-The main hurdle that I faced was not what to do >
The main hurdle that I faced was not what to do, but how to do it. My original dream involved a delicatessen / café, but I have young children and I wanted to avoid feeling torn between my children and the business (which has always been the case whilst working).
I needed to ensure that I had maximum flexibility. Selling gift sets via a website seemed the ideal solution, this would also allow me to fully flex my creativity and bring a range of unusual food gifts to a narrow market.
I had envisaged the website as my main route to market, but have found this not to be the case. I had naively hoped that once the website was established, the orders would roll in without too much assistance from me (a bit of Google Adwords maybe). Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case.
Just before Christmas I was given the opportunity to do some party selling and sales were very good (I even picked up a corporate sale). I soon realised the potential of building on this success.
Whilst the uniqueness of my offering potentially gives me an edge, it also creates a barrier, as customers can be left wondering if they will like the products that I’m offering. Being able to ‘try before they buy’ breaks down this barrier.
Also, food in itself is sociable, so selling through the intimacy of parties makes sense. I had planned for my products selection to change and expand, with seasonal additions and new finds and this is an ideal way of introducing these products whilst encouraging party hosts to book again.
Following the success of this theme, I’ve started to do some direct selling. This involves a temporary set up in local businesses and nurseries. I sell directly to the workforce / parents and give a gift or cash to the business, normally for charity or towards the cost of equipment.
I’m currently working hard at building these sides of the business, finding hosts and developing ways of encouraging their loyalty.
I’ve not given up on the website, at every opportunity I raise awareness of its existence and will find a way to make the website work for me in the future.
Nicole RaceNew Tastes
