10/17/2025
This week I had my last farmers market of the season! Here’s what I’ve learned from my first market experience:
🍁 IT’S NOT ABOUT THE SALES. While selling my handmade items to strangers was exciting, what felt most fulfilling was connecting with strangers! I met other crochet artists who wished me luck, cute little kids who loved to ask and answer questions, and other market vendors who I was excited to support. Building a community is essential to small business success!
🍏 DON’T LET A LACK OF RESOURCES STOP YOU. I applied for this market with no display materials, no table or canopy, no experience, and a very low budget. Once my application was accepted, I either thrifted, DIY’d, or borrowed all of my display materials (besides the business banner haha)! I still have a lot to improve with my display, but the first step is to just try with what you’ve got!
🦋 USE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS TO SERVE. This can be done in many ways, and I chose to do it by donating 10% of profits from my markets to Darby’s Dancers, a nonprofit which brings dance to kids with disabilities. Though I didn’t make much of a profit this time around due to first-time expenses, donating what I could was so fulfilling and connected my business to something that I’m passionate about!
THANK YOU again to everyone who made this possible! Your support allows me to keep learning and serving ☺️
