Keeping track of craft shows can take on a life of its own-- finding them, figuring out when applications open, plotting out which ones you got into, etc. Making all of this easier is #ahasmember Unanimous Craft. Founder Rosalie Gale shares how you can use it to restore some sanity to your craft show endeavors, as well as find other great places to sell your handmade items. On top of all of that? She's doing a giveaway for Premium Membership on the site!
A New Unanimous Craft:
Unanimous Craft recently launched a new website. Once a place where you could find all manner of tools to run your small business -- now the site focuses only on places where you can sell your work: Brick and Retail Shops, Online Selling Venues and Craft Show Producers.
Who Am I and Why Am I Doing This:
I’m Rosalie Gale of Ugly Baby. I've been making art and selling at craft shows for over ten years now. In the last three years I have expanded my product line to include items that I can easily wholesale and because of that - I’ve also created a gigantic list of places where I can attempt to sell my work. This new version of Unanimous Craft is a place where I can share that information with our community.
What Does Unanimous Craft Do?
Unanimous Craft is basically a list of great brick and mortar shops that sell handmade items, websites where you can list your creations and people who produce craft shows in tons of great cities. You can search by location and find everything in a particular state - or you can search by category.
Premium Members also have access to our comprehensive craft show calendar.
I've always had a terrible time keeping track of all the different application dates for the craft shows I do all around the country. I know I have missed out on great opportunities because there wasn't a really comprehensive, organized calendar available. I started tracking all the dates associated with the craft shows that I do all around the country and then realized how useful this information would be for our whole community. Once I set about creating a new vision for Unanimous Craft - this comprehensive calendar just fit right into the vision.
You can see an example of what you would have found on our May, 2016 calendar below.
How Can You Help?
Our goal is to populate the site with ratings and reviews from our community -- so that we can help each other prosper (and avoid duds at the same time).
To that end, we are running two giveaways: one for #ahasmember and one for #ahassupporter. During the week of June 7th - June 14th, 2016, each review that an #ahasmember or writes during that time equals one entry into the raffle. You will need to include a signature at the end of each review: "Your Name, #ahasmember."
The second giveaway is for #ahassupporter and it works exactly the same way, but your signature at the end of each review will say, " "Your Name, #ahassupporter."
At 11 p.m. PST on June 14, 2016 one reviewer will be selected from each category and they will receive a year-long Premium Membership on Unanimous Craft as well as a surprise package filled with some pretty excellent swag from Unanimous Craft and gifties from Ugly Baby.
How Do I Enter?
The website will allow you to write reviews without being logged into an account - but in order to win the contest, your reviews must be connected to a user account.
If you had an account on the old version of Unanimous Craft, you will need to reset your password. To do this, visit Unanimous Craft and click the login button in the upper left corner. Then select the "Request New Password" tab. The password will be sent to the email address used to set up your account initially. If you have trouble - don't fret. Just set up a new account and don't look back.
If you are setting up a user account for the first time, visit Unanimous Craft and click on "Register" in the upper left corner. Once you complete your account registration, you will need to wait just a bit to be approved. I review each user account request with my actual eyeballs because I dislike spammers a whole lot.
Now, just explore the site and leave reviews and ratings for any shops, online selling venues and craft show producers with which you have personal experience. One tip: When I write reviews, I try to say something nice and something constructive. No one is perfect - something can always be improved. At the same time - nothing is made of complete evil - there's normally something they're doing right. Most of all - be kind and professional.
Here’s the listing for The Handmade Showroom in Seattle, WA. I wrote a review and rated them 5-stars.
You’ll do the same and either enter #ahasmember or #ahassupporter after your name.
Write your reviews by 11pm PST June 14, 2016 to be entered to win.
Both winners will be announced on June 15, 2016 and emailed directly for their prize information. You must create a user account on unanimouscraft.com and post your reviews using that account - or we will not have access to your email address.
Extra Special Stuff Just for You #ahasmember!
Premium Members on Unanimous Craft gain access to the comprehensive craft show calendar where you can find shows around the country (and see when their applications open and close). A year-long membership is normally $79.99 but AHAS members get a 50% discount which can be found with all of the other member benefits in the forums.
