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A new year brings fresh opportunities, new customers, and a chance to grow your business in meaningful ways. Whether you’re a seasoned market vendor or just getting started, success doesn’t happen by accident—it comes from intention, preparation, and reflection.

If you’re looking to make this your best year yet as a market vendor, here are five tips to help you stand out, grow your brand, and build long-term success.

1. Plan Your Year Early

One of the most powerful things you can do for your business is to plan your year as early as possible. Booking markets ahead of time gives you clarity, confidence, and direction. Instead of scrambling month to month, you’ll know where your business is showing up and can prepare accordingly.

Early planning allows you to:

Budget for booth fees and inventory
Strategically choose markets that align with your goals
Avoid burnout by spacing out events
Feel less stress and more excitement as the year unfolds

A “booked and busy” calendar brings peace of mind—and that confidence shows up in your business.

2. Choose Exposure Over Just Selling

While making sales is important, not every market should be measured by how much money you made that day. Some events are about visibility, brand awareness, and new connections.

Markets give you exposure to:

New customers discovering your brand for the first time
Other vendors you may collaborate with in the future
Event organizers and community partners

Sometimes the customer who didn’t buy today becomes your biggest supporter tomorrow. Focus on being seen, remembered, and talked about—not just on transactions.

3. Make Your Booth Unforgettable

Your booth is often the first impression customers have of your business—make it count. A clean, cohesive, and visually appealing setup draws people in and invites conversation.

Think about:

Clear signage with your business name and what you sell
Branding that reflects your style and values
Layout that’s easy to browse
Small details that create a welcoming vibe

An unforgettable booth doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be intentional. You want people to remember you long after the market ends.

4. Collect Customers, Not Just Cash

A sale is great—but a returning customer is even better. Markets are a perfect opportunity to grow your customer base beyond the day of the event.

Ways to do this include:

Email sign-up sheets or QR codes
Social media follows (with signage or incentives)
Business cards or thank-you cards with your handles
Conversations that build real connections

When you collect customer information, you’re building a community around your brand—and that’s where long-term growth happens.

5. Review and Refine After Every Event

After each market, take time to reflect. Ask yourself:

What sold well?
What didn’t move?
Did the market align with my target customer?
What would I do differently next time?

These reflections help you refine your inventory, pricing, booth setup, and market choices. Growth comes from learning—and every event offers valuable insight.

Final Thoughts

Your best year yet as a market vendor isn’t just about luck or being in the right place at the right time. It’s about planning ahead, showing up with purpose, and continuously learning from each experience.

When you focus on exposure, connection, and growth—not just sales—you build a business that lasts.

Here’s to a year of full calendars, unforgettable booths, and meaningful success ✨

With Love,

Melanie

Hi, my name is Melanie. I’m a mom to three beautiful little girls, a wife, coffee enthusiast, book lover, two-time small business owner, and a lover of all things pink. My story is unique—my business began completely by happenstance. What started as a stay-at-home mom side hustle quickly turned into a dream come true. Let’s dive in.

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Over the years, I came up with countless business ideas, but never quite brought them to life. Still, there was always a spark inside me—a desire for more, to create something I could be proud of and to be my own boss. I’ve always had a strong work ethic and a natural interest in anything business-related.

I graduated from Nipissing University with an honours degree in Business, majoring in Human Resources and Marketing. I’ve always loved the creative side of business (accounting, on the other hand—I’ll happily leave that to someone else). After graduating, I quickly secured a role in my field as a Human Resources Coordinator at a reputable company, where I was responsible for interviewing and hiring for the organization.

Becoming “Mom”

In 2022, I welcomed my first daughter and naturally stepped away from my HR role to stay home with her. In 2023, our family grew again with the arrival of our second daughter, and I never returned to my position. By 2024, when we welcomed our third daughter, it became clear to my husband and me that it was time for me to take a true pause in my career and focus on being home with our girls. I knew this season with them was invaluable, and I was determined to soak in every moment.

As much as I love motherhood, once we settled into a rhythm with our third daughter, I realized I was craving something more. I wanted a side hustle—something I could work on during nap times and after bedtime, and something that would bring in a little extra income to fuel my coffee and book addiction. That’s when Cookie Kit Co. was born.

Cookie Kit Co Happened Overnight

It all started when I was invited to a friend’s “cookie exchange.” Everyone had to bring a type of Christmas cookie, and I decided on a sugar cookie. After many late nights of trial and error perfecting my recipe, I finally said to my husband, “Try this cookie. It’s absolutely delicious. I think I could sell these.”

So, that’s exactly what I did. I ordered everything I needed to start a sugar cookie business and went all in. The very next day, I posted my DIY sugar cookie kits online, hoping to sell just a few boxes for some extra Christmas money. To my surprise, in the month and a half between launching and Christmas Day, over 100 boxes sold! I could hardly believe it.

That’s when it hit me—this had real potential. I realized I didn’t just want to run a seasonal cookie kit business; I wanted to create a bakery brand I could work on year-round. And that’s when the idea to rebrand and grow beyond Christmas came to life.

The Treat Boutique Was Born

And just like that, The Treat Boutique was born. I spent January perfecting my recipes and mastering the art of all things treats. From cake pops to cupcakes, custom cakes, gourmet cookies, cake jars, caketinis, chocoberries, and chocolate-dipped desserts—we kept creating new treats to add to the menu, and I loved every minute of it. While experimenting in the kitchen, we worked on a website, rebranded our socials, and soon orders began rolling in. What began as a side hustle had officially become a business I could grow year-round, full of creativity and sweet possibilities.

Over the year, we catered weddings, participated in countless markets, fulfilled a variety of custom orders, and made so many new connections along the way. We grew our socials, created tons of content, and built a brand that was recognizable, fun, pink, and—of course—delicious. The rest of the year was a whirlwind, but it turned out to be an incredible journey.

Along the way, I developed a deep passion for small businesses. Meeting so many amazing makers inspired me to create a space where other entrepreneurs could come together, promote their products, and grow their businesses. That’s how the Makers Market came to life—a community built to support local creators and celebrate their stories.

The Maker’s Market

I put my all into it—I gave it everything I had. I was determined to create a consistent market for the North Bay area, a space I could call The Makers Market, and bring events to the community. Small businesses rely on local events to showcase their products, get recognized, and grow their customer base. My goal was to provide another platform for makers to do exactly that, while also creating a space on my socials to share their stories and highlight their amazing products.

Even as a maker myself, I love promoting other creators and watching them thrive. There’s something incredibly rewarding about building a community where everyone supports each other and celebrates creativity.

We booked and held events throughout the city and even partnered with Northgate Shopping Centre on select market dates to give small businesses the chance to be featured in the mall. Countless hours, long nights, and many unseen tears went into these passion projects, but I’m incredibly proud of what has been built. I’m excited to see where this journey will take us next and to continue supporting makers and small businesses in our community.

To Conclude

I’ve always wanted to start a blog, but I wasn’t sure anyone would want to read what I have to say. That said, I’ve learned a lot over the course of my journey, and I hope I can share a thing or two that might help or inspire others.

Even if no one reads this, that’s okay—this blog is my space to reflect, share my thoughts, and document my successes and lessons learned. I also plan to feature makers from Northern Ontario, shining a spotlight on their businesses and stories. On top of that, I plan to share insights on balancing business with motherhood and what it’s like to be a woman in business—the hurdles, the wins, and everything in between.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for being here and for your support—it truly means the world.

With Love,

Melanie