Before you pay for the table, make sure you know what you’re actually saying yes to.

A market looks perfect.

The organiser says thousands of people are coming. The venue is gorgeous. Other makers are booking. Applications close Friday.

So… should you do it?

The Maker’s Market Kit is a practical business companion for craft makers who sell their work face-to-face - at markets, fairs, shows, pop-ups, shops, exhibitions and other selling opportunities.

It helps you look beyond the excitement of being offered a space and think about what the opportunity will actually require from your business.

What will it really cost?

Who is likely to be there?

What should you ask before paying?

How much stock makes sense?

What should you take?

What happened once customers actually arrived?

And, when the same opportunity comes around again...

Would you do it again?

That last question is the heart of the Kit. It is designed to help you answer it using what actually happened rather than relying on a vague memory of whether the day felt busy.

Because a packed market isn't automatically a profitable one.

A quiet event isn't automatically a failure.

And “there will be loads of people there” isn't quite enough information to hand over your money.

This might be for you if…

• You keep seeing markets and wondering whether they're actually worth doing.
• You've paid for events based mainly on the organiser's promised footfall.
• You're never sure how much stock to take.
• You come home knowing the day was busy but aren't entirely sure whether it was worthwhile.
• You remember your takings but forget travel, parking, packaging, payment fees, accommodation and all the other costs around the event.
• You've stood at a quiet market wondering whether the problem was your products, your prices, the audience or simply the event.
• Customers constantly pick things up or ask questions, but you never write those observations down.
• You've been offered shelf space, commission, consignment or a pop-up and aren't quite sure what you should ask before agreeing.
• You're considering a bigger show or exhibition and want to understand the risk before committing.
• Every new opportunity somehow feels like you're starting from scratch.

The Kit deliberately considers more than the stall fee: travel, transport, parking, accommodation, display, packaging, payment fees, stock, materials and other direct costs, alongside the maker's time.

It isn't just for craft markets

The Maker's Market Kit covers:

Markets and fairs • Consumer shows • Larger exhibitions • Trade shows • Shelf rental • Commission arrangements • Consignment • Pop-ups • Collaborative events • Shop placements

The book actually changes its questions depending on the type of opportunity. For example, the trade-show section recognises that someone walking past may be considering whether their business should buy from yours rather than whether they personally want one product.

It also deals separately with shop and shelf arrangements, including commission, fees, payment timing, stock responsibility, discounts, reporting, loss or damage and how unsold stock is handled.

That makes Market Kit slightly misleading in a good way - there's considerably more inside than the name initially suggests.

Stop starting from zero every time you book an event.

Your first market might involve some educated guessing.

Your second doesn't have to.

The Kit gives makers ways to record what customers picked up, what they asked about, what sold, what didn't get noticed and what sold out. The stock estimate is explicitly positioned as a starting point rather than a prediction — something that can later be compared with what actually happened.

Over time, that turns individual events into business evidence.

Instead of:

“I think that Christmas market was pretty good?”

you start building:

“This kind of event suits my products. This price range moves. This audience buys. This is roughly what I need. This organiser was worth returning to.”

And the Kit is specifically built to help makers compare opportunities, notice patterns and use previous results when the rebooking email arrives.

That is a much stronger reason to buy this than simply “organise your next craft fair.”

The Receipt

After an opportunity, The Receipt helps the maker capture what they actually got from it: money taken, costs, products sold, bestsellers, customer questions, enquiries, trade leads, useful contacts, content captured, lessons and whether they'd do it again.

Because sometimes the useful outcome isn't only the money taken on the day.

And sometimes an event that felt fantastic doesn't look quite as fantastic once the costs are written down.

Choose your format

PRINT AT HOME EDITION

For the maker who wants something practical beside them while they prepare, pack and sell.

Print the whole Maker's Market Kit, keep it in a binder or print the reusable pages you need for each opportunity.

Use it before you book, while you're preparing, during the event and afterwards when everything is still fresh enough to remember.

Digital PDF download. No physical product will be posted.

INTERACTIVE PDF EDITION

For makers who want their market planning and event history with them wherever they go.

Use the Interactive Edition on a compatible tablet or device while researching an opportunity, preparing stock, travelling to an event or recording what happened afterwards.

Digital product. No physical product will be posted.

PHYSICAL BOOK EDITION

For the maker who wants one place to keep the things Future You will otherwise forget.

Take it to markets. Keep it beside you while applications are open. Scribble observations during quiet moments. Fill in what happened while your feet still hurt enough to remember it accurately.

And when next year's invitation arrives?

Open the book before opening your wallet.

Global Edition

There are no currency symbols in the Kit; makers use their own currency consistently, while legal, tax and insurance requirements are left to the rules that apply to their particular business, product and location.

One Kit. Any number of opportunities. Wherever you sell.

The Maker’s Market Kit is undated and designed to be used repeatedly rather than for one particular market season.