By Carmen Hawker (she/her)
Who doesnât love a market? So much to see, sift through and score. Thankfully, after a few years on the backburner, markets are back as eager crowds once again spill into iconic venues around the country to rummage for that special something. But what about for those on the other side of the trestle table?
Fresh from her dazzling debut at Australiaâs leading design market, Finders Keepers, in Naarm/Melbourne, we hear from dopamine queen herself, Carmen Hawker from CARMEN GET IT!, on just what it takes to make a good fist of your next market.
Despite losing far too much precious sleep trying to anticipate, contingency plan and imagine every little detail before the doors flung open â here Carmen shares her top 10 tips for dominating the market scene, with thanks to input from fellow makers and creatives (Bamba Bamba Collective, The Moon Et Tu., Wild July, Xanadu Designs, Chai Walli, and Denz & Co). Hop in loser, weâre going shoppingâŠ
1. Decide your âmarket goalsâ and write that sh*t down
On some level, every creative in business for themselves knows that (life and) work is about far more than sales. Itâs about connection, fulfilment, joy, alignment, community, contribution â all of the things that make the world go round. But when it comes to markets, especially ones you have to invest bigger dollars into (think: stallholder fees, stall setup, stock purchases), it can become easy to be distracted by the bottom line.
Taking the time beforehand to define âsuccessâ on your own terms is critical to market preparation. Depending on what you sell and at what price point, you might like to expand your definition of success and set market goals based on things like:
- Connections made, and what that means to you
- Joy created in what feels like a bleak world
- New followers or fans (basically, exposure and âgetting out there,â even though we know that doesnât pay the bills)
- Other small businesses and makers supported and inspired along the way
- Showing up and ticking something off the bucket list
- Contributing to arts and culture, being part of the local community
- Learning for future markets and experimentation
Of course, knowing your break even point is important and sales matter too, but all of these âotherâ things deserve to be counted as success alongside sales. I highly recommend taking the time in the lead up to your market to articulate a more expansive list of âmarket goalsâ and be sure to write them down (on some cute stationery if it helps! Spoiler: it always helps).Â
2. More is more when it comes to stock
Itâs no secret that imma âmore is more, less is a boreâ kinda gal, but easily the most common question I hear from first-time market makers is: âhow much stock do I need to have on hand?â
My business is somewhat unique in that I donât make things myself â I co-design and work with other women makers to bring them to life, but the question of âhow much stockâ to prepare was still very much on my mind in the lead up to Finders Keepers.
Rule of thumb: have more product than less (about three times as much as you can display, I was told), but also know this â selling out of something isnât necessarily a bad thing. I created some small signs for âlast pairâ or âonly 3 leftâ to display next to low-stock items and it worked really well to create a sense of urgency and intrigue. Depending on what you sell, you can also open pre-orders or take someoneâs email and let them know when somethingâs back in stock.
The truth is: thereâs no predicting what will sell at the market. Sometimes you sell a bunch of one item, so you make more for next time, only for it not to move at all. It can be so dependent on who walks through that door. Great, love that for us. For your first market, just make as much as you can and know itâs an investment in any future markets.
3. Make your pricing clear and displays user-friendly
Thereâs nothing worse than browsing at a market, falling in love with an item and then having to ask âhow muchâ before finding out itâs about 72 times more than you hoped it would be. That, or trying to pick up an item for closer inspection and then creating a disaster-like domino effect that destroys someoneâs entire display. Oh, the humanity.
When it comes to pricing, market goers are often happy to ask how much items are, but making it crystal clear helps to set expectations and attract price-aligned customers.
Bonus points for unique displays that enhance the customer experience. For example, I invested in custom-made neon earring displays from Milestones & Mayhem and if I had a dollar for every compliment I got on them, I might not have to be schlepping it out at the marketâŠ
Be sure to have a mirror handy if you are selling accessories, clothing or cosmetics. And I even created a photo album of customers wearing certain products, so that I could show potential customers what it might look like for them and it worked a treat!
4. Dress for success but also for comfort
We are our own best (or worst) advertisement, so it *almost* goes without saying that you want to put a little bit of thought into your market day outfits. And itâs not all about comfy shoes either (though they are vital).
My best advice is to take a couple of layers or options, especially if itâs an outdoor or winter market, and make sure youâre wearing something thatâs easy to move, squat or bend and snap in, not to mention something that hides the sweat youâre breakinâ for all the sales youâre makinâ.
Bonus tip: you might want to invest in an anti-fatigue or rubber mat and take a stool or chair to help you make it through the day in one piece.
5. Enlist a âhappy helperâ so you can have a break and a KitKat
Markets can be exhausting, and itâs not uncommon to suddenly find yourself at the end of the day having not sat down or eaten a thing. While you can probably file that under âgood thingâ because it means youâve had a constant stream of people, itâs not sustainable and we have to weigh up the âopportunity costsâ that come from completely wiping ourselves out after a market. (My first year Economics professor is probably like sahhh proud I just used âopportunity costsâ in a sentence, even though I dropped out of his course the following week).
For smaller markets, make friends with your neighbours and work out a system where you cover for each other to go to the loo or grab some lunch. Some markets even have the option for stallholders to pre-pay for food to be delivered to their stalls; if not for Goldilocks Lunchboxes I may not have eaten at all at Finders KeepersâŠ
For bigger markets, enlisting some âhappy helpersâ and taking a break (preferably off peak) is a must. At Finders Keepers, I had a roster of five fabulous women who helped me out over the course of the two and a half days, and I wouldnât have survived without it. To make sure that they had everything they needed to âsellâ without me, I also created a Happy Helper Guide with conversation starters and âtaking payments 101â, so I could eat some lunch with the peace of mind that the show could go on.
Image supplied: Carmen and one of her happy helpers, Jess
6. Advertise a market special price or unique offer
You gotta give people a compelling reason to buy with you right then and there. Whether itâs a âmarket special priceâ on a certain item, a bundle value pack thatâs not available anywhere else or even a lucky dip, market goers love novelty.
Another great thing about markets is that you donât have to worry as much about the costs of packaging and shipping (which can be killer for small biz). So, even though you have to factor in the value of your time, you might want to pass those savings on to happy customers so they canât just âdo it online laterâ.
7. Engage with people and have something to âtake awayâ
After a few years living behind our screens, weâre a little out of practice connecting with literal humans in the flesh â and that goes for both stallholders and market goers alike.
As a market goer, people can, like, see you (horrifying). As opposed to online, which is practically obligation-free, at a market you are all too aware that you are being watched by an eager stallholder, which can be hella intimidating and sometimes even off putting. Just remember, stallholders know theyâre not for everyone and more often than not theyâre just happy to be there (and measuring success by things other than sales 😉).
For stallholders, itâs our job to put people at ease quickly. Be it a warm âhi, how are you?â or a âis this your first time to this market?â â donât be afraid to engage with people and spark up a conversation.
Of course, extroverts rejoice, but if youâre an introvert, this might be a little out of your comfort zone. The good (terrible) news is: thatâs what markets are all about! Showing up and putting yourself out there. Just know that market goers love to hear the story behind your business or products, and thatâs what makes market experiences unique as compared to shopping online from a chain store.
In my experience, itâs still far more effective to be engaged and interested in your customers, rather than playing it cool and keeping yourself busy, and this is where the âgiveawayâ comes inâŠ
Be it a business card, a sticker, a postcard, or a QR code to scan, make sure you have something small that people can âdoâ or take away with them â something obligation-free (and actually free) that says: âthanks for stopping byâ. Sure, all those business cards youâve given away might live in a pocket for the next seven years, but they also *might* just lead to a follow up sale or connection down the track.
8. Have a clear plan for âbump inâ and âbump outâ
Otherwise known as the set up and pack down, knowing exactly what you need to do, and in what order, for your stall will make things go a whole lot smoother.
Where do you park? How long do you have to set up? Do you need to unpack your sign first before you get your products out? Do you need a hand or can you do it yourself?
While it might not always be possible, I recommend doing a âdress rehearsalâ at home and getting your stall set up precisely how you want it (and taking pictures of it), so you know exactly what youâre doing come market day.
The other thing is to familiarise yourself with the ârules and regsâ of the market youâre going to (theyâre all different), so you donât waste time on things (like in my case, a f*#$ off neon sign) if you donât have the space or facilities to pull it off.
The calm before the storm.
9. Assemble your trunk full of junk
Youâre gonna want to put together a box of supplies with all of those itty bitty things you *might* (but probably wonât) need on the day (or days) of your market.
Some of the things to include:
- Scissors and/or pliers
- Sticky tape or duct tape
- Blu Tack and/or super glue
- Rubber or elastic bands, cable ties
- Pens or markers
- Post-it notes or price stickers
- Alcohol wipes and hand sanitiser
- Microfibre cloth
- Painkillers or âpick me upsâ â paracetamol, ibuprofen, lozenges, mints
- Snacks on snacks on snacks
- Water bottle or reusable coffee cup
- Extra packaging materials or wrapping
- A rubbish bag or ziplock bag
- High-vis jacket
The last thing you need when youâre setting up your stall is to realise youâve left something at home or that you donât have what you need for a few running repairs. Depending on what you sell, other things that might come in handy are: earring backs, clips, a stapler, air mist, string or rope, batteries â basically anything in that âmiscellaneousâ drawer you have at home âjust in caseâ.Â
10. Have a back-up payment system and come fully charged
And of course, how could you prepare for a kickass stall without knowing how youâre gonna take all the money? The payment system going down is basically every stallholder’s worst nightmare. But it happens, and you gotta have a back-up plan.
Bear in mind, most markets are âcashlessâ these days, and not all venues have reliable internet, leaving us wide open ye olâ technical difficulties. If you are using Square â itâs useful to have two different devices that you can connect to, and make sure you bring your chargers or a battery pack (not all markets have power available).
Little things like âLow Power Modeâ or reducing your screen brightness can help to preserve the battery during the day. And, if you have an online store, it doesnât hurt to have that loaded and ready on your smartphone or tablet in case you have to process payment another way.
And just like your devices, which you want to charge the night before, getting a good night sleep before the market is imperative (unless youâre trying to sell zombie-chic). Hereâs hoping that with all of these super hawt tips, you will be able to rest easy knowing youâve done everything you could to prepare.
A couple of bonus tips for good measure:
- Get yourself some Public Liability Insurance (My Market Insurance and AAMI have great, low-cost options) to protect yoâ ass;
- Donât check sales until the end of the day â itâll just stress you out;
- Try to do a pre-market poop or take a precautionary âpillâ if youâre prone to anxiety or pain;
- Pre-wrap or pack a few of each product in small (preferably branded) carry bags so you donât have to disrupt your display and you can give people their goodies swiftly;
- Make friends with your neighbours, know what theyâre selling and work together â people are drawn to good energy and they love community over competition vibes.
Before we 🦓 trot 🦓 out too many more clichĂ©s, the last thing to remember is that youâre in this to HAVE FUN.
While there are certainly things we can do to make our stall run more smoothly, every market is just another opportunity to share your work and learn something new â about yourself, your products, your customers, or the art of the sell.
There is such a thing (donât I know it) as overthinking it, so, just get out there, have some fun and donât forget to tell the world where they can find you!
A wear your heart on your earlobes kinda gal, Carmen specialises in story-driven copy and content for purpose-led businesses, and sells joy-filled stationery and accessories to boot (her business, her rules). Based on Wurundjeri land in Naarm, consider this your one stop shop for all those âlive your values out loudâ needs. All you gotta do is… CARMEN GET IT!
Have you shopped our fabulous âGet Bizzy Witâ Itâ collaboration with CARMEN GET IT! yet? An eco-friendly stationery pack for creatives and business badasses, youâll wanna fill these pages quicker than you can say: âabracazebraâ.
I’ve just signed up for my first market stall and this is a great insight. Thanks for all the great tips!!
Best of luck with your first market stall, KateâI’m glad the tips were helpful. I have total faith that you’ll have a brilliant time and sell all of your wares!
Hi Lilli, thanks for all the great tips. I have also just signed up for my first market. I just had a query as to the actual set up of the trestles. I am selling dog treats in bags and not sure to just have trestles at the front and sell from behind or or front and one side of marquee. Or set up from within so customers walk in and we sell from inside. Hope that makes sense.
Hi Fiona! I’m so glad you found the tips useful. I think a bit of trial and error is in order to see what works best for your audienceâI’d recommend trying both on separate market days and seeing how your customers respond. Good luck with your first market stall!
Thankyou so much for this! Soooo helpful! I have my first market this Sunday eek
So glad it was usefulâI hope the market stall went well!