How much does it cost to start trading?

What goes into the start-up cost

Start-up cost for an event trader is the sum of everything paid before the first sale and the costs of the first few pitches. Start Up Loans, a government-funded loan scheme, describes a market stall as a lower-cost route into retail than a shop lease, and lists the main purchases as a stall or gazebo, tables, display racks, signage, a card reader and a till or sales-tracking tool. That list gives a sensible set of budget lines.

• Business set-up: HMRC registration as a sole trader, or company formation if you choose a limited company.
• Compliance: food business registration, hygiene training and any licences or permissions your product needs.
• Insurance: public liability for nearly every pitch, plus employers' liability if you employ people.
• Pitch fees for your first test events.
• Stock or materials for those events.
• Kit: gazebo, weights, table, display, signage, floats and storage.
• Payment acceptance: a card reader or QR payment service.
• Travel, parking, fuel and storage between events.

Rules and fees change, so check with the council, HMRC or an adviser wherever a decision depends on the exact figure.

Costs with a published figure

The table below lists every start-up cost where a current figure could be read on a live source. Each figure was checked on 6 November 2026. Where a figure is missing, no live source published one, and the budget template further down leaves a blank for you to fill in.

Pitch fees: the largest recurring cost

Pitch fees are charged each time you trade, so they behave like a running cost more than a start-up cost, but they decide how many test events you can afford. Published 2026 to 2027 schedules show a wide spread. Biggleswade Town Council lists a single 10ft by 10ft pitch at £19 from 1 April 2026. Herefordshire Council lists a casual single stall in its Commercial Street retail market at £45 on Saturdays. Camden Council lists £12.73 a day for a casual non-hot-food trader at a farmers, international or themed market.

Those three examples come from a larger comparison of eleven schedules, with the date each was read, in our guide to pitch fees explained. Use it to estimate a realistic fee for your first three or four events.

In Gala Tent's experience, small local events may cost around £10 to £30 per table, and larger, better attended shows work up to around £100. At festivals and some other events you may be required to use the organiser's or provider's card readers, and they will expect a fee plus a percentage of your takings. These are typical ranges from that experience, so ask each organiser for its figures.

Stock and materials

No published source can give your stock cost, because it depends on your product and your supplier prices. Start Up Loans advises forecasting sales, pricing and the cost of goods sold before you commit to a market, and comparing suppliers on quality, price, order quantity and delivery.

A simple way to produce your own number is to work from units. Decide how many units you expect to sell at a first event, multiply by what each unit costs you to make or buy, and add a buffer for items that do not sell. Write that figure in the template below.

Kit: what to list and what to leave blank

Start Up Loans names the core kit as a stall or gazebo, tables, display racks and signage, with a card reader and a till as optional extras. Add weights for every gazebo leg, a float for cash sales, and a way to carry and store it all.

Prices for kit vary by supplier and change often, so this guide does not quote them. Get two or three quotes for each line and enter the total. Our guides on choosing a gazebo for a market stall and the outdoor event checklist cover what to specify, and Gala Tent publishes gazebo information if you want to check sizes against your pitch.

Optional and conditional costs

Some costs apply only to certain traders. Simply Business lists employers' liability, stock cover, business and office equipment cover, legal expenses and personal accident cover as options beside public liability. Price each one if it applies to you, since a stock claim or an unexpected injury to staff can cost far more than the premium.

For food sellers, the GOV.UK food guidance also lists a fire risk assessment, allergen information for the 14 specified allergens, supplier traceability records and right to work checks before employing anyone. Employers with five or more employees need a written health and safety policy. Most of these cost time more than money, but allocate time in your plan as well as cash.

Taking payments

Payment charges depend on the method and the provider. Options for event traders include SOTpay and Pay by QR; check each provider's current pricing page and compare it against your expected takings. Our guide to payment fees for market traders explains how to turn a percentage into a cost per sale.

A budget template with blanks

Fill in the blanks with quotes and published fees. Where the table gives a source, use the figure from the previous section.

Budget for the first six events as the total of the one-off column plus six times the per-event column. If that number is more than you can afford to lose, book fewer events or choose cheaper pitches.

Ways to fund the start

Start Up Loans lists personal savings, help from friends or family, a bank business loan and a government-funded Start Up Loan as the usual routes. GOV.UK says a Start Up Loan runs from £500 to £25,000 at a fixed 7.5% a year over one to five years. It is open to people aged 18 or over who live in the UK and run, or plan to run, a UK business that has been fully trading for under five years.

Park Insurance, writing for event organisers, lists the costs organisers need to cover, including insurance, first aid and licence fees, and suggests charging stallholders for pitches. That is useful context for why pitch fees exist, and why organisers ask for proof of insurance.

Checklist before you spend

1. Decide what you will sell and list the registrations it needs, using the GOV.UK food guidance if it is food.
2. Choose sole trader or limited company, using our guide to sole trader or limited company.
3. Get insurance quotes at the cover limit organisers ask for, usually shown in their booking terms.
4. Estimate pitch fees for three events from published schedules.
5. Price kit with two or three quotes per line.
6. Fill in the template and set a spending ceiling.
7. Book two or three test events before buying more stock or kit.