FAQS

MNB was established in 2022 and it has been created with the aim of providing free marketing support to creative and independent small businesses in Scotland. We organise four fully curated, AI slop and drop shipper free markets filled with everything handmade and local. Our markets are organised on a non-profit basis and all stall fees cover venue hire and paid marketing activities to bring footfall to our events.  

If you are a small business based in anywhere in Scotland and are interested in becoming part of MNB simply sign up to our mailing list on the website. MNB community rules are simple, be kind, be nice, and be supportive! We maintain a secure and welcoming community, and we have zero tolerance for any form of sexism, racism, homophobia, or any offensive behaviour. Our aim is to provide a warm and inclusive environment for our talented artisans, and it is imperative for us to collectively ensure this in the most effective manner.  We operate a strict no AI and no drop shipping policy. As a Community Interest Company, we are committed to supporting local creators, artists, and makers, and we do not accept any AI slop or drop shipping businesses at our markets.

We have been organising pop-up markets since July 2023. After different venues we had our events, in 2026 we found our new home at the OOTB Drill Hall in Edinburgh. We organise 4 markets a year. If you are interested in to be a stallholder you can subscribe to our blog to be notified about the upcoming events. You can also check our Events page for more information as well as our Instagram page.

After all applications received via shared form we check each and every one of the small businesses. Everyone is vetted to ensure that their products are 100% handmade. We also curate all our markets, therefore we need to make sure to select certain amount of product types per market to give everyone an equal opportunity. Being a part of MNB doesn't grant you a direct access to each applied market. Our market venue can accommodate 25 - 28 stalls per event (except the Christmas market which is organised for two days with 38 stalls each), therefore we try to cycle our stallholders as much as we can and give new applicants higher priority.

Unfortunately no! MNB Scotland markets are purely established to support 100% handmade. All our artisans design, handcraft, or small batch produce their products. We do not accept resellers, bulk bought product traders, AI generated items, drop shipped goods, as well as trademark branded reproductions. Therefore only 100% handmade product stalls can attend to our markets.

Times are tough and costs are increasing. But we try to keep our stall costs between £69 - £75 per event. We organise our markets completely non-profit. All stall fees are 100% paid towards the venue hire and print and digital marketing activities and sponsorships to drive footfall to our events.

We aim to organise networking events for our members to get together over a coffee and cake, to have a safe networking environment, exchange experiences and useful information. These events are also aimed to support new commers. If you have questions around how to get a Public Liability Insurance (PLI), get your small business registered, open a website, organise your social media, or even how to get a logo; feel free to reach out. We have also launched a Small Business Starter Guide which is completely free.

Absolutely yes! We love to give a safe platform to young makers in Scotland. We also offer a small table for free to young makers (under 18) to attend our events, with the permission and support of their family members or guardians. If you are just starting up, you can also share a table with another new small business at our markets.

MNB has been established with a few fellow small business owners in Scotland in 2022. Main people behind the scenes are Selena (Founder), Dave (Chief Operational Officer), and Zuza (Chief Design Officer).