How to Prepare for Your First Market or Pop-Up: Tips That Make Selling Easier

If you’re getting ready for your first market, event or pop-up, there are so many little things no one really tells you until you learn them the hard way.

Not just what to pack, but how to set up a booth that actually works. How to make it easy for people to shop. How to think beyond the sales you make that day. And how to prepare for all the little things that can go wrong - from weather to payment issues to forgetting the basics like food, water, or signage.

In this episode, I’m sharing what years of markets and events have taught me about preparing well, creating a booth that feels clear and inviting, and making the most of in-person opportunities - especially if you’re new to pop-ups.

Because a successful market booth is not just one that looks good. It’s one that helps people buy, remember your business, and come back later.

If you’ve ever wondered what actually matters when preparing for an event, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I talk about:

• what to bring to a market or pop-up
• why booth setup matters more than you think
• signage, business cards, and marketing materials
• how to collect emails and grow your list at events
• preparing for selling out or having slower sales
• practical tips that make event days easier

Grab my free Market Prep PDF here →

Connect with Julie | Moss Bags:
Website: https://mossbags.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/moss.bags

Photography by Lisa Aamot | https://www.merakiphotographynw.com

Transcript

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About ten years ago, I was doing an outdoor market and the weather was, well, not looking great. Not terrible, but not great. You know the kind of day where you keep checking the forecast over and over, hoping it magically changes, but nothing was canceled. So we all showed up. We started setting up. It was cold, a little windy, but still manageable. And as I was putting up my tent, I noticed something that really surprised me. Nobody else had weights. Not one person. And I remember having this tiny moment of doubt, like, wait, am I overdoing it? Am I being dramatic? But I kept going. And during setup, these random gusts of wind kept coming through. At one point I was trying to get my first weight attached, and my tent literally lifted and dropped hard. It bent one of the legs before the event even started. And I was just thinking, okay, this is gonna be interesting. Then the clouds rolled in, the wind picked up, and slowly you could feel the whole energy of the event change. People started physically holding their tents down, and then it happened. One by one, tents started lifting, catching wind, crashing down. The booth next to me, she was selling glassy babies. Almost her entire setup was destroyed, inventory included. It was awful to watch and even worse to hear. And I just remember standing there thinking, this is why the unsexy stuff matters. Not the pretty stuff, not the fun stuff, the practical stuff. So if you do nothing else after listening to this podcast, bring the weights. But also, there's so much more to event prep than just what to pack. Because a successful market booth is not just one that survives the day. It's one that helps people buy, remember you, and come back later. So today I want to talk about how I prep for markets now, after years of doing them and learning a lot of this the hard way. Welcome to Hey Julie by Moss Bags. I'm Julie, the founder of Moss Bags since 2013. And this podcast is a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to build a small business that lasts. Each week we talk about real stories behind creative and small businesses, the systems that support them, the lessons learned along the way, and how to grow something meaningful without burnout. If you're building something with heart, then you're in the right place. Let's dive in. There is something really special about in-person events. You get to meet your customers face to face. You get real-time feedback. You get to see what people pick up first, what they ignore, what they're curious about, and what actually makes them stop. Honestly, markets can teach you things in one day that online selling takes months to teach you. But they are also a lot of work. They are early mornings, heavy lifting, long days, weird weather, problem solving in real time, payment issues, booth setup breakdown, and about a hundred little decisions before you ever make your first sale. So if you're new to pop-ups, I want this episode to make your life easier. Not by giving you the world's most overwhelming checklist, but by helping you think about your booth in a smarter way. Because the goal isn't just to look cute. The goal is to create a booth that works, a booth that survives weather, a booth that makes shopping easy, a booth that helps people remember you, and a booth that doesn't completely drain you by hour three. So let's talk about what actually matters. Let's start with the least glamorous, most essential part, your setup. If you're doing outdoor markets, you need a tent. Usually a 10x10 white canopy is standard, and some events specifically require a white tent, so that's what I'd recommend. And then yes, weights, real weights, heavy weights, not the oh the weather looks okay today weights, extra weights. Because it does not take much wind to create a problem. I learned that the hard way. And while we're talking setup, let's talk about transporting your stuff too. The big tubs, a folding hand truck or collapsible wagon, anything that makes packing, unpacking, and weatherproofing easier. For years I resisted buying a wagon because it felt unnecessary, just one more thing. Then I did an event where we had to park blocks away. And suddenly I was like, oh, this isn't a convenience item, this is necessary. And that matters more than people think because markets are physical and you do not want to waste half your energy before the event even starts. One more thing that is incredibly helpful: do a practice run at home. Seriously. Set it up in your driveway, in your yard, your garage, wherever you can. See how it fits. See what's awkward. Take photos before you pack it all away. That way, on event day, you're not building your booth from memory while stressing and sweating and trying not to block the aisle. Practice setup sounds extra, but it saves so much mental energy. Now, this was a huge learning curve for me. In the beginning, I thought the goal was to make my booth look beautiful. And listen, I love beautiful things. I care about design. I want things to feel thoughtful and inviting. But over time, I realized that beautiful and effective are not always the same thing. Flat tables alone usually don't sell very well. When something is on one level, nothing stands out. People's eyes don't know where to land. So instead, think about creating height and layers, visual stopping points. Think about your booth like a path. What do people notice first? What do they notice second? What are you guiding them toward? Because people are not deeply studying your booth, they are scanning it quickly. So your job is not to show everything equally. Your job is to make the right things obvious. For me, that meant putting my bestsellers at eye level, repeating them in more than one place, and making sure they were the first things people saw. I also started wearing my best-selling bag at events. That helped more than I expected. Because when people see something being used, it clicks faster. It stops being a product on a table and starts feeling like something they could actually own. And one small thing that can make a big difference? A mirror. If someone can try something on, hold it up, or imagine themselves using it, you've shortened the distance between interest and purchase. Your booth should make sense to a customer within seconds. Can they tell who you are? Can they tell what you sell? Can they tell what things cost? And can they tell what to do next? Good signage makes people more comfortable buying because when customers have to work hard to understand your booth, a lot of them just won't. And this isn't about having fancy signage. It's about having clear signage. Your business name should be visible. Your prices should be visible. If you have a bestseller, point it out. If you have special offers, make it obvious. If there's a QR code, tell them what it's for. The easier booth is to understand, the easier it is to shop. And there's another benefit to signage. It helps people remember you. If someone walks away and later thinks, wait, what was that booth with the bags? Your name needs to have had a chance to stick. Recognition matters, especially if you want people to find you later. Now let's talk about the sales part. That's the fun part. For years I had one card reader. My one little loyal market sidekick. Until one day it failed me. Not first thing in the morning, not while nothing was happening, right when I had customers. It had been working perfectly five minutes earlier, and then suddenly it just wouldn't connect. And I remember standing there thinking, I am completely ready to sell. I have a buyer and I physically cannot. It was such a terrible feeling that that day I went home and ordered multiple backups because this is something markets teach you really quickly. You do not build a business on best case scenarios. You build it on prepared ones. So now I always want there to be multiple ways for someone to pay. Card reader, backup reader, Venmo, cash, whatever makes sense for your business. And bring a power bank too. And honestly, backups for your backup if you can. Because the easier it is for people to buy, the more likely they are to actually buy. And while we're here, bring extra cash if you can and have change ready. Anything you can do to remove friction matters. This is one of those things that makes you feel wildly prepared because something will happen. Something will break, something will spill, something will come loose, something weird will happen with your display. So bring a little kit. Mine includes things like scissors, tape, zip ties, safety pins, sharpies, clips, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, band-aids, a screwdriver, basically tiny things that solve annoying problems. And by the way, the hand sanitizer removes sap like a champ. It's amazing. It's not glamorous, but it is so nice to be the person who can calmly fix something instead of spiraling. That kind of preparedness changes the feel of the whole day. Now here's another thing to think about. What if you sell out? That'd be amazing. But then what? Can you pre-order? Can they pay now and have something shipped later? Can they place an order for pickup or delivery? Because sold out does not have to mean sales lost. It can actually be a great sales moment if you're ready for it. Just make sure you can collect payment up front and get their email, phone number so you can follow up if needed. On the other side of things, what if sales are slower than you hoped? That happens too. So have a plan for what to do. Maybe it's a Sunday special or it's a bundle. Buy one, get one. Maybe it's a small incentive that helps people decide now instead of later. The point is not to panic in real time. The point is to think ahead so you're not making desperate decisions on the fly. This part matters so much. A market is not only a chance to make sales that day, it is a chance to create future sales too. So yes, bring product, but also bring the things that help people remember you after they leave. Business cards, postcards, a flyer, a takeaway card, a list of where people can shop later, a note about your next event, anything that makes the connection continue beyond that one conversation. Because not everyone's ready to buy on the spot. Some people need to think, some people want to come back later, and some people will remember you two days later and wish they had grabbed your info. So make it easy for them. And this is also one of the best places to grow your email list. Truly. You're already in front of warm people who are interested enough to stop. That is such a good opportunity. You can keep it simple. A clipboard and paper, a QR code, a sign up form, whatever works best for you. But I do think it helps if there's a reason to join, a giveaway, enter to win, a discount, early access to restocks, something that answers the question, why should I sign up? A give and take moment. Because your email list is how the market keeps working for you after the market is over. It gives you a direct line to people outside of social media, outside of the algorithm, outside of hoping they remember your Instagram handle correctly. And that is powerful. That is your list. A few things that make event days so much better. Well, food and water. Always. Do not assume you'll be able to just grab something. Sometimes you won't. Sometimes the line is long. Sometimes you were slammed. Sometimes there's nowhere close by. So bring water, lots of water, and lots of food just in case. Also, give yourself way more time to set up than you think. Traffic can be unpredictable. Unloading always seems to take longer than expected. And never underestimate the early shoppers. The people who are there for first dibs and are ready to scope things out before it even begins. No one enjoys setting up while panicking. Things shift, layouts change, you may want to rearrange things. Something may not fit the way you expected. Arriving early gives you room to think and talk to your neighbors seriously. Community over competition is not just a cute saying at markets. It makes the day better. Introduce yourself and be friendly. Help if you can, ask a question, share a hand warmer if it's cold. Offer tape. You will have a new best friend. A lot of the joy of doing events comes from that vendor community. And especially in the beginning, it helps to think of your first few markets not just as selling days, but as learning days. Yes, of course you want sales. But you're also gathering information. What are people drawn to? What are they confused by? What do they pick up first and what do they ask about? What signage worked? What didn't? That mindset shifts helps so much because then even a slower day still gives you something valuable. Now, for a long time I focused on creating a really beautiful booth, and it was awesome. I even won a Best Booth Award at a large festival once. It had a cozy boutique, almost living room feel. Cowhide rug, big mirror, bookshelves, styled tables, and I was proud of it. But it took hours to set up, hours to break down, so much energy because it was really heavy. And over time I started simplifying. And here's the part that really surprised me. I'm not winning booth awards anymore, but my sales have tripled because I stopped asking, does this look impressive? And started asking, does this help people shop? That question changed everything. The goal isn't to have the fanciest booth, it's to have the booth that works best. And of course, there are always the things you simply cannot prepare for, like wildlife. I have to share this story. It was a three-day event, and on the third day, one of my neighbors opened her canopy and a seagull flew out. Now, just picture that. A full grown bird inside a ten by ten tent with a full display of handmade products stuck in there for night. We all just stood there in total shock, and honestly, my heart sank and broke for her. She simply zipped up her tent and walked away. And I was like fair. Yep, I would do the same. Ironically, but much less tragically, that same weekend a seagull flew over while I was setting up and got a few of my products. My husband was there with me, thank goodness, and calmly cleaned everything up while I stood there laughing and being completely disgusted. And I remember thinking, okay, this has to be good luck, right? And honestly, I think it was, because that turned into the best sales weekend to date. So sometimes things go wrong, sometimes things get weird, and sometimes things get messy. And part of doing markets is just learning how to roll with it and how to be prepared. Markets are one of the best teachers in small businesses. They show you what works, what doesn't, what people notice, what they ignore, what helps sales, and what just adds stress. And over time you realize the goal is not to have the most beautiful booth, it's to have the most effective one, one that supports your energy, one that helps people shop, one that makes your brand memorable, and one that helps you keep showing up again and again. And if you're getting ready for a market or a pop-up, I made something to make this even easier. For anyone new to markets, I've put together a free market prep PDF with my packing checklist, my personal must-haves, and some of the exact tools and products I use for events. So instead of trying to remember everything from this episode, you can just grab the guide and use it while you prep. Some links are affiliate links, which just means I may earn a small commission. It's linked in the show notes. Thank you so much for being here. If you're preparing for your next market, I hope this episode helps you feel a little more ready and a lot less overwhelmed. And if you know another small business owner who's getting ready for their first pop up, send them this episode. And don't forget to grab the free market prep PDF in the show notes. Until next time.