Festival stallholders

Alex Pitt and husband Toney run a craft business trading at festivals and carnivals in England and the Caribbean. Here's their story, and some advice if you fancy becoming a trader yourself.

What we do

We like to do the markets at the festivals because we love music. We take it in turns to see the bands and wander round the festival, bringing back the beers for the person minding the stall. We've always covered our costs and made a small profit.

We design leather and fabric hats and sandals, and make them to order too. We've made our own bead, stone and wire jewellery and we've also sold silver rings and bracelets that we bought from wholesalers.

Toney's from the Caribbean and learnt his craft amongst Rasta, Indian and African traditions. I studied fashion design in England, but I've recently been travelling and was inspired by fabrics and jewellery I'd seen in Peru, North America and Fiji. So our designs are quite unique and we think that's why people like them.

Our favourite festivals

Although we'd probably make more money at big festivals such as Reading or Glastonbury, the high cost of rent put us off. We liked Notting Hill Carnival but there was too much competition for space.

We prefer smaller festivals like Essential in Finsbury Park, London. Or free festivals like Pride in Preston Park, Brighton, where we spread our goods out on a rug on the grass and pay nothing.

We've also worked in the Caribbean. The Goat Race is a big Easter festival in Tobago and there's a smaller Labour Day Carnival in the South of Trinidad. These are great with reggae and soca music playing, good food and the sun usually shines.

Do it yourself

If you're thinking of starting trading, we suggest you research the market and check out what people are buying. These things usually sell OK: clothes, posters, tapes and CDs, bags, smoking equipment... and umbrellas, as it usually rains at festivals!

Or try henna tattoos, hair braiding or face painting. Or food: you'll do well because people have to eat but you do need a special licence. If you're creative, make something. You could do a part-time course in silver-smithing, woodcarving or fashion design to get you started.

Buying raw materials and stock

Check ads in the Yellow Pages and the back of craft or specialist magazines for suppliers. Trader Magazine lists wholesalers of ready-made goods such as jewellery, clothing, gifts and ex-catalogue stock, as well as tables, tarpaulins and clothes rails.

Business info

For larger festivals you may need to book space six months in advance. For free festivals just turn up on the day. You'll probably need your own stand and table, although some events provide them.

If you're self-employed, keep records so you can fill in your tax return, and so you can monitor what sells well and what doesn't. Keep all your receipts for space, raw materials and purchase of goods as you can offset them against tax.

The business buzz

You get a real buzz when people buy something you've designed or carefully selected. It's great to have your own business and it's cool to be selling at a music festival. So try it - you might like it!