Drop a stitch podcast

As you do more and more markets, you'll start to notice certain types of customers who frequent your booth. Though some may annoy you with their ways and you may love some other, we thought it'd be fun to walk through the typical "types" of customers we've noticed over the years. From the ladies who shoves both her hand in every hat stretching it as much as possible and making a "this is too small, it won't fit" face to the random customer who beelines it into your booth, picks up a single items we can only assume they spotted from far away and instantly buys it before scurrying away. There are those who will ask you ALL the questions, those who will try on every single item leaving your table a mess as they do so, those who will praise you on your work but walk away empty ended and those who will buy much more than you'd ever expect. A big part of the fun of markets is connecting with customers but being aware of typical types can help ease the frustration of the not-so-ideal customers.

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You've made it to what may be your first market day, congratulations! But now what? In today's episode, we give you advice on how a tiny bit of extra planning can really make this day so much easier on yourself. Connecting with people is a big part of why many of us do markets, but we've found three ways to do that on various levels and explain how these connexions can impact you and your business in all the positive ways!

Here's a quick breakdown as a reminder:

- Give yourself plenty of time to travel + setup;

- Have help if possible;

- Bring snacks or buy them before the market starts;

- Have an "essentials bag" with things you could possibly need (gum, tape, zip tie, glue, water, lip chap, scissors, etc...);

- Connect with your customers but don't overdo it;

- Take pictures + post them on social media;

- Connect with other makers.

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Now that we've covered the basics of what you'll need to get in order to display your items at a market, there are still a few things to think through as far as having everything on hand to be able to sell your makes; think was is needed for a store to sell items to you.

Here's a list for reference:

- Make sure to have all forms of payments and all your devices charged;

- Make a checklist of everything you need for your setup (crates, lights, tablecloths, signs, chairs, money box, etc...);

- Get a foldable dolly;

- Use storage bins or bags depending on the amount of space you'll have at the market and most importantly in your car;

- Get paper bags/plastic bags for your customers;

- Make sure you have business cards for people to follow you and place after-the-fact orders;

- Load the car the night before the market if possible.

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Now that you've got the basics needed for a market setup, it's time to talk about how to actually put everything together and how to display your items. Establishing your brand/style/look is important for customer recognition but through our experience, we've learned a few tricks that may be even more important. In today's episode, we explain each of these tricks in detail and explain how they've helped us in the past.

If you're looking for a quick reference list, here it is:

- Put your items at eye level;

- Don't have too many items;

- Use price tags on each item instead of more general price signs;

- Display what you want to sell most (or your lower point prices) at customers' first sight;

- Organize your makes (colour theme or categories);

- Have one general style that is yours.

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Happy Wednesday! In this fifth episode of the Market Series 101, we talk about your market setup, what do you need? From the very basics like a table and chairs to the fun details that make your booth stand out, we have a list of must-haves (see below)! Of course, in the episode, we explain the reason behind each item and give you advice on what to think through with each item. For instance, a tablecloth may just be a tablecloth but long enough, it provides you with storage space for extra stock.

If you're looking for the shortlist, here's what you need:

- Find out how much space you have;

- Basics: Table, table cloth, chair, tent + tent weights;

- Choose your display: Crates, shelves;

- Use baskets, clothing racks, and small shelving units (be creative, you can even build small displays);

- Have mirrors, two or more;

- You NEED a sign with the name of your business;

- If you sell hats, you NEED a mannequin head (it doesn't have to be expensive);

- Price tags and/or pricing signage is a MUST;

- Business cards + business card holders are also super important if you're looking to make extra after-the-market sales;

- You should have a sign indicating what forms of payment you take and the means to actually accept those payments;

- Anything extra to make your space cute/on brand such as battery-operated light strings, helium balloons, etc.

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In this fourth episode of the Market 101 Series, we dive into the controversial world of pricing your makes. While there are many different methods you can find online, both of us use the same method which we explain in detail in today's episode. We've also been known to compare pricing with friends/other makers to ensure we are all on the same page and have found that it often helps a lot with having the confidence to price yours makes properly. Knowing your worth and remembering who your target customer is are extremely important in this exercise.

If you need a refresher or just want to skip to the good part, here's the formula we use to price our handmade items:

Costs of materials + (hourly rate x hours spent to make item) + profit = $$ What you should charge

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Welcome to the MARKET 101 Series, in today's episode, we talk about what being a maker is all about making! Now that you've found some markets in your area and are prepared for the application process, it's time to work on creating stock! When should you start preparing, what should you make and how much of it are all important questions and while we may not have a specific answer to give you, we have a lot of advice to share on the subject. Now is also the time to start thinking about ordering and stocking up on items you'll need to sell your makes and most importantly to start taking advantage of sales on anything you may need.

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In this second episode of the MARKETS 101 Series, we talk all about the dreaded application process. Most "good" markets will have some form of application process and if you haven't done any markets before they can be quite daunting to fill up but fear not, there are many things you can do ahead of time to prepare for these applications. Product photography, booth setup pictures and/or sketches, item and price lists, links to socials, and business and/or maker bios are all things you can work on and have ready for when these all-important applications open up!

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Welcome to the MARKETS 101 Series! In this first of many episodes, we start with the beginning : how to find a good market? If you're just thinking of joining markets, you may be shocked to find out, not every market is the right market for you. The other makers present, the price point of the items being sold, the publicity done for the event and the customer base are all things that will highly impact your experience and success. Luckily, there are signs to look out for as indicators of whether this is a good or not so good market for you, we discuss these signs along with the best places to find markets.

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It's no surprise that pictures are an important part of showcasing your work on various platforms. In today's episode, we share our best advice to up your picture game! We'll explain the dos and don'ts of natural light, backgrounds, props, editing and filters while also sharing what each of us does for our own pictures. Spoiler, you don't need a big fancy camera to get great pictures!

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