My expanding business!

[vfem]

So, I'm a bit of a food junky. I like to bake, and cook and of course EAT!

Well I have a business that centered around cookies, but then my biscotti stood out above everything else I offered 4 to 1. So I do offer my other recipe cookies for large private orders but I sell mostly my biscotti (which are actually very large batches you are ordering, not like 1 dz chocolate chip or something from the store!).

Now I have started adding my jarred jams and syrups to the mix! I can honestly say they are DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!! I made sure we have enough for us here, but made so much we're going to sell the rest for the 2009 season.

I am going to continue to expand my business further, eventually offering naturally produced, home grown coffee and teas. I have to put in the garden area first though! So we're looking 2010 for that.

For now, I wanted to share some of my hard work... and I do work hard to share.

(Ok, cheesey!)


http://biscottiqueen.etsy.com

P.s. - I put this posting here because I want feed back, not just sales. Ideas for the jams, syrups, cookies and of course some ideas on my tea garden would be awesome.

 

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

Your biscotti is the best!

 

[vfem]

Awww... You're a dear!

 

[lesa]

Everything looks lovely! Is it necessary to have a commercial or inspected kitchen, to sell that kind of thing? My daughter is thinking about selling her vintage clothing on Etsy- it seems like it is working out for you. Any problems with it, that she should know about? Good luck on your expanding business!

 

[vfem]

It really depends. Where I live... there is a 'catering' license I would need to cook and supply food locally. Baking did not fall into it?! Then there was a 'wedding cake' home business license I needed inspections for. However, I do not make cakes?! The lady I spoke with told me as far as she knows, as I am selling out of state and making less then $300 a month, I do not qualify as any business type in NC that requires an inspection currently.

I DO want to expand and up my sales, but I am planning on getting a loan and opening a bakery/coffee shop near town by the time my daughter goes to school. I will no longer be working from home.

Lesa, Etsy is a great site... she shouldn't have an issue selling on there. There are some tricks to getting started, and getting attention on Etsy. First, do not list multiples of everything you have at the same time!!! It is only $0.20 a listing for 3 whole months to have it up. Its a great deal, but when you are trying to get traffic to your store to start getting feedback, list your items slowly so you spend more time on the front page.

Like if she has 50 items. List 2 the first morning, 2 in the afternoon, and 2 in the evening. Then the next day continue the pattern. Every time you list a new item it pops up on the front page for a few seconds. You want to hog that front page listing at different hours to see when the busiest traffic is shopping there. (You'll know from the number of hits to the item you listed on what day at what time.)

There are other ways to get traffic and get noticed. I have friends who use etsy and we work from a seperate website together... we all create Etsy Treasuries! Those are someone chosing their favorite items, grouping them and listing them on etsy for voter populatarity. The most popular treasuries end up on Etsy's front page for a couple hours, front and center!! I actually have gotten an item on the front page, and lets just say I had 3 sales that day from a couple hours free advertising! Treasuries are no gaurentee, but people hog the available treasury time while they can!

Also, unlike ebay.... its not an auction, you get what you ask, or they can contact you and ask you to lower the price for them. You can manually go in and change the sales item to whatever price you want and sell instantly. I've even done special orders, and listed them on etsy with the person's name who wanted it as the title so no one else would buy it.

Etsy really is your own store, and I've never been bothered there by staff or spammers like on Ebay! Plus, I've had a LOT more profit to show for it. I was in the negatives on ebay due to their ridiculous costs.

Ok, going to shut up now....

 

[deenamr]

Everything on your Etsy page looks fabulous. I think I will have to try a few types of biscotti and maybe some cherry or bluberry jam.

 

[vfem]

My blueberry jam was a bust... but man did it taste awesome on pancakes when I heated it up, so now it is a syrup! LOL

I am going to go to the blueberry/blackberry farm tomorrow around 10am to pick some blackberries, I may pick up some more blueberry and try another batch of actual preserves!

I wanted to make pear wine preserves but there were no pears at the farm stand yet, they told me any day now they would be available, but the first batch is usually from an out of state farm they trade with. So I'm debating on waiting for local?!

I really am trying to offer only locally available naturally grown product when I can. I even use my chickens eggs in my biscotti (sometimes you luck out and get the duck eggs)!

Either way, I absolutely do everything FRESH! Like the canned goods are 2009 stock only, and the biscotti is not baked until payment is recieved and its back out quickly to the customer.

(I'm eating some left over almond biscotti from a job I baked yesterday.... shhhh... I keep the ends from the orders for myself! LOL)

P.s. - your dog is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute!!!!

 

[deenamr]

I have chickens and ducks also - I can't wait for the ducks to lay for holiday baking. They are 3 to 4 months old now. The chickens range from 16 months to 22 weeks. The new girls are starting to lay.

I have a recipe for a holiday biscotti you may like. It has an excellent flavor. Dried/candied fruit bits, anise seed and orange zest. I make it every year starting for Thanksgiving breakfast and then finish usually with New Year's Day biscotti.

BTW - Wait for the local pears. I am trying to stay as local as possible too. I am thinking that my fall/winter project will be making my own cheese.

 

[vfem]

Ooooh, cheese?! REALLY?! I've been trying to buy local dairy milk to make my own butter for my baking. (Really, I would do the extra work if I could!)

Just sadly, there are NO farms offering dairy around here?! Its all beef based and organic fruits/veggies only. Its a 65 miles drive to a farm that offers goats milk only. Can't use goats milk for butter. However, I do love goats milk cheese. Hint hint!

 

[lesa]

Thanks for all the info, Vfem! It sounds a lot better than ebay. She had some success with it, but the rules keep changing! Thanks!