Do any of you entrepreneur Mamas know how to get started opening a booth at a local Famers Market to sell crafts and other handmade goods?
Several of my friends and I are crafty moms who make a lot of useful kid items that we sometimes sell on Etsy, but we want to take it further and open a little shop at the Farmers Market! The only thing is none of us have ever done anything so official before. I would LOVE some advice for starting as well as tips for how to get the paperwork or financial info for this endeavor.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks everyone!! I didn't realize it would be so simple! I looked up who runs the farmers market in irvine and found the application for being a craft vendor right away!
I have been to the farmers market near my home often and already knew they allowed crafters to sell goods there, so I wasn't worried about that part, but I'd love to thank everyone for the useful suggestions of other place we could sell our wares! I never thought of some of those places! The only other one we considered was a craft fair, but we're concerned that we wouldn't be able to make enough money to make it a continuous endeavor.
Thank you everyone!
If it is like our farmer's market you contact the people that run it and find out if there is an open booth. It is no different than renting an apartment, you sign a lease.
Call your local chamber of commerce and find out who runs and operates the market...find out what is needed and go from there!!
HOW GREAT!!! Hope you have a successful table!!
You need to attend the market and really scope it out -- do they allow items like clothing or is it (as another person who posted noted) limited to food and drink items? Many farmer's markets try to keep to true "farmer's" products. Ask vendors at the market for the name and number of the orgnanizer.
Also, try craft fairs and craft shows. There are almost as many of those around us as farmer's markets; the difference is that the markets are weekly for much of the year and the fairs are one-time, but there are lots of different fairs. Some are very big deals, with thousands of people attending over a weekend. If I were at a farmer's market, my mind would be on buying food or plants, not clothing; but at a craft fair or craft show I would be much more in the frame of mind for useful kid items. You might do much better selling at craft shows than at farmer's markets. Be sure to visit a lot of craft shows and fairs to see what is out there and if what you sell is duplicating what others already sell or if you can get ideas for what will really do well.
Also look into "cooperative" craft stores where someone has a shopfront space but rents small areas within it to crafters, who put their goods there. The "landlord" takes a percentage of the sales, usually, or charges a "rental" fee, but it's a way to have a full-time space for your stuff. Usually you do not have to be there to staff the space, too.
Hi, fellow Etsian here :) I see you have several responses, but I just wanted to chime in. I've done a few farmer's markets, and they can be tough. Some folks that frequent them feel like it should be food only, others like to go to be able to purchase hand crafted items. So good luck! It is a very easy process to participate. Just be aware that some up them require a weekly commitment, and most take a percentage of your sales.
Also, someone mentioned flea markets and antique malls for you to sell at. These ARE NOT the venue for hand crafted items. People that shop at flea markets/swap meets, etc. are looking for a deal. They are typically not willing to pay for your time, materials and talent.
Since you are in Irvine, I wanted to tell you about Patchwork. They have three shows in November in your area, Santa Ana, Long Beach and Culver City. The booth fee is about $140 or $170, I think, and you can share a booth with a friend. They are one day shows, and well established. Might be worth looking into for you :) You can find more info about them here: http://patchworkshow.com. If you haven't done shows before, but want to get into it more, the farmer's market would be great practice for a larger show like Patchwork. (also check out Holiday Traditions Shows).
I've partnered with a friend and we're doing the Patchwork Long Beach show.
Good luck!
Sounds like fun!! Our Farmer's Market has food as well as craft booths.
Contact whoever runs it. They should be able to help you. Plus, they should be able to tell you where to get a vendor's license; you'll probably need one.
You might also want to start checking out the Christmas Bazaars. I know it seems a long way off, but getting signed up for a booth usually starts in September and/or October!! They usually have a big turn-out as everyone seems to love buying hand-crafted items as gifts.
Good luck!!
I'm sure it depends on the guidelines of your local farmer's market. Call the city and ask who runs it. Once you have the contact information you can go from there. Be sure to find out the cost and if there is a commitment/contract to sign.
I know ours only allows food/drink products and flowers, not even lotions or soaps or anything like that. But you never know, they may allow other things at yours.
Good luck!
I think what you are looking for is a flea market or an antique mall. Most farmer's markets only allow foods. Craft fairs are also a good idea, but are much more sporadic and can be costly.
