indieBerries goes to Market!

Welcome to Tuesday! And a brand new edition of indieBusiness Bites! 

(Initially I had scheduled these "business-type" posts for every second week - but I am finding more and more things to say on this topic of "creative business" - so am thinking of bumping it up to every Tuesday - what say thee to that?)

Anyway - this week I want to talk about markets!

If you have been keeping up with the indieBerries world - you may already know that I am doing my VERY FIRST EVER market this Saturday at Holy Cross Prep School (post code above) from 11h00 - 15h00.

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Since this is my first market, and I'm uber nervous excited - I have done a LOT of reading and research on the topic and there is loads to think about - so I thought I would share a list of some of the things that I have come across that have been useful/beneficial to me. At the end of the post -I will leave a whack of links to some of the cool articles/blogposts that I have drawn this info from.

(You may have seen this via my instagram account or on twitter, but these are a few of the goodies that I will be selling at the market - handmade Christmas gift tags, Christmas cards, packs of kids-colour-in-Christmas cards {below} I actually coloured in the fireplace pic - and I can confirm that colouring in is fun for kids of all ages. Warren's nieces did the snowman and Christmas tree)

(I have a whole bunch of goodies and have tried to keep a good mix of Christmas things versus "non-Christmas" things and also hopefully a range of prices to suit many pockets.)

Some market Tips I have come across that I have found useful:
(bear in mind, that it's my first market on Saturday - and half of these tips may be absolute rubbish - so check back after MARKET DAY 23 NOV to find out what REALLY worked.)

1. Make something in your market stall "snap-able". It's the perfect opportunity for you to use the marketing/advertising power of people passing by - who may upload pretty pictures of your stall to their social media networks. If you make a little section of your display super "picture-worthy" make sure you include somewhere in the background a clear image of your company name/logo/web address.
2. Include Press clippings. The indieBerries blog has been featured in numerous magazines and publications. I have read that it's a good idea to print out some of these, if you have, to display at your stand - it not only creates credibility, but also a great talking point.
3. Use it as an opportunity for great market research. I have mentioned to The Warr, on a few occasions that one of the things that I am most looking forward to about having a stand at a market is to be able to gauge people's reactions to what I have created. Noticing what they are looking at, what they are drawn and what is most loved. Having a blog only gets you a very small fraction of feedback on creative work because not everyone leaves comments and posts are very easily lost in the internet archives.
   The Etsy blog has a great printout for you to collect "market research" while you are selling your goodies.
4. Cross promotion. This is my own little two cents of wisdom - the items and creative goods that I have ready for the market are only a small portion of what I can do and the services that I can offer. As a result, I have decided to have a little section of my stand dedicated to "other shizz I can do, yo" (I probably won't label it like that, but you get the idea). I have decided to make a pin board of "portfolio type pieces" including illustrations, wedding stationery, logo work and other "stuff" that I can display as sample of what I can create. A passer-by may not be in the market for Christmas gift tags - but they may have a niece/sister/cousin who is looking for illustrated wedding stationery - and by having my work displayed (right next to the press clippings of awesomeness) - there is an opportunity for collaboration. {Similarly to this, le husband imports Nguni Hides to London and I have asked him for one as a "table cloth" - because it might be just the thing that someone is after, you never know!}
5. Encourage interaction and people engagement. I don't want to give away all my SURPRISES but I want to create a booth that encourages audience engagement and interaction. I have always found that people need a reason to approach or engage and I have a few ideas to help make it a fun and friendly booth - stay tuned!
6. Newsletter Sign Up. One of the things that I keep reading about is the importance of engaging with your "new" customers soon after the event - you will still be fresh in their minds and you could offer them discounts for having signed up to hear your news. I am thinking of doing a giveaway for my newsletter sign up - because everyone loves a chance at a freebie! A market is a great way to build up your customer community - especially if you are engaging, friendly and interested in them! (Ain't nobody gonna sign up for a newsletter from grouch-ville)

That's all I have for now! I will be bringing you more tips (pricing/inventory/payments/packaging) once I have done my first market and I can let you know how it REALLY went down.

(Greatest Fear: Only Warren and his sister buyin' mah shizz. Then I get all my own stuff gifted back to me at Christmas. That's pretty awkward.)

Below: a few other goodies that will be for sale on Saturday!

A few useful articles:

• How to translate in-person events into online sales

• What to bring to a craft fair

• Booth Inspiration from the indie craft parade

• Market Stand display tips and ideas
• Vendor Tips via Renegade Craft Fair: what to keep in your booth

Our house is SUPER NEAT AND TIDY.

Husband LOVES having to squirrel around until he can find a place to sit.

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Today we say goodbye to our main sponsor Moss Letter Company - (boo hoo! I have loved our naked frolicks in the wilderness), but we welcome an equally wilderness-lovin' lass - Little Outdoor Kylie on board! You will be hearing more about this month's sponsors soon!

In the meantime - you can check out the gratitude series that Kim is running on her blog, some delicious Christmas snack ideas on Berry Diaries and the art of vajazzling on Little Miss Medic)

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PS. I have already had a Doodle book order and a request for some card prices and pics from some awesome indieBerries readers (and they aren't even online anywhere!) - thanks for all the support y'all! It seems I can't get things done fast enough to reply to all your good cheer! 

Muchos MUCHOS Gracias! If you can, come say hi on Saturday!