Packing up and synopsis

When the show is over it's time to pack up and head home. Some people seem to be in such a hurry that they begin to break down even before the scheduled end of the day. I could never understand this as we often make sales right up to the end and sometimes even later.

Bringing your vehicle up before you are ready to pack is rude and holds everyone up. Try to have everything ready to load so you don't clog up the loading spaces with your truck and trailer. Every show has rude people who buy mass produced good and sell them like their own and rude people who are thoughtless enough to hold others up while they take their time to tear down and pack.

Once you are packed make a last minute sweep to be sure that all litter is picked up and you have not left anything, especially tent pegs in the ground or screws protruding from black top. If you are looking to improve your karma you could look around and see if any one is struggling. Folding a canopy can be a real chore for one person but with a helper it only takes a few minutes.

If the canopy was folded and packed in the rain, or if there was any moisture like dew, you should set it up and thoroughly dry it out before packing it up. Mildew will ruin a canopy in short order. Setting the canopy up in the sunlight works best but if the weather is foul that will not work. Maybe you have a garage large enough to at least partially set up while the fabric dries. Take this time to clean any mud or dirt off the side curtains and bugs from inside the top. Check for damage and missing pieces. Now is the time to make repairs to the canopy and setup, not the day before leaving for the next show.

After the show is the time to clean up all your notes while the show is clear in your head. Count your money and check your stock. Figure the sales tax so you don't have to when it is due. Now is the time to figure out if you are making money or just moving money from one pocket to the other. There can be a lot of hidden expenses attached to shows. Make sure you aren't fooling yourself into thinking you are making money when you are not.

If the promoter gave you a review to fill out now is the time. For the review to be useful you should be frank and thorough.

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