Getting Ready for your First Fair!!

So you have gone and done it! You are booked in to your first event and you will have to set up your own 'pop-up shop'.  What do I expect? What do I need to take? How much stock will I need? I have done many fairs and events over my 7 and a half years with teresa4cards.co.uk and I hope to be able to answer some of your questions here.

Here are some of the things you are likely to need:

• ​table and chair, check with your organiser as they may provide these, if they do check the size so you know how much space you will have.
• a table cloth, this so important as it makes your table look tidy and will hide all your empty boxes that you tuck under the table.
• change, what you need will depend on your pricing.  I forgot my change box at one event but luckily I had some notes in my purse which the organiser kindly changed for me!  On another occasion my change box fell out the back of my car all over the floor as I was unloading #embarrassing, so make sure it is well tucked away!
• point of sale advertising / pricing, people like to know how much things are and they don't always like to ask!
• some stock, take as much as you want, you don't need to put all of it out.  If you don't have much stock take what you have a make a good display from it.  Practise at home to check you have enough for a decent display.  Don't be afraid to take a small amount of stock if that's what you have.
• business cards, or something people can take away with your contact details on. Make it easy for people to find you again if they want to buy from you!
• food and drink if you want it, you may not get a chance to step away to find lunch.

shop greetings cards

Here is my most recent stall at a fair. I was set up in a barn at a fun day!  My set up is very practical, to make best use of the space available.  I have seen many beautiful and much more creative stall set ups!  It will depend on your products, and quite often as much work will go into the display as the products themselves.  Also bear in mind I have been doing my card business for some years so I have plenty of stock to display.  A smaller amount of stock is perfectly acceptable and indeed may look much more attractive.  I tend to take the kitchen sink with me!

teresa4cards.co.uk

So what to expect? The answer is anything! Some places will offer you more space than others.  At school fairs expect the tables to be low.  I have also on a couple of occasions been given circular tables or hexagonal tables!  If I am going to a new place I quite often take my own table with me even if they are providing tables as if the table is not suitable you can sometimes switch it for your own.  At the event pictured about I could have easily fitted in another small table which I didn't think to take with me!

In terms of how much you are going to sell, you can never tell.  I have been to fairs where I have sold nothing.  Sometimes due to poor footfall, other times people are just not spending money. Sometimes I think I have had a poor fair and then had regular orders come in afterwards from people I have met at that fair.

If you decide to do fairs regularly, over time you will find you get to know which ones work for you and your products.  You will also meet other stallholders who will often be very happy to point you in the direction of a good fair or good organiser.

My final tip is to smile and speak to as many people as you can.  A simple 'hello' may attract their attention as they are near your table.  Some may not respond or reply, that's fine. Others may speak but not stop, also fine!  You will get the attention of some that may have passed by otherwise.

Finally, give yourself plenty of time to get there and set up, be flexible in your set up to allow for smaller or larger spaces and see them as a good way to advertise your business.  Hopefully you will also make lots of sales while you are there!

​Love Teresa xx

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