So one really cool part of this whole handmade business venture has been the opportunity to be on the other side of the table at markets.
Here are a few things we've enjoyed and learnt after our first summer season of markets:
- Being on the other side of the table at a market means having to get up really early on the weekend.
- It also means a LOT of shuffling and juggling of children.
- Sometimes it means getting all five kids up with you at 5:30 and taking them to the markets with you.
- If this has to happen - choose a market with open space and take lots of food, card games and colouring books. Or, an iPad if you have one.
- It's wise to keep a 'Market Day Checklist'. Otherwise you may go to a fancy big-city market and realise you've forgotten to bring any bags along.
- Forgetting to bring bags isn't always a bad thing - it's wonderful advertising when people are carrying your product around a market ;)
- Snoop at other stallholder's gazebos. Find the good ones and ask where they got them from.
- A decent gazebo very quickly pays for itself in windy/rainy conditions.
- Wind and rain is not a good combination for wooden items.
- Always try to improve, or change up, your stall presentation.
- Remember to order more business cards before you only have 10 left.
- Have market prices.
- You can't always pick a "good" (profitable) market.
- You just have to 'be in it, to win it'.
- At our worst market, we only sold one item.
- A busy market doesn't necessarily equate to a profitable market.
- A slow market is a long market.
- A slow market can be salvaged if your neighbours are rad.
- All of our market neighbours have been rad.
- The market stallholder community is a fantastic community to be a part of.
- We are so grateful to have had this opportunity to be a part of it with each other.
- Next summer season there may even be a little baby Needle & Nail-er at the markets with us :)
