Market Stall and Craft Fair Record

Who this is for

Every stall you stand on, one line each. The event, the date, the pitch fee, what was taken in cash and by card, how many items went and what else it cost, with the net for each day worked out and the season totalled.

Makers, bakers, growers and small traders who sell at markets, fairs and shows and want to know which events pay and which only feel busy.

What this helps you track

• What each event took, in cash and by card
• What the pitch cost and what else went out on the day — fuel, parking, a helper
• The net from each stall, and the best and the total across the season
• How many items sold, which says as much about an event as the money does

How to use it

1. Write your name or trading name, the season or period, and what you sell at the top.
2. Add a line for each event before you go, with the date and the pitch fee, so the sheet is ready for the figures.
3. At the end of the day, count the cash and read the card total, note the number of items sold and any other costs — fuel, parking, a table hire, someone's lunch.
4. The net for each event and the totals are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, add the two takings and take off the fee and the costs.
5. Use the note column for what sold, the weather and whether you would go back. That is the column you will read next year.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Should I count the cost of the stock I sold?

This record works on takings less the day's costs, so the net is what the day brought in before materials. If you want a true margin, put the cost of the stock in the other costs column, or keep materials on a separate costing sheet.

Does the card total include fees taken by the card reader?

Enter whatever suits your books — the gross the customer paid, or the net that reached your account — and be consistent. A note on the sheet saying which is enough.

Is this a record for tax?

It is a record of takings and costs per event, which is part of what a return needs. What you must keep, and for how long, is set where you are; check it and keep the receipts with the sheet.

What about an event where I made a loss?

The net simply goes negative. That is worth knowing, and the note column is where to write why — a wet day, a poor pitch, the wrong crowd.