My first was a fair up in my Screenprinting Friends neck of the woods at Sewerby Summer Gala and it was a gorgeous day! As most market/fair traders will know the initial set up is pretty pricey! It's easy to forget that as a customer the amount of time and effort the person whos stall you're looking at has put in to attending that event! It literally took me weeks to prepare! Making stock, pricing up, marketing ideas, creating packaging, business cards etc, then after all that I had to decide on a layout!
It's been a lot of trial and error and with each stall I learn a little something different. It's also been super helpful to chat to some of the regular traders at the events because you get a better idea of what an average day at an event is. Nothing more disheartening than turning up on a bad week and not selling much, but it's a little reassuring to know everyone else is in the same boat :)
A few things I've learnt so far is obviously preparation is key and so is enthusiasm! Go into each event open minded and stick it out. You've paid for the full day - so stay! Don't overwhelm your customers with too much choice, be selective and keep things neat, makes its much easier for your customers to browse and see what really takes their interest. I'm still picking up little ideas and tips each time I attend and I'm also realising what really doesn't work, it'll be different for each person so just trial and error is best!
