Would anyone like to give me some business advice? Baked good related? -

I have recently started my own cupcake company, we sell at food events, markets, etc and some weeks we do really well, and others not so well, our cupcakes look amazing, we do really nice flavours that others cupcake companies don t and we try to think out of the box when we are looking at events. We don t have the funds to buy a shop at the mo, and our start up costs have escalated quite a bit. The advice I would like is how to maximize sales, we have thought abuot buying a coffee machine, but like I said money is short, plus the competition to supply coffee is high. We do other things, like cookies, big cakes, truffles, and some seasonal stuff, which we will be concentrating on over Xmas, and also have tapped into the wedding market and that is all going well at the moment. So anyone got any advice for me? Oh and we went round all the little cafes in town with free cupcakes, and a trade price list, but got nada. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! many thanks in advance.

As you have found sales to the public is good but selling to a business to resell - the cafes in town - is harder.How are your products packaged and branded?Maybe get a few friends to go into cafes buy a coffee and ask Do you have Dominic T s cupcakes.If they get asked even a few times they willsoon want to know how to stock them.Also can you include any details of yourself and business on the cakes - especially at the wedding market - lots of people and they have to know about you and your product.One easy way to do this - is note and keep any details of the happy couple - send a christmas card - anniversary card etcPeople do talk about these things and it keeps you in the frame.Can you hook up with any business that is supplying buffets or platters to offices -or stay in front - offer this service as well and then sub out the food side.Creating a package is always worth considering.Get some news - create a huge cup cake and auction it of for charity.Home baking is on the increase -set up a cake competition for kidsthey pay a quid or so to enter - donate the cash to a charity.Gets your name out there.Many shopping malls will allow space for small businesses to promote themselves.http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/w��certainly eye catching.I guess for display purposes this could be recreated in say polystyrene so that it opens to reveal loads of smaller cakes inside.Can you do naughty cakes just look at the ann summers web site.Canine Cakes - a total of ��1.7bn was spent last year on food.Can you do a cake with doggy chocolate and dog friendlyI am amazed now wehn I see folks trawling thru stores and web sites to buy pet stuff -good idea above offer to bring undecorated cupcakes to kids parties or holiday events and let the kids try their hand at decorating.But make sure you can include business details that everyone can take away - How you do this is at the simplest leave some business cards with the organiser. For young children have a colouring in sheet with a big cake just in B W but have your business details on it too.Have you thought about accessing any business start up/advisory services - you can check the phone book or councilthis is usually free service.

take them into your local newspaper and radio station give them some free to try and then ask them for help promoting them

What about an advertisement on Gumtree absolutely free. Is it possible to set up a web site and sell online.? obviously now is not quite the right time with the postal strike on but later perhaps. Farmers markets or perhaps a table at your local flea market. I know ours at Budleigh has several food tables that seem to do quite well. Whatever you do start small don t invest everything you have build up slowly but surely. One more thought speciality birthday cakes might do well.

May offer to bring undecorated cupcakes to kids parties or holiday events and let the kids try their hand at decorating. May not be a long term goal, but might bring in some temporary business.Look into holiday bazaars and craft fairs this time of year. They can be kind of hard to find the first year unless you find a guide listing them online in your area. But food is very popular at bazaars during the holiday season.Check out the local colleges and see if the coffee shops there would be interested in carrying your product.Try to tap into baby showers and bridal showers. Cupcakes are perfect for these events. Check the local baby stores or bridal shops and see if they have a place for business cards.Good luck!

How can i prevent myself from being ripped off? -

i am acting as a broker for a deal taking place in uk. My customer is willing to trust me with ��250k. I have to go to my supplier and buy the goods on my customers behalf.So, i have a signed and dated purchase order from my customer. I am going to send a purchase order to my supplier, with the condition that my customer is happy to buy the goods and sends the money (he will view the goods before he sends the money to us). I will then require a proforma invoice from the supplier.The goods are brand new and in unopened boxes....so i cant check them all because they are unopened.....plus there are 10 truck loads. So i have to assume that a few random spot checks are ok. But how do i know that the supplier will release the goods once i pay him? I presume that if challenged they would have to produce a shipping manifest saying the goods were sent....the customer is arranging the transport....i am not too worried about the customer/supplier meeting... too long to explain.so, im wondering what else can go wrong, and how to cover my back side.ps, the supplier is reputable....but still, to me its a hell of a lot of money and even a tiny bit of trust is a LOT!!!thanks for answers

use a bonded warehouse to hold the goods till they are paid for. ASK an atty to set it up

Would it be iite to start selling drugs? -

im not saying im gonna do it, cuz i wont, but if someone was sick of not having any money, wanted to buy things for there selfs and family, too young to get a good job, would it be ok to start selling drugs? nothing hardcore, like weed and tabs? mabe excuz you could make some good money doing that and then that person could have lots of nice new things like new kicks, new clothes, a nice tv, all things he would have went without because theres not enough money in there household to provide these things???

Not really. Because getting caught and going to jail isn t worth the money you could make. Not to mention having people trying to rob and kill you once you start making a little change.There s so many other things you can do besides selling drugs...

no it would not be quote on quote iite to start selling drugs,do you know what you could get involved in?You could be put in jail,and think about how many people you would be dissapointing by giving people a useless drug that makes them act like an idiot.Do you really wanna be the one blamed for ruining peoples lives?Maybe you should try going to church,you aren t the only poor person in the world who can t provide for their household,try asking God for help,and be patient.But please,do not ruin your life and others by selling them drugs.thanks.

Well the greedy people in the government are legally, so they can satisfy their needs. Why not anyone else?

i had a friend who bought seeds and grew his own weed. and he would sell and make 3000 a month.

And then you d go to jail and nobody would have $ to bail you out.

sure, sell drugs, be put in prison for like 7 years, totally worth some new stuff and money

i think the real question here is is it okay to say iite

Selling a saw at a pawn shop? -

I have a DeWalt DC390KR wireless skill saw that I never use.I need fast cashShould I pawn it when its used value is about 150$? I have never even been to a pawn shop before, so I don t really know if its even worth it.Or should sell it on craigslist? Power tools aren t my expertise and I don t really know what to do with it but I would like to sell it asap. Help? :)

YOu do not want to ship this anywhere (Ebay). SO you could try Craigs list or the Pennysaver. A pawn shop will only give you a small amount of $ if they even accept this. You could also try to sell it like a garage sale -put it out on a table with a sign. Just be aware that used equipment really doesn t fetch a whole lot, despite its value .

Pawn it. Instant money, with no hassles

What is a good business to start? -

Say I have $500 to start and there s no way I can get any other money. What s a good Idea for starting a business? I desperately need answers. Thanks in advance.

Here are some small business enterprises to consider:1. Providing a private tutoring service ranging from music lessons, English writing and reading lessons: to training seniors on how to operate a particular computer;2. Offering to supervise or monitor services to senior citizens especially those wanting someone to take them on errands, driving on long trips, watch and clean up homes left behind by seniors who have been relocated to assisted living quarters;3. Becoming a regional apartment manager servicing several properties while traveling to and fro to collect monthly rents and service tenant complaints;4. Leasing a van equipped with paper shredding machinery and go into high-income areas offering to shred their highly secretive personal papers or even allow them to do so in the privacy of their own home or office;5. Leasing high-pressure steam cleaning equipment which can be used to remove chewing gum in front of store fronts and apartment houses and charge an appropriate hourly fee;Good luck!

That s a very small budget with no margin for error. Make sure that you do something which involves a product or service about which you are very knowledgeable.If you have access to business foreclosure auctions, you might very well be able to buy some items at fire sale prices which you could sell online via auction or classified sites. Just make sure that you know the terms of the auction (fees they may charge you for buying) and the true market value of anything you buy.Service businesses can be quite lucrative, too. I once made a deal with a security dealer to buy high quality locks at a discount. I then sold them door-to-door making the retail markup plus an installation charge. Lots of people have old hardware that needs to be replaced, but they don t think about it until they have a burglary (or a good salesman stops by). ;-)The nice thing about the service biz is that you don t have to spend your money on inventory until you have a commitment from a customer.

Right now the internet would be a great place to start. A home based business and you have more than enough to get a huge jump on things. Check out this site for some great programs and training ideas. There is a internet training course on here Maverick Money Makers that is the best course I have ever seen.Best of Luck,K

Without knowing your age or location it hard to know what to suggest. If your are boy I would suggest something different than a girl. So I will try with a generic answer. Lawn mowing, window washing, dog do pick up, garage clean up. bike repair, car detailing, buy junk fix it up and sell it. I did that when I was in high school and made more money than anybody else in my school. Those are ideas that won t cost too much to get started and with a little work you should be able to turn your $500 in a few thousand.

Im 17 yrs old and i had the same question.What i did was buy staff online that was in a really really good price and sell it for more! Your money ill reproduce trust me but you have to do a lot price of searching before u buy a product!

An office cleaning business is easy and cheap to start. http://cleanuptheprofit.com tells you how to do it and how much you can make.

Whatever you do, NO NOT DO MLM. You will fail 99% of the time.

a lemonade stand

How to make 10 million fast? -

Is it a serious Question ???????? or for fun ?? Theoritically and legally .. You must have a sum of money first (It depends).. but would be anywhere from ( 50,000-$100,000) ... it could be less than that .. With that sum of money.. you got a plan for A wholesale business (New idea, new product ) or existing product yet you should be able to move to the location which have plenty of customers in need of it, and invest there .. with this product in need , your turn out profit margin would be anywhere between 300% - 1000% .. and as we said that product is really in need and you are one of the rare who find the opportunity early in that market/ city .. then with merchandise turnover 4-6 weeks.. you should be able to turn this $50,000 into $10,000,000 in less than 6 to 9 months.... Yet you have to cover that sum first and have it, and then you should be able to find that product in need and the market in need .......... and all in the right time, with a stable economy as well .. PS: Stable economy is not an issue if the product is really in need ......... and you get your profits before everybody else catch your idea and starting to open other businesses like yours .. yet by then you would have $passed $50,000,000 not only $10,000,00 my dear friend.. All good luck for you, and have a great day ... Never forget me when you make them .. (And promise you would support me with $100 for my advice as well ).. LOL