Getting ready for spring!

Looking out of the window you might just start to see a hint of the days lengthening, our pale sun just beginning to radiate a bit more warmth. However, we aren’t quite in sight of spring yet as biting, cold winds have yet to morph into more gentle, playful breezes. Looking around, there are a few welcome indications that spring is on its way; cheerful yellow daffodils, frothy pink and white blossom, gently swaying hazel catkins and perhaps even an early magnolia, in all its blousy glory. Our ears pick up the coming change in the season too, with a symphony of birdsong as the time of courting gets underway. After long months of cold, wet and windy weather we may well feel like joining in their jubilation, lifting our faces towards the sun and revelling in the sense of new beginnings all around us. The arrival of Spring does indeed bring fresh inspiration to us all, and for artists and crafters it’s a call to don coat and boots, maybe fill a flask with some fragrant tea, step outdoors and immerse ourselves in the freshly radiant beauty of the natural world.

Classic spring images have adorned our artwork and ceramics as well as our literature for centuries; time honoured mad March hares, hosts of golden daffodils and garden birds sitting snugly on their nests. At a time when we are very aware of preserving and encouraging our wildlife, there are plenty of opportunities to create products which will enable us to do just this. One such is National Bird Box Week which runs between 14-21 February. It aims to increase awareness of the possible decline in birds due to a lack of natural nooks and crannies in which they can safely build their nests, and to encourage us to place bird boxes in our gardens to counteract this. We have a few homegrown, or rather back garden-grown businesses where skilled carpenters and joiners construct stunning, practical and sustainably built nesting boxes. This is an ideal time of year to promote sales whether online or at craft fairs as the need for providing nesting spots for our feathered population will be on people’s minds. If you have the skills to make and sell birdboxes, we’ll take a look at fairs and markets later on and ask the question “What is public liability insurance for craft fairs?” and “Do I need it?” Nesting boxes can sell at any time of year, and make excellent wedding or birthday gifts, with some companies offering a bespoke design service.

Another gift idea to attract wildlife into our gardens would be wooden planters; sold with a butterfly and bee-friendly wildflower seed mix, these could be a winner throughout spring. If you have or are considering a business in wooden products, be sure to clearly promote your sustainability credentials. You may use local timber, pine from sustainable sources or reclaimed wood. Ensure too, that you explain how your business supports your community; maybe employing local staff, using local wood or involvement in any community projects.

Bug hotels are also a popular way to support wildlife in our gardens. These can range from large, elaborate bug mansions to small, cosy hideaways. They provide shelter, protection and space to raise young for a wide variety of insects and other minibeasts. They have a special appeal to children and would make good gifts offering both purpose and longevity.

So, as the warm breezes of spring begin to gently beckon us onward into the year, what can you put in place to see your business grow, blossom and bear fruit? We have many useful posts containing tips for online promotion and marketing, but here, as we consider the world gently stretching and starting to take some tentative steps outside of the warmth and cosiness of our homes and into the bustle and vitality of the marketplace, we will take a fresh look at craft fairs.

Craft fairs spring into life again at this time of year, after a usually dormant January. Take a look at fairs planned in your area and book yourself a table. There will most likely be a proliferation of opportunities as we approach Easter, and your wildlife-attracting products may well provide a welcome alternative for parents and grandparents looking to cut down on their offspring’s chocolate consumption. You could also look towards regional agricultural and gardening shows, usually held over the late spring and into the summer. These will usually require a much higher financial investment in terms of stall space, but would also have greater footfall, covering a larger geographical area.

Farmers’ markets continue throughout the year, and they often offer stalls to local businesses selling handcrafted products. These too pick up in numbers once the weather warms up, and are a good way to get known locally, to make connections and to sell your products. It could be well worth considering a couple of stalls leading up to Easter; the price of a stall is usually reasonable and there is good camaraderie between stallholders and friendly chats with the public.

Having booked your spot, you will need to consider public liability insurance for craft fairs. Although it is not a legal requirement, many fair organisers will request that you have it in place. It basically covers you for any claims that might be made against you by a member of the public for damages or injury which they claim to have been sustained by either you or one of your employees/volunteers. We will cover you, whether or not it is your fault. You will obviously do all you can to avoid this happening, but public liability insurance for craft fairs covers you for those completely unforeseen and thus non-preventable accidents. Having it in place will mean you don’t need to worry about the consequences to your business of a claim, and instead you can pour all your energy and creativity into making and selling your unique products which will bring beauty into your customers’ homes and gardens.

So, as the natural world around us is gradually bursting into life, take time to get out amidst the colours, sounds and fragrances and be inspired!