Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Good ideas, I would be love to speak with you about the name of our company.  Please email me .

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

Hello!

You have already been given some great advice from the other members.  I own a web based artisan baking company taht has been open since Nov of last year.  I have found that the best way to generate business is to get the product out.  My "general" marketing plan is handing out samples and doing donation that target the market that I am going after.  It has been working fairly well.  I rarely say no and when orders come in, I do track where they have come from, Google, word of mouth, or a sample I have handed out.

I do have a couple of wholesale accounts and I have begun to do private labeling. Just remember to keep it simple, and think out side the box.  i was recently approached by a web designer who wanted to re do my site for trade out, how could I say no?  I need a stroner web presense with a cleaner look, it is going to be great and it would not have happened had I not though outside the box.

Good luck and let me know how you are doing!

laura

 

 

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laura m mandracchia
www.littlelaurasweets.com
132 cypress place
sausalito, california 94965

email: laura@littlelaurasweets.com
415.331.2804   main
415.480.2033 fax

Hi CilantroChef

I teach a home-food processing class for the Wake County Lifelong Learning Program in Raleigh, NC and I think I can help.

(1)  How can we build our business so we can become a BUSINESS
You need to get involved in your state Small Business Economic Development Agency, if you tell me what state you live in I can locate that information for you. You will also need to apply for any micro business loans or grants, yes, I said grants available. The new president has released a number of fund to programs nationwide, I know the funds are available here in NC.

(2)  How can I sell the product when Im not sure how to SELL the product
When you say how to sell the product, what do you mean. Are you interested in having a copacker make and distribute for you so you receive a residual income or perhaps you need to work with an incubator kitchen in your area to assist in the development and distribution. Incubators are specifically geared to work with start-up companies.

(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
Now that is where SEO and having a good online marketing company comes into play or at least learning the SEO strategies yourself and you can do it yourself to a certain degree irregardless of what anyone says. There are marketing strategies that will pull business to your site along with posting your information in "food malls."

(4)  Where should look for commercial space (sublease, rent, lease?)
Again, let`s look at starting with an incubator kitchen and work from there.

(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) First stop pouring out money and go back to the drawing board. I have so many questions to ask you, please email me if you read this posting.

Denay

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Denay Davis
Cooking with Denay
http://cookingwithdenay.com/
http://cookingwithdenay.com/learn-from-denay/classes/online/
denay@cookingwithdenay.com