Preparing for a pop-up shop can be daunting if you don’t know what to think about. I’m sharing ten tips below that will help you get organized and prepared for a successful pop-up experience.
Plan It Out
In case you’re new here… I do not gatekeep and I firmly believe in empowering one another! I strongly believe that the future is female and it’s being fueled by Black Girl Magic. So I’m sharing ten things that I think all small business owners should know when planning for a pop-up.
1. Booth Layout
Make sure you know the size of the booth. Having this information means you can plan accordingly to ensure you, your products, and your customers will fit in the space. There is nothing less inviting to customers than a tight space.
2. Booth Size
Design your booth layout ahead of time – If you can, mark out the space at home or in your office and build your booth ahead of time. That’s not possible in NYC, so we found someone on Fiverr to draw ours up. When it comes to items such as booth designs, never be afraid to outsource if you need to. The layout and size rely heavily on one another.
3. Use Your Vertical Space
Use height to your advantage! It allows you to maximize your space. We used shelving and acrylic display cubes found on Amazon. You can shop my pop-up favorites on my Amazon Storefront. I’ve linked everything from shelving to balloon arch supplies.
4. Brand Your Booth
Your booth’s look and feel and colors should reflect your brand. As soon as people walk up, they should be able to easily identify your booth. Especially those who are familiar with your business. If they are a new customer, you want them to leave knowing the name of your business. Branding is everything when planning a pop-up!
5. Select The Items You Want To Sell
You don’t want to bring every item you sell. Simply because it’s highly unlikely that they will all fit the crowd attending. This is why we always try to do research on any markets we will be popping up at. To see how vendors usually perform, if they recommend it, how many visitors they typically have, and so on.
We didn’t bring everything we sell, only the items we thought were right for this crowd. Such as our travel mugs, keychains, socks, and notebooks.
6. Determine How Much To Bring
Determine how much of each SKU to bring. This allows you time to order inventory and ensures that the market will not take away from any other orders you may receive during it. You don’t want to run out of items that sell well.
7. Product Displays and Vignettes
Create visually interesting product displays and vignettes to draw customers in. These can include items such as products and their prices, a QR code linked to your social media accounts or Linktree, and more.
8. Easy To Read Price Lists
Similar to number seven, make sure that your signs are clear and easy to read. Avoid fancy fonts or over-the-top effects. These can distort letters and make your prices harder for people to read.
9. Have Business and Promo Cards Ready
Even if someone does not buy from you at the event, it does not mean they won’t become a customer later on. Handing out promo cards and business cards at the event makes it easy for customers and potential customers to find your business later on when they are ready to purchase what you sell.
10. Consider Hiring Help
This one applies to the setup process as well as the event itself. Set up because it can take time to get the tables set up, put shelves together, and unbox products. Whereas having help during the event can allow you to take time to talk to customers while they shop. Discuss products, your company, and more. You can read my thoughts on why teamwork makes the dream work.
I hope you find this helpful when planning your next pop-up shop! Let me know if there’s anything else you would add to this list.
Stylishly Yours,
Kalyn
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