177. Pop-Up Shop Success: How to Plan Your Booth and Set Up Like a Pro
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You're listening to the Professional Goddess Podcast, a place for sluts who like to make money. I'm your host, Anna D, aka The Professional Goddess. On my show, we embrace the uncensored stories of being a self-made slutchpreneur. As a stripper turned CEO, I reveal all my juicy trade secrets and share interviews with other female bosses who capitalize on their entire existence.

from breaking stigmas in the female business world to challenging norms in the adult industry. We'll tackle it all in six inch stilettos, of course. Now it's time to dive deep into the journey of self-empowerment, owning our sexuality. And by each episode, we will earn our PhDs in CE poetry. I'm honored to have you here and it's my privilege to kickstart the show.

I asked you guys what you wanted me to talk about on the show this week, and a few of you have been asking me about my pop-up markets that I do. I have a little vintage booth that I also sell some other housewares and trinkets, and I do this market about once a month in my hometown, and I have found that it's a fantastic way for me to clean out my closet of the

I don't wear and also getting rid of stagnant inventory, but more so and more importantly, I feel like these social connections and meeting you guys really fuels a part of my spirit that it just hits really good. If you know, you know. So we're going to dive into everything that you guys want to know about how I set up planning for pop-up markets. So if you're selling clothing or handcrafted items, um,

Pop-ups are fantastic. You reach new customers, you get face-to-face feedback and building your brand is fun. And this is an interactive way to do it, but a successful pop-up requires a bit of strategy and planning. So you're going to learn from my experience. I've been doing these for a few years now. They do take quite some planning. So I only do one a month now between all the side hustles I have, because I find that it can take an

an entire day, if not two, to organize, prep, pack up the car. So let's find the right market and plan ahead together. First, you want to research local markets, look into local pop-ups and fairs and make sure that they align with your brand. Maybe go to them, see if you would fit in there. Some events cater specifically to artisan products while others might attract a more general audience.

So I go on Facebook. That's where I find the majority. There are groups. Just use that search bar, baby. You also want to book early. These spots can go fast. So reach out to the people who are setting these up and ask if there's a way to submit your application, especially for popular events and book early to ensure you get a good spot.

You also want to know your audience, so think about who your target customers are and find events that cater to those demographics.

I have definitely been to pop-up markets where I have not made a dollar before and felt like I wasted the whole day. And I realized maybe I picked a market that wasn't suited to my products. And sometimes, uh, I tend to want to do markets that are all clothing and all vintage, but I have to remember then I'm competing with every other booth. So it's really nice to know if you stand out at your market, um,

but in a way where people are still shopping, but there's not too much competition. You'd like, if you sell mugs and you go to a mug market, it might be hard selling them. If everyone who passes your booth has already bought in a mug, you know what I'm saying?

So prepping your inventory and products. This is what you guys asked me about the most. You were asking a lot about, you know, if you sell yourself on Depop, how do you take it out of inventory? If it sells at a market, do you have a system? So I have tried many different things. Now, what I like to do now, I kind of have a backstock pile of clothing that is not listed on Depop. So I prioritize bringing items that are not listed because if I can just

sell that, it saves me the time of listing and photographing those items. So I typically, if I'm bringing items that are listed on Depop or eBay, it's usually the stuff that's been sitting for three to six plus months. And

I'm trying to move it. I'm double discounting it at the market. So I will bring that stuff. Sometimes I'll bring some storefront, like showy pieces to hang on the tent to get people to see my tent and get excited. But I try not to bring everything that's listed because then it takes a lot of time and I can get distracted and

unorganized because I'm trying to delist things. So this is what I've done in the past. I have a little label printer and I set it up to print on my barcode labels, not like the actual shipping labels, but the barcodes.

Who is mowing the lawn? Oh my goodness. All right. If the lawnmower gets too bad, we'll pause and come back. But I basically, uh, you can find a way through Canva or whatever, um, program you have to create custom labels. So these are like little stickers that I print out.

that will have the name of the item or the SKU of the item that is in my online shop. Now you can literally stick these stickers to like the metal piece of the hanger, or if you tag your clothing, you can stick it to the back of a clothing tag. Sometimes when I have the stickers on the hangers, people are like, does this mean something different about this item? So sticking it on the back of a tagged item, you know, you can print, um,

business cards and use those as tags. Beast of print is pretty cheap and then you just get one of those tagging guns. They're also inexpensive to tag the clothes with. So that way when someone comes to check out you can just clip off that tag or if you're keeping the hanger you'll have the sticker on the hanger and then when you have some downtime you can remove them from your store. And remember if you have multiple stores make sure to remove the item off every store because

I often forget that and that's why I bring a notepad with me. I always write down when someone checks out, I either jot down how much they spent. Sometimes I use tally marks. I have a $5 rack, so I have a little page for the $5 rack and I'll put little tallies as people purchase those items.

But if people are buying stuff on the table, like trinkets and stuff, I'll write it down. I like to look back and see what I sold and then I will put check boxes next to the items that are on Depop or that I have stickers for and make sure I actually physically check mark them. You can check it any way you want, whether it's a notepad, physically checking the stickers or clothing tags.

but you want to backtrack your work and make sure it's removed from those sites. I've also been using Vindu. It's a great cross-listing app. I might do an episode about it. And on Vindu, I believe you can remove the item and it will remove it from all of the platforms. So that is how I keep things organized when stuff is being sold that's in my stores.

But you do want to stock up and be realistic at the same time. You want to take into account how much space you'll have and try to bring a variety of sizes or styles without overloading yourself. I try to be very cautious of this because I wear a small, but not everyone else does. So when I thrift, I definitely go out of the way to buy things that I necessarily wouldn't wear because people have...

just so many different clothing styles. Like some of these youngins come up to my booth and I'm like, okay, I see you. Okay. That's a vibe. I'll, I'll look out for that when I thrift and some markets I've brought in, like my, my $5 rack just get stuff sells so quickly there. So I literally, my car is stacked to the ceiling with clothes and I have no organized way. I literally just throw them in there.

um, to get as much as I can fit on the $5 rack. But sometimes the more you put on a rack and the wind comes, your rack falls over. So we're going to get into that too, but you want quality presentation. Make sure items are tagged with clear pricing, that it's all cohesive. You can get little, um, like,

you can make your own craft tags if you want, but they have some on the internet that have like a, um, it looks like a rubber band top with the little tag. So you can handwrite the price on the tag and then put the little stretchy piece over your hanger. That's really easy. Um, I've never had an issue with people like moving prices around, but consider branding elements like branding branded tags, like we talked about or packaging to create a memorable experience. You can, um,

Literally go to the grocery store and just get some extra bags when you check out if you don't want to buy branded bags. I particularly get paper bags a lot at the grocery store. You can also purchase stickers on rolls and masks and put the sticker on top of like the cardboard shopping bag if you'd like to do that. But try not to get plastic if you can.

I save all the bags I get and use and I just recycle them at the markets. I ask people if they want a bag because a lot of people say no, but no one has ever complained that it's a crappy grocery store bag.

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Okay, highlighting unique pieces. If you make custom or limited items, showcase them. People love exclusive items at pop-ups. There are so many ways you can make signs on Canva for free. You can also purchase plastic sign holders. So I have a little sign that encourages people to touch the items on the table because people want to respect you and not touch your stuff. But at my booth, I'm like, please touch it because you're more apt to buy it.

if you feel it and have an emotional connection to it. So creating a standout booth, you can invest in good displays, but use what you have work your way up. I'm sure you might have a table you could already use, you know, give it a rustic vibe. Some people don't even have tents. So ask if tents are required. Some places require a 10 by 10. So I would be

little worrisome getting a 12 by 12 if it's not going to fit in the space. But using quality clothing racks, you can find used ones on marketplace tables and, you know, crates that match your brand aesthetic. You can paint them, consider props like mannequins or garment hangers for the clothing, tiered displays for small items, and

And for my table, I have a nice little pop-up table, but you can get table covers that cover the feet of your table too. It's like a big tablecloth that stretches all the way around the table. So that way you can stuff all your personal belongings under the table and no one will see it. I'm really happy I invested in one of those.

I love my tent, but the first one I invested in was crappy. I was on a budget and it broke very quickly. So I'm happy that I spent over $100 this time to get a pop-up tent. It has this thing on the center of the ceiling.

that you like connect and twist it locks in. So when you're searching for a tent, look for ones that say one person can set up because those are going to be the most quality. And in my opinion, if your helper quits or cancels on you for any reason, you can have confidence that you're not going to have to ask a stranger to

to help you pop up your tent. Also get sandbags. I've used those weights that slide on and they slide right off. The sandbags are fairly affordable, but they do not come with sand when you order them. You can put rocks in them. You can go to Home Depot and get sandbags to fill them up with sand. I put them on the legs of the tent. I put them all over my clothing racks. I've had clothing racks fall way too many times. I now use bungee cords.

to attach the top of the clothing rack to the tent to also ensure that everything stays stable because you don't want your inventory to, you know, crash.

So make it inviting. Use elements like rugs, small plants, or string lights to make your space inviting. You can get the faux grass rugs. I think those look really great. Some small faux plants. Maybe put a disco ball in there. Have some fun and get inspired by the other makers that you see and what they're using that attracts your eye. And use clear branding. Can't talk today.

ensure that your business name is clearly displayed with a sign or banner, have some free stickers out there. Sometimes I forget my banner with my brand name just because it's so confusing

frustrating and annoying to hang up to my tent. So sometimes I just say screw it, but see what other people do. I think that's something to work your way up to as well. But I'm sure on Pinterest, you could get some really cool crafty ideas to possibly hand paint your own wooden sign and stick it on the outside of your booth or in front of your table. Now there are a few things when it comes to the elements you want to dress appropriately, you guys comfortable shoes,

Um, if it is cold, keep that in mind, bring some mittens. There are so many things that I've learned along the way. I have like a heated vest. You charge the battery pack and it heats up and it stays hot for this, you know, four to six hours. I'm out there. I love that. I wore it horseback riding the other day. Um, they literally make mittens and ear warmers that you can squeeze and pop the little hot pads to put in and they stay warm. Um,

when it is really hot outside, I bring a little portable battery and I plug a fan into it like a big fan. But I also have practiced smaller table fans to misters, things like that, you will be so happy you brought that stuff. But on like the hot months, I'm not going to wear closed toed shoes with socks, you know, you have to remember like,

If your feet can get some air, your body will cool down, things like that. You want to bring extra bottles of water. You want to know where the bathroom is. You want to make sure you're comfortable, you know,

telling the person next to you like, Hey, I'm going to use the bathroom. Can you watch my booth or just let my customers know I will be right back. Maybe put a little sign in front of your chair or table that says, you know, using the restroom, be back in five minutes. You'd be surprised how many people will leave if you're not there and you'll lose on sales. Um, so that's really important. Um, what else, as far as the elements go, um,

You know, dress in layers. I like to bring a little extra makeup because my makeup will smear on my face. I bring a little stand-up mirror for people to try on clothes. It's very thin, but I bungee cord it to my tent. I bring a little tripod. I like to film...

content like time lapse content so I can add music and, you know, use this experience to create content. That's so important. And there's so many directions you can really do that. You can kind of show the behind the scenes. You can,

It's just exponential what you could do with their, with, um, my God, sorry. I'm so scattered. Let's move on to marketing and promotion. Leverage your social media, promote the event across your platforms, tag the market and invite your followers to visit you. Maybe tell them, Hey, if you say this special word, I'll give you a discount.

And exclusive pop-up deals. You can offer small discounts or free gifts for attendees. I use my button maker religiously. I have a little huge stash of buttons at checkout and it's like two for a dollar or free with purchase and people light up. I'm like, you get a free button with your purchase today. I make really small ones. I usually say it's the small ones, but if people spend over 50 bucks, I'm like, get a big one. And they're, they feel so special and I love it.

Create shareable content, just like we talked about. Set up a small corner with that mirror and branded props if you want people to snap photos and tag you. I don't take that too seriously, but if that's something you want to consider. Payment systems and pricing tips. So I use a payment system. What is it called? PayPal. It's called Zettel.

They send you a card reader. It's so easy to use. It connects to their app and if the card reader dies, you can use the app and it will literally still scan the card, which is crazy to me. It also works with Apple Pay. I absolutely love it. I also bring an extra little battery in case that

that dies to plug it in or my phone. I also bring a Bluetooth speaker and I play funky disco music. I'm at a market where they're super cool with that, but the music definitely helps and brings the vibes and disco music like seventies. It's,

Always just makes people so happy in my opinion. So have that reliable payment system. Ensure that it works. Make sure it's charged the night before. And bring enough cash if you do accept cash and want to offer change. I literally have...

a sign that says we take cash, Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, cards, you know, if you want to work behind the booth with me for an hour, but have those QR codes printed. And instead, you don't even have to laminate them, you can just use tape to laminate them or put them in a cool thrifted frame. But have those on your table or readily a paper readily accessible so that people can quickly scan them.

Now, if you're like me and you make sure you got to pay that sales tax, make sure if people are using Venmo, because even when people check out my $5 rack, I always tell them the change to include for sales tax. And in my payment options, it says prices include sales tax, just to have that in wording. Some people forget, but then you end up having to pay the sales use tax on that. So consider that. And

And moving on pricing strategy, make sure your prices are clearly visible, easy for customers to understand. If you feel like people are being wishy-washy about it, tell them, say, Hey, I'll knock, I'll knock five bucks off of it. Hey, I'll take 20% off. If you, if you want it, that usually will seal the deal and pricing should reflect both the quality of your work and the pop-up setting. I always play around with my prices. It's,

Incredible. Sometimes I price it up and it sells. Sometimes I price it down and it doesn't. So just never be set on prices. Always experiment. I think it's always interesting to see. Collect contact information. If you want to set up a mailing list, sign up. I would incentivize an offer. Say, hey, you'll get $5 off today. If you sign up here, you can use a QR code again and just build your customer base while you're there. Maybe it could be a follow on Instagram.

Building relationships and getting feedback. Connect with your customers. Take the opportunity to chat with visitors, answer questions, give a little background on your brand, have your elevator pitch in your back pocket because you never know who might want to invest with you or partner up with you or collaborate. Collect feedback. Pay attention to which items people gravitate towards or ask questions about and take notes for future product adjustments.

When I sell pipes at events, I can really tell what people like. And when something sells out next market, I order, I double down and get more. And there are a lot of products I sell at markets that sell better there because people can touch them and feel them versus ones online that you can't really experience as much as you would in person. And network with other vendors. Building relationships with fellow vendors can lead to collaborations or tips for future events.

And a lot of times you'll get people that come to your booth and let you know about the markets that they offer. So that's how I've gotten a lot of connections before. Oh, there you have it. Y'all a comprehensive slutty guide to setting up and planning for a successful pop-up market with the right preparation and welcoming display. Pop-ups can be rewarding just, you know, for both you and your customers. So I appreciate you guys tuning in and I will see you next week. Bye y'all.

Thank you for listening to another episode of the Professional Goddess Podcast. If you want to keep the show going and growing, make sure to leave a five-star review. Shop my merch and eBooks at professionalgoddess.com. Make sure to use code SLUT at checkout for a little surprise. My book, Slutpreneur Secrets, is now available on Amazon. Have a question, episode request, or want to be a guest on the show? Email my team via management at sluts.

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