Stallholder Search
Sponsored Advert
Sponsor this page
You can sponsor this page by clicking the button above. Prices start from £5.00 per month
Premium Adverts
Stallholders
In this section you will find lots of advice and information for Stallholders such as finding and booking events and how to make the most of bookings. The information and advice contained here has been suggested or provided by many different sources and is only intended as a guide.
Many events are found via word of mouth, in local press, the internet or on community noticeboards. For an up-to date list of UK events and local events, you can use Stallfinder to find events by county, distance from your postcode, type or month. Please mention Stallfinder if you contact any of the event organisers listed.
N.B. We strongly recommend that you do check out event organisers before handing over large sums of money in booking/table fees. If possible visit the event (if it's on regularly) or location in advance. Post-dated cheques may be advisable if you're required to pay for your stall/stand in advance.
Booking Events
There are a number of things that need to be considered when booking into an event.
- Is anyone else going to be selling similar products?
- Is the event suitable for your products e.g right target market, handcrafted/handmade items only
- How much is the fee or commission rate?
- Booking form - if possible, doublecheck cancellation/refund Ts and Cs and any deposit details.
- Is a raffle prize required?
- Is a stand/table provided and if so how large?
- Are there any arrangements for parking and unloading?
- Are directions available to the venue?
- Is there an estimated number of attendees?
- Advance publicity - how well has the event been advertised? Can you help to display/distribute any flyers etc.?
- Is access to power available if needed?
- Have you exchanged contact numbers in case of any questions or problems either before or on the night?
- Is public liablity insurance required? See below for more details on this.
Many larger events and venues now insist that all stallholders provide proof of Public Liability Insurance coverage.
If members of the public or customers come to your premises or you go to theirs, you should consider taking out public liability insurance. This type of insurance covers any awards of damages given to members of the public because of an injury or damage to their property caused by you or your business. It also covers any related legal fees, costs and expenses as well any hospital treatment costs (including ambulance costs) that the NHS may claim from you.
If you work from home, and customers or members of the public visit you there, you may also want to think about taking out public liability insurance.
Premiums depend on the type of business you run, your turnover and the number of employees you have. There are many conditions, exclusions and warranties that can be applied to public liability policies so it is important to discuss any that are applicable to your policy with your insurance advisor.
Preparing for an event really is just a matter of making sure that you are ready to show off your goods and services to their best advantage. Obviously you need to ensure that any stock required will be available in good time for the event. You may want to cellophane or package items to protect them or display them more attractively. You should think about how you intend to display items and whether you have the necessary stands or baskets etc. You might find it useful to practice your display and take a photograph which you can then use to recreate it - useful for a quick set-up under time pressure.
Double check that you have all the contact information, timings, venue details and directions that you need. It may be worth a quick phone call to the organiser a day or two before to make sure the event is still going to plan.
What to Take to Events
There are a number of things that are useful, if not essential to take along to events e.g.
- Own table if not provided
- Tablecloth - often useful to have a spare in case of extra, large or unusually-shaped table
- Cash tin, float and calculator
- Notepad, pens, bluetac, Sellotape, scissors
- Bags
- Receipt pads and order forms if applicable
- Display equipment, baskets or stands
- Flask and refreshments
- Business cards & publicity
- Price signs
- Brochures or leaflets
- Stock
- Clipboard or visitor's book
- Diary
- Canopy, gazebo, all weather protection
- Sunscreen and hat
- Chair if not provided
There are many ways to make the most of an event or booking and promote both yourself and your business in a positive way. Events are an opportunity to promote you, your company and your goods and services to a new customer base. You will hopefully get sales on the day but also repeat business in the longer-term.
- Be positive about your business when dealing with customers, organisers and other stallholders.
- Smile, look approachable and be polite.
- Move around and mingle - don't sit behind a table looking fed up if the event is quieter than you'd hoped.
- Exchange business cards, publicity etc. with other stallholders.
- Take a diary and try to get event/party bookings.
- Display publicity, business cards etc prominently on your stall.
- Have a visitors book or clipboard for customers to leave their details in order to receive further information, brochures etc.
- Chat to the event organiser and ask to be considered as a stallholder for any future events
Networking basically involves making connections and building relationships both socially and commercially. There are many online communities, local business and social networking groups that you can join and extend your network. Well known networking sites include Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo and Linkedin and Ecademy.
There are many other sites which have forums specifically aimed at small business owners or parents working from home such as Netmums, Mumsclub, Mumszone, Giant Potential, ivillage, Mumsnet, and BabyCentre where you can exchange ideas and information.
You may find local business networking groups who meet regularly in your area and events such as this are a very useful way to make contacts and build your business locally.
Events are an excellent way to network as, even if you haven't managed to book a table or stand as a stallholder, you can try and chat to the organiser and ask to be added to their list of potential stallholders for future events. You can also hand out your business card and chat about your business to as many people as possible.
Family, friends and work colleagues are a great basis for forming a network of potential customers or useful business contacts. Try to think of everyone you know and who they know and so on. Talk about your business to as many people as you can and look for opportunities to promote what you do.
Multi-level marketing (MLM) is also known as network marketing. It is a business model which combines direct marketing and franchising. Usually individuals join with a parent company in an independent contractor relationship. Sellers are rewarded based on their sales of a product or service, as well as the sales of anyone they bring into the business. MLM or network marketing works by recommendation and can be an effective way to earn some extra money without risking your current job. Multi-level marketing or network marketing can also be described as affiliate marketing, home-based business franchising and MLM distribution.
There are a large number of companies that offer network marketing, MLM or working from home opportunities. Do your homework before you choose a particular company and strongly consider choosing one that's a member of the DSA. To find out more about which companies and opportunities are available see our list of companies under Find Stallholders by Direct Sales Company.
When choosing a company or direct selling opportunity (DSO) it is important to choose the right product range for you. Consider whether you like the products, you think the price is fair, if you'd use them and if you know enough people who'd want to buy them. If not, then you need to choose a company or product that suits you.
Working from home requires dedication in order to avoid distractions. In order to work from home effectively you will need to set up an office or work area. This may be a whole room or just your kitchen table. You will usually need to register as self-employed but this can be done via a phone call to the tax office. It is possible to be self-employed whilst also working for your current employer. The Tax Office can give you information and advice on this.
- Advertising and Marketing is the paid promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas by an identified sponsor. Advertising is used as part of an overall promotional strategy. Other components of the promotional mix include publicity, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion.
- Affiliate Programs allow web sites who provide links to your site to receive payments or reciprocal advertising in exchange for promoting your web site.
- Business Directories are websites that list other sites by category. Business Directory refers to a directory for businesses organised by the category of product or service such as Stallfinder.
- Business Fraud is intentional and successful employment of cunning, deception, collusion; or artifice used to cheat or deceive another person whereby that person acts upon it to the loss of his property and to his legal injury.
- Business Resources are assets available and anticipated for operations. They include people, equipment, facilities and other things used to plan, implement, and evaluate.
- Business Services provides information and advice to help small businesses realise their potential. Business Services can be legal, accountancy, marketing, advertising, web design, web hosting and software development.
- Franchising is essentially the permission given by one person, the franchisor, to another person, the franchisee, to use the franchisor's trade name, trademarks and business system, in return for an initial payment and further regular payments.
- Network Marketing Companies are a business in which a distributor network is needed to build the business. Usually such businesses are also MLM in nature in that payouts also occur at more than one level.
- Network Marketing Distributors or MLM business Resellers are people who work for network businesses and distribute network marketing company goods or services.
- Small Businesses are businesses employing fewer than 20 full-time staff.
Pyramid selling schemes and scams are often confused with genuine Multi Level Marketing (MLM) opportunities. The main difference between a genuine MLM business opportunity and a pyramid scheme or scam is the MLM business has end users and a genuine product or service. In contrast, pyramid selling often involves no product or one without a real market for it, requiring members to sell to each other. Multi Level Marketing is a valid, legal and effective way of distributing a product to the end user, just like direct mail, e-marketing or shops. Pyramid schemes usually result in financial gain for the organisers and loss for the many ordinary people they've pursuaded to take part.
Main Features of Pyramid Schemes
A pyramid needs new members to keep growing. If it stops growing as people leave or stop joining then it dies. Some people make money from pyramids and they're usually the people who start them. Pyramid scams work partly because most people don't really understand how they work.
Genuine MLMs
The business model is based on a genuine product or service with real end users. Without a product you have no real business opportunity as it is impossible to build a successful company without one.
Genuine MLMs discourage stockpiling and urge their representatives to buy to fill orders, only carrying stock once they have a steady turnover.
If you can only make money by recruiting others into the business and not on the strength of the products then this is more like pyramid selling than a genuine MLM opportunity.
Any genuine MLM company will terminate anyone trying to use MLM like a pyramid because their company reputation is vital to them.
The main point to remember is that if an opportunity seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Be wary of any company that offers you promises of high-earnings in a short space of time.
Things to consider
Event Search
Sponsored Advert
Sponsor this page
You can sponsor this page by clicking the button above. Prices start from £5.00 per month