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How to set up a market stall
There is an amazing community spirit amongst stall holders and it’s a great team to be a part of! Another bonus of becoming a stall holder is the amazing fresh food and hot coffee served at markets that will keep you going all day!
Here’s how to get started in running your very own market stall.
Which market/s would you like to be a part of?
This is your first fact finding mission. You will need to look at market locations and determine from where you are based:
How far you are willing to travel?
Which day/s of the week suits you best?
Costs of travel to and from market location?
Local council websites and market Facebook groups are a great place to determine which markets run in your area.
Once you have found a market or number of markets you would like to attend, you must then determine:
Pricing, what are the stall fees associated?
What is required to be supplied by the stall holder?
Gazebo or table or both, table cloths?
Hours of trade, do they suit you and your family?
What to Sell?
What products would you like to showcase at these markets?
It definitely helps if this is something that you are passionate about.
However, before jumping in, first visit the markets in question to discover what types of products are already out there, how can you differentiate yourself and your products in a particular niche. Have a look at what is missing from the market.
Now you must determine:
Who are your customers?
What is the age group you are catering to?
How do they think? What do they like? What are they looking for in a product?
Product – Craft, handmade or not
This could be something you are passionate about and have already been making. Or this could be an item that is not made directly by yourself. This may be a product you have designed personally and has been produced in Australia or overseas or a product that you are a wholesaler for.
Public liability insurance:
Market organisers now require that all stall holders have their own public liability insurance in place before they are able to hold a market stall at their events.
Insurance is easy enough to organise and will cover you against liabilities should a customer be injured or any liability associated with the products you are selling.
There are lots of competitive priced insurance companies providing public liability insurance, you can compare prices by doing a quick Google search, for example type in Google ‘market stall insurance NSW’. This will bring up the various companies that offer market stall insurance.
Equipment:
What you will need for your set up, dependent upon what is required for each event you attend. For a general outdoor market, you will need:
3x3m Gazebo
Weights or pegs to hold the gazebo down and in place
Tables
Chair
Table cloths
Accessories to decorate your stall
Mirror (recommended if you are selling jewellery or clothing)
Money box and plenty of change for your float
Bags
It is also suggested to bring along warm clothing in Winter or dress in cooler clothing for Summer months.
Also look at bringing plenty of water to keep you hydrated throughout the day or a flask in the cooler months.
Presentation
Put some time into your presentation and the colour scheme of your market stall.
Look at what props and stands would highlight your products beautifully.
It is recommended to do a mock set up of your stall in the lead up to your first market. This can be done in your back garden to determine what looks best and where to position products, get your friends and family involved! This will help so much as you will know exactly how long it takes you to set up your market stall and take away a lot of stress on the morning of your first market set up.
Transport:
Is your car large enough to carry your equipment including stock, gazebo, tables etc? Bump in market mornings can be a little busy, bringing trailers etc adds to some of the chaos to park and unload. Food and drink stalls are a different story and normally have their own food trucks and/or trailers.
A small van or large car is recommended and adequate for a general market stall haul. Bringing a friend along to unload is also highly recommended.
You are now ready to run your very own market stall!
Good luck in growing your small business, connecting with beautiful creative people like yourself and most of all have fun! It’s an amazing community to be a part of!
