Tracking your sales at a craft market, without a spreadsheet

To track your sales at a craft market without a spreadsheet, record each sale as it happens: item, quantity, amount and payment method. In the evening, a quick review is enough to see your takings, the average basket and which items sold.

On a stall, the challenge isn't just selling. You have to sell quickly, stay available for customers and keep track of what is really going out. A spreadsheet works well in the calm of the workshop. Between two customers, with wrapping, payments and items to put back on display, it quickly becomes too slow.

Why a sale scribbled in the corner of a notebook is a problem

A made-up example: you jot down "earrings €18 card" in the corner of a notebook. Then three sales come at once. In the evening, you have to remember whether it was two pairs, a pair and a ring, or a custom order. It's not a lack of care. It's a method that can't keep up with the pace of the stall.

So the aim isn't to do office work on the spot. It's to keep a reliable record as the day goes on.

What should you note for each sale?

To keep useful data without making life complicated, note:

• the item sold, with its variant if there is one;
• the quantity;
• the amount taken;
• the payment method;
• the market in question;
• the day's expenses, if you have any.

This level of detail is enough to see which items sell, the average basket and which markets are worth doing again. For a list of what needs to be ready before you leave, the craft market checklist covers the essentials.

How do you record a sale in a few seconds?

A sale should take a few seconds to record. If the tool needs too many steps, recording gets put off, and "later" often becomes "I think I sold three necklaces, or maybe four".

Good recording at the stall takes three actions: choose the item, enter the quantity, choose the payment method. For a basket of several items, group them into a single sale.

A made-up example: two rings at €18 each and a pair of earrings at €22, paid by card. One sale of €58, with three lines, rather than three separate notes. Sum: 18 + 18 + 22 = 58.

If you really can't record it at the time, write the item, quantity and amount on a piece of paper, then catch up as soon as you can. Paper is a back-up, not a whole day's record. If your phone has to work without signal during the day, read the offline test for craft market apps.

Mistakes to avoid during the rush

Three mistakes come up often:

• writing "misc." for several different items, which makes the evening review useless;
• forgetting small amounts, which seem negligible but count towards the average basket;
• entering an average price instead of the real price, which skews your view of which items sell.

The fix is the same in all three cases: a quick entry, made at the moment of the sale, with the exact item.

What should you look at at the end of the day?

Once the market is over, review:

1. total takings;
2. the number of sales;
3. the average basket, worked out as: takings ÷ number of sales;
4. the best-selling items;
5. the split by payment method;
6. the costs linked to the market;
7. the stock left.

A made-up example: €640 in takings from 32 sales gives an average basket of €20. If four of the blue bowl went and only one silver ring is left, you already know what to make again and what to restock for the next event.

This review turns a tiring day into useful information. You no longer rely on a feeling alone: you have figures. To compare several markets afterwards, the market profitability calculator can be your starting point, and the weekly logbook brings these figures together over a whole week.

A short end-of-market sheet

Market:
Date:
Sales by payment method (cash / card / other):
Total takings:
Number of sales and average basket:
Top 3 items:
Stock left (items to restock):
Costs for the day:
Note for next time:

The template is deliberately short. It takes ten minutes to fill in next to the stall, once the last customers have gone.

Frequently asked questions

Isn't a notebook or a spreadsheet enough?

Yes, as long as you can note things quickly and don't have to reconstruct the whole day in the evening. What matters is a way of recording that keeps up at the stall, whatever the tool.

Should I record cash sales?

Yes, in the same way. The payment method lets you see the share of cash, card and other methods when you do your review.

How do I transfer these figures to my invoicing tool?

Copy the market total, the number of sales and the items sold into your invoicing tool, or pass them on to whoever handles your invoicing. Comptartisan gives you this summary, ready to transfer.

To record a sale at the stall, even without signal, and then get your end-of-day review, Comptartisan is built for exactly this moment of the market, from the sale to the summary.