Markets are an amazing place to start your business and get your name out in the local community! They usually have a small buy-in fee to reserve your spot and then it's up to you to create a table space that is unforgettable to draw people to your table with MAGNETIC ENERGY. Markets can be unnerving if its your first time vending or your first time in a new location. This guide will give you a roadmap to success to standout amongst the crowd!
If this is your first market and you're feeling nervous, don't worry… and if you’re new to my community, WELCOME TO THE FLOWER TRIBE! Blossom into Love is a place where I (a flower preservation artist for the past 5 years) share all of my knowledge of how I turned my COVID hobby into a 6-figure business and markets were the start of it all!
Markets introduce you to your community, get fast cash in your pocket while you're building an online presence and can get you involved in your small business community where you can learn and grow with others in the same place you are. If you’re about to do your first market, or are looking to increase your sales, this guide should give you a boost in the right direction. For more personalized help, check out other coaching options available to you with Blossom into Love Academy. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Don't worry, I was super nervous the first time I did a market too! Things that helped me with the anxiety of the unknown are:
- Arrive 30 min early to scope out parking, drop off locations, figure out the best route to carry your supplies to your assigned booth location and most importantly, take a deep breath before you start setup! I like to sit in my car, put my favorite song on and get myself pumped up for a good day! Envision yourself with a smile on your face, standing tall with an inviting energy ready for the line of people waiting to buy your items. Picture the energy and love in your heart that you will feel at the end of the event when you far surpassed your goal for the day. You got this!
- List of supplies to consider bringing:
- Clean, simple table covers that match your brand.
- Create height on your table. Use small stools, peg boards, grids, or any other decor to create different levels of products. This allows you to add more product to a small 6 ft table and also draws the attention of the customer over to your display.
- Tape, string, zip ties and scissors come in handy! You never know when you may need a little extra support.
- Wind is the bane of my existence here in vegas. Having a display that can stand up through different types of weather is super important. Making sure you either have weights (medium sized rocks or paper weights work) to hold your items down if they are laying flat. Clips or hangers to keep items hung on racks or pegs. If you sell something that has a bit of weight to it already, like pottery, this may not affect you as much!
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Standing and being present at your table is non-negtiable, but bringing a chair for possible downtime is helpful on the super long market days. Try your best to not be sitting though, customers are less likely to engage with you if your body language is saying “im tired” or “i can't wait for this to end”.
- Get yourself a cart to tow supplies! Thank me later when you dont have to make 30 trips back and forth to the car lugging heavy equipment around. Here’s a link to the one I have, but feel free to get one that may suit your setup better. As long as it has wheels and can carry 50-100lbs of weight, you're golden.
- QR code with links to venmo, cashapp, zelle or any other platforms you use for payments are super helpful. QR codes are great for social media pages as well! Most people lose business cards or never look at them once they take them, so make the connection immediately at the table to gain followers. Take control as much as you can, leaving the decision in their hands often leads to disappointment. These QR codes can be found in the apps for each platform, or you can use a free QR code website. Etsy is a great resource for custom signs to put on your table to house all of your QR codes. Search QR code sign and find one you like in your budget!
- Card Reader: If you don't have a website platform you can take payments through, consider getting square. Do not connect your etsy to your square reader. Etsy will take money for each sale even at markets if you connect your etsy account. instead , adjust inventory as you go or after the event to save yourself some money. I lost hundreds of dollars making this mistake. I had closed my etsy store when i opened up my website, but every market i did for the next year, etsy still took their percentage of each sale even though it was not sold through etsy. Here is the link to get your tap to pay cardreader to look like a professional business.
- Business cards or fliers to put in each order, so your customers can find your business after they leave your table.
- Bags/boxes for your items. Organza bags on amazon are great for this! They are cheap, come in every color and have multiple different sizes.
- Cash box with change. I keep 10 1’s, 4 5’s two 10’s and two 20’s in my change box at minimum. Feel free to interchange 10s for a few extra 5s, but don't skimp on the 20s. If someone walks up to you with a $100 bill, you don't want to have to say no to a cash order because you don't have change.
How to find markets in your local area:
- Quick google search of art markets, holiday markets, farmers markets, food festivals, carnivals, music festivals or concerts. Think about what you sell and what kind of customers want what you sell. If you sell preserved fruit or flower items, maybe a vegan food festival would be right up your alley. If you sell custom clothing, maybe a music festival would be the perfect fit for you where people need outfits for days 2-3. Try asking a local boutique if you can pop up in their shop for the day!
How to set up your display:
- What are your brand colors? What is the vibe you want to give off at your booth? Simple and elegant, loud and bold, pretty and pink, soft neutrals and natural textures. How can you make a cohesive experience from the moment people see your table, to them hearing your story about who you are and what your business is to the moment they buy a product from you and post a story tagging how excited they were to find you. You dont have to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff, you probably have a ton of items in your home that you could repurpose for a market display! Consider the size and weight of these items to make setup and breakdown easier. Watch these reels here and here to see how i made my orange daisy peg boards.
- Simple is always better than excess decor. You don't want to distract from your product being the center of attention. Table cloths with patterns and prints are a perfect example of distracting display items. Patterns make it hard to see the products from a distance and can be overwhelming to the eye.
- Have a sign with your logo somewhere visible on your table or in front of your table to tell people exactly who you are and what you do. For example, I always have a sign that says jewelry made from real flowers with my logo on every earring card on the table. I also have a big banner for larger events with more space like a 10x10 tent.
- If you have a tent set up, put your tables on the outside of the tent, so people can shop from the edges. IDK why, but people are sometimes scared to walk inside your tent for fear of spending money, but they love to spend money when they make the decision themselves just by walking by and seeing something they like. This gives you the opportunity to engage with the window shoppers. I notice an immediate difference in sales when I move my tables around mid-event if I had them inside the tent to start.
- Good Lighting. Omg! So important! If your event is at night and outside, get yourself extra good lighting. The brightest tent will do the most sales, because people can actually see what you sell! Its inviting! String lights are not enough. Camping lights are not enough. You need a real outdoor light. Solar lights are great! Just remember to charge them before the event. Battery lights are more reliable, just keep extra batteries on you.
- Tent weights. Most outdoor events require you to have a certain amount of weight on each corner of your tent to avoid your tent becoming a sailand flying away in big wind gusts. I’ve seen entire displays wrecked from tents not properly weighed down. Here is a link to the ones i use. 20lbs on each corner is pretty solid. Some events may require up to 40lbs on each corner, so check the details of your event to make sure you are properly prepared!
What products to bring and how to price them:
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The items I sell on my website tend to be completely different from what I sell at markets! I have learned to stock up on more everyday items that everyone would like, rather than my more niche items that are for a very specific person. I always still set up my more expensive items, but the $20-$40 range is where most people thrive at markets! Make sure you bring enough inventory to hit your sales goal for the day! If you want to make $1000, you need to bring $2000 worth of inventory, so you don't run out halfway through the day.
- Cater your products to the seasons. No one wants to buy a knit scarf in July, but I would buy a knit bikini or bag!
- If you sell larger sizes or custom items, offer shipping/delivery after the event, but place the order in person.
- People love a good sale! Can you get them to buy more than 1 item to receive a discount? Buy 1 get 1 half off, buy 3 get 1 free, free sticker with any purchase, you get the point! This is great for items you want to get rid of to move inventory or old collections.
There's no one right way to run a business. We become entrepreneurs to live our dream lives and the structure of your business should reflect that. It's ok to not have employees, it's ok to not do markets, it's ok to not start with a website right away. You do you boo boo, as long as you follow the laws in your area. So, get out there and start bringing your vision into reality one step at a time! I know there's so much info jam packed into this you still need to process, but you probably have SO many more questions too! If you find yourself wanting more help, feel free to contact me or learn more about Blossom into Love Academy and how I can help you 1:1 with more personalized coaching to reach all of your goals by visiting my website to schedule a free 1:1 consult.
Happy Crafting!
Xoxo,
Marika