AIBU to ask if you’d buy this considering the situation?

[chocolatetreats21]

I have a new business idea, I want to make chocolate covered treats from home and sell them. I just don’t know if people would buy it considering the whole COVID situation? What do you think?

@Deathgrip well I will make a batch first 🙄

@AvocadosBeforeMortgages thank you 🥰

If I see the photo like the ones on Op's comment, I wouldn't think Oh, I need to get them/buy them. I'd rather think I need to make them myself.

@BeardyButton

I would buy them OP. You are very talented. Could you start small? Test the market? Not invest too much. I wont say ignore the doubters on here... But I would say - everyone on mumsnet loves a good pulldown. Makes them seem really knowledgeable and business lady like. This is particularly true in current COVID context. The points on hygiene seem right though....

How do you know the op is talented? Those photos are NOT of the op's products. In fact the op has never even tried to make them.

Honestly, all you've done is given me ideas for things to try with my son for Halloween.

I'd buy them too, just as a treat if I saw them in the local farmers market or similar. Covid and food production isn't a worry for me but I'd like to be assured your kitchen had been inspected. I'm surprised at all the negative comments on here.

@sapnupuas well I'm glad I could help 😄

Makes them seem really knowledgeable and business lady like

Actual LOL at “business lady”

Makes me think all of us with full time jobs, trotting around the office like David Walliams saying “but I’m BUSINESS LAAAADY!!”

I think they look gorgeous op and would definitely buy some if you lived near me ! I've seen people do the cake lollipop things before but they have only been covered in milk or white choc with sprinkles on them

@chocolatetreats21

Lord have mercy, I don’t know why some of you are so hung up on the pictures? I’ve said several times they’re not mine, and I got them from google to use as an example of the things I wanted to make. It’s like you think I’m gonna go buy some ingredients, make some decorated cookies and plaster them on Facebook, with no insurance, no food health certificate/kitchen inspection and no skills or practice.

Of course not, I will properly use the next 6-8 months to do proper research, practice making all the treats and start next summer if I feel confident to do so. I might also make an instagram page and post everything I make on there for fun and experience. Who knows.

And no I’d never sell “homely rough around the edges” cakes, my anxiety will not allow it 😂.

But yeah some of you are asking me questions as if I want to go Tesco tomorrow and sell online then next day. 😄😄

I know that you probably feel people are being negative about this, but I genuinely think it is perplexing that you've never even made one batch of these. You also don't mention any cake making or decorating skills, so we are assuming that you are a complete beginner. I am confused by that myself.

Tbh I've seen these alot everywhere and I'm in Ireland, where many think we don't have electricity or running water yet.

The fruit is lovely when it's done, I even tried it myself 😊 dipping the strawberry we then placed it flat, big mistake 😂 should have stuck them on a skewer. Decorating them seemed so easy in my mind, it's only till then you realise your hand is shaky and I've fairly steady hands. And for some reason everything ended up running into each other, even though we chilled everything. It was grand for here at home but if you've natural talent and are ambitious go for it and practice alot.

@knittingaddict Yep 100%. I'm all about supporting small businesses, particularly female-led ones, but you usually have a bit of experience in something ( / have at least done it once) before you're considering a business venture.

I think it would be a lot easier to be unbiased if we had pictures of what OP had actually made / was capable of, to see if we would want to purchase and eat it.

I'll post photos are the disastrous outcome!

Haven't read many PPs but your business might be a goer if you live in an area where cakes etc might not be delivered by companies like Lola's Cakes because you're in a rural village etc. Lola by the way has a very good delivery service to London area but don't know about elsewhere. Have you seen the huge range of cakes that business does? Others are available. Perhaps give it a ''try out''' next summer?

I'm also very supportive of small home based businesses. I had one myself, although it was sewing related rather than food. It was extremely hard work and in the end took up too much time and effort for little profit. It started from a hobby and it was a huge relief when I packed in the selling and reverted back to being something I enjoyed doing for myself.

Do you enjoy making cakes op?

I think a lot of people are being very negative here .OP has asked advice and been shot down by nearly everyone! My advice would be maybe start small ,see if you can make some chocolate Treats for Christmas for friends /Relations and get some feedback .If all seems good and they go down well ,then try and see if anything can be sold over Valentines Day/Easter .Again if all well build it up slowly .A friends DM
does this and she does very well at Christmas fayres and the like .If Corona gets seen off with a Vaccine which seems hopeful ,then you will be up and running when we return to normal! Only you know how your baking/Decorating skills are ,and giving them a test slowly is the best way to go .Its not like you are investing thousands of pounds! If it doesnt take off you havent lost your shirt! If it does all well and good !

@chocolatetreats21

I mean like these, haven't seen anyone on just eat or Facebook selling them? Maybe it's just me? 🤷‍♀️

A very quick search brought up loads for me. I'd double check your area. That's just a few sellers, there were loads more. @chocolatetreats21

I think if the Op had bothered to make a batch before posting and showed the photos of those, assuming they were fab, the reaction would have been quite different. Given that starting a business is really hard graft and needs lots of self-motivation and and commitment to succeed, then being possibly too laidback to have a go at making and taking a photo first doesn't bode well.

[quote chocolatetreats21]@GroundAlmonds no honestly, I appreciate everyone's replies. I was just curious as to whether people would buy homemade things during the pandemic, that's all. I'll probably just test it out, do as a hobby and see how it goes. See if I even can make it as good as on the pictures

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@chocolatetreats21

Hang on, so the pics you're posting aren't your creations?

Make some and post pics of them to get some proper advice!

Even in non-covid times I wouldn’t be buying anything like this. They’re a waste of money just done in someone’s kitchen.

I wouldn’t start any business in the middle of a pandemic. They do look lovely though.

Show us your attempt and then I’ll decide. Half the time things never look like the Google ones.

I’d never buy anything like this regardless of Covid. It would be too much hassle to go to someone’s house and pick stuff up, I’d never buy enough stuff to make it worthwhile the person delivering it to me. I feel a bit ick about stuff made in another persons kitchen in their home regardless of inspections. There’s lots of stuff like this for sale on Facebook and it all seems very overpriced for what it is. If I wanted chocolate dipped strawberries I’d make them myself.

@puddlesuit that might be true (and quite worrying!) for your council area it's not true everywhere

I don’t know why some of you are so hung up on the pictures?

If you don't understand that you don't understand the business you're interested in

How the products look is a MAJOR factor here. If what you produce isn't even close to a high standard customers will be annoyed and likely demand refunds!

OP is pitching her product at people who either lack the equipment or skills to do it themselves

The OP ‘lacks the equipment and skills to do it herself!

OP you’re getting a drubbing because the way it usually works when someone looks to set up a side hustle is - they identify a skill they already have that they can leverage to maybe make a bit of money, and use that to their advantage.

You don’t even know yet if you can create these, and you would be competing with people with skills and experience.

And again - how are you going to ship them, so that they don’t arrive disintegrated, or will you only be hand delivering?