Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Selling Food at Flea Markets, Bazaars and Events? Here's what you must know.

In order for any merchants to sell food at flea markets, bazaars, trade fairs and events in Singapore, this is what you must know about Singapore regulations

1.. NEA Regulations pertaining to merchants selling food and food hygiene;
2. Restrictions of Home Base Business scheme;
3. Your Organiser's own operating policies



This is going to be wordy, but trust us you MUST know this if you are a food entrepreneur participating in flea markets and bazaars.


Under Section 35 of the Environmental Public Health Act, Chapter 95, no person shall promote, organise or stage any temporary fair, stage show or other such function or activity without first obtaining a permit from the Director-General of Public Health.


1. NEA REGULATIONS AND THE LAW 

NEA is the final government organisation to give their approval before Organisers can be allowed to stage any temporary fair, stage show or other function or activity.

Before this permit can be issued by NEA, here are the documents from other government agencies / organisations  NEA must see that Organisers must produce:

Approvals from:

  1. Fire Safety & Shelter Department, SCDF 
  2. Site owner
  3. Neighbourhood Police Post / Centre (for set-up of carnival rides/game stalls, if any)
  4. Energy Market Authority (for use of generator, if any)
  5. Land Transport Authority (Road Management Department)
  6. Land Transport Authority (Development & Building Control Division, if fair site is within 40m of MRT station/ rail structure)
  7. National Parks Board (for use of grass verge/ roadside tables, if any)
  8. Consensus from neighbourhood shopkeepers

​The proof of consensus from shopkeepers in the neighbourhood should be in the form of:

  • Letter from neighbourhood shopkeepers’ association, or
  • Written agreement signed by neighbourhood shopkeeper, or
  • Letter from Advisor stating that the shopkeepers have given consent

All Organisers whether private or government entities must apply for this permit 2 weeks ahead, which means, the respective documents from points 1 to 7 must be provided and applied for, at least 1 month or so ahead before applying for the NEA permit.



SELLING FOOD AT FLEA MARKETS, BAZAARS, TRADE FAIRS & EVENTS


This is our compilation from public-domain information sources:

There are normally 3 types of food categories that are classified by NEA where it comes to food, trade fairs and events:

1. Pre-packed from licensed NEA source 

This refers to foodstuff that is packed and sealed in NEA approved premises.  Approved premises would be food factories, central kitchens, hawker stalls, bakeries, coffee shop stalls, restaurant kitchens and central kitchens. Home bakeries are not NEA licensed premises so therefore, disallowed.

All foodstuff from such approved NEA sources must also be properly labelled, including the date / time of expiry. 
For food that is packed by caterers or restaurants, the shelf life of the food is 4 hours and this too has to be labelled.

Foodstuff such as crackers, biscuits from Khong Guan, Oreo cookies are factory pre-packed and have proper labels.

If the pre-packed foodstuff to sell are imported, please ensure that these are imported by proper channels, including clearance from AVA. If you are buying from a supplier, please ensure that these are credible suppliers to protect yourselves.

http://www.ava.gov.sg/explore-by-sections/food/bringing-food-into-singapore-and-exporting/commercial-food-imports

2. Food prepared on the spot

This refers to food that is freshly prepared on-the-spot, such as Ramly Burgers you see at Pasar Malams, grilled sandwiches and coconut shakes, kebabs, satay, roti prata wraps etcetera.  A PUB water point connected to a sink and sewerage point is a must for each stall. (Imagine the of the costs involved to set these up),  because there is on-site food preparation and handling.

Food prepared on the spot must also have proper display casings, such as display chillers, food warmers, glass or transparent acrylic display shelves with doors.

​Please click the link below to see NEA's requirements from organisers in the application form:


http://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/services-and-forms/licences-permits-building-plan-clearances/trade-fair-application-form-(updated---04042016).pdf

3. Food that requires handling, for which you require a certified food handler

Food handling is a technical issue - it means when the server has to serve the food, e.g. taking a  bun from a steamer and putting it into the plastic is handling, scooping rice into a box is also handling, dispensing beverages from a bar gun, mixing cocktail drinks.are also handling. Using tongs, spoons, chopsticks, forks or spatulas to pack the food on site is also considered handling. 

Licensed food handlers are required to be at the stall to perform the food handling functions. To be licensed you need to attend a course on food handling and hygiene.

Here's a list http://www.wda.gov.sg/content/wdawebsite/L207-AboutWSQ/L301-WSQIndustryFramework-FoodandBeverage/WSQ_Follow_FnB_Safety_and_Hygiene_Policies_and_Procedures.html

Please click the link below:.

http://www.nea.gov.sg/public-health/food-hygiene
2. HDB / URA HOME BASED SMALL SCALE BUSINESS SCHEME

The Home Based Small Scale Business Scheme by HDB and URA allows residents to carry out activities in their HDB and private residential premises to supplement their income. Under this scheme, residents can prepare small quantities of food for sale to their friends and relatives without turning their residences into a commercial outlet.

A licence is not required from NEA. Nonetheless, residents preparing food under the scheme can refer to these guidelines on good hygiene tips to adopt.


What this means: You can't sell to the public, so you can't participate in flea markets to sell.... BUT you can participate in flea markets to provide sampling of your products and introduce your own brand... as well as to make friends!  Get them to become your Facebook, Instagram, Wechat, Snapchat friends! And then you can sell to them thereafter.

As long as you understand what the above 2 points mean, you'll be able to participate in our flea markets and bazaars without breaking any laws or government regulation.

3. YOUR ORGANISER'S OWN OPERATING POLICIES

Now that you know what happens behinds the scenes for Organisers to ensure you are able to legitimately conduct your business without the risk of legal repercussions, we leave it to your own judgement on what Organisers tell when you ask them about participating in their markets, as well as make your own business decision on participation.

TGIF Bazaars requires interested and qualified participants to provide the necessary relevant supporting documentation before participation.

Sometimes, due to curation and managing conflicts of interest, the answer may not be what you had wished for.

If you have further questions, please feel free to check with us, OR check with NEA directly.

Cheers!
The Team from TGIF Bazaars

Too wordy above?  Here's the above information in a diagram




Thursday, June 16, 2016

Top 10 reasons why you should participate in heartland day Flea Markets


Ok, so we've been offline for a while... but now we're back!

We've been in reactionary mode lately to the changing environment, and are in the midst of reorganising and restructuring ourselves to serve the markets better.

After all, change is the only constant.

Barely 10 years ago we did not use smart devices to shop and make purchases.  We had no Qoo10, Tmall, Lazada nor Zalora.

We're venturing into the day market scene, and believe us when we say there's a whole chunk of hurdles and hassles we are having to overcome in order to be there.

Nonetheless we recognise there are more advantages then disadvantages, and here they are:

1. You got a captive audience with the right mindset (right for you) : the weekend morning market crowd consisting of the aunties, uncles, with their families in tow are there for a specific reason and that is to do have their breakfast at the nearby coffee shops / hawker centre and do their grocery shopping.

2. The shoppers come with cash : they're prepared to buy with cash. And in times like these, cash is king.

3. Food and drinks can be bought easily from nearby stalls.

4. You don't need to pack up your stall right into the wee hours of the night.

5. You can play all the music, promote your product to your heart's content at your kiosk and no one will complain about it.

6. If you are there regularly, you get to build relationships with your customers.

7. You don't need to set up lights to illuminate your products.

8. Easier to get public transport back after you're done.

9. Your business is physically closer to your customers.

10. You can still participate in weekend night markets after you flea in the day market.

Visit www.bpopmarkets.com !


Thursday, April 14, 2016

Traditional Retailers / Mall Owners and Managers - consider the implications...


Alibaba buys controlling stake in Southeast Asian retailer Lazada


What does this mean to you?

1. Read this

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/12/alibaba-group-invests-1-billion-dollars-in-lazada-group-and-eyes-southeast-asia.html

Retrieved 14 Apr 2016 2051 hrs

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has agreed to buy a controlling stake in Southeast Asian online retailer Lazada to tap into the region's lucrative consumer market.
Under the deal worth approximately $1 billion, Alibaba will buy around $500 million worth of newly issued shares in Lazada, as well as acquire shares from some existing shareholders.
Alibaba President Michael Evans said the investment will support Alibaba's expansion plans in Southeast Asia.
"With the investment in Lazada, Alibaba gains access to a platform with a large and growing consumer base outside China, a proven management team and a solid foundation for future growth in one of the most promising regions for e-commerce globally," he said in a statement.
Max Bittner, CEO of Lazada Group, added, "the transaction will help us to accelerate our goal to provide the 560 million consumers in the region access to the broadest and most unique assortment of products."
Germany's Rocket Internet will sell a 9.1 percent stake in Lazada for $137 million in cash but will still have an 8.8 percent stake. British supermarket giant Tesco will sell an 8.6 percent equity stake in Lazada for $129 million, bringing down its stake in the company to 8.3 percent. Tesco said that the proceeds from the deal will be used for general working capital.
Both Rocket Internet and Tesco said they have entered into a "put-call arrangement" with Alibaba, giving the buyer the right to purchase, and shareholders the right to sell their remaining stakes at a "fair market value" within the 12 to 18 month period after the closing of the deal.
In buying Lazada, the idea is to help buyers and sellers on Alibaba's platform to get access to the Southeast Asian market. Lazada has already built up a supply chain, delivery and payment options in the regions in which it operates.
Marie Sun, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, told CNBC that Alibaba is looking for future growth drivers outside China and has already invested in markets such as India, South Korea and the United States.
Sun added that Southeast Asia's e-commerce market is still underdeveloped, compared to those in China and U.S., which implies there would be higher growth in the future. "So if they can dominate the market when the mobile internet penetration increases in the region, Alibaba can benefit in the longer term," she said.
It also continues Alibaba's expansion beyond its home market. Last year, the firm appointed country managers in the U.K. and Italy as it looked to increase its footprint in Europe and help businesses in the region sell into China. Behind its expansion plans is the idea that Alibaba can become a gateway to China for buyers and sellers on its platform.
Lazada was founded in 2012 and serves regional markets including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 
Earlier this month, Alibaba announced that as of the end of its fiscal year 2016, which ended March 31, it was the largest retailer in the world as measured by annual gross merchandise volume (GMV). The company has yet to announce earnings for the full fiscal year. 
2. Then read this

Who else does Alibaba own?


Alibaba takes bigger stake in SingPost

http://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/alibaba-takes-bigger-stake-in-singpost
PUBLISHED JUL 9, 2015, 5:50 AM SGT

Retrieved 
14 Aug 2016 2056 hrs

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group is investing about $279 million to expand its holdings in Singapore Post (SingPost) and take a share of its subsidiary, aimed at boosting growth in their e-commerce logistics platform across the Asia-Pacific, the two companies announced yesterday.
Mainboard-listed SingPost is growing its e-commerce business, and last year an Alibaba unit bought a more than 10 per cent stake in SingPost for $249 million.
In the latest deal, Alibaba said it was buying an additional 5 per cent stake for $187.1 million. Alibaba is the second-largest shareholder in SingPost, after Singtel.
On completion, Alibaba's deemed interest in SingPost will rise to 14.51 per cent from 10.23 per cent.
The acquisition is subject to approval by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and SingPost shareholders.
Alibaba will also invest up to $92 million to buy a 34 per cent stake in Quantium Solutions International (QSI), a SingPost subsidiary that provides e-commerce logistics and fulfilment services across the Asia-Pacific. SingPost will hold the remaining 66 per cent interest.
"QSI will reorganise its business and become the joint-venture vehicle of SingPost and Alibaba Group. This will allow QSI to ramp up its development of e-commerce logistics infrastructure and services," SingPost said, adding that QSI will encompass e-commerce warehousing, last-mile delivery and other end-to-end e-commerce solutions.
Said SingPost CEO Wolfgang Baier: "We are now taking the next step by building a regional e-commerce logistics platform and infrastructure for e-commerce players across Asia-Pacific based on Quantium Solutions - our e-commerce logistics subsidiary. Alibaba started as our customer and then last year became our shareholder and business partner."
SingPost and Alibaba have also entered into a joint strategic business development framework to improve efficiency and integration of e-commerce logistics solutions. A joint steering committee will be created and drawn from their respective executives.
Mr Lim Ho Kee, SingPost's chairman, said the pace of transformation at SingPost has been accelerating. "As a postal service provider, we are on a burning platform, facing a global decline in mail revenue with trends like e-substitution and lifestyle changes," he said.
"It is a win-win situation for both of us because we share similar goals and have a natural fit between our operations across Asia."
Alibaba chief executive Daniel Zhang said that the additional investment in SingPost and the new joint venture signify the commitment to expanding the global logistics footprint, which will help Chinese businesses to sell and global brands to deliver more easily around the world.
3. Then read this!

Singpost Is Developing A Futuristic Shopping Mall To House Online Retailers

http://techcrunch.com/2015/10/28/singpost-is-developing-a-futuristic-shopping-mall-to-house-online-retailers/

Retrieved 14 Aug 2016 2100 hrs

Weeks after revealing plans to use drones to deliver the mail, Singpost — Singapore’s postal service provider — has unveiled another futuristic e-commerce concept, a mall that combines online and offline shopping together under one roof.
The mall (artist’s impressive above) will be located at Singapore Post Centre (SPC) and is scheduled to be completed by mid-2017. The company said it would feature 25,000 square meters of retail space spread across five levels. There’ll be an eight-screen cinema but, most importantly, Singpost envisages the mall being the future of retail — where shoppers can peruse items in store and order them online for delivery to their home. (The delivery and logistics are part are where Singpost truly brings its resources into play.)
The organization believes that marrying online and offline commerce will benefit both customers and retailers, as it explained in an announcement today:
A consumer could browse in-store, purchase the product and arrange for delivery of the product directly to their home. The consumer could then continue shopping, watch a movie or have a meal in the mall without having to carry bulky shopping bags. The retailer, on the other hand, could save on storage space in the store as fulfilment would be done at the backend of the warehouse.
 It’s certainly a bold vision, particularly since this mall would be the first of its kind — even though online-to-offline is already a trend that is enabling some physical retailers to extend their reach to customers through the internet.
Some types of shopping are based around instant gratification or spontaneity, i.e. actually taking a product home with you, but Singpost is betting that in some cases — such as bulkier items or more mundane purchases — shopping online and a speedy home delivery is what the people will want.
We’ve already seen Alibaba invest $4.6 billion in foster closer links between online and offline sales. That deal saw the Chinese e-commerce firm — which is an investor in Singpost — buy a 20 percent slice of Chinese physical retail giant Suning. Part of that coming-together will see Alibaba given the opportunity of “a physical experience” with products in store — i.e. try it in person and buy it via Alibaba — while there are plans to offer after-sales support for products bought via Alibaba’s online services.
Singpost, however, is taking this concept to the next level with a mall. For now, only cinema firm Golden Village Multiplex and coffee chain Kopitiam are confirmed tenants. It is easy to see how both of those businesses could benefit from closer alignment with internet sales and distribution, but it will be interesting to see which other companies inhabit the mall when it goes from vision to reality over the next 18 months or so. And, of course, whether the concept takes off in other countries.

3. Then understand this!
http://www.singstat.gov.sg/statistics/visualising-data/charts/age-pyramid-of-resident-population
Retrieved 14 April 2016, 2118 hrs
What this means to you - We'll be as politically incorrect as possible:
You're going to be screwed.  Big time.
This emerging business model will cut you off from your customers, and mess up your supply / delivery chain.
  • Alibaba - global e-market place where they connect consumers, small businesses directly to manufacturers.
  • Lazada - e-commerce platform where they engage in affiliate marketing, so everyone in their system will sell like crazy. You can buy almost anything there - they're a SE Asian Taobao.
  • Singpost - logistics solutions provider

Their combined ecosystem reaches out to suppliers and consumers bypassing traditional sales and distribution channels will cause your sales volume to dip, and lower YOUR customers/shopper's propensity to spend with you.
Granted that the millennials (read : the massive spenders of the future) are all Linux, Windows, IOS, Android savvy, and spend loads of time browsing on their mobile devices, it's only a matter of time before you find yourself or your business irrelevant.
But, the good news is that people (especially in Singapore) still need to go out to their homes, spend time on leisure and on recreation, to do something, to eat something, to see something.
Shopping for merchandise (less perishable groceries perhaps) will be low on their priority.
If you are a mall owner / venue manager - how are you going to fill up those retail spaces? 
How are you going to get sustainable, let alone grow your footfall (that determines the amount of rental your tenants are willing to pay) ?
How are you going to get customers to spend with you?
What can you do, strategically and tactically?

  

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Aspiring Home Bakers - take note!


Today we take a special look into the legitimacy of home bakers....

Google : Home Based Business Scheme in Singapore, and 3 websites will pop up in your feed, in no particular order:

1. URA
2. HDB
3. NEA


Point 1 : You do not need to register with ACRA to run your small home business. (But you still must inform HDB)

Note - Applicants need not register with ACRA first to apply for HOS (Home Office Registration).HDB's Home Office Scheme is applicable for HDB residential flats and living quarters of the HDB commercial property. Only the Owner who wish to operate a Home Office can apply via OBLS as long as his/her business can comply with the conditions of the scheme and his/her business does not fall under the non-permissible list of businesses. The only fee payable to HDB is the administration fee $20 for 5-year approval period. For third party filer, please print the prescribed Letter of Authorisation. Please refer to Terms and Conditions 

Source : https://licences.business.gov.sg/SHINE/sop/WebPageHandler?p=OASIS&pn=SelectLicences&ss=FAQ&LicenceID=1421
Retrieved 7.17pm 9 Apr 2017


Point 2 : You do not need to, and can not turn your home kitchen into a bakery, and can only sell to friends.

What this means : you need to have many friends so you can sell to some of them. And you can make friends adding them into your facebook (or them adding you), following you on instagram, twitter etcetera.

"Examples of Home-based Activities that Can Be Allowed in Private and HDB Residential Premises
  1. the resident who is at home doing office work using a computer, which is linked to the office main computer
  2. the resident undertaking sewing work at home to supplement the household income
  3. freelance artist/journalist/photographer/writer etc operating in his/her own home, without employing anyone and where business activities are not conducted within the premises
  4. the resident baking cakes at home on a small scale for sale to his/her friends without turning the place into a bakery
  5. the resident conducting private tuition for not more than 3 students at any one time
  6. the resident undertaking hairdressing services to supplement household income, without employing any workers
  7. the resident using a small part of the house for storage of goods which are for sale at the resident's own market stall, provided the storage does not exceed 10 cubic meter
  8. the resident undertaking piecemeal work at his/her home from factory on work rate basis, to supplement household income"
Source: https://www.ura.gov.sg/uol/guidelines/development-control/Home-Office-Scheme/Sections/FAQs/small-business-guidelines-for-setting-up-small-business-at-home.aspx 

Retrieved 7.17pm 9 Apr 2017


Point 3 : It is better for you to be a certified food handler (more credibility to you), and conform to food labeling standards such as date of expiry, and your contact details.


What this means : you can take up a food handling course at Dignity Kitchen, hawker social enterprise  http://projectdignity.sg/singapore/

The official name for the course to attend is the Basic Food Hygiene Course.


"HDB/URA's Home Based Small Scale Business Scheme

The Home Based Small Scale Business Scheme by HDB and URA allows residents to carry out activities in their HDB and private residential premises to supplement their income. Under this scheme, residents can prepare small quantities of food for sale to their friends and relatives without turning their residences into a commercial outlet. A licence is not required from NEA. Nonetheless, residents preparing food under the scheme can refer to these guidelines on good hygiene tips to adopt."

Source : http://www.nea.gov.sg/public-health/food-hygiene
Retrieved 7.17pm 9 Apr 2017


You know, you can't sell to the public, so you can't participate in flea markets to sell. But you can participate in flea markets to provide sampling of your products and introduce your own brand...as well as to make friends!

As long as you understand what the above means, you'll be able to participate in our flea markets and bazaars.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

What is Simisi? Simisi is what?


First of all, it takes a bit of understanding of Singlish, or hokkien to know simisi is what?

Simisi this?
Simisi that?

That's right, simisi is what is this.


Simisi Xperimental Bazaar?

Means xperimental bazaar lor !

If we recall what we did in school during science lessons, we conducted xperiments, doing things we have never done before, yes?

Our Xperimental bazaars are the same, it means we've never been there before, and it's the first time we're there and that we will further tweak and update our bazaars there as we understand the nature of the site and human behaviour there.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Some information on home-based businesses ... including home based baking businesses

HOME BASED SMALL SCALE BUSINESS SCHEME

Introduced in June 2003, the HDB Home Office Scheme is a government effort to nurture entrepreneurship. 
Owners or authorised occupiers or tenants can use their HDB flat or the living quarters of an HDB commercial-property address to register a business with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) as a home office.
Aside from registering with ACRA using your HDB address – you’d still need to seek approval from the HDB.

Apply at the Online Business Licensing Service website (https://licences.business.gov.sg). Approval is instant, if you meet the HDB’s conditions and your trade isn’t on the list of non-permissible businesses.

Examples of Home-based Activities that Can Be Allowed in Private and HDB Residential Premises
  1. the resident who is at home doing office work using a computer, which is linked to the office main computer
  2. the resident undertaking sewing work at home to supplement the household income
  3. freelance artist/journalist/photographer/writer etc operating in his/her own home, without employing anyone and where business activities are not conducted within the premises
  4. the resident baking cakes at home on a small scale for sale to his/her friends without turning the place into a bakery
  5. the resident conducting private tuition for not more than 3 students at any one time
  6. the resident undertaking hairdressing services to supplement household income, without employing any workers
  7. the resident using a small part of the house for storage of goods which are for sale at the resident's own market stall, provided the storage does not exceed 10 cubic meter
  8. the resident undertaking piecemeal work at his/her home from factory on work rate basis, to supplement household income.



Source:


The Home Based Small Scale Business Scheme by HDB and URA allows residents to carry out activities in their HDB and private residential premises to supplement their income. Under this scheme, residents can prepare small quantities of food for sale to their friends and relatives without turning their residences into a commercial outlet. A licence is not required from NEA. Nonetheless, residents preparing food under the scheme can refer to these guidelines on good hygiene tips to adopt.

Good Food Hygiene Tips for residents preparing food under HDB/URA’s home-based
small scale business scheme

General

• The food prepared should be for friends and family only. Food should not be sold to
retail food outlets.

• All food preparation activities should be confined to the kitchen. Food should not be
prepared or stored in any other room including bedrooms and living rooms.

• Do not keep any pets (such as dogs, cats, etc.) that can roam freely in the house.

• Children and infants should not be allowed in the kitchen area during food
preparation.

• Do moderate your incoming orders and avoid taking orders of large quantity

• No commercial-grade cooking equipment should be installed. If you need more and
bigger equipment to accommodate to a larger number of clients, you should shift to a
proper food premises to operate. 

Source:


Monday, March 28, 2016

Chapter 6 - Setting up your Bazaar Business - So What?

So now you've read about Setting up your Bazaar Business...

Why?
Who?
What?
How?
Where?

We've come to... so what?

So what does it mean to you?

  • For the risk loving,  increase in income derived from your business
  • For risk adverse, you can offer to work part time for fixed rate income to bazaar entrepreneurs
  • For the hobbyists/collectors - a chance for you to show off your collection, and join a community to make friends
  • For artists providing caricature drawing, henna painting...etcetera a chance to show your skills and make some money 
  • For parents who would like to impart to their children knowledge, experience, lessons in discipline, economics, and life skills...
  • For consumer businesses, a cost-effective way to reach out to your existing and new customers...
  • For aspiring entrepreneurs, do you have the willpower and discipline to execute your plans?
  • ...etcetera

The above are just some points that we think, and feel. But ultimately the impact and effect does it have on YOU, is what you make it out to be. You will have questions that you need to find answers to, yourself.


There are so many 'so what' questions that will come into your minds.

We don't have all the answers for you, but we are sure all of us will be able to find answers to our own questions, solutions to overcome life's challenges.

Are you ready to test your business ideas?






Friday, March 25, 2016

Setting up your Bazaar Business - Chapter 5 - WHERE do you want to conduct your bazaar business?

Ok, so we had slacked off in our our blog after chapter 4 to focus on operating our fleas. And we think it's paying off .

But no worries, we'll eventually complete our series of 6 chapters, and you can have a complete read.

And oh yes, if you haven't had a copy of our ebook (published last year) on how to run a bazaarr business yet, just drop friends@tgifbazaars.com an email to request for it.


Chapter 5 - Where ?

There are so many venues you can sell your wares at, or organisers to sell with - just google for Bazaars and Flea Markets in Singapore and you'll get a list of them us.

There are venues with high existing organic footfall, and there are the venues with events-driven footfall (we call this event-centric bazaars), and there are the venues with potentially high footfall. Even then, we've seen merchants achieve ZERO sales because their products weren't suitable, particularly for events (unless you have a non-sales objective, which is usually marketing or branding).

We've also come across this term 'buying power' - which really is a spin from the term 'Purchasing Power' that industry folks use a lot.  So we always get a lot of questions on 'what's the buying power?'

If we could, we'd create an index and quote you that index (and if P = IV here, then the buying power would be quoted in watts).  The TRUTH is, you will never know until you try out that venue.

As entrepreneurs, you will have multiple objectives to accomplish - sales target, marketing, branding...etcetera and you will find that your business objectives will take turns being to top priority, and you're reacting

We know that - it's happening to us.  And being a small business ourselves we sometimes find ourselves in reactionary more than planning modes.

But make sure you have a master plan, and keep that your rotating priorities aligned to your master plan.

So, you've got to do a bit of homework yourselves before you decide where. Google's a good source of information, but we would encourage you to study the venue ahead of time!

And let's not forget the online arena.

You can sell your wares through social media such as carousell, shoppe, instagram create your own blogshop, or leverage online e-commerce platforms such as Ownashop,com, q100, shopify or other website cum e-commerce enabled platforms such as weebly, wix...etcetera.

And you got to understand the constraints you are working under, particularly the legal ones:

Know the Lemon Law / Consumer laws of Singapore
Know the NEA restrictions and guidelines (if you're selling food)
Know the HDB / URA Home Baker Scheme and who you can sell to (sell only to friends).


The successful entrepreneurs we know of adopt online / offline strategies and tactics to sell.
Online to generate demand, conduct pre-sales, and offline (participating in bazaars and flea markets) for transaction purposes and incremental exposure to physical human traffic.

Last but not least, work with a credible organiser.

See you in Chapter 6!

The Team

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Setting up your Bazaar Business - Chapter 4 - HOW ? (Repost from Facebook)

First published : 13 March 2014 at 20:31

Chapter 4 – HOW?

A quick recap…

In chapter 1, you would have asked yourself WHY you would want to participate in a bazaar or flea market.
In chapter 2, you would have asked yourself WHO you want to sell your things to.
In chapter 3, you asked yourself WHAT do you want to sell?
In chapter 4, we will touch on HOW you would sell it.

All of us take on the role of shoppers when we walk or search around to buy things. Sometimes we buy an with objective, sometimes we buy on impulse, sometimes we just think it makes sense a complementary item to what you’ve just picked out.

How many times have you ended up buying things you don’t really need, and realized the only reason you went into the shop was because it was attractive?  What about those extra dozen pairs of socks the sales assistant convinced you to buy when you buy that pair of shoes?

That’s right, you’ve just discovered some of the tactics used to sell, and you fell for them unwittingly!

So here are some suggestions on HOW you can sell your wares. There are many ways but we will suggest 3.

First impression is important – the moment the shopper walks past your booth, it is inevitable that he or she will form an impression of your booth.  What this means to you:

 1. Your booth has to be attractive:
  • Merchandise neatly and nicely displayed. It makes lot of sense for you use portable display racks, shelves, stands or mannequins, no clutter, no messy display
  • You may source for battery operated LED lights or Christmas lights at Sim Lim Square or Tower (if your organizer is able to provide power points, then you might consider getting spot lights from IKEA. 
  • Also consider using a black velvet cloth to overlay the table, and shine a spotlight on it (can be yellow or warm white) – it will enhance the classiness of your products.
  • If you have a power point, do consider playing some music, that will help attract

2. Friendly body language:
  • No one appreciates a long and sullen looking face – it sends a negative signal that you are in a bad mood and do not welcome the shoppers’ presence.  We have a recent experience where we visited a flea market and the shopkeeper was wearing this frown.  She had a good range of t-shirts with wonderful designs, but unfortunately her body language had turned potential customers away.  She probably didn’t realize it herself, but it already did damage.
  • Thus it is imperative to have a friendly body language when you are convincing people why they should spend their money with you.  Start by wearing a smile, and you can follow up by dressing attractively (some Facebook pages of flea market organisers are filled with eye candy for both male and female followers.
  • Make your customers feel you are engaging them instead of attending to their queries. Chat with them to find out more about them – you might get some useful clues, such as they could be shopping for a gift, for themselves, what their purchasing power is like. Suggest complementary products: for example if you are selling necklaces, you might want to suggest matching bracelets to go along. If you happen to run of stock but you KNOW have stock of the items they want but they’re in your storeroom somewhere, get hold of their contact numbers or email address to follow up.
  • Also remember never to lose your cool. The customer may not always be right but they are the ones who are going to put pocket in your money. So no matter how irritating they can seem to be, never ever lose your cool with them
  • Dress well
 3. Personal brand
  • What is your personal brand?  Simply put, it is how you project your identity to those around you. You could be known as the class joker, or the class philosopher back in school… etc. Why not extend your personal  brand into your business? Brand your business with a catchy name that reflects your personality – e.g. ‘The Clown’s Den’ or ‘Cynical Creations’ or maybe ‘The Perfectionist’.
  • This would allow you to be better known by your customers, suppliers and fellow entrepreneurs

The above are some proven and tested ways that some of our most successful vendors have used. We hope that you can invest some time and efforts to develop your own unique style of selling.


In Chapter 5, we will share some thoughts on WHERE you want to do it, and chapter 6, SO WHAT?


An original article by TGIF Bazaars