Want to start selling my artwork on stalls (ie. at crafts fairs etc.). Any help?

Jj13

(not sure if this is the right place to ask).
So for the past couple of weeks I've been thinking about selling my art on a stall at different craft fairs (obviously starting off small, but perhaps I'd be able to make a full time job out of it- is this even possible?)- however, as I've read, you have to class yourself as self-employed (seeing as you're trading items). Can anyone offer any advice on this (I had a look at an example tax return and it looks SO complicated). The whole thing seems very daunting to me so I'm just trying to gain some insight into it (I have very limited knowledge about business even though I studied it at college and did the Princes Trust course- I perhaps over complicate everything haha).
If anyone sells at craft fairs can you please let me know how you do it! :rotfl:
Thanks

DomRavioli

It isn't complicated.

You need to keep a record of the materials you buy, and then how much you sell a piece for. That is expenditure and income. The difference is either profit or loss (depending if positive or negative).

Online tax returns are very simple - HMRC has some cracking guides, I've been doing mine for 2 years now (I have three self employed jobs so it is a little more complicated), and its done in less than an hour.

You do need to register with HMRC as self employed once you decide you are doing it - and that is as soon as possible after your decision to sell.

Nothing more to it.

SailorSam

I had a friend who was quite a good artist, it was only a hobby for her but she did sell quite a lot of her work. One of the things that worked for her was, she went around local offices & factories and asked could she display some of her paintings in their reception area or canteens with a price and contact number if anyone was interested. Most of the companies she approached were eager to help because they were getting rooms decorated for free that they may otherwise had to pay for.

Just an idea if you're looking for other outlets.

Jj13

@SailorSam Thank you, great idea!

Savvy_Sue

SailorSam wrote: »

I had a friend who was quite a good artist, it was only a hobby for her but she did sell quite a lot of her work. One of the things that worked for her was, she went around local offices & factories and asked could she display some of her paintings in their reception area or canteens with a price and contact number if anyone was interested. Most of the companies she approached were eager to help because they were getting rooms decorated for free that they may otherwise had to pay for.

Just an idea if you're looking for other outlets.

DH's gym used to do something very similar, allowing members to display their work. Corporate policy outlawed it a while back, unfortunately, but worth an ask at cafes and similar places - a lot of the local independents showcase for people round here.

I'd also suggest looking back at any materials you got from Prince's Trust. You may have forgotten a lot, but it may all come flooding back.

graphicdesign1

It depends where about you are located. Check facebook for local craft fairs etc and see how much it is for a stall.

Another idea I've seen a couple of friends do is to approach small independant card shops, gift shops etc and see if they would like to stock some of your items. Etsy also seems very popular amongst my 'crafty' friends.

Regarding self employed you need to inform HMRC of it but I think you get 3 months after you start to tell them about it. As someone said above just keep receipts for everything and copies of any invoices, money you receive and the tax return is quite simple from there.

You also don't fill in a tax return until the following year, ie this Oct tax returns for Apr 2015-Apr 2016 need to be filed. The key is to keep very good records and the rest will be easy.

Good luck with it all.

Andronyme

You'll also need a public liability insurance if you intend to participate into fairs and markets

DFlights

You no longer have the three months' grace period, that was abolished some time ago. You have tell HMRC as soon as you start to sell, or decide definitively that you're going to sell. They're really not scary, in fact I found them very helpful indeed when I set up (I make pewter jewellery and do occasional freelance illustration).

Tax returns aren't fun, but they're not hard if you keep good records. I keep a book ledger, but you could easily use a spreadsheet showing columns of incoming (sales) and outgoings ( expenses). You could even keep running monthly totals if you find that easier.

If your turnover is expected to be under £80,000 per year, you don't have to be a Ltd. company. You can be a sole trader. Ltd. company protects you more and means you can charge VAT and claim VAT back on purchases, but it's more complicated than being a sole trader and you have to file annual returns at Companies House. It's a lot easier to do your own accounts if you're a sole trader - incomings and outgoings, that's pretty much it.

Insurance - please get some! I've got insurance that covers me for art gallery events/hanging work in public spaces (includes offices, shops, etc, as well as galleries). It also covers me for product and public liability. This means that if someone decides to be a moron and eat my jewellery and choke to death, I'm covered; if someone trips over my stall at an event, I'm covered. If my work gets damaged, be it deliberately or accidentally, or stolen or destroyed, I'm covered. It's simply not worth not having it if you're dealing with the public. I get mine from the Artists' Network for £38 per year, which is also for crafters as well as artists.

Another tax thing; you can choose to do a first tax return at six months or eighteen months from the date of your first trading. I chose to do mine six months after starting up, and that means that mine falls in April, not in January, so I'm not fretting over it at Christmas/New Year. So I get to ignore all the "You must get your tax return in by the end of January!" panic adverts.

sooty&sweep

Hi

Ring your Local Authority or look on their website to see if they can help you with free business advice to advise you.
You may be able to sit down with a business advisor who can guide you as to what you need to do.

Jen

Jj13

DFlights wrote: »

You no longer have the three months' grace period, that was abolished some time ago. You have tell HMRC as soon as you start to sell, or decide definitively that you're going to sell. They're really not scary, in fact I found them very helpful indeed when I set up (I make pewter jewellery and do occasional freelance illustration).

Tax returns aren't fun, but they're not hard if you keep good records. I keep a book ledger, but you could easily use a spreadsheet showing columns of incoming (sales) and outgoings ( expenses). You could even keep running monthly totals if you find that easier.

If your turnover is expected to be under £80,000 per year, you don't have to be a Ltd. company. You can be a sole trader. Ltd. company protects you more and means you can charge VAT and claim VAT back on purchases, but it's more complicated than being a sole trader and you have to file annual returns at Companies House. It's a lot easier to do your own accounts if you're a sole trader - incomings and outgoings, that's pretty much it.

Insurance - please get some! I've got insurance that covers me for art gallery events/hanging work in public spaces (includes offices, shops, etc, as well as galleries). It also covers me for product and public liability. This means that if someone decides to be a moron and eat my jewellery and choke to death, I'm covered; if someone trips over my stall at an event, I'm covered. If my work gets damaged, be it deliberately or accidentally, or stolen or destroyed, I'm covered. It's simply not worth not having it if you're dealing with the public. I get mine from the Artists' Network for £38 per year, which is also for crafters as well as artists.

Another tax thing; you can choose to do a first tax return at six months or eighteen months from the date of your first trading. I chose to do mine six months after starting up, and that means that mine falls in April, not in January, so I'm not fretting over it at Christmas/New Year. So I get to ignore all the "You must get your tax return in by the end of January!" panic adverts.

Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this will help me. Thank you for taking the time to write

Jj13

sooty&sweep wrote: »

Hi

Ring your Local Authority or look on their website to see if they can help you with free business advice to advise you.
You may be able to sit down with a business advisor who can guide you as to what you need to do.

Jen

Sounds like a plan! Thanks!