For years, friends and family have been urging me to sell my gluten-free baked goods, but the thought of turning my hobby into a business always felt daunting. This September, however, I decided to take the plunge and transform my passion into a venture. I booked three craft fairs across the Lower Mainland, obtained my Food Safe Level 1 certification, and invested in decorations, supplies, and a Square reader to prepare for my debut. Here’s how I did with my thoughts on whether I would do it again.
Markets I attended
Mom’s Market – Holiday Market @ Site B – Port Moody – November 5, 2023
My first market was my biggest cost, with a $300 table cost. I made about 300 baked items for the Holiday Market not knowing how many people would show up and worrying about not having enough product. Unfortunately, the event wasn’t very well attended, and only ended up just breaking even on my table cost. The event was held before Remembrance Day and I don’t think many people were yet in the Holiday mindset.
Sold ~70 items.
Laurel Place Craft & Bake Sale – Surrey – November 17, 2023
From my attendance at the Mom’s Holiday Market, a visitor invited me to the Laurel Place Craft & Bake Sale. I had a long break between my next craft fair and thought why not give it a try? It was a lovely event aimed at residents and workers around the Surrey Memorial Hospital.
Sold ~80 items.
École des Pionniers Marché d’hiver (Winter Market) – Coquitlam – December 7, 2023
Our friends in our townhouse complex have two girls who attend French school at École des Pionniers in Coquitlam. Their oldest begged me to attend and sell my cookies. As someone who doesn’t speak French, I felt this would be incredibly challenging. Never the less I decided to take the plunge.
Sold ~60 items.
Porter Street Elementary Holiday Craft Fair – Coquitlam – December 10, 2023
My final craft fair of the year was at Porter Street Elementary School in December. The event was well set up with vendors encouraged to visit the night before to set up their tables as doors were set to open at 8 am. I ended up selling about what I expected with not many cookies left over. The only drawback of the event was that the main attraction was pancake breakfast with Santa. After a sugary breakfast, not many people were interested in my sweet treats.
Sold ~90 items.
Would I do this again?
Reflecting on my journey, I’ve learned a tremendous amount about running a small business and the ins and outs of holiday craft markets. I refined my approach to preparation, learning to better gauge demand and reducing my baked goods from an initial 300 per event to just over 100. Beyond the sales, the most rewarding part has been the connections I’ve made, gaining followers on Instagram and receiving special orders that continue to this day. Come August/September I may get that itch to give it another try. If I do it will be a focus on schools as kids just love cookies!
Comments are closed.