Not a LBM but awareness of heading towards debt crisis

NotNormal

themarsbargirl wrote: »

* I've checked out the local speciality shops and other stalls, my price undercuts most of theirs...marginally. I did a lot of price research when I was considering setting up.

*B&Bs, I've not looked into this extensivly, but my suspicion is that it would count as distance selling regulations wise. I had considered trying to get some local cafes etc to switch their jam to me, but it comes back to the little jars and I simply cannot undercut tiptree and cut even.

*I can't do open jars and tastings at boot fairs/craft fairs (well I could but....) because of the Food Hygeine regs I would then need portable handwashing stuff etc etc and it would just be more trouble than it's worth.

*Making up some business cards is on my to do list, we have some sheets for printing business cards onto from my Grandad's house that I'm planning on using. Especially as I also cook to order (I have a friend who wants mini jars of jam as wedding favours when she gets married <BF hasn't even proposed yet:rotfl:> which I would do at cost for her for the advertising)

*Marketing online but selling locally is what I plan to do - mostly through Facebook and the newsletter (I even have a special business email address set up as I have to put an address on labels) hence the this month/this week you can find me at...

*I hadn't thought of doing a loyalty card, as at the moment I'm just selling from a stall in the front garden with an honesty box which makes it trickier to implement. I suppose I'd have to look at stickers that would be removable from the jar to stick on a card and then they could leave the full card in the honesty box.

*I need to sell enough to cover the cost of the 800 jars I got first, then look at other stuff. I have already thought about getting some presentation boxes to sell for christmas (which I will be hopefully doing from september...making christmas chutneys in August :rotfl:) I am seriously considering a small batch of mini jars....buy 2 and get a free taster when I'm craft/boot fairing. But I think that needs to wait for now. What I do sometimes do is put the ends that won't make a full jar into any empty mini jars we have lying around...but legally not allowed to sell (and I presume give away) stuff in reused jars...but my friends will get one slipped in

I had thought that come summer doing drinks from the front garden may get a fair bit of business because if people come out for an afternoon walk in the sun and get thirsty there are no shops near here, but I don't know if food standards are stricter on that (they're fairly lax on jam and marmalade cuz it's virtually impossible to poison someone with it!)

I don't do instagram. The internet in general scares me lol

There are some small jars on amazon. Not sure a great deal at £8.25 for 12 BUT for 849 swagbucks you get a £5 amazon gift card so they would actually only cost you £3.25 failing that I shall get you them for christmas. My MIL makes jams etc so I know how soothing it is. I suck at it, big time. But I do make an amazing pizza apparently lol. I was just thinking while it may not be cost effective as they are still just under the 30p a jar, it's not such a huge waste if you only have 12 to use up rather than 100...

It's not just prices, but flavour ideas. To get an idea of what sells well, since some people are too afraid to go too exotic.

As for stickers would something like this work http://www.aalabels.com/Products-of-T81-375+Circular+Labels+per+A4+sheet+++6+mm+Diameter.html ?? I don't know about that company but may give you an idea what you could do. I was thinking you could maybe get the loyalty cards done like a big strawberry (for example) and then have black dots that make the seeds on the outside... Sort of themed?

Maybe worth checking in with them regarding selling to b&bs/selling drinks?

Word of mouth is one of the best advertising techniques. My friend has just suggested something - I was talking about how you could recommend something based on their choices but I know my anxiety I would struggle with. She also has anxiety. She suggested you could make a little "menu" you know like the stand up ones that have a selection of drinks on them? But have on "If you like ... You may also enjoy ..." Or add the stickers to the jars maybe?

You could also include the "flavour of the month" on the stand?

As for the christmas selections - if you can get on some other forums, or facebook groups. Start promoting now. A lot of people are already planning and saving for christmas. You could put the word out about it now and give them the chance to pick flavours and/or pre-order? I know I'm already planning for christmas. And I have two christmases this year! One up North and one back down South. My Nan loves jams and chutneys so depending where you are I'd be interested in a christmas selection pack. Hell if you aren't local to them I could always do a "gift" payment via paypal. Technically then you wouldn't have to disclose anything as you're just sending a present to a friend?

themarsbargirl

Regulations for selling to friends is different to selling to the public (i.e. they don't care if I poison friends and family :rotfl:)

Ebay is cheaper than amazon I've been pricing up mini jars for ages lol It's a future thing for now cuz I'd also have to get smaller labels and figure out how to fit all the info on diddy labels in a font large enough to read lol

I'm waiting a little before advertising on facebook about christmas packages (all my facebook friend already know what I'm doing and some have even bought from me through facebook before I registered as a company...see above about poisoning friends :rotfl: my favourite one was a friend who bought a jar of mango jam and before I'd even got home had sent me a message asking for the other jar :rotfl:)

I also already made an experimental christmas marmalade that's gone down well with taste testers (aka Dad lol)

I'm in Kent, so if that's close enough to the general area inbox me and I'll be more specific

I had debated doing some wicker hampers with crackers in the chutney hamper and scone mix in the jam hamper but wicker hampers were hideously expensive....presentation boxes are much cheaper but the company I'm looking at has a rather high minimum order :eek: and I'm only a tiny cottage industry (tbh more of a hobby).

Never underestimate the power of good pizza!

themarsbargirl

I've thought about 'flavour of the month' but I do so many lovely unusual flavours what I've decided to do for now is just rotate what stock I have on the stall weekly...probably going to have to routinely have strawberry jam out, lime marmalade (seriously, I put it out yeaterday and sold 1 jar of it yesterday and one today...but no-one wants the lemon and pomegranate!), lemon marmalade (last time I made it, it also sold out in a few days - I make in small batches - less than 6 jars at a time...otherwise we would be swimming in it here!) and probably a raspberry jam.

This week I have out;

Mango Chutney,
Lime Marmalade,
Lemon and Pomegranate Marmalade,
Strawberry Jam,
Strawberry and Passionfruit Jam,
Plum and Fig Conserve,
Lemon and Passionfruit Jam,
Watermelon Jelly,
Sharon Fruit Jam,
I had a Lemon and Ginger marmalade but that sold out.

themarsbargirl

Once my chutneys have matured I plan on having 3 chutneys out, 3 jams out and 3 marmalades....obv if I do fairs I'll take a much wider variety with me.

themarsbargirl

Today's roundup....

Steps - will update when I go to bed but currently at 10219
Spends - lots, mostly on treats, but all within this weeks budget :money:
Jam Sales - 1 jar
Surveys - hit my swagbucks target with one survey this morning...but then lost the will to survey....lol. will do some tomorrow, I promise (and check the other sites I do).

Did some typing for Mum that she promised to pay me for but then didn't agree amount beforehand...and now she's strangely reluctant to give me any money and has started talking about charging me board and lodging :eek: (I think she's joking...but not entirely sure)

themarsbargirl

3 jars sold before 2pm...this is some kind of record!

themarsbargirl

Had a bad day today, very very low mood all day, put my stall out at 9am and then went back to bed to sulk until gone noon. Not sure if I've set myself off by thinking about the way I was fired again or what it is. So todays round up.

Steps - didn't put pedometer on today, but have only been pottering around the house so I doubt I went over a couple of thousand.
Spends - Tobacco (actually out of next weeks budget :eek: had hoped to make it to tomorrow)
Jam Sales - I sold 4 jars today :jwhich is a total record! And wouldn't ya know, after all my effort making boring plain strawberry jam the !!!!ers were buying my unusual stuff :rotfl:
Jam Production - Raspberry Jam, Plum and Vanilla Jam, Shredless Satsuma Marmalade (I still need to boil the marmalade but I'm counting it!)
Surveys - ummm....not done much on them today, really CBA, not even close to swagbucks target cuz I screened out of them all and haven't kept on top of changing the videos on SBTV.

Mum paid me £3 for the typing I did yesterday, gone straight into my profits envelope building up to another % :money:

Tomorrow morning I am at the foodbank warehouse quarterising tinned meat which should be fun hopefully that'll mean a better day.

hummingbird

You've been doing amazing with the jam/marmalade/chutney etc! Sorry I haven't had time to read through all your updates properly, but notnormal seems to be giving you lots of lovely tips!!

It's all about getting yourself known, so in time if you could advertise your stall with facebook or in the local rag, or on leaflets etc that would be great - also perhaps encourage some referrals with some freebies or with a prize draw or something? Hope you can in time get to the craft fair/food market stage - awesome!!

Sorry if any of this has already been suggested!!

H x

NoOneAround

Totally in awe of you skills in jam-making:T
Hope you are feeling a bit better today MBG
Hugs
NOAh
xx

themarsbargirl

Had a really difficult day today that just progressively got worse, being unemployed and hacing nothing to do is driving me insane then Mum said a load of insensitive things and I've been crying constantly for about 5 hours now.

I simply cannot tolerate being this unwell any longer, I've spent 13 months pushing for treatment and help and I am STILL waiting. It's just too much.