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Tidy Stall Templates
Free tool

Is This Show Worth It? Craft Fair Profit Calculator

Enter your best estimates for one craft fair, market or pop-up. The calculator shows your likely net profit, profit per hour and the sales you need to break even, then gives you a plain verdict.

Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere. The numbers below are an example; replace them with yours.

Your numbers

Show costs
Including any application or jury fee.
Gas, tolls, parking, and a hotel if needed.
Supplies bought for this show, food, helper pay, etc.
Time and sales
Count packing, travel, setup and teardown, not just selling time.
Your realistic estimate of total sales for the day.
Your percentages
What your items cost to make, as a % of their price (e.g. $3 cost on a $10 item = 30%).
Your card reader's percentage fee. Use 0 if you only take cash.
What your time is worth to you. Used for the verdict; leave 0 to skip.

Your results

Fixed show costs
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Cost of goods sold
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Processing fees
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Net profit
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Profit per hour
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Break-even sales
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Results appear here

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An estimate based on what you enter, not a guarantee. Sales tax isn't included; if you collect it, leave it out of expected sales.

How the calculator works

  • Fixed costs = booth fee + travel + other costs. You pay these whatever you sell.
  • Net profit = expected sales − (sales × cost of goods %) − (sales × processing %) − fixed costs.
  • Profit per hour = net profit ÷ total hours.
  • Break-even sales = fixed costs ÷ (1 − cost of goods % − processing %). Below this, the show loses money.

The verdict compares your profit per hour with your target. "Profitable, but below your target" doesn't always mean "skip it": a show can be worth doing for new customers, wholesale contacts or a busy season, as long as you're choosing that with clear numbers.

Getting better estimates

  • Ask the organiser about expected attendance, and ask vendors who've done the show before how it went for them.
  • Use results from similar events you've done. If you don't track them yet, here's how to track craft fair inventory and sales.
  • Not sure of your cost of goods? Work it out per item with this pricing method.
  • Run a cautious case and a hopeful case. If the cautious case still clears break-even, the show is a safer bet.