Ad #2

Second ad came out in the Celebrate Publication and we're excited to get our company out there.  Here's what the ad looks like:

 

 

I received the new business cards with our new number and am still awaiting the Sugar High patches for the aprons (uniform).  We are currently working on some new centerpieces for the candy buffets and have been having fun doing it.  I'm currently working on a candy cake with a Wonka theme that will have a Golden Ticket chocolate bar sticking out of the center on the 1st tier.  We are also working on some new candy topiaries.  We found that it is cheaper and a lot less work to buy pre-made foam topiaries from Hobby Lobby.  It's been great coming up with new and creative ways to make candy centerpieces and decoration.  I'll have to take a picture of our progress for the next post.



Candy Buffets

 



Submitted an advertisement to be published in the next JN issue (this Friday), and plan to put another ad in the JN Celebrate Guide in March.  Hopefully these adds will reach a wide audience and we can gain some new clientele for this summer.  I'm excited to see how it turns out.  The gift basket business is really slow, so being in the business of providing candy buffets has been keeping me busy and I'm looking forward to something new and challenging.

Here's what the ad looks like:

 

We set up the whole bar area at my parents' house as a giant candy buffet with various retro candies.  We were able to get a lollipop stand, although it only came in natural wood color, so I sanded and painted it white to have a more elegant look to it - I think it turned out pretty well.  Also, we were able to get a screen/divider from my Nana's old condo and put a white sheet over it for the background of the picture which added to the professional look of the display.  I went with my dad on Sunday and got a new phone for the business with a (248) area code (West Bloomfield, where my parents live, and the home base for the candy buffet business).

 

I'm excited to get into something new, while still offering my gift baskets online and for centerpieces or hotel guest gift baskets.

 

I was able to put a free listing in yellowpages.com for candy buffet services and design an ad with Google Adwords Express, using my parents' address and reaching an audience within 35 miles of their address.  I think I should go to the bank though and put the business checking account into the name of "Sugar High" using the DBA certificate because the account is still in the old name "Emily's Sugar High" and there may be problems if people write checks to the company in the name of "Sugar High."  So far it hasn't been an issue and I've been able to deposit checks, but you never know, better safe than sorry.

I bought some more candy from Nassau but it hasn't been delivered yet, I ordered black and white candy to do a more elegant wedding type candy buffet.  I want to show that Sugar High is versatile and can achieve different looks with the buffets.  I also ordered 2 black aprons from Amazon.com and plan to screen print the Sugar High logo on them to have as attendant uniforms to where at the events/parties.  I think that will turn out well and makes for a good uniform on top of all black clothing.  I also am thinking I'll have to get new business cards with the new business phone number on them, or maybe go for glossy postcards to hand out instead of business cards, which can have pictures on them and give a bit more information to potential clients.

All in all, there is much work ahead, but work that I am passionate about and there's nothing better than that...

Post Trade Show Notes and Feelings About the Future

Well, the best thing to happen at the trade show was that one woman bought 5 gift baskets and 14 mini buckets, making the trade show commitment worth it.  We didn't make much profit but at least made back the money it cost to have a table at the show both weekends plus the money it cost to make the Sugar High banner.  After the show I moved back to Ann Arbor from my parents' place (where I was recovering from my recent back surgery) and have been working from home since then.  Things have really been settling down since preparing all those baskets for the show. A lot of down time now.

I have invested so much money into these gift baskets and am not even close to making that money back let alone a profit to put into the candy store savings. I think the smart thing to do now is to quit the basket business (but still try to sell off what I still have) and save all the money I can for the store since that is what this is all about anyways - opening my own candy store.

Since it's all about saving up money now I'm thinking about quitting my job and getting back into practicing law since the pay is not even in the same league as my current  salary.  It scares me to do that, but maybe the means justify the ends.

Gibraltar trade show part 2

Ok, so show #2.  We had to move tables and it was just me and my mom moving each basket and crap to our new space.  Something cool we did though was got a banner made to put behind our booth and can be used for future trade shows.  Made one sale already, and its only Friday night. Hopefully tomorrow will make this worth it.  Here's a pic of our new booth:

Gibraltar trade show

So, im at the trade show, day 2, and it sucks.  sold 2 suckers at $1 a piece yesterday and today sold 2 more suckers and a small candy buck at $7.  Definitely thought there would be more foot traffic here but it is snowing a lot outside and people have been saying that the trade show next weekend usually does really well.  So, I have reserved two tables for next weekend to do this whole thing over again.  I feel really bummed out because i have put so much work into making these baskets and have barely sold anything.  Our table looks great and our inventory is pretty good compared to the other junk being sold here.  Here are some photos of our booth:

Let me elaborate on what i mean by "other junk being sold here."  There is a woman at the table next to me who makes lanyard keychains with people's names on them who is selling them like hot cakes, she already made back her money from the table reservation for the show ($75).  What kind of world are we living in?  what have we come to?

I was sooo excited for this show to finally make some money because the website and eBay were not doing great and now all i get is another let down.  I wanted some sort of sign that this new business (Sugar High) was a good idea and is worth pursuing to the end.  I want to open the store more than anything and am willing to do the work required to do so.

I would say at least i have my health, but i just had back surgery 2-3 weeks ago (my third one).

one more sale...

Sold one more basket on eBay - a Christmas hatbox, sold for $13.50.  No sales on the website yet, but I check google adwords and google analytics daily to see how many people have gone to the website and which products are being looked at.

On a separate note, I have reserved a table at the Gibraltar Holiday Trade Show to sell my baskets at and have been making Christmas baskets like crazy.  I've gotten a lot of baskets and Christmas decorations at Target and Joann Fabric at really good prices.  Here's one of my favorites that I made last week:

I want to sell them at the trade show, but am also posting them on my website and eBay for purchase.  The trade show isn't for another month or so, but I've been keeping very busy, which is good.

No More Sales ...

Well, I haven't had any more sales since that one on eBay.  And I've been adding to my inventory. I ended up buying the bulk candy I needed to make the Sugar High mix plus the decade boxes.  I was able to make special occasion baskets, another movie night basket, and a few more Christmas baskets.  Here's one of the special occasion baskets:

I think the added inventory makes the website look a bit more legit because there is way more to choose from than a few lunch box baskets that I started with.  On another note, I am trying to find out information to sell my baskets at a local farmer's market.  That would be pretty cool just to gain the exposure even if no one buys.  I should really try to find out information on other trade shows nearby-I haven't really thought about that because all my energy has gone into this website that hasn't made any sales.  Still waiting ...