Whether it's just another week of markets or your first office bazaar, everything will go more smoothly if you are prepared. There are so many variables over which you'll have no control that it is a good idea to have as much under control as you can. A few things to keep in mind are stock, packing lists, inventory control, and dry runs.

Stock

Until you've done a number of events, you'll have to guess about the amount of stock you should bring. You can make an educated guess, however, by thinking about how many people are expected at the event and how many other vendors are going to be there. If it is at Christmastime, people are shopping for gifts and are usually going to spend more.

In general, it is better to take more than you need. It is better to take soap home than wish you'd brought more. It is, however, a wonderful feeling to bring your entire stock and have nothing left to take home.

Packing Lists

To prepare for the show, make a list of everything you need for the day. Besides the stock itself, you will need change, a change box, blank receipts, inventory sheets, paper, a clipboard, pens and pencils, signs and displays, tablecloths or drapes, scissors, bags, ties, chairs, more change, pamphlets, business cards, trash receptacle, cooler with food and beverages, layered clothing, and still more change. You may need to provide your own table and chair. If the show is outdoors, you'll need cold and/or rainy weather gear, sunscreen, and an umbrella or canopy to protect your soap from the sun.

Inventory Control

Take an exact count of what you brought and what you have left so you can calculate how much you've sold. Remember that you may drop a bar in the dirt and not be able to sell it, or you may trade a few bars for the work of another artist. Occasionally someone will actually steal from you, and you list these missing items under “shrinkage.” Additionally, some events ask each vendor to donate items for a raffle or a silent auction. Just make sure that inventory damaged, donated, traded, or stolen is accounted for appropriately. If you accidentally count it as sold, your figures will be off at the end of the day.

It's a good idea to create an inventory chart. Make a chart with the following columns: product name, price per unit, starting count, trades, charity, damages, shrinkage, ending count, sold, and gross receipts. If you are careful to make an accurate inventory at the beginning, keep track of every bar, and make an exact count at the end, you'll have precise, useful records. You'll keep excellent track of your money and be able to make decisions about what to bring in the future.

Dry Runs

A few days before the event, when you still have time to make changes, set up everything for a dry run. Set up in an approximation of the area you'll have at the event. Make sure your array of soap is attractive and the pricing is easy to understand.

If you have a complicated setup of tables, table coverings, displays, baskets, wrapping area, and more, you really need to practice setting up the whole thing. Setting up at a fair or a market can be chaotic and you may have limited time, so you need to have a setup system. After you've done it a few times, you won't need to do your dry run until you have a new idea to try. Trying it at home is better than losing setup time making an unrehearsed change.

Now you're in the perfect position to practice something else — packing up. Take your time and tear down your display and pack up your soap and equipment. If your dry run is close enough to the actual event, pack the car with what can sit out overnight. Keep your stock in the house until you're ready to leave because it isn't very good for soap to sit outside in the car all night. The less you have to do the morning of the show, the better.