Depending on your business, you will need various equipment and supplies for your markets and shows. Your equipment and supply needs will change based on the type of product you are selling and how you want your display to look.

For example, suppose you are a high-end jewelry maker and want your jewelry to shine in your display. You will need tables to set your display on, the display itself and lighting to highlight your collection. Compare this to a tree farmer who probably doesn’t need to set the young trees on a table, but instead can arrange them in his space.

Equipment and supplies start with the actual physical booth that you will set up, to how you want to display your products, how you are going to package your products as well as the miscellaneous stuff that you will find you will need.

Before spending a great deal of money on a bunch of equipment, make sure that you research the markets that you intend on going to. Many markets may have specific requirements regarding the types of tents and their size, tables and other elements that may affect your pocket book.

Monica and I had recently replaced our table cloths for our display from burgundy colored table cloths to black table cloths. About 3 weeks after this change we were getting ready for a huge show – the biggest one yet. This show, however, required fire-resistant table cloths and proof of certification of fire resistance needed to be provided or we would be asked to leave.

Of course, that meant that we had to go buy another set of table cloths that met this requirement. Had we known about this requirement up front (or that this form of certification even existed) then we could have saved a few dollars and bought the fire resistant table cloths at the outset.

What was really irritating though, is that this requirement was lifted the day of the show. Not that it mattered at that point anyways. This is the kind of frustration that you will run into. Get used to it. It happens often.