Market Stalls & Events - Part 2

A big thankyou to all those that gave me lovely feedback about my last post. I am so happy that some of you found it a good read and hopefully there was some tips in there that were useful for you.

Today I am going to get to the next scary topic... market day itself!

"To market, to market, to buy a fat pig..."

So market day has finally arrived! You have spent all week packing, pricing and sorting through all the things you are going to take. If it is an outdoor event you have probably checked the weather forecast about 50 times by now, and more likely than not you spent a very restless night going over all the things in your head that you need to do and take.

So what do you need for market day?

Market Must Have List:

Here is a list of things that may be useful to bring with you on market day:

• Packaging and lots of it! Let's be optimistic here and think that we are going to sell LOTS of goodies.
• BUSINESS CARDS! We spoke about branding and name recognition in the last part, this is vital. Not everyone will have money on the day BUT everyone is capable of taking a business card.
• Tables and chairs (if not supplied)
• Tent Marquee (if outdoors and not supplied)
• Full length tablecloths. The full length allows you to place excess stock or empty boxes beneath your tables and out of sight.
• Calculator. Please remember this, in the excitement of a large sale I myself have miscounted and found afterwards that I gave a rather large dicount to the now ecstatic customer.
• Pens and Notepad. Chances are your pen will decide that today is the day that it will run out of ink so ensure you bring a spare. A notepad is a great way to take custom orders or jot down ideas on the day.
• Display items or racks, height is a great way to draw attention to your stall and items.
  
• Spare products. Bring a variety of products to suit a variety of budgets, spare stock can be left under the tables or in the car.
• Rubbish Bag. Markets are run in many cases by volunteers, please make their job easier by taking your rubbish with you at the end of the day or disposing of it thoughtfully.
• Water bottles and food. Some markets or events you may not get time to leave your stall to go buy food or there may be limited food options. Bringing your own ensures that you get much needed nutrition and hydration throughout the day.
• Panadol. Better safe than sorry, sometimes the bright sunlight or loud noises of a crowd can get too much.
• Scissors, blutack, cable ties and sticky tape for unexpected adjustments or repairs.
• Price tags or labels. There will always be one or two products that you may have overlooked when pricing.
• Adequate Cash Float. This can vary depending on your price range of products, how many people are at the event etc. For myself I usually have a float of $100-$200 depending on the event.
• Basic Tool Kit. For myself as a jewellery stall I always to try to bring some basic tools and supplies. Not everyone has the same sized wrist or neck and the ability to make on the spot adjustments can mean the difference between a sale and no sale.
• Sunscreen and sunglasses. If it is an outdoor event PLEASE remember sunscreen! I have come home looking like a lobster WAY too often because I thought I would be fine under my market tent.
• Tissues and Lip Balm. On a cold, dry, winters day, you will thank me for this addition.
• A cash tin or apron. I LOOOOOVE my market apron!!! You will not catch me wearing a bum bag! My market apron was made by the lovely Little Pink Carnation and was worth every cent! It has lots of pockets to stash various items in and a few zippered pockets to keep my cash secure. I have a lockable cash tin for when my apron gets a bit too full of coins and the like.

Buddy Up.

This is one of the BIG things that I think is really important for you. If you have not already done so, find out if any other stallholders that you may know will be attending that you can setup near. If  you don't know of any, and the sites are not allocated, look for the stallholder that seems the most relaxed and prepared on the day and setup near them. This is valuable for a few reasons.

Number one - inevitably you are going to require a toilet break at some stage through the day and unless you are lucky enough to have a friend or family member in attendance with you, you will need someone to keep an eye on things while you are attending the call of duty. This also applies if you need to get some lunch or stretch your legs.

Number two - if the person beside you is a seasoned stallholder you have a wealth of information right beside you, ready to access! They will be able to tell you all about the market you are attending and can hopefully give you some valuable tips specific to that market. This is the MOST important reason for buddying up and can start to build a network of knowledgeable contacts that you can ask questions of when they arise. They may even have suggestions of other events you could attend.

Setting up.

One of the biggest tips I can give you, is to arrive early. Do not turn up half an hour before the market starts and think you will be able to get everything done that you need to do. If they allow 2 hours prior to market start for setup, then use that time to it's full extent. It is your first market and you may need to fiddle with things a bit to get everything setup the way you want.
If you want some tips on how to create a great display, this link by Gazebos Asutralia has some great tips.

(Image of my necklace at markets courtesy of Scarlett Studio)

YOU!!!

Did you know that you are the most important part of your stall? And I know you think that, "of course I am part of my stall". But are you really? Many stallholders can make the mistake of thinking that just being there and having a great stall is enough. This is not the case. YOU are the most powerful advocate for your products. If you sell jewellery, are you wearing any of it? If you sell clothing are you modelling any of it? If you are not going to wear your products why should other people?
Plus there is the fact that no-one else knows your products as intimately as you do. You know how many hours went into creating that particular item, what supplies you used, how many hours of research you did. If you see a customer looking at your products, tell them about it. Show how passionate you are and why it is such a great item. If you are not excited about your goods, they will not be either.
One of the biggest things that turns off a customer is seeing a stallholder sitting down and not being involved in their stall. I know it is not possible to stand all day, but if you are sitting down are you still engaging with your customers?  Are you greeting each one with a smile or a "hello"? 
Make every customer that steps inside your stall feel important... because they are! Without them your day is just a day out, lugging heavy boxes of stock around.

Children.

At most markets there will be children and I have a few things that I do with my stall that may not be something you wish to do, but I am mentioning it anyway as it brings me something much better than money... happiness!

As part of my stall I always place some cheaper items towards the front of my stall in little baskets or chests. Why do I do this? I remember going to markets as a child with my hard earned pocket money and searching out that beautiful item that I could bring home and treasure. You may not make much money from this but trust me when I say that having those little treasures will make a child's day!

 (image of my products courtsey of Just for Mum's of the South Burnett)

I have always had the policy with my stall that I give out a few free things to children - always asking the parents permission first though! If I see a child in or near my stall that is upset, giving them a little gift to take their mind off it, costs me almost nothing but is invaluable to that parent who can now browse your stall in peace. They may not buy anything but you have gained two things: a warm fuzzy feeling seeing that child's smile and a parent who is grateful.
The same applies to those children that seem to 'touch' everything. You know the ones, they are followed by a stressed out parent who is constantly saying "put it down" or "stop touching!". These kids love to touch sparkly things and your $200 necklace may have caught their eye! By giving them a stamp or a little hairclip you have probably saved yourself hours of trying to reconstruct a necklace that has been smashed to pieces on the ground or drooled on. Again, seeing a child's smile is worth any minor cost you outlay to achieve such a result.

Have some fun!

Remember that market day is not just about sales! You are meeting potential repeat customers, you are networking with other businesses, you are advertising your product and you are seeing firsthand the joy that your product can bring people.
Don't spend your whole day worrying about how much money you have made (in most cases I don't count my money til I get home) but allow yourself to enjoy the day and simply smile!

"... home again, home again, jiggety jig!"

You have spent a BIG day at your first ever event!
You have now deserved a well earned break. Go home, put your feet up and have a nice soothing cup of tea and if you have made enough money... spoil yourself by ordering some take away for dinner.

STAY TUNED....

I hope this information has been helpful, stay tuned for the next installment which will be all about 'What to do when things go wrong!'