My first Batty Blossoms market was in December 2021 and since then I've gone on to do another 40+ markets and pop ups. š±
So here are 15Ā lessons I've learned from the last 2 years of craft fairs/marketsā¦Ā
- Plan your products/display carefully - if you can, practice your set up at home first so you feel confident everything will look right on the day.
- Have a good look at your stall from the front before you start trading so you can see it from a customer's perspective - are there any products that are hard to reach? Is your pricing clearly visible?
- Test new products beforehand! You don't want toĀ discover thatĀ your shiny new product has quality control issues in front of customers.Ā
- Invest in a GOOD suitcase/trolley to transport your stuff.Ā It's going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting for you, literally.Ā
- Always take water/snacks/coffee - if you're busy, you need that fuel to keep you going! And if you're quiet, you'll thank yourself for packing a nice little snack.
- Take an emergency kit of sellotape, scissors, blutack, pens, string and safety pins - trust me on this. You never know when you might need it...
- Customers LOVE multi-buy deals!Ā And it can be a great way to help nudge those sales figures up, especially if you sell low-priced things like stickers and badges.Ā
- Invest in good display racks/shelving that will help you show off your stock effectively. Using height and multiple levels will allow customers to see all your products and make your stall eye-catching.
- Smile and be yourself - people are investing in YOU just as much as your work. š
- Take some work to do during quiet lulls - something easy to pick up/put down like making labels, packaging items etc.Ā
- Every market is different because each crowd is different, so your bestsellers will probably change each time!Ā
- If doing an outside market in Winter - wear THICK socks and warm shoes. Smiling at customers whilst your feet slowly freeze is not easy.
- Take a portable battery pack to power your card machine - itāll stay on & connected to your phone, so you wonāt have to keep reconnecting it.
- Chat to your stall neighbours! Making pals and networking are one of the best parts of markets so donāt be shy. Iāve met some truly amazing people over the lastĀ couple of years - you know who you are! š„°
- If you have a quiet market - DO NOT BE DISHEARTENED! There are so many reasons it might be quiet - the weather, transport issues, the time of month/year, how many other events are on that day...Ā the same market on another day may be totally different! Quiet markets are a chance to create content for your socials, network with other sellers and get some tips.Ā
And there you have it! I hope this helps someone out there.
Would you like to see more tips/lessons for markets? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments! šš»