What are your expectations..

What do you expect to gain from holding a stall at a local market.

Are you there after spending weeks and weeks sweating out stock , to by the end of the day have it all sold?

Are you there to meet like minded crafty people?

To showcase your product and gain interest?

With the fee you pay for your market hoping for loads of people to come past your stall?

And what is an appropriate amount of effort, you as a business owner / crafter are willing to contribute in to promoting the fact you will be a stall holder.

Do you promote on your facebook page? Do you promote pick up for sold items

.. then bringing in more potential customers for fellow stall holders?

Do you ask the co ordinator of pamphlets, leaflets, email-able and printable details..

Personally, I am there for the pure adreniline.

I, in all honesty, couldnt care if i walked away with a $5 sale.

I always take my best friend with me so she can man the stall and i can go meet the other stall holders.

I adore seeing the care and passion my fellow madies have put in to their wares.

the nervous chit chat while you wait for the 'approval' from others.

Market day to me, is my day to shine.

Its my little 6x4 shop.

I get to my market nice and early.

Starts at 9.. Im there around 7am , giving me time to focus on details.

Last month i was lucky enough to have my parents drop by before opening.

Watching my dad spin all the little teacup handles the right way, dropping the tags down beside them and perfectly placing my bunting across my table.

Each bunting inside each other. It looked so therapeutic for him.

My mother, on the other hand.

Tipped my bundle of hair ties, brooches and pins out of the converse shoe box i keep them in.. flipped the shoe box over and placed them on and around it.. Bless..

I always have friends who come up and have a walk around.. Bringing me chocolate and coffee.

And fellow face bookers drop in to finally put a voice.. to the name.

I am so proud of each market stall i hold.

Not only because i am made to feel like an asset to the market but because of the effort i put into making it look and feel amazing.

That, is why i spend my Sundays in a hall, with hundreds of crazy shoppers and like minded WAHP's.

I promote my market as it were my own shop.

I ask Cassandra from The Upper market in Upper Coomera for pamphlets which i keep a dozen off in my nappy bag. They are month friendly so they never out date.

On the Friday before , when i head to pick master 5 up from school i drop leaflets on all the car windows.

I even blue tacked one to the gate at day care.

I gave 20 to a friend i know who works at the local bakery and she slipped them in peoples plastic bags.

And a friend who lives 45 minutes away put one up in her daycare.

I spam my page with links to the market leading up to the big day. And i offer market specials.

I bring a jar of lollies and have a free guessing game. And promote that too.

And this bring me to my question.. As i see many stall holders publicly voicing their disappointed in the market days they attend.

Now, Why are you a stall holder? and as a stall holder, what do you have to offer your market if anything?

I am just thankful my local market it a reasonable rate, has fantastic publicity and an awesome bunch of like minded people.

x N