Pitching up

I’ve just finished my 4th year of Market trading, It’s how I started out my selling journey and since i’ve blogged about other areas of starting my business I thought I would share a few little bits about some of the things I have learnt about being a trader.

How I started

I started out Western Sketch at a market before I started an on-line shop, it was probably the opposite way that many would maybe start their business but I never regret the first market I did, coming from a retail background it felt more natural for me to create a more bricks and mortar approach initially.

The first market I did was called Harrow in Leaf an annual village show style event that fell over the August bank holiday weekend. I got a spot without anything to sell, which i’m not sure if that would happen now, but for some reason I was offered a pitch! Prior to this I had built up 18 months of illustrations which I used to create my first greeting card collection! I then spent 5 months getting myself ready, it was a lot of work as I had to start from scratch but thankfully for me it did end up a success.

Picking the right Market

Choosing the right markets is really important. You will need to pay a market pitch fee to secure a spot so you want to make sure that you are going to get customers attend. It’s not always easy to know, but a good way to tell is looking at their social channels and ideally visiting it, to get an idea of how busy it is and what standard the other trader are it helps to understand if your product would be the right fit.

I have always found the best markets for me are those that I would be a customer at.

The first markets that I did in London were somewhere me and my husband used to go before kids as somewhere to hang out, grab some lunch and have a look around often finding gifts for friends and family. It was never on my radar then that i’d become a trader as I had a full time job and wasn’t active with anything creative at that time. When we had our first child it was a really nice place to take her.

Lots of customers come to markets with young children and LOADS bring their dogs so picking a market that is family and dog friendly is a plus!

I’ve not always been able to visit markets before I’ve participated and then it’s helpful to look at their social media channels and website you can often get a vibe. If there is an application process or waiting list then it usually means its a popular market so worth applying! I’ve only had a few markets that have been rubbish and that’s often down to their location. To get accepted into one market, I became a regular trader at, I was asked to be a trial trader at their weakest location. It was probably the worst market I’ve done sales wise, but it did get me in with the market team and I was then offered their more lucrative location pitches which I had lots off successful market days from.

Have a look around your local area and wider, use google and Pedddle (on-line market directory) to see what’s near to you. Do any other small businesses you follow on Social Media attend any that are local to you, that look good? You can always ask them?

What do you need ?

You will need some stock to sell, it’s hard to know how much when you first start! I tend to now take ALL my cards and store them in plastic crates under my table as I often refill or can’t get everything out but a customer may ask if I have a certain card.

When I first started I printed 10 of each of my card designs at the time. I think I had 15 different cards designs in total. I took prints (which didn’t sell very well for me) and designed a local teatowel which I had to have 50 printed of. (I sold it at a bargain price as I was anxious that if it didn’t go well I’d be stuck with a lot of stock). Tea towels are now a real good seller for me at markets and i’m. more confident to sell them at a proper price!

I now tend to display around 30 different card designs and usually sell between 80-120 cards on a standard trading day

Multi buy offers are very popular and most customers usually take opportunity to grab a 5 card bundle deal. Its the cheapest way to buy my designs.

Gazebo

If it’s an outdoor market you’ll need a Gazebo. Most pitches a 3m gazebo is maximum. I borrowed a Gazebo for the first market I did, I then bought a very cheap 2m one which I’ve recently upgraded as it got a bit tatty and broken. You will also need weights to hold it down. Gazebos can be quite dangerous in windy weather and you will be asked to make sure yours is secure.

Table

Whether you are doing an indoor or outdoor market, you will need a table. 2m table is the standard for most markets. You can often hire these on the day from the organisers for a small fee or you may find one is supplied for you. They are fairly cheap to buy a folded plastic one though.

Card Reader

I did a few markets before I invested in a card reader. I used to take lots of cash in change but did a Christmas Market and I think almost every customer asked me if I took card and I ended up loosing sales because I didn’t. I use a Zettle but there are lots of other card readers now. I don’t take any cash now. If someone want to pay cash for a card then I accept but most customers now pay via card or Apple Pay.

Public Liability Insurance

You will need public liability insurance to trade at a public event. The market will advise you on their policy, its usually between 2m or 5m cover required. You can buy a days insurance for around £20 or an annual policy is around £100, if you thinking of doing regular markets an annual policy will be cheaper in the long run. I use craft insurance for my policy.

Useful Kit

Other bits you may need or like :

Table Cloth - I use a bedsheet I picked up at a charity shop

Banner or Sign - I traded at many markets without one but now have a banner which I love

Table clips - good to keep your cloth on the table especially if trading outside

Display equipment - depending on what you are selling. I started out using cardboard card display stands which were great, i’ve upgraded to some better stands now. Quirky display always works well. I use old suitcases to make it look interesting. Charity shops are great to find things. I picked up a wooden dish rack stand for prints from The Range there is always places that you can find inexpensive alternatives.

Scissors, Pegs, Tape, Note Book, Pen, Paper Bags, Business Cards, Plastic Crates, Trolley (you may have to carry your stock and equipment a long way)

How Much Does it Cost?

Once you have invested in everything you need, you’ll only need to cover your pitch fees and stock, but as a rough idea. Its probably only worth investing in the expensive equipment if you plan to do regular markets.

Pitch Fees - Anything from around £25 upwards. I tend to do ones between £30-£50 for a days pitch (Christmas Markets tend to be around £50)

Gazebo - £60 upwards but for a more descent professional one it will cost quite a bit more. Make sure you get one which has sides.

Trestle Table - £40 (you can usually hire one if needed to for £5-£10)

Insurance - £100

Display equipment - anything you want to spend, look for cheap alternatives.

Card Reader - anything from £20 upwards for a Square. My Zettle cost me £29 a few years ago but these are now quite expensive £75

How Much Can You Make ?

It really varies how much money you can make at a market, it depends on what you are selling I’m greeting card based which is relatively low value which is good as my cheapest item is around £3 but I need to sell quite a LOT of cards to make back and cover my costs. That said I’ve taken anything from £40 - £800 on a single day

I tend to average around £300 and £500-£600 a day at Christmas markets.

It is a whole day of your time and sometimes a bit of prep on prior days building up, so often after taking away your pitch fees, your time spent there and you physical stock you don’t make great profits, although popular markets can be very worthwhile doing! I try and be careful now and only commit to ones I know will do well at as it’s such an investment of my time which I don’t have much of. It’s a day away from my family so I do feel frustrated if it’s not felt worthwhile.

Sales are not always everything and markets are a great marketing opportunity for your business, if someone doesn’t make a purchase they may come and find you on-line another time or other opportunities may come from them!

Outdoor markets are really unpredictable as they are so weather dependent and it really does affect the footfall so don’t be too disheartened if you have a bad day, its more often weather related than any other reason.

Where to find me

You can find me trading at Ruddington Village Market although I’m not always there every month I hope to be a trader again for 2023 and will update this section once I have pitches confirmed for next year. Follow me on Instagram to keep up with my market locations for 2023