New venture, what mode of communication do you all use?

[Carolyn R]

So after making little monsters of my husbands co workers by sending them home baked goods, and getting a ton of feedback from the parents at my sons olympic day at school.........it seems my homemade cannoli are a big hit. They are the super smooth yummy ones made with marscapone cheese, and actually after some experimenting, I will even be making the marscapone cheese from scratch.
I decided to start by once a month having a cannoli day, They sold out in less than an hour at the bake sale at the elementary schools Olympic day to benefit the PTO organized events.
I am doing the sales by word of mouth, a few sign up sheets and FB.

What other modes of local marketing do you all do for small sales?

Seems like the best advertising so far is to give them away or make them when someone is having a get together that we are going to......let's people sample them and inquire about getting more.

 

[MountainWoman]

Just a suggestion that you might want to look into local/state laws governing food sales for home prepared food and what kind of permits you might need. Different states vary on this issue but there are some with strict rules about selling items prepared at home for profit. I learned this when a friend started an in home cookie business. Sounds wonderful and if you start mail order, I'd be a customer!

 

[Jill]

I'm going to try and not hold a grudge because you're too far away for me to enjoy what you've got going on with cannoli. They sound like something I could enjoy on a regular basis

For communication, it's phone for family, but I do think social media and email works GREAT for so much else!

There's an Amish owned deli / bakery / store between where H and I both work and home. They do this "dinner for two" thing each weekday along with a lot of other products. They send a menu of the "dinner for two" out by email and also posted on their website and social media page. Email and social media pages seem to be a great way to spread the word. I know I check it out frequently!

 

[LittleRibbie]

Liz, this isnt really an answer to your question...but Paula Dean started out door to door taking orders for her sandwiches..till she realized many office buildings have more employees and that ment more business w/o all the walking. We all know her empire now.

I just wanted to let you know that Sysco ( a major food distributor country wide ) carries 1.5 inch mini cannoli shells that are perfect for giveaway/sample sizes that might help you keep your costs down while you are starting up. You didnt mention if you make your own shells ( good lord, now that would be too much work lol ) You can get away with only about 1.5 or 2 oz filling and do all the decorating that you would use for your full size one. I love cannolis and have had my share of cheap o ones, you know, just filling on the 2 ends w/nothing in the middle yuck!! But I really think if you have a super product, homemade with real marscapone cheese and fun packaging you will have a hit...but you will have to give some away, get your walking shoes on or teach your horses to drive and go around the neighborhood, lol. Let the product sell itself!!

MountainWoman does have a great point but many catering co. ( i know we do ) allow individual to use their address for permits...it has nothing to do w/liability.

Make sure you keep us posted as your sound delish!!

 

[Carolyn R]

Yep, homemade shells and homemade mascapone cheese. Thank God for pasta machines to roll out the dough!

Not looking to turn big bucks, just some orders for special occasions and once a month order to be taken from regulars and employers where my husband works.

There are a lot of folks that sell baked goods at their roadside fruit and produce stands, farmers markets and through Facebook. If I were using unpasturized products I would be worried, but it is pasteurized cream, just not ultra pasteurized, and actually I went to culinary school and have had all the courses on safe food handling so I am ahead of the game in that arena. After working in the restaurant field, I decided it was not for me, the sheer ifestyle of many of the employees turned me off. Go to work at 3 pm, work till 12, party and do it all over, not my cup of tea. I much preferred working management in retail.

 

[LittleRibbie]

Homemade shells...you Rock!! Now I really want some!! I still think you Can make a decent little income with these. Drop off at other peoples stands/markets, you make what you need to make $ wise then let them make a few cents!!! Really girl I think you should go for this...even if it is 1 or 2 times a month

 

[Debby - LB]

These sound wonderful!! If you are serious about continuing be prepared to make BIG changes at home to comply with the USDA rules, plus for Internet sales you have to be registered with FDA as well. For your sake I'd advise you to not advertise yet.

This type of baked goods is such that you cannot make it in your regular home-use kitchen and offer it for sale.

 

[Carolyn R]

No, nothing like that, just a word of mouth and Facebook group friends. No real advertising and no intentions of such.

I guess, I should have asked, in this case, what have you'll found to be the best for this type of situations, word of mouth and a phone number, using FB as a mode to take names....email....much smaller caliber than what some have in mind.....as far as sign up sheets, it would be much like word of mouth....just a friend or two, one with a bar/dinner menu,and people my husband works with that have been inquiring, nothing large scale.

 

[Marty]

I would eat all the cannoli I could stuff in my face.

 

[Carolyn R]

Okay, so I'll let you all pick my next flavor to experiment with.....shall it be teramisu and dark chocolate or Hawaiian..vanilla cannoli cream with tiny tidbits of merichino cherries and pineapple, then dipping the ends in toasted coconut and crushed macadamia nuts? I am torn which I should experiment with next.

 

[MountainWoman]

Carolyn, mail order please!!!!!!

 

[chandab]

While the Hawaiian sounds pretty good, you can't go wrong with chocolate, so I'd start there.

 

[Carolyn R]

Made some of cannoli for a baby shower, And had a few other people that wanted to get some. I footed the grocery items and gave the cash to the kids for helping. They were thrilled to have earned the money. The Hawaiian were really an OMG there's a party in my mouth taste (tasted like a cross between ambrosia fruit salad and pineapple cheese cake, if you like that combo). Win win, gives them a weekend with family interaction and learning while earning a few dollars, and I don't hav to hear " I am soooooo bored!"

This weekend's new flavor for some picnics we are going to.......vanilla mascarpone filling laced with a homemade raspberry reduction and embellished with white chocolate on the ends. Maybe they will pick up a few orders

A true cannoli from Italy is made with ricotta, but intends to give the filling a grainy gritty texture, the mascarpone gives it a creamy smooth texture.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Could I volunteer as a sampler ????

I would gladly sit quietly at the table and sample, sample, sample!!

 

[Carolyn R]

Bess you are too funny. A friend of my daughter's comes up when we make them, he loves to help, loves to sample them and loves to take them home too.

So far I have made the regular with the mini chips, regular with pistachio dipped ends, vanilla mascarpone cream with a band of raspberry reduction inside with white choc dipped ends and the Hawaiian. Think I will do the tiramisu next. The kids are loving it and have been getting $30-50 each, per week. Not a ton of cash, but nice spending/rainy day savings money for them.

I had another, rather odd, opportunity fall into my lap recently.....my husband's workplace needed recipes done. Can't elaborate much more at this point, doesn't involve cannoli (but they do love eating them when I send them in), but it is interesting and I will be paid for it.

 

[shorthorsemom]

local amish here have to either list or have available if asked, the ingredients in their baked goods. I also remember something about not being allowed to bake in their home but having some place with a separate entrance to do the baking. Thats all I can remember from local rules. They have cracked down on the local amish selling things baked in their own kitchens without proper inspection and licenses. I have always wanted to do some venture like you are describing and am interested in the ins and outs of how somebody gets going. Nice thread... keep the comments coming, others are watching. best wishes, sounds delicious!