5 ways artisan markets can help your business to thrive....
Have you ever considered taking a leap of faith and starting that business you’ve dreamt about?
Or maybe you are already a small business trading online looking to take the next step and reach new customers?
Well, we’re here to tell you why trading at local artisan markets is a fantastic way to help bolster your business venture.
Not only does it grant you another potential revenue stream, but the exposure of your business to local communities can help increase your brand’s awareness and even create opportunities you have been dreaming of.
At the Makers Market, we have seen first hand just how much selling at a local market can be the platform that allows a business to truly flourish!
So, we’ve put together our list of 5 ways artisan markets can help your business to strive and grow:
1) GETTING YOUR BUSINESS VISIBLE - This might come as a shock to some, but online shopping and social media is not used by everyone. Sometimes it can be hard to reach your target audience online. Selling at a Makers Market will bring you into contact with a wide variety of customers and people, bringing even more visibility to your business and brand. We are so pleased to find out that traders from the Makers Market are often featured in Newspaper articles about the success of their business and how trading at our markets has truly helped them to flourish further than they ever thought. Most recently, one of our amazing traders @VintageWardrobeManchester was featured in The Guardian telling her inspiring story of how she went from a teacher to following her lifelong passion for fashion.
2) CREATING OPPORTUNITIES - Selling in person at a market is a fantastic way to really get to know your customers. Instead of a faceless online presence that lacks familiarity, when you sell in person you can let customers get to know the person or team behind the business and all the passion and hardwork that goes into creating your products. These face-to-face conversations can lead to networking and connections which ultimately might bring about some fantastic opportunities that may not have happened otherwise. We have had many traders who have managed to have pop-ups or get their products stocked from some major highstreet stores. One of our regular traders, @GoodyPaws, recently had a pop up at the John Lewis Trafford Centre - how amazing is that!
3) SUPPORTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES - One of the most admirable things we feel about selling at markets is the support it brings to communities and local businesses. And local communities want to shop local and put back into their own communities. This want to shop local can help bring your business a regular customer base within the local communities that you trade at. We have many makers and artisans who have customers that come to the markets just to purchase from their stall. Sometimes we can get a bit ahead of ourselves and think about trying to cater to as large a customer base as possible, however sometimes a smaller, more loyal and consistent customer base can do wonders to help your business grow. These customers are often likely to let others know about your delightful products or services through word of mouth, and it has often been proven that word of mouth is one of the most effective forms of marketing!
4) SUPPORT AND HELP - When you sell at local markets, it is inevitable that you will soon be wrapped up in the family of traders that also showcase there. This is a fantastic way to gain insights as to how others operate their business and find ideas or that spark of inspiration to take your own venture to the next level. Not only that, but many of our traders have a wealth of business experience and of trading at markets who are always happy to help share their knowledge and tips and tricks. Maybe just one slight adjustment to your stall display could have a profound impact on its impression and impact on customers?
5) BUILD YOUR BUSINESS CREDIBILITY - Selling at a market can take your small business from a seemingly small ‘side hustle’ to an official business that you are confident and proud of. This is no longer just a hobby you were having a go at, or just having some fun with, you are now building rapport as a fully established business. This can help with building a customer base as it helps to build trust in your brand and the products/services you are offering. It can also give you that motivation and encouragement to keep pushing, to truly find out what the full potential of your business could be.
We truly feel so fortunate to have seen so many businesses flourish whilst trading at our markets and we are always eager to support any new aspiring trader. To find out more about how to get involved at our markets, you can check out our Becoming A New Trader page.