Market Stall, Marquee, Party Tent, Pit Shelter, Quick Gazebo, Caravan Shelter

One of the best places to attract customers to your business is markets. Markets are found in all suburbs and regional areas of Australia, so there should be no problem in finding one that suits you.

Remember, markets are hard work. There are no shortcuts to running a successful market stall. There are early starts and long days, but done correctly you can be very successful.

Having been both a stall holder and a Market Manager of 3 markets I have seen both the good and bad of stalls. How your display looks at the market can make the difference between going home with much less stock and money in your pocket or going home miserable.

Here are some tips on running a successful market stall. The most important thing to realize is that you have plenty of competition and they are not only other candle makers. Anyone who is vying for a customers' money, is your competition. So what can you do?

Here are some ideas on how to get their attention.

1/ Have your signage professionally done. Hand written signs don't look professional. If you want to save money, print them yourself on your home printer and laminate them.

2/ It's not hard to make your stand attractive with so many candles. You have the colors, the jars, the fragrances. Everything you need to make it appealing. If you are able to make a good first impression, then customers will always remember you. Remember most customers choose the candle they want by the fragrance.

3/ Make sure you have the right attitude. No one wants to approach a person who is hiding behind their newspaper or looks absolutely miserable. Customers go to a market because they see it as a day out, to enjoy themselves.

4/ Keep your stall tidy. Keep all boxes and packaging out of site.

5/ Try not to eat or drink at your stall. I know everyone gets hungry, but have the courtesy to at least stop eating. Stall holders are generally very obliging people, so most would be happy to look after your stall for a few minutes to give you a break. Remember, that it is your stall not theirs so have the courtesy of not being be too long. If they get a customer at their own stall whose do your think will take preference?

6/ Be aware of your customers. Don't ignore them. If you are already in discussions with one customer, then acknowledge other customers by telling them you will be with them in a minute. Ignoring them is a great way to lose customers.
The person who may buy is the person listening rather than the one you were directly talking to.

7/ If you have a uniform or T-shirt that has your logo, wear it. It shows that you are proud of your business and you are instantly identifiable and it's a great way to promote your business.

8/ Some customers are reluctant to approach you if you seem too aggressive. It's a good idea to try your approach on family and friends first to see what they think.

9/ If they are reluctant to talk, offer them your brochure or business card. Let them know how to contact you and how to place an order. Allow them time to browse through your information and let them know that you are available to answer any questions they have.

10/ It seems silly to have to say this, but be friendly and make them feel welcome. Wearing a name tag makes a big difference. It makes a customers feel more at ease if they know who they are dealing with. Once a customer either makes a purchase or seems interested enough ask them if they would like to be added to your data base. Make sure that there is some benefit to this, such as special offers and discounts.

11/ Make sure that you can answer any questions.

12/ Follow through if you get inquiries. If customers give you their email address, make the most of it. Keep in touch with your customers. Send them a postcard!

13/ Presentation is so important to a successful money making business. Whether you are doing a market, a candle making demonstration, a class or a corporate presentation, wedding fair, or an exhibition, you should invest in the correct presentation materials.

Markets can be a great start to any business, so take the time to do your research and make the most of your opportunities.

When it comes to hosting a lavish wedding party, a grand banquet, a fundraiser, a quiet barbecue or any other such inviting event, a party tent is often a sound choice. Party tents can be found readymade and fully customized for most outdoor events. These tents, available in a wide range of colors and sizes, are suitable for both city and country-side locales. They are not only used by individuals, but are widely seen in hotel lawns, club premises, resorts and other such public spaces.

Party tents are much more expensive than most other varieties of tents. Their prices usually vary according to their sizes. However, party tents are normally not owned but are available for rent. Thus, tent renting has gradually become an extremely lucrative business proposition over the past few years. Adding a quaint and classic look to the organized event, party tents are warranted against water, sun and mildew. Most are manufactured to weather the elements. But if the host or the organizer anticipates windy weather, it is always advisable to use tents made of heavy material. Party tents mostly have very fashionable interiors and some luxury tents may also provide air conditioning during summers and heaters during the winter months.

Party tents usually come in two broad categories. One is the pole tent which is essentially a pole covered with canvas (there are no other concrete structures to support the cloth). The other variety is the frame tent, which is a huge aluminum or steel structure on which the cloth is placed.

Party tents are mostly quite easy to install. However a few things should always be kept in mind before taking such a thing on rent. The host should first consider the particular occasion he is hiring the tent for. For example, if the occasion is a grand wedding, decorated tents may be brought in, which are usually available with a whole lot of fancy accessories. On the other hand, if it is just a simple Saturday night barbecue, the tent does not have to look lavish at all. The size of the tent is another significant issue that should be carefully dealt with. Money should not be a big constraint, since party tents are all generally high-end tents. If the host is looking to provide both shade and a view, then going in for a canopy tent (it is open on all sides, with just a shade on top) would be a very feasible option.

When the occasion is that of a wedding or a dance party, tents with cumbersome poles should be avoided, since the poles tend to become a huge obstruction for most guests. The accessories that are usually available on rent should also be evaluated. These vary from expensive chandeliers to quartz lighting, search lights to popcorn machines. The host should keep in mind the particular age group he would be entertaining and choose his accessories accordingly. There are a number of floor options ranging from carpeting to plain plywood flooring readily available. This may also be decided according to the occasion and the budget of the organizer.

A metal gazebo can be a wonderful addition to your outdoor landscape. When you decide to erect a metal gazebo in your backyard, you are not only adding value to your home, you are adding value to your family life as well. You will find yourself spending more time outdoors then before you had your gazebo, and your friends and family will love joining you.

A metal gazebo is easy to put up. It usually takes only a few hours before you have it up and ready for use. Of course, it all depends on the type of metal gazebo you choose. You can find a great deal of information on the internet if you are interested in a metal gazebo for your backyard.

A metal gazebo usually comes in a kit, ready to be assembled by you and another person. Your kit will have everything you need to erect your metal gazebo. It comes with all the materials you will need and detailed instructions on how to put it together.

Before you buy your metal gazebo, take some time to decide the size and shape you want your metal gazebo to be. You should look at all the choices that are available to you to insure you get the metal gazebo that is right for you and your family. Some of the things you should keep in mind when shopping for your metal gazebo is what is the intended use, what is the size and location, you have to keep in mind the surrounding landscape and most importantly, the zoning restrictions in your area.

Some advantages in choosing metal gazebo kit are the quick installation, the do it yourself ease of construction, the low cost, and replacement parts for your metal gazebo are usually readily available.

A metal gazebo is easy to maintain too. The material is usually made from a rust resistant material and will stay looking new for a long time. You won't have to worry about breakage or expansion, no worries about needing a new coat of paint. With a metal gazebo, you can have years of easy maintenance enjoyment, rather than worries over losing roof shingles during a storm. Look into the advantages of a metal gazebo before you choose a gazebo made of different material. It may save you money and time in the end.

The motor home you own represents more than a status symbol. It is something you have worked hard for with everything possible, and it enables you to become free and go away from the bustle and stress of an ordinary life. It's a great way to view the countryside and experience facets of American life that many tourists often miss out on. Sometimes, just knowing that you can climb into your motor home and escape from your harried life for a few days is enough to reduce your levels of stress.

You are especially lucky if there is enough space on your property to store your motor home. Your RV is always available for you to use. Whenever you get the notion, it will carry you away on a lighthearted trip with all the comforts of home. If kept sheltered from the elements, your RV will be cleaner, both inside and out, and will be ready to roll with minimal preparation when opportunity knocks. So is it a good idea to have a shelter for your motor home? The most likely answer is positive and resounding.

A shelter made from vinyl tarps strapped to metal pipes would be your least expensive option but would provide only a minimum amount of protection. Unfortunately, this method would not protect your RV from dampness and mildew, or even homeless critters, and your neighbors might not like the cheap appearance it presents. You could have a personalized garage built for your motor home that matches the style of your home and neighborhood very affordably.

Select a company with experience in building sheds and garages. Make sure that they can build one in a style that will accentuate your home. You can have your garage built entirely to your specifications, whether you like stucco with a tiled roof, siding with a shingled roof, Tudor, traditional, or Victorian style; mix and match to make it your own. A quality, custom-built garage that complements your home and fits in with the neighborhood will look fantastic, last for years, and add value to your property.

A style that has recently been growing in popularity is the livery style RV garage. This style is tall in the center, having side wings on one or both sides which are shorter in length, enabling you to create additional space for entirely different purposes. The structure can be left as one, big open space or the side wings can be partitioned off and finished to serve as a workshop, home office, or even guest accommodations, creating extra living space for your family. This style fits in well in equestrian communities.

Whatever style you ultimately choose, your most crucial decision will be selecting the company that will build your garage. Choose a firm with experience and excellent customer service; also be sure that the building will be built on site and not prefabricated in a factory. A reputable firm will have a professional, knowledgeable staff and will provide you with testimonials from satisfied customers and photos of their work. They will also offer you a warranty. Once you locate the right firm to construct the shelter for your motor home, the hard part will be over.

This piece covers a broad summary of installation for retractable awnings. It is not customized for one brand or manufacturer, and is meant to provide you with an idea of what you'll be up against should you decide to tackle installation on your own. Each manufacturer will have their own brackets, hardware, and directions for installing their awnings, so be certain you read and follow their instructions.

As I just stated, the initial step to any task of this size is to read the directions and lay out all the individual components. Look through the installation directions from the awning manufacturer and ensure that everything that should have been packaged and sent to your house actually arrived. You should have an assortment of brackets, fasteners, and bolts. If you have an automatic retractable awning you should have numerous components relating to the motor and electric installation. Lay everything out and audit what you have versus what the instructions say you should have. All this rubbish about not reading directions and real men ends here and now. A real do-it-yourselfer does things right the first time, and that means knowing what you're doing.

Now, read the installation directions from front to back, so that you comprehend and are comfortable explaining to someone else what each fastener and each piece of hardware is used for. Once you're familiar with the basic steps that you need to follow, collect your tools. You'll most likely want to find a cordless drill, sockets, screwdrivers, a stud finder (if mounting to studed substructure), a level, and a chalk line or laser line if you have one. If the outside of your house is stone or masonry, you'll need a masonry (hammer) drill with the proper bits.

Determine the mounting height of your awning. This will be governed by the distance that your awning sticks out from your home and the angle at which you want it to grade away. Generally, suggested pitch (height change from front to rear) is 12 inches for a 6 foot awning and up to 42 inches for a 17 foot awning. This is figured from about a 2 inch drop per 1 foot of projection. On the larger end it comes closer to 2.5 inches. This is due to the need to move rainwater off the larger awning quickly, as quite a bit of weight can build up in a short period of time. Please take into account how high the end of the patio awning will be once it's installed and opened. If you only have 7 feet of room under your eaves you probably won't want a 17 foot awning that falls down to 3 feet at the outside boundary.

Once you've determined the installation height, measure and snap a chalk line in accordance with the manufacturer's installation directions. Take as long a straight edge as you have (the un-cut edge on a strip of 8' plywood works very well) and make sure the wall isn't bowed in or out. If it is, you'll need to either shim the end or center hardware to make sure everything is lined up.

If you're mounting the hardware to studs, use your stud finder to locate them, and then locate the sides with a series of 1/8" or smaller drill holes, preferably in an area that will be concealed by the brackets. Once you've found the centers of all studs you need to mount hardware to, drill pilots 1/8 inch smaller than the diameter of the lag screws you'll be using to mount the brackets. When attaching the hardware, don't forget to seal the small centering holes with caulk, and don't over tighten the lags! Lag screws are extremely strong, and tightening one with enough force can easily split a stud.

If you're installing the retractable awning on a soft, uneven surface such as siding, you must cut spacer blocks out of treated lumber that will set the brackets further out from the siding material. To put it another way, cut two-by lumber to the measurements of the base of your hardware, center them on the studs where they will be attached, mark around them, and cut the siding material away. Once you've carefully cut the siding away you can attach the brackets and the 2-by spacers to the proper studs. This will ensure that the brackets are flush to the attaching support structure.

It is always interesting to notice how styles change and that doesn't mean just in clothing or hair. The time was when it was stylish (and functional) for homes to have awnings. You could go down the street and see the old folks sitting out in the shade of their awnings. When every town had a thriving downtown area people would find relief from the sun or the rain under business awnings. Then for a long time awnings weren't at all common.

Not that long ago businesses started adding highly decorative awnings with the business name and clever graphics on them. The design objective of that generation of awnings doesn't seem to be to provide customer relief from the weather, just promoting their business.

Awnings for shading, weather protection and business advertisement seem to be making a come back and with aesthetic flair.

You may have noticed the latest awnings in your travels, or maybe on television commercials. There are plenty of benefits for a modern awning. New designs actually add attractiveness to a home. The material used to make the awning can add eye appeal to the home. The shape and design can add space to the home, or the appearance of more space.

Obviously awnings provide shade, but they also reduce the heat inside a home by defeating the effect of the sun before it can get inside. Blinds and shades do stop the sun's rays, but awnings work better because it stops the heat of the sun outside the home, not inside. You can actually feel the difference. This can have a much greater effect on the temperature throughout the home, not to mention the protection it provides for furniture and carpets from the rays of the sun.

Because it is possible for awnings to reduce the amount of heat that is allowed inside your home by more than 50%, it is important that awnings are selected that are of the proper size and design for your needs. If they are right for your home you will notice a major reduction in your utility costs.

It is also interesting that the heat reduction on the west side of your home can be more than 75%. The temperature outside, on your deck or patio should be reduced by 20 degrees under the awning. The right awning gives your entire family a place other than inside when it is raining.

The style considerations are, of course something you love to look at, but style goes well beyond that. The size and shape of your windows is probably the next most important in what style or design you select. If you live in a state with significant snow accumulation, the design strength is important too.

The size and shape demands, along with your window configuration, are the amount of space you want to provide protection for and head clearance (or clear height). Depending on how low your clear height is, color maybe important. The lower the awning the more critical color can be. Lighter colors tend to reflect the sun and are less likely to hold heat under the awning.

A couple of design features that have little or nothing to do with aesthetic appeal are awning drainage and venting. As for drainage, you won't want rain water to accumulate in little pools on your awning. The weight of the standing water could easily be much greater than the awning was ever intended to support. Certain awning styles or designs provide venting, which releases any heat that may otherwise build up under the awning. Proper venting and releasing built up heat will make the temperatures inside even that much better.

Once again it looks like history is repeating itself, only better this time. Awnings are coming back not only in front of businesses, but on peoples' homes. Awnings can add appeal to your home, they can make you much cooler on hot days and give you additional space for family activities when it is raining.

No matter who you are or what you do, there's a common force that's driving that shapes your emotions and behavior. It determines how you live, the quality of life and ultimately your destiny.

This universal force is the human need. Irrespective of where you are in the world, what culture you are from, what color, status, background, we are universally driven by our human needs. We can break it down to 6 areas of human needs. They are unconscious needs that automatically drive us.

Of these 6 needs, you can view them into two broad categories. One group is the primal need and the other spiritual need.

There are 4 human needs in the Primal needs group. These are the needs you would seek to fulfill as a base and drives every one of us.

First need is the need of Certainty. Everyone wants stability about their basic necessities like food, shelter and other material resources. When people cannot control their physical circumstances, they seek certainty through a state of mind such as religious faith or positive affirmations.

Second need is the need for Variety. People have a need to change their state to exercise their body and emotions. They seek variety through different ways like change of environment, physical activity, mood change, change of people they interact with, entertainment and others. The need for variety sometimes runs into conflict with the need for certainty.

The 3rd need is the need for Significance. Everyone needs to feel special and important in some way. People seek significance through recognition from others or from themselves. Some people meet this need in a paradoxical way. Some people when they feel insignificant or helpless will go out to get others to recognize how significant their problems are and how helpless they are. This ironically raises their significance, just by getting people to acknowledge the enormity of their problem and their helplessness.

The 4th need is the need for Love and Connection. We all need to feel connected with someone or something be it a person, an ideal, a sense of identity. Connection may take the form of love or just engagement. One can still be connected by means of an aggressive interaction.

That was the 4 Primal needs. The next 2 are classified more in Spiritual needs.

The 5th need is the need for growth. Everything in the universe is either growing or dying. Many are not satisfied spiritually unless our capacities are expanding.

The 6th need is the need for Contribution. Just as we survive through the contribution of others (our parents for example), we seek to be spiritually fulfilled through contribution.

The fulfillment of the spiritual needs gives rise to more sustainable joy versus momentary pleasure associated with just fulfilling the primal needs.

There are many ways that people find to meet these needs whether they are positive, negative or neutral ways. We unconsciously act to fulfill our needs and some actions may fulfill a subset of these needs or all of them. When we have a behavior that fulfills at least 3 of these needs, these actions are considered strongly addictive or sometimes known as habits as they fulfill more than half of your needs. Again, these actions can sometimes be positive, negative or neutral to ourselves.

Everybody loves to shop! Shopping is a major recreational activity. It is all too human to become absorbed in the details of selection, purchase, and display behavior. When you shop, you buy things, when you need to buy things, you head off to the market. You can find everything in the market!

A market is where you buy and sell stuff. You buy and sell things in a market putting into consideration the things you need and the things you want. You buy and sell stuff at a certain price.

The prices of the goods may fluctuate depending on the time of the year. The market for roses increases during Valentine's. You can get Christmas cards and Christmas trees and all things Christmas-y at half the price after the Yuletide season.

Marketplaces and street markets. A marketplace is a physical location where goods and services are exchanged. A mall is a market.

Bloomingdale's is a market. Sephora is a market. From your high-end mall to your salvation army, all these are markets.

The traditional marketplace is a city square where traders set up stalls and buyers browse the merchandise. This kind of market is very old, and countless such markets are still in operation around the whole world.

In the US, such markets fell. But the renewed interest in local food has caused the reinvention of this type of market, called farmers' markets in many towns and cities.

In continental Europe, especially in France, street markets, as well as "marketplaces" (covered places where merchants have stalls, but not entire stores) are common. Both resellers and producers sell their stuff to the public.

Markets are often temporary, with stalls only present for two days a week ("market days"), however some (such as Camden Market in London, UK) are open every day of the week.

Such markets are normally specialist-the various stalls of Camden Market, along with the shops associated with it, sell a variety of alternative lifestyle products ranging from clothes and jewelry to CDs, instruments and furniture.

An example of a large market is Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok. It covers over 35 acres and contains upwards of 15000 stalls. It is estimated that the market receives between 200,000 and 300,000 visitors each day.

Most stalls are only open on Saturdays and Sundays. The market offers a wide variety of products including household items, clothing, Thai handicrafts, religious artifacts, collectibles, foods, and live animals.

But now that we have the Internet and the World Wide Web, the market is right at your finger tips! It makes everything so much more easier, buying and selling a thousand and one items can be done at home. The e-Bay web site is considered a market.

e-Bay.com is the major auction service on the Web. eBay popularized the concept of buying and selling online, and both individuals and commercial enterprises list items for sale.

Everything there is for free (at least the posting, browsing and bidding of items) If an item is purchased, the seller pays eBay an additional fee. Millions of items are offered, and in 2002, nearly $15 billion worth of merchandise was sold through this service.