Behind the Scenes: Market Runs and Preparations for Our First Outdoor Event
Good day 
I’m so happy to be here, and this is my first post in this amazing community. When I read 
I decided to share this post here because I wasn’t sure where best to put it, and it feels great to finally be here.
Yesterday was a very hectic day. I haven’t had such a busy time at the market in a long while. Since my recovery from total hip replacement surgery, my mum has been the one helping me with market purchases for my natural drink business.
However, yesterday I had to accompany her because we’re preparing for our first official outdoor sales event in a few days. So, it wasn’t business as usual.
Honestly, my feelings are scattered everywhere. I’m trying not to let anxiety take over because it can easily trigger another sickle cell crisis, and I’m just recovering from the last one that happened a few days ago.
Because of my health condition, my mum didn’t want me to go with her, but I knew if I stayed home waiting endlessly, I’d probably get even more anxious.
For some context, I run a natural, healthy drinks brand that I started in January. People are becoming more conscious of their health and what they consume, so my business helps like-minded individuals achieve their wellness goals through carefully crafted natural drinks.
After 11 months of operation, we signed up for our first official outdoor sales event, and it's a mixed feeling.
It’s a big sports event, and we’ll be meeting sports enthusiasts who genuinely care about wellness. I’m super excited, but at the same time, I’m quietly panicking inside with all the “what if” questions.
So yesterday, Mum and I went to the market together to buy supplies. Even though I didn’t do much physical work, we still put our heads together and made some important decisions.
We visited three main markets to obtain different items, from the Mandate market, where we purchased tiger nuts, dates, ginger, and spices, to the Gambari market for bottles, cups, and straws, and finally the fruit market at Ipata, all located in the Ilorin metropolis of Kwara State. Trust me, it was hectic because these markets are far apart from each other.
Prices had changed slightly; some things were more expensive, while others, like ginger, were now in season. Thankfully, the difference wasn’t too bad.
Before heading to the market, we also checked out the event venue, which happens to be on a student campus at the state's college of education. It was my first time there, and it really helped to visualise what’s at stake.
For the event, we plan to sell our drinks in 50cl and 250ml bottles, and also serve them freshly dispensed in nicely branded cups with straws.
Last week, after deciding to participate, the first thing we worked on was printing our stickers for labelling the bottles. Cutting them takes time, but I’ve become more proficient at it now. Over the course of three days (approximately 15 hours in total), I cut out around 1,500 stickers for the event.
For big brands, that might seem small, but for a growing business like mine, it’s a huge step, and I’m really hoping it makes a positive difference for my brand.
We’re almost done with all our purchases now. The only thing left is bananas, which we’ll buy last because they’re perishable.
Wish me luck, family.
See you soon in my next post, and thank you so much for stopping by. Cheers