Weekend bazaar market stall

Market visitors, local families and bargain hunters looking for useful or unusual items at fair prices.

You buy stock at wholesale and sell at a markup, paying a stall fee per market day. Sales are strongest at busy markets and around holiday seasons.

• Eye for popular products
• Friendly selling and haggling
• Packing and setting up a display
• Handling cash and card payments

• Market vendor rules, some markets or municipalities require a vendor permit or business licence, check before you apply
• Product safety and labelling rules for goods you import or resell, check Health Canada and provincial rules
• Commercial general liability insurance, which many markets ask to see
• Winter and bad weather, outdoor markets can slow sharply, so look for indoor markets or seasonal events
• Storage and transport of stock, and a vehicle that can carry your kit

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on your stall kit, opening stock and transport. Monthly revenue is estimated at about $800 to $4,000, depending on which markets you attend and how often.

Check whether the market or your municipality requires a vendor permit or business licence before applying. Also check Health Canada and provincial product safety and labelling rules for imported or resold goods, and note that many markets ask to see commercial general liability insurance.

Estimates start at around 10 hours a week. Outdoor markets can slow sharply in winter or bad weather, so look at indoor markets or seasonal events. You will also need storage for stock and a vehicle that can carry your kit.