Farmer’s markets are just getting started now, and you can take advantage of their popularity to earn some income! Here is how.
First, locate several farmer’s markets near your home, do some research and ask some questions. Do they charge a fee to sell, or can anyone just set up a table with no overhead? Are there rules or regulations of which you should be aware? What types of things are sold at these farmer’s markets: produce only, crafts, anything goes? Find out all you can, so you can make a good decision about which farmer’s market is right for you.
Next, figure out what you want to sell. If you don’t have your own garden, think about baked goods or homemade crafts. Both are very popular at most farmer’s markets. I have a friend who sells her homemade cards and does very well.
To help you figure out what to sell, you’ll need to do a cost analysis and see if it will be worth it to sell your goods. for example, let us say that you can make a dozen cupcakes for $2 worth of ingredients. The going rate for homemade cupcakes at the local farmer’s markets is $2 a piece, meaning that if you sell all 12 of your cupcakes, you will make a profit of $22 a batch.
Start out slow, but build a fan base. Tell everyone you know that you will be selling items at the farmer’s market and ask them to pass it on to everyone they know.
Word of mouth does wonders, and if your goods are excellent quality, you’ll soon develop a loyal following willing to buy from you every week. You may even be asked for special orders.
Once you are established at a farmer’s market, consider branching out a bit to include more items, or plan in something new each week, so there will always be a reason for your customers to keep coming back.