Siblings worked hard to succeed at their market stall
GLEN AUSTIN — The Circles Market's purpose is to uplift the community in Midrand, and according to siblings Reena and Donavin Govender, they are happy to be a part of it.
As a result of the pandemic, Donavin Govender was left without a job and needed a source of income. So he turned to the Midrand Circles Market to earn a living
The Circles Market’s purpose is to uplift the community in Midrand, and according to siblings Reena and Donavin Govender, they are happy to be a part of it.
Reena and Donavin run the Fish and Chips stall at the Circles Market. When they first joined the market it was very challenging for them as they did not know what to sell.
“As the visitors who usually frequent the market know the vendors and support them, we considered them to be hostile and felt excluded,” said the siblings.
“We have attended the market every week since the beginning of May 2021. Our first day was shockingly bad.We were dismayed as we made no sales. We did not have a gazebo and used a tiny table with bulk tin foil and cling wrap on it.”
Rather than give up, the two siblings decided to turn this into a fact-finding mission and looked to see how their stall could evolve.
“A good trader is someone who always has their finger on the pulse, looking for opportunities and gaps in the market so they can add financially viable products to their offering,” said Reene.
Their stall has now transformed into a food stall, offering fish, chicken strips, chips, and deep-fried coconut delight among other tempting items.
Reena, ‘the perfectionist,’ enjoys cooking and always insists that everything looks and tastes good. As they have grown to love the people they meet and have interesting discussions, they return to the market each week.
They also plan to add items that are not currently available at the market. “We have learned that to run a market stall is really hard work. You have to keep your finger on the pulse. Decide which weeks are better than others and order accordingly,” Donavin said.
The biggest challenge they faced was getting the word out about their stalls. “Word of mouth and other social media marketing is so important. Many new stallholders do not return as they sometimes do not make any sales.
Due to their first-hand experience, they advised other start-up entrepreneurs not to attend the market once, as they need to keep consistency in order to be noticed by visitors.
Related Article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/301658/a-love-crafted-out-of-wood/
