Top Ten Must Have's For Every Vendor

Have you considered selling a product at an event/ or festival? Well, below we discuss the top ten must have items you’ll need at your next event.

1. Pop-Up Tent- Events/festivals happen year-round rain or shine. Make sure you purchase a sturdy tent that will shield you from the sun or rain. We purchased our 10’x10’ tent from Home Depot. It came with a cover bag with wheels that made it easier to transport.
2. Change $$$- We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have extra change to break bills. Yes, we live in a world where people swipe, swipe, swipe but some people still carry money! I know it’s hard to believe. Make sure you have extra ones, fives, tens, and twenties. We set our prices as whole numbers, so we only have to exchange bills. Could you imagine digging for change? That would be a nightmare!
3. Cashbox- You have to have a place to store your money, right? Our very first event we kept our money in a pouch. It never crossed our minds to purchase a cashbox. Well we quickly figured it out. The cashbox allowed for separation of bills which allowed us to exchange monies quickly and more efficiently. So, whatever you do purchase a cashbox!
4. Snacks-I mentioned earlier that events can call for a rather long day. You get there early to set up, there’s the actual event, and lastly you have to break down your display. It can easily be an 8-hour day. So, it’s very important to bring light snacks and drinks. It can be challenging to leave your booth for a bite to eat. You don’t want to miss a sale and you don’t want to leave your merchandise unattended. So, remember to pack something that you can munch on throughout the day
5. Business cards- I believe this item is a hit or miss. You can purchase business cards relatively cheap. In the past we have purchased our cards from Vistaprint. Don’t want to purchase business cards? Another option is to print all your business information on card stock and display it on your table with a sign that says, “Snap a pic of our business card”. Business cards get lost in the shuffle. Consumers can scroll through their phone at a later date and see a pic of your business card. That's a potential sale!
6. Business Sign/Banner-Typically this is the first thing consumers see when approaching your booth. It is very important to grab the consumers attention. There are various styles for signs and banners. You can choose from floor standups, table runners or vinyl banners. Currently we have a vinyl banner that we can tie across our table or tent. Depending on what type of sign you purchase they can be relatively inexpensive. We didn’t pay any more than fifty dollars for ours. My suggestion is to purchase a small sign in the beginning. You can always upgrade later.
7. Free activity or Free sample- Who doesn’t love the word FREE. There have been numerous events where we offer children a free bookmark. We allow children to color a bookmark of their choice. This is a great opportunity to pull the parents in and discuss our product. Don’t have a product or sample? No worries set a bowl of candy at your table and I promise consumers will gravitate towards you.
8. Card Reader- You cannot be a vendor without a card reader. Fortunately, you can get a card reader for free. Typically, you’re only charge when you swipe a card. The fee is low between 2.75%-3.75%. There are various card readers you can choose from. You can google card reader and choose which is best for your small business. It usually ships to your home within 3-5 business days. Deposits are usually made to your bank account within 1 business day. You download the app and insert the card reader into your phone. Then, it’s ready to use. So easy!
9. Phone charger- Keep your phone charged with a portable phone charger. Your battery life can get low quickly. You’re using your phone to swipe debit/cc and your taking tons of pics to post on social media. So, save yourself a headache and bring a portable charger, just in case.
10. Wagon- Last but not least! I believe it wasn’t until our fourth event that we decided to purchase a wagon to transport our inventory. This is probably my favorite item on the list. Usually we can pack most of our items in the wagon. This saves so much time! I purchased our wagon from Target in the camping section for about $60. Trust me it is worth the money. Save time and get a wagon……. you can thank me later.

I hope this list will be beneficial to you. Being a vendor is a wonder experience. You meet great people and get a chance to network with other small business owners.  Happy vending!