We recently connected with Rebecca Hunter and have shared our conversation below.
Rebecca, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Making SoLo Craft Fair what it is today was a series of unexpected opportunities that caused the company to evolve in unpredictable, yet incredible, ways.
The initial plan for SoLo Craft Fair was to have a one-off craft fair. Catherine Dunne and myself are both makers who had been trading at the same markets for the past year. We were discussing how there didn’t seem to be many markets (at the time) in South London. While having a drink in a pub, we ended up booking that very place as our venue that very night.
The first SoLo Craft Fair took place in Catford in Spring 2016. The event was a success; however, as novices in the events world, we made mistakes. The layout was overcrowded, and we overcomplicated the event. In addition to the craft market, we had bands, workshops, and a kid play area across two tiny rooms of a pub. Recognising these obvious mistakes, we wanted to try again and rectify what we saw didn’t work.
We found another bigger venue and streamlined our UPS. While advertising this event, other larger events asked us to collaborate, and within the next three years, we had done over 20 markets and hosted our first popup shop in Elephant and Castle. It was such a success that we were planning to open another one in the Spring of 2020. However, of course, Covid-19 hit.
Being in the events business during lockdown was tough, especially as a craft fair that worked closely with small businesses. We were worried about how the closure of markets would affect them. This is when we had the idea of running virtual markets. We devised a plan for how this would work on Instagram and put out a post advertising this. Three days later, we had our first virtual market where hundreds of makers participated, and thousands of guests ‘visited’ the market. The event was such a success that makers even contacted us to say they had made their first-ever sale through the market. We ended up doing the event every Saturday throughout the lockdown, and all of a sudden, SoLo Craft Fair was being reached by international customers and clients. Our business evolved in a way we could never have imagined.
Once the world started to settle again, our opportunity to open a shop in Elephant and Castle returned, this time for two years. We have just signed an extension to keep it open for another year and have opened our second shop in Brixton, along with doing markets at Sky Garden and Between the Bridges.
To return to the initial question of how do we find our purpose: life is so unpredictable that there is always a solution to be found and an adaptation to be made. If we hadn’t been presented with so many unexpected situations over the years, I don’t think SoLo Craft Fair would have developed at all if we didn’t have to problem solve. So my advice to find purpose is to embrace the obstacles and changes life may throw at your business; it could turn out to be the best thing that’s ever happened to it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
SoLo Craft Fair is a South London-based organisation run by makers for makers. The company organises craft markets across South London, collaborating with other events such as Sky Garden, Winterville & Between the Bridges. In 2021, they launched their first shop in Elephant & Castle, which hosts 60 different makers monthly. This shop has quickly become the hub for creatives, offering networking events, business and creative workshops. In September 2023 we became part of the Brixton Village family by opening a shop there which features 50 different makers each month. We feel honored to own two shops that are stocked fully with products from indepedent makers and designers.
The company has grown since their initial craft market back in 2016, and its founders, Catherine (of London Lily) and Rebecca (of Drawn Together Art), are delighted to work with an amazing small team of artists and designers.
In 2024 we will be having a range of markets on South Bank, Sky Garden and more – keep your eyes peeled for upcoming events!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
As discussed in my earlier answer, the ability to adapt and change is probably one of the most important factors of being a business owner. No two years are the same in life, and you have to be ready to respond to almost anything. Covid-19 was a big example of this. Some companies, unfortunately, could not adapt their business and sadly had to close, whereas other companies were able to respond quickly to the change and found that lockdown benefited their business.
Secondly, I think it’s important to put yourself in your customers’ and clients’ shoes. It’s easy to become narrow-minded owning a business and only think about factors that immediately affect you, but without customers and/or clients, your business probably won’t exist. Are your processes easy for them to navigate? Is your pricing transparent? Do you respond to communication quickly? Regularly ask yourself these questions to make sure your product is accessible, and you’re not losing business over small things.
Finally, I strongly believe all businesses need to consider their impact on the environment – we all need to be making changes to make companies more sustainable.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I’d have to say, the other owner of SoLo Craft Fair, Catherine Dunne, has been the most helpful person to me during this journey. When we started SoLo Craft Fair, we would have never imagined it would be where it is today, and much of this is down to our different skill sets and being there to support each other when things have gotten tough.
The highs and lows of owning a business can be intense, and having a business partner who will be there to support you when things haven’t gone to plan but there to celebrate an achievement is invaluable.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.solocraftfair.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/solocraftfair
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/solocraftfair
