Market Stalls & Events - Part 1

Getting Started:

I have been attending markets and events for over 3 years now. By no means am I an expert, but I have gleaned some valuable information along the way. I am also privileged to be part of a local network of handmade small business owners that have enabled me to further add to my knowledge in this area.

Quite often I get asked by businesses, new to the market scene, for tips and advice on how to get started or how to overcome difficulties with markets. So I have decided to blog about it... so that it may be of use to others out there that are in a similar situation. And partly because I am lazy and it will save me re-telling things lol.

Please note that most of the tips are given from the perspective of a handmade products business but many of the tips can be applied to other businesses also.

Let's start at the beginning!

Ok... now I have my sister to blame for this, as she loved this movie and I had to endure many viewings of this as a child! So now everytime I think of the phrase "let's start at the beginning"  I always get this Sound of Music song in my head!!!




The most important thing to start with, is to find and locate the events and markets in your area.  In many cases your local visitor information centre will have a list of them. However, when in doubt, my old friend "Mr Google" is invaluable at searching them out!

Choosing your market or event:

Then comes the hard part! You need to look at the market, maybe even go along as a customer once or twice, and determine whether the market is suitable for your products. For example does it get the type of customer you are searching for? If it is a cheaper flea market style event then I can guarantee you, you will not get people wanting to pay for high end items! They are there for a bargain and nothing more. These markets can be a great stepping stone in the beginning when you are trying to find your feet as the site fees are usually much cheaper... however in the long run I do not think it does your handmade products justice by selling there and competing with the made in china products that are mass produced at a price you simply cannot compete with!

So sit down and ask yourself some questions, when choosing the event:
1. Who is my product for?
2. What is my price range? (I will get to pricing your products at a later date)
3. Is this market specifically catering for business like my own? (there are many markets out there that are only for handmade businesses)

What makes you unique?

Another important question to ask when looking for a new market to attend is: how many other similar sellers are there at the event with products like my own? If there is an oversaturation of a particular product, as a new seller (who has not established a regular market clientele yet), you can easily get lost among the other established businesses. In the case of handmade jewellery this is usually quite hard to avoid as there are many of us.

Some market organisers are great at their job and they will try to restrict the amount of sellers of a certain product.  This does not always happen though, so before you take the step out to setup a stall, ask yourself... what is it about you or your products that is unique? Do you have a story to tell? When the customer comes and looks at your stall is there something that will set you apart from the others? Are your items packaged beautifully? What will your display look like?

Branding, branding, branding!!!

If you don't already have a name for your business NOW is the time to do so, before you even setup a stall you need a name! You need business cards, labels with your business name on your product and you need signage! Why? Because to establish a regular and repeat clientele, people need to associate your products with a name and a face or logo. If it is a large market, when they get home they will go through their purchases and if you have clearly put your brand on a product they will remember that name again and will start to associate your name with that product.  This means that at the next market if they see your business name again they can easily remember it and return. Signage and labels and cards don't need to cost the earth, Vistaprint is a great place to get them cheaply (especially if you are on their mailing list you can take advantage of their free offers).

Part of this whole branding thing is having an online presence. This is vital! Some customers may not have cash on them that day, but if they have an avenue by which they can contact you inbetween markets to purchase or enquire it WILL make your business much more successful.
There are a few options for this when starting out. Facebook is one of the easiest and most cost effective... why? Because it is FREE!! Set up a business page on facebook with all your vital details.
Another option is online stores like Madeit, this is a great way to have an online shop without the overheads of your own website fees. You pay a listing fee for each item you list and can setup your own storefront complete with individual banner. Think of it as an online handmade marketplace, so that when you are not at market you can still sell your products... and not just to your nanna and her friends. ETSY is another online selling avenue and if you don't have an account with them yet you can use this link to get you started with 40 FREE listings, which is a great way to test the online waters!

It's those little touches that make all the difference!

Think now, about how you are going to display and package your products. Simply throwing a few items on a table will not get you many sales. There are lots of great ways to package your products, again tools like google and pinterest are great ways to look up ideas. It does not need to cost much, but make sure that your packaging ties in with your products. For example, why package your items in bright girly pink bags if you are selling mens products? Sure the bags may have been cheap and on sale, but if they don't match your products it can be somewhat off putting.

In terms of your actual market display, when first starting out ensure you practise your setup at home. Set everything up on a table at home. Now take 5 steps back and REALLY look at your display. Does it have height or levels? Does it stand out? Do you have too much or too little on the table? Ask a friend or partner to have a look at it and critique it for you also. PLEASE bear in mind that if you are attending an outdoor event you check that everything will be secure and sturdy and that the wind cannot knock things over. From someone that had the fun of picking through the grass to locate 144 pairs of earrings that had been knocked over, please listen to my advice to avoid a similar situation. I got my Dad to reinforce the base of the earring stand with a big block of timber after that event!

Booking in.

Now to get those contact details for the market or event that you have chosen and book your site! Some markets will have special requirements in regards to what you need to bring, others will provide some things for you. Ensure you read ALL market information thoroughly!!! You have only yourself to blame if you do not ask the questions you need beforehand.  If there is a contact number for the market organiser, save it into your phone or write it down. You never know when you may need it or what may come up. Familiarise yourself with the stall layout if you have been given a map of your location.

Most of all: Good Luck with your decision to take this big step into an unknown new world!

STAY TUNED....

I hope this information has been helpful, stay tuned for the next installment which will be all about market day itself!