3 Tips for Rocking a Pop Up Market

Today’s post is brought to you by T-Mobile and T-Mobile Data Plan. Although compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser all opinions are & will always be mine alone. #TabletTrio #CollectiveBias

Having an online business is quite different than running a store front. When working from home I can answer emails in my pajamas and I don’t have to “sell” the product. Chances are, if you’re on my site you’re here looking at my stuff- I don’t really have to do anything. Coming from a former career in Insurance where I had the opportunity to meet new people daily, I often need to get out of the studio, out from behind the computer and out of my pj’s. Pop up markets and craft fairs are perfect for small business owners without brick and mortar shops, not only for getting out there with your product, but for fostering conversations and meeting some new people. I get a lot of questions about how I prepare for my markets, so I thought I’d share my main 3 Tips for Rocking a Pop Up Market and how the T-Mobile Data Plan keeps your small business easily connected.

I’m no expert, but my mom has at least 10+ years of selling out her products at craft fairs and I’ve been pretty darn successful at my most recent ones so I think it runs in the family.

It really comes down to the 3 “Be’s”: Be Professional, Be Aesthetically Pleasing, & Be Shopper Friendly.

This is a no brainier, but being professional is by far the most beneficial thing you can do for your business. YOU are your business so the foot that you put forward is how you’ll be remembered. Simple things like being on time, being prepared, being organized and courteous to other vendors, and most importantly knowing your stuff. Unlike working solely online,  this is your moment to sell your product!  You should know everything there is to know about what you’re offering. You should be able to explain your goods with passion and enthusiasm. If you’re not excited about what you’re offering, why should they be excited and furthermore why should they spend their money with you? Being professional means you’re informative without being pushy. No one likes high pressure sales. Realize that your product may not be for everyone and be polite when someone isn’t interested.

My mother used to stage her garage sales like she was still working for Gus Caplan’s (a high end department store back in the day). Tablecloths on the tables, easy to read printed pricing labels, hanging clothes hanging and not folded on tables, etc. She would even go so far as to accessorize an outfit and hang it on the fronts of the clothing racks. She would make the clothes we were getting rid of have new life and I’d say 75% of the time, the customer bought the entire outfit complete with the purse and earrings on down to the shoes, if they were the correct size. The outfit display would sell, and my grandmother would exclaim, “do it again, do it again” and we’d watch my mother do her thing.

When she started doing craft shows (monogrammed hair bows and children’s items) you’d see her implementing the same tools. Tables were “dressed” as she’d say and the booth was made to look like a little store. Products were easy to get to, and clearly labeled with pricing so the customer didn’t have to ask, or worse, not bother asking and walk away.

Each time I prepare for a market, whether it’s with my Kitchen Spirit line or with The Traveling Apron Cookbook I follow her example.

Make it pretty. Make it easy to shop. Make it self-explanatory.

Along with being a “pretty” shop, you need to be shopper friendly. Being shopper friendly starts with having a pleasant shop but also being a functional one. Do you have a way that someone in a wheelchair can access your product? Are your best sellers at eye level? These things will help you sell your items. But then comes the most important reason you’re at the pop up market/craft show in the first place: to SELL your product.

In today’s connected environment, long gone are the days when cash and check were the only two forms of payments you needed to worry about. Now, you need to be able to swipe and connect.

Telling someone who doesn’t have either cash or checks handy to run to the ATM is taking the chance that they won’t return.

Not returning means they’re also not buying your product and a missed opportunity.

Having the T-Mobile Trio AXS Tablet solves every single one of those problems.

For starters, the 7.85″ 4G tablet is quite compact and easy to tote along.

Spotty wi-fi at your venue is no problemo for this little guy because of the T-Mobile connectivity.

For only $179 at Walmart you get the tablet and FREE DATA FOR LIFE. That’s right, 200MB of free data come complimentary each month with the purchase price of the tablet for as long as you own it.

Need more than 200MB? Not a concern. For an additional $35 you simply purchase an unlimited data card that’s good for an entire week.

Or, once you’re in danger of running out of your FREE 200MB you’re taken to a screen on your tablet showing you the different (affordable) data plans. This tablet would be perfect for teens who need their data usage monitored.

Using a credit card reader (I use intuit ), you plug it  right in to the headphone area on the top of the tablet.

Shop. Connect. Swipe. Checkout. Happiness Abounds.

The cost of the tablet plus the ease of connectivity will quickly pay for itself when other vendors are accepting cash only and you’re busy swiping credit/debit cards, or what I call “being shopper friendly”.

The connected tablet also comes in handy when you want to show a potential customer something on your website that you might not have with you that day.

It’s like having a really fancy business card!

No fumbling with your phone trying to enlarge the screen.

And for blogging on the go? You know, while you’re sitting there with nothing to do waiting for someone to come shop…..this compact connected little tablet has you covered.

With these 3 “Be’s” I’m quite positive you’re going to rock your next market.

As always, if there’s something more you want to know drop me an email or comment below. I love talking “shop”!