Start a market stall as your side hustle with Smart Mini

Interested in starting a side hustle? A market stall could be for you. Follow our steps to get started.

Australians are entrepreneurs at heart. In February 2023, we conducted research that showed one in four Australians – about 5 million people – had started a small business or side hustle since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020).

While some dream of creating the next tech unicorn, others have started a side hustle to top up their income or follow their passion.

It’s no surprise that market stalls are one of the most popular side hustles for many Australians. The setup costs and overheads are relatively low. Plus, with the right product or service, you can make good money.

So if you’re thinking of starting your own side hustle, a market stall might be just the ticket.

How to start a market stall

Many successful Australian businesses started out as market stalls, including Bailey Nelson, Dinosaur Designs and Zimmermann.1 With the right planning, you too could be an Aussie success story. The steps below could help you get started:

1. Start with why

It’s important you understand your goals and why you want to start a business. It can help to ask yourself questions like:

  • Why do I want to start a market stall?
  • Is my stall focussed on making money, or is it a hobby?
  • Should I test my idea before committing to it full time?

Your business could look very different depending on your answers and help you decide:

  • What to sell
  • How much to charge
  • Which suppliers to use
  • If you need to hire staff

2. Write your business plan

A solid business plan is essential to starting a successful market stall. When it comes to writing your business plan, you’ll need to answer questions like:

  • How much will it cost to set up and run my stall?
  • How will I make sure my stall is profitable?
  • How will I acquire new customers? 
  • Do I need to hire staff, or can I get friends and family to help?

The more detailed the business plan, the more likely it is that your business will succeed.

3. Set up your business structure

Setting up your market stall as a formal business is often a good idea. For example, keeping your business and personal finances separate can help when it comes to managing expenses and dealing with tax. 

To set up a business, you’ll need to:

  • Organise an Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • Open a dedicated business bank account
  • Get the right payment solution so customers can pay you

This is where CommBank comes in. We’ve helped thousands of Australians bring their business ideas to life. 

We can set you up with a Business Transaction Account2 and a Smart Mini payment reader – so you’ll be ready to start taking payments from the get-go.

Take mobile payments with Smart Mini

Did you know only 13% of all payments made in Australia in 2022 involved cash?3 This means businesses of all sizes should be ready to accept mobile payments. But you don't need an expensive and complicated EFTPOS terminal. Smart Mini connects to your mobile phone or tablet4 in minutes.

Smart Mini also offers:

  • A low transaction fee of just 1.1%5
  • Same-day settlement6
  • Small, portable design perfect for travel

With Smart Mini, your customers get a similar experience to any big retailer or service provider. This level of professionalism and convenience can turn first-time customers into regulars.

4. Develop your marketing plan

Every business, including your market stall, needs a marketing plan. While you don’t need to spend a lot of money on marketing, you do need to work out how to get your name out there.

As part of your marketing plan, make sure you’ve:

  • Defined your target audience
  • Identified what’s unique about the product you’re selling
  • Determined the best marketing channels

Handing out flyers can be a useful way to promote a local market stall. It’s also a good idea to market your business online.

If you’re short on time and resources, make sure to prioritise marketing activities that give you the greatest return on investment.

5. Prepare for launch

Sign up for a stall at your local market by contacting the market organisers or applying online. You may need to pay a registration fee or join a waitlist.

The market organisers should be able to tell you if you need a licence or permit to run your stall. If you’re selling food or beverages, you must follow food safety rules. You should also consider getting public liability and product liability insurance in case something goes wrong. 

Aside from having your product or service ready to sell, you’ll likely need to bring equipment on the day like a table and chair. Plus, don’t forget about your signage and displays.

6. Launch your market stall

It’s time to launch your market stall. Take a deep breath and remember that it’s okay to make mistakes. Learn from them and evolve your business to better meet your customers’ needs. Before you know it, your humble side hustle could be a major source of income.

Get your market stall ready with Smart Mini

The freedom to take payments anywhere with our reliable, portable payment solution.

Things you should know

As this information has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the information, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. Please view our Merchant Agreement (PDF 357.78KB), Financial Services Guide (PDF87.76KB) and Operator and User Guides at our merchant support hub.

Collective hub, 5 successful businesses that began as a market stall, June 2017

A Business Transaction Account is required to settle your transactions, if you apply online through NetBank. You can choose to settle your transactions to an alternate account held with us or another financial service provider by calling our Merchant Sales team on 1800 730 554, any time after your application is finalised. Terms, conditions, fees and charges apply to Business Transaction Accounts and NetBank. Read the Terms and Conditions for Business Transaction and Savings Accounts (PDF 378.18KB) and the Electronic Banking Terms and Conditions (PDF 493.34KB) and consider whether these products are right for you. The target market for this product can be found within the product’s Target Market Determination.

Reserve Bank of Australia, Cash Use and Attitudes in Australia, June 2023

Smart Mini reader must be paired to a mobile or tablet device with Wi-Fi or 4G/3G connectivity.

1.1% covers Mastercard, Visa, AMEX, JCB, EFTPOS, and UnionPay transactions (JCB coming soon for Smart Mini, additional costs may apply for all other cards). AMEX is subject to approval, available to eligible customers only. Eligibility criteria, terms and conditions apply. Please contact AMEX for more information on 1300 363 614, available weekdays 8:00am to 6:00pm (Sydney/Melbourne time).

Same-day settlement is available on all EFTPOS transactions made before 9:30pm (Sydney/Melbourne time) and all eCommerce transactions made before 5:30pm (Sydney/Melbourne time) for eligible customers with a CommBank Business Transaction Account and a linked CommBank merchant facility.