July 10th, 2008 Jessica
If you make beaded jewellery or crafts and you’ve been thinking about selling your work, then craft markets are a great way to start making money from the hobby you love.
Indeed, Tom and I have found markets to be one the best avenues for selling our work. While you probably shouldn’t expect to make a fortune (although if you work at it consistently you might) it most certainly can increase your income or as they say, “pay the rent”. Another great thing about craft markets is that they are a great way to spread knowledge of your name and product, which is a great bonus if your business is supported with an on-line store (I’ll write an article about this in the near future).
So if you’ve been umming and aahhing, procrastinating and waiting, here are 10 tips that will help you get started with your own craft stall.
1. Find the right market for your product.
Lets face it. Not all shoppers are the same. Some are willing to pay more money than others, some are more environmentally conscious, some prefer unique items rather than mass produced goods, and others just don’t know what they want. Likewise, markets vary enormously. Within my vicinity alone (albeit I admit there is a huge market culture out here in the hills) there are several different types of markets, there are trash and treasure markets, recycled – sustainable living markets, handcrafted only markets, school fete markets, festival markets, antique markets, and just the old fashioned general bric and brac.
Knowing your markets niche or style is vital, as the style of the market will be the best indication of what kind of shoppers will be there. Remember markets with a wide selection of cheap goods are obviously attracting bargain hunters and from experience I know how difficult it is to sell handcrafted bracelets for $60 when the stall next door is selling bracelets for $5.
For handcrafted jewellery I highly recommend “handcrafted-only” markets in a location that attracts tourists. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule, and the best way to really know which market to sell your work at, is simply to give it a go.
Look out for special occasions in your area - School functions and fetes can be a great way of selling your work especially if you make jewellery for children. In fact, if you don’t already make jewellery for children I highly recommend it. Tom and I usually have at least a small section of jewellery for the littlies, these are popular and also attract mothers (and fathers). If you make your product from recycled goods, try the sustainable living markets. Big music festivals can be another great way to sell your work (although they can be a little harder to get into and generally cost more). Yet, if you know your product is suited to the clientele you will have the added bonus of a successful market in a great fun environment. See Beth Millner’s post on three good reasons to vend at music festivals.
2. Don’t wait - Start now
If you’re thinking it’s just too cold or too far away from Christmas to start your market I urge you to think again. Jewellery is one of the most popular stalls at any one market and as a result, most market administrators have a set quota of jewellery stalls for each market. Generally speaking most markets will have no more than 5% of any one market type. For example, a fairly large market with one hundred stalls with a 5% quota, will allow only five markets to sell jewellery. So as you can see, there are not too many places available.
I know in my area there would be very little chance for a new jewellery market vendor to be able to start up a stall in the summer Christmas period. The best way to get accepted into a market is to get in early. Market holders who have shown commitment during the ‘dull period’ will be given ‘first choice’ or guaranteed spots during the busy Christmas period. Likewise, many market administrators offer special prices for long-term market stall holders, so in making a long term commitment you may be able to save money too.
In all, commit to doing the market over the winter period and I assure you all the painful early morning setups, freezing cold days, and low market attendance days will certainly pay off. The day before new years eve was one of our best market days last year. Yet last week we had a terrible cold day with hardly any customers. Despite this horrible period in retail at the moment, Tom and I persevere as we know that our commitment to doing the markets will pay off (literally) at the end of the year.
Of course, you may not always know whether the ‘lull’ is due to a general low attendance at that time of year, or whether it is in fact due to a generally poor attendance market. The best way to find out is to simply ask a market stall holder who has been selling at that market a long time (Perhaps best not to ask a competitor though). Most people are friendly, and willing to share insight.Take a look at what others are selling. Look at their prices. Other factors to consider whether the market might be generally poor is to check the location, size, and parking availability. Also find out whether there is any obvious marketing or advertising for that particuliar market. These factors are important in determining whether the market you have chosen is a high quality market. In deciding whether to ’stick with’ a market during a ‘lull period’ really requires your intuition.
3. A few good investments
Unless you live in a place where you’re guaranteed no rain and no sunshine whatsever, then I highly recommend investing in a canopy. For one, you want to protect yourself and your products from rain, wind and sun. And secondly, you want to protect your customers. Yeh sure, you can always depend on the weather report but honestly, weather is as unpredictable as a bead rolling on a table top – you just don’t know which way its going to turn. I have seen stall holders make this mistake before and believe me, having to clear up all your stock in the pouring rain and windy weather does not look fun. Also remember that many markets have time restrictions on when you can bring in your vehicle for packing up. So if rain comes unexpectedly, you may even be ’stuck’ at the market till closing time. If you provide a comfortable place for your customers, then they are more likely to spend time at your stall. In fact, you may even make a sale because a customer has had to use your stall to protect themselves from the rain (I know we have). If your stall is inside then that’s another story of course.
Be sure to check with the market administrators first to see if they supply tables. Otherwise, it is a good idea to buy yourself some fold up tables. And don’t forget chairs (I’ve never been to a market yet that supplies chairs) market days can be long so unless you want to be on your feet all day- take a chair.
A nice big cloth to throw over your table/s adds that attractive finish. When choosing your cloth you may be tempted to buy something decorative and vibrant in colour, but try and stick with a fairly plain pattern neutral colour. Remember it is your jewellery that needs to be the focus, not your cloth.
Pin boards are great to use as display boards. You can buy these really cheap from a hardware stall or general supermarket. Simply attach some black or white velvet cloth to make them pretty. The height of these boards filled with lots of attractive jewellery can work wonders in grabbing customers attention from afar. If you make crafts try hanging items down your canopy. This cascading effect looks great. Create layers, utilise colours - Use that wonderful creativity of yours to make your stall look enticing to your customers.
4. Have enough stock
I admit, this is not going to be an easy task to accomplish. Anyone who makes handcrafted goods knows the biggest deterrant in making jewellery is simply - finding the time. So how much stock is enough stock? You’ve got to be realistic. If you only have a few bracelets and necklaces, then there is not much point spending money and time to set up a stall (if you want to make money that is). I think perhaps just as important as having enough stock, is having a wide variety of stock. Remember everyone has a particuliar taste so the best way to encourage more salaes, is by offering a wide range of goods to target a wider range of people. Something as simple as using different toggle clasp can be all it takes to secure a customer. Some customers prefer toggles, some prefer smaller lobster clasps, some prefer sterling silver, some prefer daintier styles, some prefer earthy colours, some prefer vibrant colours. Try an offer a little of everything. Also, find projects that are fast and simple and take advantage of them. It really only takes one day of work to make about fifty pairs of simple beaded earrings. Don’t just make complex, intricate pieces, as this will take too long to increase your inventory. Make a blend of simple (and cheaper) goods, as well as more time-consuming extravagant pieces and you will not only increase your stock quickly, but will have an excellent range of goods to offer your diverse clientele.
5. Clear price signage
I guess this goes without saying. But still, I have often been to stalls where there is no obvious price signage or tags. This is a nuisance. Customers should not have to ask for the price. Likewise, if you are busy talking with another customer you may lose another, simply because they waited too long just to find out the price. The local newsagent in my tiny town sells packets of string labels for a few dollars. These look cute (add your own stamp or signature) and are easy to attach to jewellery items. We also use large print outs - You should be able to laminate these at a local post office or print shop. So, what price should you sell your jewellery at? This is always a topic of contention for many people selling handcrafted goods. Indeed, pricing jewellery is a whole other story and in the future I will dedicate a whole post on this topic. For the time being though you might like to look at this blog post by Chris Parry, he has an interesting price formula you can download.
6. Be Prepared with change
The last thing you want to do after you make a sale is make a customer wait while you run around like a frantic chicken trying to find change from the stall holders around you. This is not only annoying for your customer but also annoying for your fellow stall holders. Be prepared. Take enough change and be strategic in your pricing so that change isn’t a problem. Tom and I don’t sell anything for $19.95 or $9.95. In all honesty customers are smart enough to know it’s not cheaper than $10 or $20. (The main reason major supermarkets do this is to prevent staff from stealing. As statistically most customers do wait for 5c change and therefore the shop assistant has to key it through the register). For a market stall, of course, we do not need to take such preventative measures. So be simple in your pricing - not $9.95 - $10, not $19.95 - $20. A money belt is also a good investment. Sure, you might look like a daggy tourist from the 80’s, but it is definately the easiest and safest method for keeping change.
7. Be Prepared for accidents
Liability - Whether you like it or not, this is a must. I have to admit, I was a little surprised to hear this at first because I don’t really think there is much that can go wrong with our stall (I’m touching wood as I write this). All the same it is best to be safe. The last thing you want is a major law suit because someone slipped over near your stall and hit their head on your table (touching wood again). Even if you think an accident is most unlikely, you can never be too sure. So do protect yourself and get liability, even if the market administrators don’t require it. Most major craft market administrators will offer casual liability cover at a reasonable amount (I’ve been charged around $5 to $8 for a day). However, if you plan to commit to having a market stall for a long period of time I do suggest buying directly from an insurance agency. You can buy a years insurance, starting from around $250AU. So if you plan to do a moderate one market a week, you can see that the savings will add up very quickly. Some liability policies also cover for bead shows, if you’re intending to do shows, this is a great option. You can dramatically increase your savings as many major bead shows have rather high liability costs.
8. Get adequate sleep
Most markets require very early morning set ups. If you’re anything like me (I am a shocking grouchy grinch when I’m tired), I really do suggest getting as much sleep as you can prior to having your market stall. After all, your customers won’t want to deal with a tired, yawning shop assistant. Which brings me to the final point:
9. Be Pleasant
I think there is nothing worse than a grumpy or unfriendly sales assistant. These are four things I can’t stand in a sales assistant.
Number one: a shop assistant who speaks really loudly on their mobile phone. Honestly, gossiping is not an attractive attribute in anyone let alone in a sales attendant.
Number two: A sales assistant who gossips loudly and ‘fools around’ with their co-assistants. I believe this can sometimes (not always) be a little intimidating for the customer.
Number three: A sales assistant who ignores you completely.
Number four: A sales assistant who lies to you.
I think being a good sales assistant requires a bit of a balancing act: you want to make your customers feel welcome and comfortable at your stall, and at the same time you don’t want to make them feel intimidated by being too overbearing. I find the best method is a simple hello, and a friendly smile (nothing beats a friendly smile). Give the customer personal space to look at your goods. If a customer asks for your advice, be honest. If something doesn’t suit them, looks too big or small, don’t just lie to them to try and get the sale. In the long run, this is certainly not worth it. Firstly, despite putting a major dent in your karma, you can guarantee the customer will not return. If something doesn’t suit the customer, direct them to another product that does. If it is too small or too big, be honest. Customers will feel grateful for your honesty.
10. Go that little step further
Continuing from the previous tip, Tom and I always take our tools with us. In the case that a product is too small or big for a customer we can easily make adjustments. Generally we make our products a little bigger than smaller. There are two reasons why this works. Firstly, it is a lot easier for us to shorten an item of jewellery than to lengthen it. Secondly, I think it is a little bit more ego boosting for the customer to have an item that needs to be reduced than increased. Vanity sizing perhaps - But it works. There have been many times I have taken off a bead, to shorten a piece of jewellery. In this case I quickly add a head pin and make the spare bead into a pendant. I do this at no extra cost. Small gestures like these are appreciated. If you take the step further people will be appreciative for it. Small acts of kindness never go astray.
In all, the craft markets are really fun way of showing your work and getting involved in the community. Despite the cold, and very early mornings, I really do always have fun selling jewellery at the markets and I hope these tips may inspire you too, to become a part of the wonderful, crazy, colourful, world of the craft market.
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