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Original poster

Idea

54 replies

misty · 29/02/2004 13:21

I'm hoping that I can tap in to your wonderful honesty/feedback for an idea I have had for some time.

I have 2 small children and have wanted to run my own business from home so that I can be around for them as and when, so I came up with the idea of setting up an online store to sell luxury homemade traybakes - brownies, flapjacks, caramel shortbread etc.

Customers will have the choice of just ordering the traybakes, which will be beautifully wrapped so can be sent as a gift directly to someone, or if it is a special occasion eg. birthday, new home, new baby etc they can opt to purchase a 'pack' which they can make up themselves eg. select a tray of brownies, and 2 pretty mugs for someone who has moved home, or some cute booties & a teddy, and some shortbread & flapjacks for the new mother/baby.

You could even order a lovely handmade wooden box to put your goodies into, for yourself or to send to someone else. You can select a handmade gift card to be included with your order if it is a present for someone, so they know who it came from!

All the products are homemade and contain no artificial adds.

So, my question is would you buy something like this over the net? What sort of price would you pay for say the tray of brownies (1lb) or a pack for a new baby?

Hope you can give me some feedback so that I don't make a complete pillock of myself and set this all up!

Thanks

OP posts:

Branster · 05/05/2004 12:19

well done for coming up with such a great idea and pursuing it! Why not try selling your products at your local markets (i.e. Week-end market, Wi market, taht sort of thing) and hand out leaflets with details of your web-site. also advertise through mother& toddler groups, local helth centre, place wher people go with small children, just to get more customers who would buy directly from you and evetually they would reccomed the website and so on. People act differentlt to buying food they can see directly and buying it off the internet.

Kayleigh · 05/05/2004 12:21

Misty, have just seen this thread and wanted to say well done. Sounds like you have found something you enjoy doing and if you can make money too, fantastic. Maybe you could ask Justine et al to do a link for you from mumsnet - not sure what costs are - but I for one would use it for gifts etc.

Good luck.

carla · 05/05/2004 12:27

Misty, just a thought, but would you have to bake the stuff 'to order', so to speak? How long would stuff with no preservatives in last?

bunnyrabbit · 05/05/2004 13:53

Misty,
Just caught up with this thread. Congratulations and good luck!

Have you thought of advertising at hospitals/clinics etc.?

Original poster

misty · 05/05/2004 22:14

katierocket - wow, thanks! That would be fantastic, we were wondering how to go about contacting mags etc...

Branstar - thanks for some good ideas - you are definitely right about some people wanting to try before they buy!

Kayleigh - thanks for your support! Have already asked mumsnet about advertising with them - unfortunately it would be just too expensive for us at first, maybe when we are a bigger company we will seriously be able to consider it. Don't think I'm allowed to post the website address here (???) so if anyone wants it or wants one of our brochures which should be back from the printers very soon, please contact me direct on info at thenuttytart dot co dot uk!

Carla, yes we will be baking to order but because we are using the best quality ingredients, our products last 7-10 days as long as they are stored in airtight containers.

And bunnyrabbit - fantastic idea - will def look into that one!

Keep 'em comin'

OP posts:

MadameButterfly · 05/05/2004 22:26

Misty I will email you now for a brochure.

katierocket · 05/05/2004 22:39

no probs misty - email me through 'contact another talker'

carla · 05/05/2004 22:48

Does anyone know where I might buy a trayful of chocolate brownies for around the £10/12 mark? If so, please contact me via another talker. Thanks.

Original poster

misty · 05/05/2004 23:15

Carla

Have sent you a message

OP posts:

Kayleigh · 06/05/2004 15:02

Misty, I am just printing out letters asking local businesses to advertise in our school summer fair brochure and thought of you. It's £10 for a full page ad and £5 for a half page ad. If you're interested let me know and will send you a form.
After all web businesses are local to everyone !!

lemonice · 06/05/2004 15:25

This is maybe addressed to Katierocket I was also wondering how to approach magazines etc for editorial or to have products featured. Even contacting some and enquiring I found that I couldn't get any information other than tha it was mainly London based businesses or those with contacts in the media who were featured.

At the moment I am doing pay for clicks thru Google but it still works out expensive ie not cost effective as yet.

Good luck to Misty

Northerner · 06/05/2004 15:37

Just seen this thread.

Misty don't know if this is of any use to you but I'm manning our company satnd at The Times Creme exhibition in Lodon next week which is aimed at PA's and secretary's and there is a company exhibiting called babiesbaskets.com you might want to check out their site for competition!

katierocket · 06/05/2004 15:39

lemonice - email me through 'contact another talker' I can certainly give you some good starting points.

Original poster

misty · 06/05/2004 21:40

Kayleigh - that sounds interesting - yes please, if you don't mind, send me a form (can u email it or do you need my address??).
Where are you based just out of interest - be funny if you were local

OP posts:

Original poster

misty · 06/05/2004 21:44

Northerner funnily enough I have heard of them, purely because we had a sales rep visit who had just supplied them with some champagne glasses. Have looked at their website wow, how much?????
What's this exhibition all about then? Is it run by The Times? Thinking of ideas for next year......thanks for thinking of us

OP posts:

Kayleigh · 06/05/2004 21:48

misty will contact you with my details as I can email you the form. I'm in Barnet Herts.

bluesky · 27/06/2004 01:04

Misty how's it going?

Was thinking of you, as my friend is due her baby soon ..... anything yummy up and running yet?

bluesky · 14/09/2004 21:37

Misty, I see that your nutty tart website is up and running, I have been checking on and off since this thread started, don't know if you still visit Mumsnet, I haven't been around for ages. Anyway, wanted to say well done, it looks brilliant, and very yummy.

If you are around, let us know how it's going, it's great to see this ideas develop and then eventually materialise into something real.

Hulababy · 14/09/2004 21:51

Just had a look at the nutty tart website and the stuff there looks so yummy! Must have a better look again - even if it just for myself!

nutcracker · 14/09/2004 22:10

is there a link to the website ???? My brother is mad on flapjacks

nutcracker · 14/09/2004 22:19

Ahhhhh found it, am browsing now

Original poster

misty · 15/09/2004 14:46

Dear all

How nice of you to remember me!!! So sorry, had all good intentions of posting regularly here but things have been a little manic

Well, as you've seen, the website is finally up and running despite a few teething problems, and seems to be coping ok. We've had loads of interest which is fantastic - we are now listed by Google as well so I feel as if we have made it!

We finally managed to sort out our box supplier - the third - so if any of you out there fancy starting your own business, I'm sure you'd knock spots off any of the people I've dealt with so far, they are c@#p!! I think I'm expecting perfection and then get told I'm too fussy..... I just want everything to be right .

So, things are building gradually, we are coping with the orders and have had some fantastic feedback. We are attending our first show on September 25th at Great Grandsen, just outside Cambridge so if you are about then, come and see us!

Hey hum, life is good! Thanks again to all of you for your lovely comments, and Katierocket, if your offer of help re PR stands, I'll be contacting you shortly! Will of course keep you all posted

OP posts:

bunnyrabbit · 15/09/2004 15:44

Hi Misty,
Glad to see your up and running. Can you give me a link to your website?

If you're looking for extra business you could do wedding favours too you know. IMHO if you baked mini cookies etc in little boxes they'd make lovely wedding favours.... only IMHO

anorak · 15/09/2004 15:48

Can't find the website, can you post a link?

Original poster

misty · 15/09/2004 16:12

Bunnyrabbit - funnily enough that is exactly what we do! Thanks for suggesting it though!

I don't think I'm allowed to post the entire weblink here, so if anyone wants to know it, please 'contact another talker' from the top list. Also if you would like a brochure, do the same.

Bunnyrabbit & anorak - I have sent you a message via the good folk at mumsnet with the links.

Thanks again.

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