In our last blog, we asked the question, "How do you do it all?" Well... the short answer is, I don't. I can't.
As we enter the spring market season, and I see so many of my friends and fellow creatives planning for their upcoming events, I can't help but miss the excitement I once felt when preparing for a market. Although my time in the market scene was brief—just in 2023—I learned a great deal about both myself and the nature of running a business. The highs and the lows. The pros and the cons.
Here’s what I took away from my time participating in markets:
MARKETS ARE A LOT OF WORK!
I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but let me break it down for you—then break it down a little further!
There are the obvious challenges:
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Product: Sourcing fresh inventory for each market is a must, ensuring you're offering new, never-before-seen items that excite your customers.
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Booth setup: For seasoned vendors, this might come more naturally, but I never considered myself seasoned. Each market involved meticulous planning for booth layout, as each venue was different.
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Content creation: While event organizers do promote your business (in theory), I always felt the need to create additional content to complement each market. Whether it was posting about the event beforehand or generating fresh content in the hopes of creating buzz through shares, the effort was never-ending.
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Set up and tear down: From transporting the booth and products to the hours spent setting up and packing down (usually an hour or two before and after the event), there’s a lot of physical work involved.
In short, the amount of work that goes into preparing for a market goes far beyond the event itself. It spans weeks or even months of planning and culminates in long hours on the day of.
Then there are the less obvious challenges:
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Investment in product: Sourcing inventory isn't just time-consuming—it’s costly. Beyond booth fees, there are expenses for the product itself, displays, business cards, supplies, point-of-sale systems, and more. Vendors are paying for so much more than just a space at the event. Selling clothing, in particular, is physically demanding—clothing is heavy, and it requires a larger booth to display properly.
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Time commitment: Attending a market usually means taking time off from my day job. Since my husband and I work opposite shifts, even one day off can throw off our whole month. We need both of us to help with set-up and tear-down, and we have to arrange childcare for our kids while we’re at the event. This severely limits the number of markets I could attend. Plus, there’s the travel—many makers and small businesses have to drive into town for these events, factoring in gas, mileage, and time, all of which come with a cost.
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Return on investment: Markets can be unpredictable. One year, turnout could be great; the next, the same market could see low traffic. A snowstorm or cold day can turn the event into a bust. While you can always make the best of a slow day—taking photos of your products, networking with fellow vendors, or supporting local businesses—it’s tough to recover the costs if the return on investment isn't there.
These are just my experiences with markets. And while I’ve pointed out all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into it, I still miss it. I miss meeting other business owners, discovering new products, pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and feeling part of a vibrant, creative community.
I’m not saying I’ll never do a market again—I certainly hope to someday! But for now, I’ve had to let go of markets in order to focus on my storefront, which has opened up new opportunities for growth.
So, the next time you're at a market, remember that your favorite vendors didn’t just show up with a table full of products. They spent hours carefully planning and prepping every detail of their booth, polishing each item, and likely took time off from their other responsibilities to be there. Appreciate the effort—they truly poured their heart into it.
Thanks for reading and as always, would love to know what you think! Drop me a line at sandy@abeeberry.com
xo,
Sandy