Excited - First Market stall tomorrow

[AliCat]

I do a market about once a month and find it can be very frustrating. But once people get to know that you are there, you build up a customer base. Bad weather is an absolute killer for outdoor market fairs (especially if, like the one I do, there is an indoor shopping centre in the same location!)

Good luck tomorrow - I will pray for better weather for you. Kudos to you for not getting disheartened!

Looking forward to hearing better news from you tomorrow evening!

[Emmalou]

Well done for getting out there and not being disheartened by the lack of sales.
Keep at it,I'm sure things will pick up.
Fingers crossed for warmer weather(well at least not rain) and lots of sales

Emma

[silverjewelleryworkshop]

Keep plugging away, I'm sure it'll get busier when the weather improves.
Wishing you good luck.

Caroline

[missie]

Good luck for tomorrow, Saturdays are always busy I bet, our local market in Ormskirk is Thursay and Saturday and when I visit it, Saturdays is mad busy ...lol

Let us all know how you get on xxxxx
Onwards and upwards, good luck xxx

[Lou-Lou's Mum]

I wish you the very, very best of luck with the stall and your new venture. I had a permanent market stall many years ago (after working up through the ranks of 'casuals').

As everyone has said, dress warmly, more warmly than you think you'll need as you'll be standing still or sitting and you do get cold when you're still. Put some insulation under your feet, cardboard boxes or something to stand on, it helps keep your feet warmer. Do take a flask of hot drink or soup with you, some sandwiches and a few snacks, it's very easy to spend a huge chunk of profit on takeaway food/coffee/tea!!

You may find that your fellow market traders are your best customers, which is always nice. A discount is the norm and they will do the same for you. Also, watching over your stall (and you over theirs!) when you nip to the loo is a welcome courtesy. If you hang on until the close of play, go and do a veg/fruit shop at your nearest stall and they'll give you a great price, often stuff for free too.

Just a final point but do keep an eye on your money....... Wear a money belt or similar. Don't be falsely trusting. A cash box is such an easy target for thieves and we knew of quite a few unlucky traders that lost money when distracted by clever criminals.

Best of luck again!
Cheryl

[Lou-Lou's Mum]

our local market in Ormskirk is Thursay and Saturday

Heh heh! That made me smile; I was born in Ormskirk and I loved the market; one of the very best I've ever been to, such a wide variety of stalls, too. It was much better after they pedestrianised the town centre; before that the traffic and buses had a terrible time squeezing past all the stalls!

[missie]

Heh heh! That made me smile; I was born in Ormskirk and I loved the market; one of the very best I've ever been to, such a wide variety of stalls, too. It was much better after they pedestrianised the town centre; before that the traffic and buses had a terrible time squeezing past all the stalls!

Wow your a long way from home ....

My 3 children and my husband are from Ormskirk, I'm a Liverpool gal myself.

I'm off to the market tomorrow ...lol I bet you wouldn't recognise the place now tho' especially since Woolies closed and is now being replaced with Iceland ....lol

[applecrafts]

Good Luck

I am sure your business will pick up when more people know you are there. You could always ask to be put on the waiting list for some of the busier days.
Good Luck and keep smiling and chat to anyone who comes to your stall whether they buy or not, even if you just talk about the weather it is good to get to chat to people and many appreciate someone taking the time to say hello.

[vgbear]

Thanks again for all your kind messages and advice.

Well what a difference a day makes.

Got up again at 6.30 this morning (I dont think I have done this on a Saturday for many of a year).

Made my way to Bury on another freezing and grey day. It did look like it was going to brighten but it decided to rain again and we my husband forgot one of the bags of new stock so it wasnt looking good.

However we made our first sale by about 10.30 and then got an order for two custom hooded towels which we are to take on Wednesday. It then trickled all my stuff is only between a £1.00 and £4.99 so it takes a lot to make a lot.

However about 2.30 two ladies came to me and asked if I could embroider them some polo shirts, I agreed I could and it was an order for 14 for a new ladies dart team again that I have to take on Wednesday. So we went from a £1.00 yesterday to a £100 today.

Also we had loads of people asking us questions about what we could do and also loads of people who know people who are having to have babies and were waiting to know the sex or the colour so that they could buy them something.

So it was a really positive day and made me feel that this might even work,

Sorry for my waffling and again I just want to say thanks to all those who have left such positive comments.

Really excited about my craft fair tomorrow now as it is the first time I can do on the stop embroidery and make things while people wait as I can get electric there.

[gbell]

brilliant, when people start to know you are there, you will get steady orders.

[Decima]

Good Luck, don't forget the flask!