Whether you have a hobby that makes you a bit of extra cash or you are running a business fulltime, having a market stall or attending a business expo may be a great way for you to create brand awareness, reach a diverse audience and branch out to business-to-business trading.
With the 2021 Business Expo Ipswich coming up, Ipswich City Council is offering training sessions to businesses who want to book a stall and will show you how to make the most of it.
The sessions will be run by My Local Market organiser Chantel Jackson.
“You can have your shop online though Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, Facebook for Business, a website or Instagram, the ways are endless,” Ms Jackson said.
“But having a market stall or expo stall is an opportunity for something a bit different.
“Markets and expo have become a reasonably priced way to have a bricks and mortar shop, without the outlay and high costs.”
My Local Market organiser Chantel Jackson
These are Ms Jackson’s top three tips for selling at a market stall or expo:
- Put your phone away
Plain and simple. After you have done the daily post and check in, put it away. There is nothing worse than walking into a stall and the stallholder not acknowledging you. This is a big turn off for a lot of people. Make sure you say hello and ask ‘how are they liking the event’ or the weather. This is their first impression of you which is important.
- Have an eye-catching stall
Think of your stall as extension of yourself. It is on display for all to see. Make it interesting and eye catching. Things like matching table clothes, curtains along the walls and a mat on the floor. Place your product at different heights to draw the eye in.
- Have payments options
This is one of the biggest pitfalls I find with new stall holders. They say cash only until they see if the stall will go well. Please, Invest in a card payment. You would be surprised to know how many sales you will miss out on because you are cash only. You also look more professional as you can set up personalized receipts and raise invoices if required. If you do decide to be cash only put a sign on your stall, so your customers are aware.
To learn more about expo and stall holder tips and hints book into one of the free pre-expo training sessions here.
Ipswich City Council has teamed up with the Ipswich Region Chamber of Commerce to offer training to businesses ahead of the 2021 Business Expo Ipswich which is on Friday, 28 and Saturday, 29 May.
The workshops ‘How to make the most of expos, tradeshows and markets’ hosted by My Local Market organiser Chantel Jackson will be on at:
- Riverview Community Centre on Thursday, 6 May
- Firestation 101 on Monday, 10 May, Tuesday, 11 May.
Deputy Mayor and Chair of the Economic and Industry Development Committee Councillor Nicole Jonic said small businesses are at the heart of the Ipswich economy and should be supported.
“Council is offering these educational workshops as our focus is on supporting small businesses by giving them the tools to bounce back better after a challenging 18 months,” Cr Jonic said.
“We are encouraging local businesses to showcase their business at the 2021 Business Expo Ipswich and also for consumers to visit the expo and check out what is on offer locally.”
