You come back from a market with a full cash bag, a number on the card reader and the feeling it went well. But how much did it really leave you? Once you take off the pitch fee, fuel, lunch and the materials for what you sold, the answer is usually a lot smaller than what's in the till.
Keeping the books for a stall doesn't mean becoming an accountant. It takes four habits and a place to write things down that works even when the venue has no signal.
Why the day's takings mislead you
The money that comes in at a market mixes three things: what it cost to make what you sold, what it cost to be there and what you actually earn. If you only look at the total, a busy fair with an expensive pitch can look better than a small market that actually left you more.
So separate them from the start:
- Sales: everything you take, in cash, by card or by bank transfer.
- Costs of the day: pitch fee, travel, parking, food.
- Cost of materials: what it cost you to make or buy what you sold.
Habit 1: open and close every market
Treat every market as a session with a start and an end. When you set up, note the market's name and the date. When you pack up, close it and look at the summary. That lets you compare markets, which is the question that really matters: which one do I go back to?
Habit 2: log every sale as it happens
By the end of the day nobody remembers the small sales. Log each sale when it happens, with the amount and payment method. If you can, add which product it was: over time you'll learn what sells at each kind of market.
If you take cards, you don't need a new reader. What you need is one record that also holds your cash sales, the ones your bank never sees.
Habit 3: log costs the same day
Pitch fees are sometimes paid weeks ahead; fuel, on the day. Log each cost with its category and, if it belongs to a specific market, link it to that market. Keep the receipt or take a photo of it: your accountant will thank you.
Categories that are usually enough for a stall:
- Pitch or fair fee
- Travel
- Materials
- Packaging
- Tools
- Fees (card reader or platforms)
- Promotion
Habit 4: review the month in ten minutes
Once a month, check three numbers: what came in, what went out and the margin left. Then look at the month's markets sorted by what they left you. That list beats any gut feeling when you plan next month. If you want to rethink your prices too, see our guide on how to price products with confidence.
An example with numbers
Picture a Saturday at a craft market (example figures):
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sales | £420 |
| Pitch fee | −£40 |
| Fuel and parking | −£25 |
| Food | −£12 |
| Materials for what you sold | −£140 |
| What the day left you | £203 |
The till said £420; the day left you £203, before counting your hours. If another market that month left you £90 on similar sales, you know where the problem is: the pitch or the trip.
With no signal, too
Many showgrounds, covered squares and halls have poor signal. If your system needs internet to log a sale, you'll end up writing things down from memory at home. Pick something that saves on your phone and syncs later.
Mercader's cash book is built for this: open the market when you set up, log sales and costs even with no signal and, when you close it, see sales, costs, net, average sale, takings by payment method and best sellers. Each month you get reports by category and a CSV for your accountant. It doesn't take payments or replace invoicing software: it logs what you take with your usual setup.
What your accountant will ask for
Tax rules depend on where you live and how you trade, so check yours with an accountant or your tax office. What they'll almost always want is a list of income and costs with dates and amounts, plus receipts for the costs. With the four habits, you already have that list. If you're wondering about the rules for selling crafts, we cover the basics in selling crafts: taxes and rules.
To start this weekend
- Before you leave, note what the pitch cost.
- At the market, log every sale as it happens.
- When you pack up, add fuel, food and materials.
- At home, compare it with your last market.
And if you don't know which markets to do next month yet, have a look at our market guides by city.
by Mercader team
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