When Jack Cohen started selling groceries from a market stall in 1919 he probably had grand ambitions. But could he have predicted that 90 years later, £1 in every £7 spent in the UK would be going through one of his tills?
The Tesco example is an impressive one, and granted, your average street seller can’t expect to match those kinds of heights. However, there’s something to be said for the lowly market stall, and many an entrepreneur began their business career selling from a modest fold-away table or car boot.
Which is why we’re championing the new Make Your Mark in the Markets campaign, which is offering budding entrepreneurs from across the UK the chance to run their own stall for free. The scheme will see 64 markets across Britain offering up 10 free days’ worth of trading. Judges will visit each stall to assess sales, customer feedback and presentation. They’ll then pick an overall national winner who’ll get a further six months free trading, mentoring, free marketing and advertising help as well as £1,500 towards stock.
Make Your Mark’s Hannah Bourne thinks there’s a lot of potential just waiting to be discovered: “Sir Alan Sugar’s business empire, Marks and Spencer and bag business Radley & Co began on market stalls. Who knows, we could unearth the UK’s next retail heavyweight!”
So whether you want to be a Sir Alan, or merely an Ian Beale, you better get your skates on. The deadline for entries is 20 March. You can download an entry form here.