Does anyone run a stall?

[Teacake40]

I’m currently looking into setting up a small business (gifts/baby clothes) considering either online or a market stall. Just putting feelers out to see what’s it like running a market stall?

There’s a weekly market very close to where I live which is a possibility.

But then I’m thinking setting some up online I could fit around kids at school and bedtimes.

Anyone?

If you’re sure you can earn more than it will cost you in stall hire etc then go for it. But unless you’ve actually sat down and looked at the numbers and are certain it will be worthwhile then I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it.

Something like Etsy would be a more financially secure gamble to start with.

You need both online and physical ime to make it work in the start. Etsy isn't really the mecca people think it is when it comes to selling online. It's oversaturated and your listings, unless you pay top dollar for promotion, will be buried in the searches. You really need to drive custom to Etsy rather than thinking Etsy will being in money, to make it work. You'll need to establish a solid social media presence and that takes a LOT of work. With a physical stall, it'll really depend on a myriad of factors, position on the market, other sellers, even the weather. Make sure you have cards to give out to people to take them to your social / website / etsy even if they don't buy anything on the day. Possibly offer discount codes on the cards to buy online. Can you pay a one off week to test the waters rather than a quarter block of weeks or however your particular market works?

It isn't as easy as setting up online and things sell. You need investment in stock and clothing has a high returns rate which you legally have to accept. You will also struggle to buy stock that no one else is selling and you end up competing for literally pennies in profit.
Don't sell these things on Etsy, it is for handmade items only, not stuff you've bought at wholesale.
A market stall could work, but you need to work out your numbers. Don't forget as well as rent you will need public liability insurance and business insurance on your vehicle for transporting stock. On those cold wet days, you stand there for hours and may sell very little but you have to commit to turn up, you can't just sack it off as you will lose your pitch. What else sells at the market you are looking at? What else sells at other markets and at what prices? You need to do your research. You'll need a fair amount of stock to fill a stall.
You also need to consider how you will take payment. Cash only? How are you going to source a float with plenty of change? You'll need a business bank account. It's easy to take card payments, but there are fees and for a casual user they soon eat into profit.
Don't forget, it isn't just about selling a couple of items. You need to cover your time. Travel, set up, standing there for six hours and then packing away is all time you need to cover, so you need to be making those hours x minimum wage plus enough to cover your insurances and stall rental, every single time. How much do you need to sell for that?

Sorry; I’m for some reason I thought I had read you were hand making these items! Ignore my response.

I need to give this a lot more thought.

Probably online would be better all round.

Thank you for all your valid points.