Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

 Hello All.  We are a small (one person operation) baking business.  A few years ago, my mother in law made the suggestion that we should sell our cookies ( a cross between a biscotti and a shortbread cookie--the product has no name so we often have to describe it to people.  They think its bread or sliced cake, and its also a product that you have to taste to believe.. anywho)thats how we got started.  We began selling to friends and family and then turned to the farmers market.  We have tried (I have to admit Im not a people person so to speak sales wise) to sell to local businesses, but due to the fact that we have no "official commercial kitchen"  I don`t feel comfortable baking and selling from my home to big business.  We turned our attention to the farmers markets (3 years running) and do a brisk business there.  At the markets we sell the cookies and a few "items of the week"  (focaccia;/pizza bread, sweet rolls, and other bread based or cake based items) These sell as well.  Our problem (Im sure you were wondering when we were going to get to that ) is this.  Its a catch 22 situation.  We don`t have the business to afford a commercial kitchen rental, and we cant GET the busines because we dont have a commercial kitchen.  A local business took our product (one that we only can sell either online or during cooler months (a chocolate dipped version of our cookie) and it sells as well as our chocolate covered brownie bites (another favorite) WHEW....my dilema is this...

(1)  How can we build our business so we can become a BUSINESS

(2)  How can I sell the product when Im not sure how to SELL the product

(3) How can we get website traffic to show case our product.  We offer a FREE sample box so you can try before you buy

(4)  Where should look for commercial space (sublease, rent, lease?)

(5)  How do we go about branding our product.  We have changed the logo several times and had it professionally done, but it just doesnt work with the packaging we have chosen (plastic hing containers)

Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions?  I realize that we are all over the place and Im a creative individual, a hands on thinker if you will.  I tend to create in the moment and seek perfection.  This product has been 3 years in the making and is finally where I feel its a sellable product.  But...its has no name.....

 

 

 

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Do what you can, with the time you have, with what you have, and where you are.
--unknown

Wow, you have a lot going on! I am kind of in the same place as you, or at least I was a couple of months ago. Does your state require baked goods be done in a commercial kitchen? Here in NH we can use a residential kitchen as long as the food doesn`t need refrigeration. (We do have to have the kitchen inspected, licensed, water tested, etc.) I was able to legally start my business in my own home kitchen. Then a couple of months ago, we spent $6k to have our basement waterproofed and we built a little kitchen and office down there (another 6k or so I think). It`s still a residential kitchen, but it`s used exclusively for my business. Is this something you can do? We actually took out an equity loan to fund it and I`ve almost paid it back! I started offering wholesale to stores across the US and it totally took off. In fact, I may outgrow my new kitchen/office before the end of the year.

As for branding, I tend to like names with a sense of humor. If you do something mundane, people forget it. When I started my company name was "SerenDIPity Gourmet Specialties". My URL was dippychick.com though and the Dippy Chick name really stuck. I recently incorporated and changed my name to The Dippy Chick Company, Inc.. I can`t tell you how many people tell me they love my name and how catchy and original it is. My products are silly too and people buy them just for the name! So I would say, be creative - even go over the edge a bit. Call them something funny - like Dingleberries!

For web traffic, I use Google AdWords and Overture. They send traffic to my site and I have definitely received orders as a result.

I hope this helps a little. I`m sure the other more experienced members can help you more.

entreprenerd... that was a great answer. I can add some of my
own experience. My online retail store is rather small, but within
one year, I went from a few drop ship items to having an
inventory and now working towards importing a 40 foot
container. Now I am at a difficult point just as Cilantrochef.
Inventory is running low, but I do not have the 20K to import
and store a 40 foot container. (In the early days the importer
would store and sell the contents to me in smaller quantities.
Now that importer no longer sells retail. Thus, a full container
purchase is required.

I know I can push the product, but could never convince a bank
to lend me the capital. I look at challenges like this as major
mile markers for accomplishment. This (the time when you don`t
know how to overcome) is the TOP CHALLENGE of owning a
business.

My small advise. Keep looking at new ideas as solutions.
Remember, not all solutions are packaged complete. Meaning
you may need to combine a couple of ideas in order to
accomplish your goal.

Suggestion: Have you thought about finding a local restaurant
and renting or bartering for kitchen usage in the off hours?
Maybe they would let you use the kitchen from midnight to 6am.
It`s rough hours to work out, but maybe if you became the late
night cleaning crew (while your goods were baking) they would
be more likely to open up to you.

Just a thought.

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Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

As far as the name goes, while driving about today, I came up with one.  What do you think. (DippyChick) Botti Bites (Our cookies are a cross between a shortbread cookie and a biscotti and Shotti just doesn`t cut it )

Im looking into the restaurant thing, but it is often a battle of insurance issues that brings it to a screeching hault as well as supply issues.  I would love to build a kitchen but we have no basement.  The county allows for commercial kitchens in homes as long as they are seperate from the home,and come up to health safety codes.

 

Thanks for the ideas.

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Do what you can, with the time you have, with what you have, and where you are.
--unknown

Hmm, well Botti Bites sounds like Body Bites when you say it. Now I like edgy stuff but I`m not sure about that one.  It makes me think of Dracula or mosquitoes.  Maybe rather than say they are a combo of two types of cookies, you should market it as your own original, brand new type of cookie. A totally different taste sensation, as they say.

Have you looked into colleges? We have one locally that was trying to find food businesses to use their kitchens, so the students could learn from it. Maybe call your cooperative ext. service and see if there is anything like this in your area.

 

If you haven`t already checked with your local Chamber of Commerce and local Small Business Administration office then please consider it.  Sometimes their offices have or can refer you to small business incubator facilities.  Another place to check is with your local Down Town Development Authorities Director and your local municipality`s Community and Economic Development offices because they often know what their community`s needs and resources are.  Plus the Community and Economic Development`s Planning and Zoning offices can often save you alot of headaches when you check with them early on.  For example they can tell you what "uses" can occur within a particular zoning and if any specific ordinances apply toward what you want to do.   Should you decide to lease or purchase a commercial or industrial property anywhere within the United States then  I can be of assistance because I participate in a nationwide real estate referal network.  Good Luck with the growth of your business!

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Nicole Champagne
Email: influencialexpectations@gmail.com
Cell: (734) 262-3730
Soar With Influencial Expectations!

RealtorNicole,
Great suggestion about the different city offices. That
information is usable on several levels.

Kathy,
I am happy you found my website (www.elusivetreasures.com)
enjoyable. I hope to see you sign up for our Guest List. :)
Thanks for taking a look. Any suggestions?

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Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

Hi. I just finished reading your post and all the great responses. I am located close to you in IL - here is how I solved my commercial kitchen problem.

I went to the local business development group for advice. They gave me the names of a couple of restaurants, a dog treat bakery and a wedding cake designer. The restaurants did not work for me because I could not store supplies there and didn`t think making chocolate in the same kitchen with onions and garlic was a good idea. The dog kitchen didn`t seem to make sense. But the wedding cake designer and I fit perfect. She needed to sublet some of her large kitchen and my chocolates are just what some brides are looking for. I have sublet from her for 3 years. I hope to continue to grow and find my own space soon, but this arrangement has worked great for me.

Good luck with your search.

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Susan
Prints On Chocolate
http://www.Prints-On-Chocolate.com

If we could talk, that would be great.  I could really use a little help as the summer months and the farmers market get more busy.  If you can please feel free to email me. 

Selange Giannetto

sgiannetto@happycookingonline.com

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Do what you can, with the time you have, with what you have, and where you are.
--unknown

I find this an interesting topic, because I bake too, and locally, I have to get my kitchen "certified" if I want to cook comercially.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of obstacles to overcome around here.  I mae cookies, cakes, brownies, and homemade candies -- and am always being told that I should start a business selling them.  If only...

I have looked into it, and I believe that it would be more hastle than it`s worth currently, but I am watching local regualations, and hoping they will lax them at least a little.  I just don`t want to have to spend thousands of dollars to start a business doing something so simple as making deserts... though I am considering the idea, because of the pure number of people tat keep suggesting that I start my own, based on "birthday cakes" and the desgining that I do with my cakes and deserts.  I painstakingly detailed one for a friend of mine that races nascar... complete with car, skid marks, the "Nascar" logo and his team name under it... the whole shebang for his birthday... over five hours of work put into that cake, with complimentary flavored icing adorning it.  He said it was also the "moistest cake" he had ever tasted.  Needless to say, he went gaga over it, and took pictures.  I still haven`t heard the end of it from him -- simply because I was trying to be nice for his birthday.  Haha.

As far as response to the original question: