A Farmers Market is a great place for local business owners and farmers to sell their products to eager local customers. At Frisco Fresh Market, we are always eager to welcome new vendors into the fold.
However, while we’d love to just accept every vendor that comes our way, space is limited, so there is always a process that leads up to approval.
If you are a local business owner that wants to get involved at a local Farmers Market, here are some of the most common steps towards achieving your goal.
Familiarize Yourself with the Frisco Fresh Market
The best way to learn if your product is going to sell is to visit FFM and learn about the other vendors that sell at our Market.
- Do you see a similar product to yours? How can you differentiate yourself from this similar vendor or a similar product?
- Our Market is completely outdoors, will this be good for the product you wish to sell?
- As you walk the aisles of our Market do you see your target customer shopping from our outdoor vendors?
- Our Market is conveniently open on Saturdays and Sundays, does this work with your schedule?
Know What You Are Selling
Remember, you are the expert on your product. So, be prepared to pull out all of the bells and whistles when you pitch your idea to the management at an outdoor Market. Know your product and process from the inside out!
When preparing your pitch, ask yourself these questions to help flesh out why your product deserves to be at the Farmers Market:
- Does your product have any special health benefits to your audience?
- Do you grow or prepare your product in a special way?
- Is it something that only you sell in the community?
- Has it sold well on its own in the past?
Get Your Business Certified
Regardless of how natural your product is, it’s still a liability for you and the Farmers Market to sell your product as an uncertified or unlicensed business.
Before you apply for a board of health certification, do your own research into the product and find out what your local jurisdiction requires. They will mainly be on the lookout for correct cooking and packing practices like sterilization and preparation at the right temperature.
If you do your research and make sure that your product is prepared to local safety standards, this part of the process shouldn’t be very stressful and you can easily move forward with reaching out to your local market for a vendor application.
Once we have received and reviewed your application and have approved you to become a vendor with us, we will send you all the details you need, especially those involving obtaining a health permit from the City of Frisco, but it is beneficial to you to already have your licenses and permits in hand for your business.
Are You Ready to Pursue Becoming a Vendor?
Reach out to our Leasing Committee if you have any questions or go right ahead and submit an online application form, which is the first step to becoming a vendor with us.
Aside from your tax and license information, you’ll want to provide as much detail as possible that proves to us why your booth will make a difference at their Market.
We might ask you to stop by our office, to pitch your product to us or let us sample your products before approving you. If you don’t have your physical product to sample, we suggest bringing a high-resolution photo of your product as well as a photo of your already existing vendor booth.
If this is your first time applying for a Farmers Market, it’s helpful to set up your booth on your own property and shoot some photos for the approval process.
Start Your Vendor Journey Today with Frisco Fresh Market
If you’re ready to become a regular vendor at Frisco Fresh Market, we are ready to meet you and learn more about your products. From produce to locally sourced honey, there is always something new to offer at Frisco Fresh Market.
Contact us today to start the vendor application process.