Set Up Is Key

When you think of an event what is the first thing that comes to mind? The people, sounds, activities, and sights. What gets overlooked is the work to make an event successful. Whether the event is a backyard cookout with friends, a stage show or even a festival, planning is key.
Success or failure can be determined by factors beyond your control. Weather, timing, economic factors, current fads, and even location all impact outcomes. You might represent an excellent company making the finest ice cubes, in Alaska you'll have trouble trying to make the same sales you would in Arizona. You might sell heavy cloaks like hotcakes in the North only to find folks down South have little use for them. You could be a talented juggling unicycle rider vying with five other juggling unicycle riders on the same street. Perhaps you make lovely hand woven baskets, but at the event you paid to sell your wares at, there's an importer with ridiculously low prices with a better booth location. You spend your day watching shoddy imported baskets go by, listening to patrons tell you your pieces are expensive.
Don't take it personal. Look at what you can do to succeed despite the weather, location, timing and economy. Connect with the people who have open minds or an eye for quality. Educate others when you can, perhaps you'll help them learn the right questions.
If an event isn't supportive of the businesses and people who make it happen, look for one that is. If it's a life situation, same goes. Assess. Don't fall in the trap of overgeneralization. All patrons aren't cheap or rude. All events aren't poorly organized. Find the good ones. You have the power to make choices, the best choice you can make for success is in your set up. Do your research. Figure out what you need. Don't accept a glowing assurance, ask for detail-what makes that assurance more than a platitude? It's up to you to represent yourself wisely or you'll get taken advantage of. Over and over.
Set yourself up for success. Climb the tree, get the proverbial coconuts.