How much inventory should you bring to a craft show, festival, or vendor event?

It sounds like a simple question, but there isn't one universal number. Rules like “bring three times what you expect to sell” or “aim for ten times your booth fee” don't account for the actual costs and realities of your business.

In Episode 11, Michael walks through a practical method for planning inventory by working backward from the result you need the event to produce.

You'll learn how to calculate your true event costs, establish minimum and worthwhile sales goals, determine the sell-through rate your inventory would require, and evaluate whether you'll still have a strong selection for customers later in the day.

Michael also uses real-world examples from selling pet T-shirts and bandannas to explain why different products—even within the same business—can require completely different inventory strategies.

You'll learn why new products should earn deeper inventory, how dead stock develops, why selling out isn't always a success, and how keeping good sales records makes every future inventory decision better.

There is no formula that can guarantee what you'll sell. The goal is to replace guesses pulled out of thin air with a repeatable method based on your costs, goals, capacity and actual customer behavior.

Festival Geeks — Real Stories. Real Lessons. Real Results.

our booth is set up. The market is open. Now what?

In Episode 10 of Festival Geeks, Michael walks through what actually happens once customers start coming through the gate — from taking one last look at your booth from the customer’s point of view to deciding where to stand, how to greet people, when to talk, when to listen, and what to do when business slows down.

We talk about staying off your phone, reading different types of customers, handling several shoppers at once, using slow periods productively, taking care of yourself during a long market day, and why packing up early can cost you a sale.

Most importantly, every customer deserves a clean slate. Whether the day has been great or terrible, the next person walking into your booth shouldn’t have to carry the weight of everything that happened before them.

In this episode:

• What to check before the market officially opens
• Where to stand without blocking or hovering
• Body language that makes customers comfortable
• Why listening matters more than talking
• How to acknowledge multiple customers
• What to do during slow periods
• Food, hydration, and surviving a long event day
• Why you shouldn’t pack up early
• Giving every customer your best effort

Festival Geeks — Real Stories. Real Lessons. Real Results.

Every maker has a story, but it is not always the story behind the company name or logo. Often, the most powerful story is the reason a particular product exists.

In this episode, Michael explains how the 7T Designs pet T-shirt began with a real problem: protecting Sydney, his poodle, from scratching irritated skin. Commercial pet shirts were loose, floppy, and built like shrunken human shirts, so Michael used his sewing experience to create something shaped for a dog’s anatomy.

That practical solution eventually became a product—and then a business. Dede added the colors, patterns, and sayings that made the shirts as attractive as they were functional.

Michael also shares the story behind 7T’s tie-on bandannas and explains how small construction choices can become meaningful parts of a customer conversation.

In this episode:

• Why the product’s story matters more than a manufactured brand story
• How to connect a design feature to the problem it solves
• Why customers care about the decisions behind handmade products
• How to tell one true story at different lengths
• How to recognize when a customer wants more information—and when they simply want the pink one
• Why authenticity does not require giving every customer your entire biography
• How successful conversations and painful strikeouts help refine your story
• What truly separates an independent maker from big-box retail

The customer can see the feature. Your story explains the decision.

Download the free Product Story Builder for Makers:

https://festivalgeeksmedia.com/pages/product-story-builder-for-makers

Find all Festival Geeks vendor resources:

https://festivalgeeksmedia.com/pages/free-vendor-tools