beloved state. You can be assured of three fairs, give or take a few, occurring on a weekly basis. And in each, you will have the opportunity to secure a booth so you can sell various items. Sell some craft wares, whether bought from another source wholesale or made by you, and see your business beginning.

In some cases, it is not a simple matter of going to the fair and selling your crafts. When you chance upon a juried fair, you will have to first prove that you are capable of holding your own. Your products will be scrutinized, and a portfolio of previous events that you have attended will be checked. It’s not easy to get a booth in these events, but if you get in, the quality control ensures more people will attend the event.

These are times wherein a new job is difficult to come by. And even when financial challenges are over, being an entrepreneur at craft shows are a good way to supplement your finances. Start to attend craft fairs and festivals, and you, too, can become your own boss.