Dec 06 2009
I Am Asking This Business Question For My Sister.?
ws start candy cookie bouquet? kw ae buy te things? offering baskets, truffles, fudge, specialty candies, bouquets. trying fd store started in. getting started? ts tt ts business background florist wk told arrangements beautiful. don’t tell business health consulting field. basics don’t tell gift industry concerned. help please?
food is always a good option because ppl eat right, but the number one seller for these products would be the gift idea. more tips and articles on small business and marketing on this site
There are companies that sell “cookie” bouquets as well as “fresh fruit” arrangements. Go work at one of them- you will find out if this is the job for you. You may end up being interested in running the spot as a manager not an owner.
Second, there is a huge group that holds a meeting every year on gift baskets. Their trade magazine is called Gift Basket Review. You can often find the latest issues at the library. Get a subscription and read it cover to cover. Go to their national trade and association meeting. Well worth the money and you get to meet lots of people in this industry. Most people start out from home so they can save the rent. Many never go the retail store route because your overhead goes way up. Also, your inventory costs are pretty high because you have to have in stock or you don’t sell. So that means you have to know what to buy that will sell. And you need to find suppliers that inti tally will sell in low quantities because you’ll have to maintain a large variety of items. Perish-ability is a big issue – and many States require food handling training and licenses and storage and work areas and water sources- and the list is endless.
So in the long run, it takes patience, research and a passion to do this. Good luck.
Start a theme and go from there…
she needs promotions and advertisement, she might want to start offering her goods to her friends, ask her to display it on some shops, she doesn’t need to have her own store yet unless she has ready market for that…if she’s really good at it she would get more orders. successful business usually starts as a hobby and get bigger through word of mouth… she must stand out from the rest… these kind of products are usually seasonal…
The first thing she might do is go to a bookstore, where she’ll find many books on starting your own business. After reading up on the topic, she should feel a little clearer about how to get started.
Turn Your Hobby Into A Worldwide Success With The Internet
By: Lori Osterberg
You’ll find articles that you can use right now! Sounds like a great idea…go for it! Use this web site as a reference tool…visit the ad links to see how it is done.
Good Luck!
I think this question is really for you. I think it’s a cover up. Admit it, you’re a mail Florist
Start with a business plan and a trip to either COSE (Council of Small Enterprise) or SBA (Small Business Administration) which offers FREE counseling to entrepreneurs. The most important question in a business is more of what people want to buy than what your sister wants to sell. I’d say to have her do a local survey of consumers, check out the local industry competition and their profitability, and to maybe start offering her products through an established business in which she can test the market for her products without having to pay rent, utilities, and such.