Market Ready Masterclass - Build a brand from the inside out

Hosted by Support The Makers with guest hosts Alice from Melt Me Real Good & Karen Bennett of Karen Bennett Graphic Design

If you’ve ever felt unsure about how to set up your stall, talk to customers, price your products, or simply feel fully prepared for market day, this workshop is for you.

The Market-Ready Masterclass is designed to help makers feel confident, prepared and excited to showcase their business, not just through a beautiful stall setup, but by building a brand that feels clear, recognisable and truly reflective of who they are.

Hosted by Support The Makers, this relaxed and practical session offers real, honest advice on what actually works at markets, from creating a table that catches people’s eye, to having natural conversations that lead to sales without feeling awkward or pushy.

But being market-ready is about more than just your display. It’s also about how people experience your brand. From your signage and packaging to your messaging, visuals and customer experience, we’ll explore how to create a cohesive brand presence that helps people remember you, trust you and come back.

Alongside practical market advice, you’ll hear from Karen Bennett Graphic Design on building a brand from the inside out, helping you better understand your brand identity, connect with your ideal customers and create a business presence that feels aligned and professional, while still feeling like you.

We’ll also cover the practical details that can make a huge difference on the day itself, from card readers and payment setup, to social media, newsletter signups and what to pack so your market morning runs smoothly.

Whether you’re completely new to markets or have done a few already and want to refine your setup, strengthen your brand and grow your confidence, you’ll leave with practical ideas, useful tools and a clearer sense of how to show up feeling truly market-ready.

With Alice from Melt Me Real Good and Carmen from Support The Makers, we’ll chat through:

• How to create a stall layout that encourages people to stop and browse
• Simple display ideas to showcase your products beautifully
• What shoppers actually look for when walking around a market
• Starting natural conversations that feel easy and lead to sales
• Card readers, payments and creating a seamless checkout experience
• Easy ways to collect newsletter signups and stay connected with customers
• What to post on social media before and during your market
• A simple checklist of what to bring so you feel calm, organised and ready

This is all about real-life, practical advice from people who do this every week — no fluff and no hard sell.

With Karen Bennett Graphic Design

You’re creating something brilliant that you want the world to know about — but translating that into a clear, confident brand can sometimes feel harder than expected.

Karen will share simple, practical ways to strengthen your brand identity so it feels more like you and connects more clearly with the people you want to attract.

You’ll cover:

• The foundations of a strong brand
• Creating a look and feel that feels consistent and recognisable
• How to better connect your brand with your ideal customer
• Easy design tips to elevate your business visuals
• Canva tips and tools to help you create content with confidence

Alice is the founder of the award-winning business Melt Me Real Good, which started in 2020 as a kitchen-table hobby and has since grown into a thriving and much-loved brand.

She’s also one of the organisers behind Wylde Thistle Events, hosting artisan markets across the west coast of Scotland. With years of experience both selling at and running markets, Alice brings honest, practical advice based on what genuinely works.

Karen is the founder of Karen Bennett Graphic Design. After a career in marketing within financial services, she made the leap in 2023 to start her own business supporting independent female-led brands.

Karen specialises in brand strategy, design, brand glow-ups and Canva training, helping businesses create brands that feel aligned, professional and confidently themselves.

Carmen is the founder of Support The Makers and co-founder of Porty Festival. What began as a one-off Christmas market in Portobello in 2019 has grown into regular markets across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Carmen spends her time supporting independent makers and creating welcoming, well-loved market experiences.

We know markets can feel overwhelming, especially at the beginning. There’s so much to think about, and often it’s the small things that nobody tells you that make the biggest difference.

This workshop is designed to give you practical support, honest advice and the confidence to show up feeling prepared, with a stall that works, a stronger understanding of your brand and a clearer sense of how to connect with your customers.

Expect useful takeaways, friendly chat, hot drinks, cookies, and plenty of practical ideas you can actually use in your business.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Support The Makers