Market Day Tips from Little Bee Soap Co

At Funyard Events, we love celebrating the independent makers, creatives and small businesses who bring our markets to life. In this guest blog, Little Bee Soap Co, Southsea’s Victorian seaside soapery, shares the story behind the brand and their top tips for making the most of market day.

We are Little Bee Soap Co, Southsea’s Victorian seaside soapery. We specialise in making handcrafted artisan soap bars and skincare in a sustainable and ethical way.

Our little family business started from an autoimmune condition Emma was diagnosed with in 2018 that affects her skin. On her journey for answers and gentler skincare options, she fell in love with herbs and the magic of how a natural botanical skincare routine felt more suitable for her skin. After leaving her job at the NHS, she now runs her traditional soapery alongside her husband Nathan who has experience in packaging, printing and graphics.

Financial gain sometimes isn’t the reason people start businesses. Sometimes it is to work around an illness or to be more present at home and spend more time with the kids.

Our products use carefully selected organic ingredients from trusted UK suppliers. We do not believe unwanted pesticides and harsh chemicals should end up in our skincare. We are 100% cruelty free and against animal testing and we have done extensive research into our suppliers too.

We grow our own herbs, print and cut our own packaging and do not rely on commercial machinery in our manufacturing process. Instead we focus on sustainable small batches. You will find clean, plastic free, low waste products made without harsh chemicals.

Not just good for you, but good for the planet too. Emma is passionate about animal welfare and this is one of the main focuses behind the brand. For that reason, we choose not to use milk or tallow in our soaps. We believe there are so many wonderful plants and herbs that can care for and soothe the skin and there are alternative ways to approach skincare. We are proud to be setting our own example.

But how? We use local honey from local beekeepers to help Hampshire’s biodiversity. Trees and plants get pollinated and beekeepers receive payment towards the upkeep of their hives. We do not buy commercial imported honey. We help our planet to thrive, grow herbs and use those herbs and botanical ingredients instead of animal derived fats.

"But hey, enough about the brand, let’s get into market day."

Market day tips for getting started

Perhaps you are thinking of setting up a business and considering markets as a source of revenue. You won’t regret it. Markets are an excellent way to engage with customers and spread brand awareness. You have a prime platform to showcase your products, get organic market research and make those sales.

Learn what your customers want

So, let’s start there. How do you know if your product is targeting the right demographic? Being able to talk to the general public in person can give you insights into what works and what doesn’t.

Negative feedback gives you an opportunity early on to know what changes you may need to make your product more desirable. This can help save time and money in the early stages of your business.

On a more positive note, you can see what sells the most and what customers can’t get enough of. This can be valuable information especially over the Christmas period. We suggest testing new things over the summertime so you can streamline your Christmas stock. Trust us, this can help save money in the long run.

Bring cards and leaflets

Always have leaflets and cards to hand out. Sometimes the customer won’t make a decision there and then. You can have an amazing, productive conversation with a customer and it may seem like you are going to make that sale, then they leave and you feel disheartened. It happens to us all the time.

However, if you finish with “take a card and find us online”, you will be surprised by the number of times those customers come back through a website or Etsy page and place an order. Brand awareness is a powerful thing.

You provide the information: this is what we do and this is how you can find us. The customer goes away, processes the information and then they decide to buy. You miss opportunities with the reply “oh, I didn’t bring any cards” when asked.

Always bring weights

Always bring weights. It can go from a sunny day to houses dropped on witches weather in a matter of moments and health and safety should be your best friend when attending events.

You must remember it is your responsibility to keep your gazebo in one place and your priority to keep all customers safe on those windy days.

Use the three second window

Clear signs are a must. I have lost so many customers because I didn’t showcase my products in the three second window.

"Wait, what’s the three second window?"

The three second window is the time it takes for a customer to walk by and decide whether to investigate further. We all wish every customer would come by, pick up a product and immediately know the reasons to buy it but unfortunately very few people take it upon themselves to investigate a product.

That is why you need all the reasons they should purchase your product on display. What is the bestseller? Do you have five star reviews on Etsy? What is special about your stock? I’ve found that since improving our signage and table displays, sales have gone up.

Make your pricing clear

Clear pricing is so important. You have probably read it a dozen times on these kinds of blogs but it really does matter.

You have two kinds of customers: those who will happily talk your ear off to get to know your brand and those who don’t really want to talk. These people want to come over, read and make a decision to buy. They are more likely to do so when you have labelled prices clearly.

Get to know other local businesses

Get to know your fellow local businesses. This is your community. They know the struggle and are often your biggest cheerleaders.

There are so many other local brands that share our content and refer customers our way. Sometimes you can collaborate and the possibilities are endless.

Promote your services too

Do you also provide services? Take all your marketing gear with you and promote your class or course.

Don’t just rely on social media. Speak to all those potential customers who visit your stand and let them know about the services you offer.

You can also ask for email addresses to send news and product alerts to. In 2026, most customers have email. Some do not necessarily have social media or may not have signed up through your website to see your marketing.

A small form after a chat, where they can pop down their name and email address, can help boost repeat customers.

Use quieter moments for content

There will be times when an event may be quieter than expected. See this as an opportunity to create content. Save ideas in your phone to make videos, take photos and make use of natural lighting when outside.

Content is a great way to add credibility to your brand. Think of all those online customers who can establish trust with you because you have gone to events and have proof you are a reputable business. It definitely beats a Canva post.

We find the funnier the videos and the more you put yourself out there, the more views online you receive. Exposure is worth its weight in gold, so don’t be embarrassed to build your brand.

Make your stall inviting

Make your stall inviting. Create a moment rather than a supermarket aisle experience.

Height, wood, plants, crates, layered materials, tables, banners, curtains and textures can all help create an interesting shopping experience and a sense of brand individuality.

Making your stall attractive can demand more attention from customers, encouraging them to stop and look rather than walking by. It also helps stop the temptation of putting too much stock out as sometimes this can be overwhelming for the customer and create clutter. Again, we have been guilty of this.

Think about your table layout

Table placement is key when saying “hey, come and look at what we’ve got”. Stalls with tables arranged in a little L shape or U shape can do very well.

Instead of one table facing out, try this. It allows the customer to walk in, pick up your product and get a feel for it.

This really does improve sales. We’ve tried the whole one table looking outwards at the customer setup and it really does feel a bit pushy.

You can still say "hi" or use a little tagline prompt like “feel free to pick them up”, which makes the customer feel acknowledged but gives them a relaxed, no pressure feel to browse.

So those are our top tips for market day from Little Bee Soap Co. If you’ve enjoyed this blog, come and visit http://www.littlebeesoap.co.uk for products, workshops and more.

From Funyard Events: We are proud to support independent makers and local businesses through our markets and seasonal events. Keep an eye on our upcoming dates to discover more brilliant traders like Little Bee Soap Co.